On the Initial Dedication of the Altars of St. Sophia in Kyiv

The purpose of this study is to introduce into scientific circulation and analyze the data that shed light on the complex problem of the initial dedication of the altars of St. Sophia in Kyiv. The ancient integral architectural and mural ensemble of the St. Sophia is considered to be the most reliable authentic source. The article in the context of the theme of the dedication of the altars of the St. Sophia comprehensively explores the problem of the implementation of the princely order of the spouses of the Baptists of Rus-Ukraine. The study testifies to the patronage of Volodymyr the Great and his wife Anna Porphyrogenita regarding the St. Sophia and its dating from 1011 to 1018. This can be seen even in the very canonical religious plots of the five lower altars of the cathedral, the sacred dedication of which is beyond doubt, as it is reliably confirmed by the content of their monumental paintings – mosaics and frescoes of the second decade of the 11^th century. It turns out that the original dedication of the altars of St. Sophia in Kyiv is still known, which some modern scholars, ignoring the content of the plots, the specifics of the medieval worldview, theological and functional-liturgical aspects of the cathedral ensemble, as well as the results of its previous and latest research, are baseless. In fact, this dedication is quite authentic and fully corresponds to the dedication of the Church of the Wisdom of God itself as a monument to the time of the Christianization of Rus-Ukraine, its formation as a Christian state. The dedication of the cathedral and its altars is connected with this, in the monumental painting of which the wide and consistent glorification of the new Rus and the princely couple of its baptized Volodymyr the Great and Anna Porphyrogenita is clearly traced.