The five-domed stone cathedral was built by Vladimir of Novgorod on behest of his father, Yaroslav the Wise, as a sign of gratitude to Novgorodians for their support of Yaroslav's struggle for Kiev. It replaced an even older wooden, 13-domed church built in 989. The sixth (and the largest) dome crowns a tower which leads to a rood-loft. The cupolas are thought to have acquired their present helmet-like shape in the 1150s, when the cathedral was restored after a fire. The interior was painted in the 11th and 12th centuries, but those f ...

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Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod - History, Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod - Features

Read more here: » Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod: Encyclopedia II - Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod - History