Alexander Church
Alexander Church, located near the Independence Square and Khreshchatyk, is not only the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Kiev, but also the main Catholic Temple of this city. It was named after Tsar Alexander I, who ordered to build the church. The decision to erect church arose in the early XIX century, because the 46000 of the Roman Catholics in Kiev did not have the own temple for worship. In 1817 there started the construction of the church, financed by the Polish gentry, and ended only in 1842. The Catholic Church was built in the tradition of the era of that time and has a stamp of classicism. It is characterized with clean lines, square form, topped with domes and towers. A distinctive feature of the church is its rich decoration and the main entrance, decorated with the portico. The main relic is the crucifix brought from Italy and the excellent copy of Raphael Madonna. In Soviet times the Alexander Church was closed. In the building there was opened the planetarium and the library; the church was almost completely neglected. The restoration was carried out in 1994, three years later as it was returned to the Roman Catholic community. Nowadays, the uniqueness of the church lies in its architecture and sumptuous luxury.
