St. Nicholas Military Cathedral

St. Nicholas Military Cathedral (Військовий Микільський собор), popularly known as The Great Nicholas (Великий Микола), was one of the military cathedrals of the former Russian Empire, overlooking the Dnieper River in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

This pentacupolar Ukrainian Baroque building was designed by Osip Startsev at the bidding of Hetman Ivan Mazepa to serve as the main church of St. Nicholas's Poustinia traditionally associated with Askold's Grave. The church was consecrated in 1696. It was famed for its dazzling gilded icon screen commissioned by Mazepa. A free-standing Rastrelliesque bell tower was completed in the mid-18th century.

The Russian Imperial Army became the church's patron in 1831. A set of cannons near the building proclaimed its military associations. In 1934, the Soviets blew up the cathedral, replacing it with a Pioneers Palace.

Struggle for a reconstruction of a temple is growing. The president of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko supported idea of restoration of a temple.

Now Divine services are carried out at open-air near to a place where there was a temple earlier. A website of parishioners - http://www.mykilsky.org.ua/