Transfiguration Cathedral, Chernihiv

The Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernihiv (Спасо-Преображенський собор) is the oldest building in Chernihiv, Ukraine, and one of the few survived buildings of pre-Mongol Rus. In 1989, together with the Historical center of Chernihiv, the cathedral has been on the World Heritage tentative list.

Construction of the cathedral was started by Prince Mstislav of Chernigov, and the legend says that when Mstislav died in 1035 or 1036, the height of the walls was equal to the height of a horseman. It is unclear when the construction was completed. Mstitlav was buried in the cathedral. The Transfiguration Cathedral was damaged in 1239, during the Mongol invasion, renovated in the middle of the 17th century, burned down in the 18th century and was again renovated. The current exterior stems from the end of the 19th century.

The architecture of the cathedral is unusual and is a mix of a Roman basilica with a typical Byzantine church. It has three naves with three apses and five domes. There are two towers at the two sides of the main facade.