Artistic postcard from 1970 featuring the park pavilion at Askold’s Grave in Kyiv during spring blossom.
What is shown on the postcard
The foreground of the postcard displays lush pink spring blossoms against vibrant green trees. Through the branches, a classicist-style circular rotunda building is visible. Its upper tier features an open colonnade that replaced the original dome. A street lamp stands to the left of the structure.
Historical note
The St. Nicholas Church on Askold’s Grave was built in 1810 by the prominent Kyiv architect Andrey Melensky. In 1934, Soviet authorities closed the church, and in 1936, the building was reconstructed into a park pavilion following a design by architect Andrey Avraamov. During this process, the dome was removed and replaced by an open Ionic colonnade. The rotunda remained in this modified state throughout the Soviet era.
Present day
In 1997–1998, the building underwent restoration to recover its original early 19th-century historical appearance, complete with a closed dome and cross. Today, it operates as an active church dedicated to St. Nicholas under the administration of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Location (map)
Address: Parkova Doroha, 1, Kyiv, Ukraine
Coordinates: 50.444167, 30.551667
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: St. Nicholas Church on Askold’s Grave, Kyiv.
Questions and answers
- Which building is depicted on the postcard? The postcard depicts the park pavilion at Askold’s Grave, which was converted from the 1810 St. Nicholas Church designed by Andrey Melensky.
- Why is the dome missing from the building? During the 1936 conversion of the closed church into a park pavilion, the original dome was dismantled and replaced with an open colonnade.
- Who owns the building today? Today, it is an active St. Nicholas Church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, restored to its original historical appearance.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Kyiv from 1970.
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