Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv loses a cross from one of its domes
A three-meter-tall cross broke off one of the gilded onion domes of Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, the cathedral’s management told Ukrainian news outlet Ukrinform on Jan. 18.
According to the report, powerful winds sent the cross tumbling early in the morning on Jan. 14.
Wind speeds that day reached 44 kilometers per hour, with gusts going as high as 60 kilometers per hour.
“These crosses were last replaced back around 1978. Soviet restoration workers plated the black metal core of them with copper, which led to this structural failure,” Saint Sophia’s caretakers said.
The cathedral’s management pledged to promptly replace the fallen cross with a new one, and inspect the other domes of the 11th century cathedral to ensure there are no further such incidents.
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