The Cathedral is located in the middle of the picturesque monastic ensemble of the 18th century, erected in the Ukrainian Baroque style. Its structures are marked by festivity, harmony of form and nature, expressive national character.

On the part of the St. Sophia’s square raises a Bell Tower with a front gate to the Cathedral’s yard. Its silhouette com- bines into one the structures of the St. Sophia ensemble. The Bell Tower is built into the monastery wall on the south-eastern part of the yard. This is the first stone structure erected in 1699–1706 after the fi re at the end of the 17th century. Its architect remains unknown. In the documents one can find only names of one of the builders Sava Yakovlev, “apprentice of stone masonry”, resident of the town of Kyiv and Pechersk. Initially the Bell Tower was a tree tired one, crowned with a small dome with high spire. As the Bell Tower was erected in place of ancient gully, short after erection its upper tiers started to go to ruin. They gave considerable cracks creating the danger of collapse. That is why in 1744–1748 they were disassembled and reconstructed. Bell Tower’s reconstruction was lead by a prominent St. Petersburg’s architect I. G. Shedel, who carried out number of construction works in Kyiv on the order of the Metropolitan Raphael Zaborovsky. The restored Bell Tower was also three tired, crowned with elegant Baroque dome with gilded spire and stars on the golden background. In 1851–1852, under the project of the eparchy architect P. Sparro the Bell Tower was enlarged by one more tier. It is crowned by wooden pear-shaped dome covered with copper gilded plates. The Bell Tower, which height reached 76 meters, started to dominate not only over the Khreshchata Valley, but also over the building system of the Upper Kyiv. Though of the initial structure has survived only the first and a part of the second tier, however the architecture and décor of the Bell Tower are perceived as a perfect hole. Pageantry of the Bell Tower is high- lighted by a pyramid-shaped composition: four cubages are gradually narrowing upwards and end with a dome. Two lower tiers are right-angled, the upper ones are octagonal. Over them raises the dome crowned with a cupola with the cross. The lower tier has an arched passage, arches of which are decorated with broken pediments. A closed premise is arranged over the passage, where lead circular stairs inside the wall on the northern part of the passage. Three upper tiers do not have inserted floors and are open outwards with the arches. Composition’s tier system is marked with intricate profile cornices; vertically walls’ surface is dissected with flat pilasters and decorated bays among them. Sculptural décor of the Bell Tower wonderfully interacts with its architectural forms. Inventive lace of the stucco ornament features thematic bas-reliefs: dynamic figures of angels resembling Ukrainian youths in Cossack topcoats, representations of cupids, masks, garlands, flowers in baskets, heraldic double eagles, baldachins above niches, etc. The eastern front faces the St. Sophia square. In the third tier it is decorated with the figures of Apostle Andrew and Prince Volodymyr, the founders of Christianity in Rus-Ukraine. Western front of the Bell Tower, on the yard’s part is decorated with the fi gures of Archangels Raphael and Apostle Timothy, the patron saints of the Metropolitans Raphael Zaborovsky and Timothy Scherbatsky under whom the Bell Tower was rebuilt in the 18th century. Stucco moldings were executed by Ivan and Stepan Stobensky, artisans from Zhovkva. Walls ornamentation is increased by painting of the Bell Tower which initially used to be polychromic, and beginning from the 19th century the facades start to be dichromatic. Bright whiteness of stucco moldings on the turquoise background in conjunction with shine of gold creates an impression of solemn festivity. A bell of 1705 known under the name of Mazepa is located in the second tier of the Bell Tower. It is one of twenty bells once located within the bell tower. Among old bronze bells which have survived in Ukraine it is the largest one as to its size, and the richest one as to its ornaments. At the beginning of the 21st century significant, as to their scope, repair and restoration works have been carried out, i.e. structures reinforcement, façade and interior restoration, dome’s gilding renewal. For the first time in many years the monument was open for visitors. In summer 2008 during celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Rus 20 new bells with total weight of 835 kg were placed on the bell tower. On July 25, 2008 these bells were sanctified by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the Ist. Since then national celebrations on the St. Sophia square are accompanied with their ringing.

In the southern part from the Cathedral is a Refectory (a Warm or Minor Sophia) constructed in 1722–1730. It combined the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus, a dining hall and a kitchen. On the second storey were located store-rooms for food and monastic utensils. A large storage room was arranged under the building. In 60s of the 18th century the construction of the refectory was finished under participation of a prominent Ukrainian architect I. Grygorovych-Barsky. In 1822, according to the project of architect A. Melensky, the refectory was rebuilt into the winter Nativity Church. Since then it has been called a Warm, or Minor Sophia. In 1872 the Warm Church was considerably built up and it was shaped as a three-aisle basilica with high central nave ending in the east with a big chancel crowned with a pear-shaped dome. This beautiful Baroque structure is roofed “with bending” and decorated in the west with wave-like pediment. During renovation in 1970s the refectory’s initial architectural forms were partially restored. The refectory constantly houses the Architecture and Monumental Art of the late 10th — early XIth centuries exhibition. Here one can see the fragments of mosaic floor from the Tithe Church, sarcophagus of the princess Olha, a miniature of the Olden Podol, etc.

Simultaneously with the refectory, not far from it a Bakery was built, which after monastery’s closing was reequipped into the premises of clerical Consistory — the body of eparchy management and justice. At the beginning the bakery’s building was a one-storey, but in 1770–1783 a second floor was built over it. In 1853 the building underwent one more reconstruction. Its internal planning and facades’ architectural décor were modified. As a result of reconstructions the structure has lost its initial Baroque appearance. Today the bakery is a right-angled in plan structure stretched along the north-south axis. On the east front protrudes the projection of the 19th century with rustication finish. In 19th century along Volodymyrska street, in place of the fence of the 18th century another (southern) Consistory’s wing was erected. Its initial (northern) wing turned out to be built in into a new structure with its southern butt end. At present spacious exhibition rooms are arranged in the Bakery’s premises.

Stonework South Tower is adjacent to the Consistory’s southern wing. It is one more approach to the monastic yard arranged under the Hetman Ivan Mazepa. This is a square in plan two-storey structure crowned with a massive hemispheric dome with a conical spire. On the spire was fixed a metal wind vane in the form of a gilded figure of Archangel Michael. The structure’s first floor has an arched passage. A spacious premise is located above it. Within the eastern wall there is an arched premise for the guards. Now it is one of the Conservation Area’s funds depository. From the east the tower is adjoined by erected simultaneously with it the most ancient fragment of the massive brick wall uniting it with the bell tower. The wall around estate of the St. Sophia Monastery was erected during the first half of the 18th century.

In the 18th century the Metropolitan’s Residence had a separate entrance from the city — the triumphal Zaborovsky Gate to be reached when following the street leading from the Golden Gate. One of the best creations of I. G. Shedel was erected in 1746, by the order of the Metropolitan Raphael Zaborovsky, in honor of renewal of Kyivan Metropolitanate in 1743. Western façade with pediment and part of walls erected around the gate have preserved. It is near the gate of Zaborovsky that in 1746 fence around the estate of the St. Sophia Monastery was closed.
In 18th century the gate was a rectangular in plan stone edifice with arched passage 4 meters wide. From the yard on each side of the passage were located square watch boxes — corps de garde, two on each side. In the corner of the south-eastern premise there were spiral stairs leading to the spacious attic. Stone fence of the 18th century 4 meters high adjoins the gate. Relative to it the western façade of the gate is somehow recedes into the heart of the yard, thus forming a small foreground in front of the entrance.
Magnificence of the gate of Zaborovsky is emphasized by its extraordinarily reach décor. The gate is franked with two pairs of perspectively located pillars with luxurious Corinthian capitals. Front pair of pillars sup¬ports the ornamented parapet perspectively spreading until the arch which is based on the other pair of pillars. A wonderful baroque pediment entirely covered with molded ornament rises above the arch. The center of the ornamental composition is the Metropolitanate’s mitre under the crossed palm branches — symbol of spiritual power and token of renewed Metropolitanate. Molded ornament of the tympanum which is formed between the arches contains cartouche with the family coat of arms of Zaborovsky — an ignescent heart with a cross on it as a symbol of love for God. Eastern façade of the gate is decorated with high baroque pediment as well.
Due to the city development in 19th century the gate appeared in a narrow by-street; that is why in 1822– 1823 it was bricked up, corps de garde were taken to pieces, and on the place of the Metropolitanate’s yard a garden was planted. At present the gate of Zaborovsky can be viewed from the side of Georgiyivsky by-street
The structure has just been renewed in its initial forms.

Cells of the Cathedral Elders erected in the middle of the 18th century for monastic cells neighbor the Metropolitan’s Residence in the north. It is the building prolonged for about 60 meters along north-south axis. Initially the building was one-storied, and had an open gallery in the western façade. It was only in 60s of the 18th century that the second storey was built out. In the 19th century a two-tier wooden gallery with staircase leading to the second floor, symmetrically fixed in its ends, was built out. At present, it houses the Conservation Area’s funds depository.

Further north than the Cathedral there is a building of Theological Seminary erected in 1763–1767 by architects M. Yurasov and P. Popov. Two-storied right-angled building is stretched from east to west for about 108 meters. Two pro¬jections on the southern façade overlooking the Cathedral form a main entrance in front of the Theological Seminary. High roof “with bending” contributes to the structure’s grandeur. Facades are dissected with pilasters providing for sharp rhythm of the lengthwise prolonged structure. Nicely dressed windows are grouped in spaces between pilasters. Presently, it houses the Central Archive-Museum of Literature and Art of Ukraine.

The unique St. Sophia ensemble on the Olden Kyiv hill has formed the architectural image of the Upper Kyiv. It makes a great impression by its solemn monumentality and magnificent Baroque festivity. Resonating with the ensemble of St. Michael’s Golden Domed Monastery, the St. Sophia ensemble embodies the city’s sacred heart.