Voenno-Nikolaevskii Cathedral of Kiev

Collection

Scope and content:: Among materials housed are files on the conversion of Jewish and Karaite soldiers, cantonists, and workers at the Kiev Arsenal from Judaism to Russian Orthodoxy, and back again; on the apostasy of recent Jewish converts to Christianity, and on the punishments and admonitions through which higher ranked military personnel sought to bring these persons back to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Voenno-Nikol’skii (Nikolaevskii) Cathedral of Kiev, named for St. Nikolai [Mykolai] the Miracle-Worker, was originally called the Great Pustynno-Nikolaevskii Monastery [the monastery of Nikolai the Hermit], and was popularly known as “Great Nikolai.” It was located on an elevated bank of the Dnepr river, near Askold’s Grave, and in its great magnitude held a primary position among Kievan churches. It was constructed by the Moscow Architect O. Startsev in 1690-94. From 1831 on, after the estate on which it was situated was placed under military jurisdiction, it was a garrison cathedral, now called the Voenno [Military]-Nikolaevskii Cathedral. Upon the cathedral’s 200th anniversary in 1896, it underwent a major restoration, which included the planning of a military museum in it. In the spring of 1919, the first Ukrainian parish was organised at the cathedral; in 1930, it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, although within a year it was removed from its jurisdiction. It was destroyed over the course of 1934-36.

Subject terms:: Conversion to Christianity; Jewish soldiers; Karaite Judaism; Military

System of arrangement:: The fond includes two inventories systematised chronologically.