Sivershchyna Travel Guide

The church of St. Parasceva Pyatnytsa was built in the late 12 – early 13 centuries.
It was quite possible that architect of the church was famous Old Rus wizard Petro Meloneg. The church was erected in the territory of Chernigov tenements near market place. That is why it got its name in honor of St. Paraskeviya the Patron of trade. This was one of the most interesting and mysterious temples built in the Ukraine in the pre-Mongol period.
Church represented the highest stage of development of Old Rus’ architecture. It was a one-domed temple with four pillars and resembled a cross in the foundation. Externally, the church looked like a tower almost square in plan, topped with a well-proportioned dome. A dynamic striving upward and tapered completion was achieved by the transition from the rectangular base to the dome
As a result of restorations and reconstructions in 17-19 centuries the church turned into a seven-domed Baroque temple with a belltower. The church existed till the World War II when in 1943 it was destroyed by the explosion of bombs. As a result of post-war reconstruction, the church was restored in the original Old Russian style. That restoration excites discrepant feelings. On the one hand Chernihiv and Ukraine got enriched with the unique example of the church relating the last period of existence of the ancient state, On the other hand, we should regret that there had not been restored an amazing church in Ukrainian baroque style. Most of these churches were destroyed in the 30-ties of the XX century throughout the territory of Ukraine.