Destruction of the 12th-century St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral by the Soviet authorities and the theft of its mosaics

This is the third episode of the narrative documentary podcast 'Why Do They Steal?,' delving into the history of the ancient 12th-century mosaics – underestimated masterpieces created by Kyiv masters.

We will recount the tragic fate of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, once gleaming with its domes in downtown Kyiv until its destruction by the Soviet Union.

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Next, we'll explore an exhibition dedicated to the 12th-century heroic poem, written in Kyiv, and how it played a role in the disappearance of the ancient mosaics from St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral. Finally, we will delve into how totalitarianism led to the destruction of the same Cathedral, a unique architectural piece of the 12th century.

The material was prepared with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. The material reflects the position of the authors and does not necessarily coincide with the position of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Production: 435 FILMS
Showrunners: Kornii Hrytsyuk and Anna Palenchuk
Scriptwriters: Kornii Hrytsyuk and Yurii Marchenko
Producer and Narrator: Anna Palenchuk
Sound Supervisor: Vasyl Yavtushenko
Assistant: Iryna Terletska
Project Coordinator: Olena Kirichek
English Translation: Anastasiia Perun
English Voice-Over: Alina Zevakova, Rob Feldman, Kateryna Hordiienko
English Voice-Over Recording: Pavlo Melnyk, Alla Shmatok
Editors: Oleksandr Vitraniuk, Vadym Stepanov
Podcast Cover Designer: Anton Vasyliev

Ukrainska Pravda:
Head of Podcasts: Fedir Popadiuk
YouTube Manager: Dmytro Moskvych

Guests of the Podcast:
Anton Drobovych
Yurii Boltryk
Leila Ibrahimova
Oleksandr Liubyshko
Ivan Sydor
Yurii Losytskyi
Yevheniia Kuleba
Elmira Ablyalimova
Diana Klochko
Andriy Karnaukhov
Liudmyla Strokova
Maksym Blakytnyi
Olga Kovalevska