Borysoglebska church in Vyshgorod: history and modern development

On the day of the Transfer of the Relics of the Holy Faithful Princes and Passionists Boris and Hlib, the younger sons of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr, who were the first glorified Kyivan saints in the early eleventh century, it is worth remembering the unique and historically important place of their resting place – the Boris and Hlib Church in Vyshhorod near Kyiv.

The Church of Saints Borys and Hlib and its history

The Church of Saints Borys and Hlib is located on a high promontory within the ancient Russian settlement of Vyshhorod dating back to the 10th to 13th centuries, where the Vyshhorod Historical and Cultural Reserve now operates.

Once upon a time, a majestic stone church in honour of these saints stood on the site of the present-day Church of Saints Borys and Hlib in Vyshhorod. It was one of the largest in the territory of Ukraine-Rus: researchers compared its size to the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernihiv and even to St Sophia of Kyiv. This church was almost 1,000 square metres in size and about 30 metres high.

The stone church-tomb was founded in 1075 by the sons of Yaroslav the Wise, Izyaslav and Sviatoslav, to bury the bodies of the first saints of Ukraine-Rus’. Its construction took almost 37 years. The church was consecrated three years after its completion, in 1115, when Volodymyr Monomakh ruled the throne of the Grand Duke. After the consecration of the church, the relics of the holy martyrs Borys and Hlib were transferred to the church’s tomb.

Borysoglebska church in Vyshhorod/Orthodox Church of Ukraine

This majestic temple stood until 1240, when the Mongol-Tatar horde led by Batu Khan devastated Vyshhorod and destroyed the church. Later, wooden churches were built on the site. The current Church of Borys and Hlib was built on the site of the dismantled wooden church in 1861-1863, designed by architect Konstantin Ton. And this church is much smaller than its glorious predecessor.

The communists closed the church, removed the crosses, and tore up the floor. For a long time it was inactive. However, during the Second World War, during the German occupation of Vyshhorod, services were held in the church. But not for long. In the autumn of 1943, Soviet aircraft struck the church, which seriously damaged it. After that, the church was in ruins for a long time. Only in 1987 was it allowed to hold services here, and in 1990 the church was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The current functioning of St Borys Hlibskyi Church in Vyshhorod

Services in the church were resumed in 1987. In 1990, the church was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church, and three years later, reconstruction began.

The central part of the church was covered with a roof, under which a temporary altar was placed. For this reason, it was decided to hold services only in this part of the church, where about 200 people could sit at the same time. On 23 September 1996, a dome was installed on the bell tower. The second dome was placed on 22 June 1998. In the same year, the altar was installed in its proper place and all the finishing work was completed, after which the church could accommodate up to 500 parishioners.

In June 2023, the religious community of the Holy Passionists Borys and Hlib of Vyshhorod joined the local Orthodox Church of Ukraine, but the UOC (MP) challenged this decision in the courts. According to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) on Facebook, on 18 March 2025, the community received a final categorical decision of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, which confirmed all previous findings and rejected all accusations and allegations of supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

To recap, the Easter eggs that were saved from Russian shelling in Kyiv were displayed at an exhibition.