Kiev Ukraine Church of St Nicholas on the Embankment

overview

Church of St Nicholas on the Embankment was built in Kiev city in 1775 to the design of Ivan Grigorovich-Barsky. The church is cruciform in plan with very short arms ending in semicircular apses scarcely one-third the height of the cupola-topped body of the building. Coupled pilasters on the angles of the arms strengthen the vertical movement.

The drum supporting the cupola is of an interesting design: in the piers, between its deeply sunken windows, are placed coupled Corinthian columns with arches thrown over them, so creating a picturesque arched top to the drum - a characteristic feature of ancient Russian churches but rarely found in Ukrainian architecture.