-1 Kyiv
The pharmaceutical companies Darnitsa and InterChem, together with the Zagoriy Foundation, have implemented a project to dry the foundation and walls of St. Sophia Cathedral and nearby structures using Swiss BioDry equipment. This will allow to bring the moisture level back to norm and get rid of the dampness in the walls and basements in one of the key monuments of Ukraine – St. Sophia of Kyiv. This was announced at a briefing on the occasion of the launch of the project on the territory of Saint Sophia of Kyiv on September 16.
Director General of the National Reserve St. Sophia of Kyiv Nelia Kukovalska reminded that dampness and mould are the main problems of all ancient architectural monuments. According to her, the main threat to such buildings is not only destruction of the foundations and walls due to accumulated moisture, but also damage to the exhibits and archives that are stored in basements and storerooms.
“I am happy that my most cherished dream has come true – to “make Sophia healthy”. It is already at a very respectable age, and has to stand the threats. I am glad that pharmacists and museum workers have been united by one common super-important mission – to take care of the health of St. Sophia of Kyiv,” she said.
In his turn, the head of the board of directors of Darnitsa Group Dmytro Shymkiv noted that thanks to the joint work with InterChem and the Zagoriy Foundation, it was possible in the shortest possible time to find the state of the art equipment that has already helped many architectural monuments in Europe, and is able to “make St. Sophia of Kyiv healthy”.
“This technology is eco-friendly and biocompatible. It is already being used and will naturally eliminate the primary cause of the moisture in the foundation and walls, which still hide many secrets and which are still to be revealed. Therefore, following the example of Ivan Mazepa, Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Petro Mohyla, we are “treating” Sophia, for it to retain her greatness, unite the past and future generations and fill life with real values, and for the Virgin Orans (Oranta) to continue to protect Kyiv,” Shymkiv emphasized.
Anatoliy Reder, CEO of InterChem company, recalled that the Virgin Orans (Oranta) in the St. Sophia Cathedral is the defender of Kyiv.
“We could not stand aside when the thousand-year-old monument of the country's spirituality and culture came under threat. The fact that it has come down to us in its original form is a real miracle. Therefore, when there was a threat of excessive moisture in the cathedral, we did not hesitate for a second. Fruitful cooperation with partners and the management of the reserve has yielded encouraging results: moisture is leaving the walls – Sophia is recovering,” said Reder.
In her turn, a co-founder of the Zagoriy Foundation Kateryna Zagoriy stressed that the joint project to rehabilitate St. Sophia of Kyiv will be another step towards restoring the culture of patronage in Ukraine.
“It is a real miracle and the common merit of the Ukrainians that we have managed to preserve the 11th century cathedral. We must thank scientists, builders, restorers and museum staff for this. And, of course, patrons of art of all times. It is a great honor for us to join their work. The reconstruction of Sophia during the time of Ivan Mazepa was a symbol of the restoration of Ukraine after the Ruin. I am sure that this joint project of the Zagoriy Foundation, the pharmaceutical companies Darnitsa and InterChem will become another important step towards the revival of the philanthropy culture of charity in our country,” Zagoriy emphasized.
