St. Andrew’s Church on the Dnipro cliffs stands on the very spot where, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called blessed the Kyiv hills, foretelling the rise of a great city. Since the 12th century, sacred buildings have succeeded one another here, and the first stone church stood for nearly five centuries until its wooden successor burned down. In the 18th century, this legendary point of Kyiv acquired its most famous adornment — the elegant church built in 1747–1762 to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, commissioned by Empress Elizabeth of the Russian Empire. It can be reached in just five minutes along Desiatynna Street from the Monument to Princess Olha — the symbol of wisdom and diplomacy.
The construction of the church was an architectural challenge: due to shifting soil, Ivan Michurin, who supervised the project on site, deepened the foundations and built a two-storey stylobate beneath the church. Despite the complexity of the work, the structure amazes with its harmonious forms and picturesque silhouette dominating the Podil district. Inside, the church preserves a unique Baroque iconostasis created by Rastrelli and dozens of 18th-century icons, including the monumental Last Supper and a ceiling painting depicting the Apostle Andrew erecting the cross. The church crowns Kyiv’s legendary Andriivskyi Descent — a street of artists, souvenirs, galleries, and cafés leading up from the heart of Podil.
Today, the church is one of Kyiv’s greatest landmarks — a place where legend, history, and art merge into a single breathtaking image above the Dnipro.