Does anyone know why there is no iconostasis in the new UGCC Cathedral in Kiev?

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I saw several pictures of the cathedral’s consecration over the weekend, and even though the building is complete now…I’m not seeing any noticeable iconostasis. Thoughts? Is this just a by-product of a UGCC cathedral in Kiev as opposed to western Ukraine or what?

–thanks.
 
Still? That’s funny–the interior looks virtually identical to 2 1/2 years ago when Patriarch Sviatoslav was enthroned there. I guess I assumed that since they were consecrating it, construction was complete.
 
Maybe they consecrated the cathedral without construction being completed to coincide with the celebrations of the 1,025th anniversary of Rus.
 
Actually…I just watched the video of the consecration, and it seems that there is an iconostasis–it is, however, not one that visually separates the altar from the knave. I think the cathedral is complete. 👍
 
The_Island said:
Actually…I just watched the video of the consecration, and it seems that there is an iconostasis–it is, however, not one that visually separates the altar from the knave. I think the cathedral is complete. 👍
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Are there pictures? (Possibly even “before and after” type pictures?)
 
I hope that’s not a sign of modernism creeping in, all it takes is one power tripping architect with ideas of "transparency, light and space"etc.
 
yaycatholic said:
Here’s a pic - expres.ua/gfx/i/CERKWA/UHKC/009_patriarshyy_sobor_kyiv_stanchak.jpg
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Which clearly shows use of a temporary iconostasis arrangement. (Some parishes and missions do so for decades before they can afford permanent ones.)

The Ukrainian and Ruthenian churches often use an iconostasis which is not “solid”; many Russian parishes, it’s actually a wall, floor to ceiling or to just shy of the ceiling. I’ve seen “permanent” iconostasis comprised of just pillars (2, 4, 6, or 8, sometimes with ropes to mark the “walls”), filigree ironwork, wooden fretwork, wooden carvings, etched glass, and standard interior walls. I’ve seen them with and without physical doors.

There is a LOT of variety in iconostasis design. (Or accumulation, as the case may be.)
 
The Belarusian Catholic Chapel here in London have a sort of temporary iconostasis for the Chapel where they celebrate their Sunday Services; whereas their ‘Weekday’ Chapel has a permanent one. Below is a photo of this iconostasis.
 
yaycatholic said:
The Belarusian Catholic Chapel here in London have a sort of temporary iconostasis for the Chapel where they celebrate their Sunday Services; whereas their ‘Weekday’ Chapel has a permanent one. Below is a photo of this iconostasis.
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I’ve heard that the altar table’s supposed to be (in the Byzantine tradition) positioned in the altar such that there’s room to walk around it, including behind. Is there space behind it to walk that I can’t see? The curtain makes it hard to tell.

And I’m just curious, since I may not even be remembering correctly how important the table’s positioning is.
 
neokarny said:
I’ve heard that the altar table’s supposed to be (in the Byzantine tradition) positioned in the altar such that there’s room to walk around it, including behind. Is there space behind it to walk that I can’t see? The curtain makes it hard to tell.

And I’m just curious, since I may not even be remembering correctly how important the table’s positioning is.
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Yes, the table is required to have room to walk all the way around it; the rubrics include incensing all four sides, and the clergy going around the “east” side when changing sides…

But that photo looks to me to have sufficient room.
 
Aramis said:
Yes, the table is required to have room to walk all the way around it; the rubrics include incensing all four sides, and the clergy going around the “east” side when changing sides…

But that photo looks to me to have sufficient room.
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Thanks for confirming that, and I guess my perspective may just be off as it looks like it’s right up against the curtain to me. 😛
 
The_Island said:
Still? That’s funny–the interior looks virtually identical to 2 1/2 years ago when Patriarch Sviatoslav was enthroned there. I guess I assumed that since they were consecrating it, construction was complete.
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When an Eastern Church, Cathedral or otherwise is built, the items necessary for worship go in first. That way the Church may be used many years before it is actually complete if necessary. While the construction of the Cathedral is likely complete, The Iconostas is one of the later things which would go in, at least in it’s full design. Then any additional Iconography may be last. In some cases the reverse may also be true. Strictly speaking, an Iconostas is not absolutely needed for worship, but it does add to the symbolism.
 
Antin Sloboda reports on promising news from Ukraine

After more than a decade of construction, the Holy Resurrection Cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was consecrated on 18 August 2013. This cathedral has become the main shrine for more than five million Ukrainian Greek Catholics throughout the world.

The consecration of the cathedral was an event of high importance because it marked the revival and resurrection of the church that had been forced out of central and eastern parts of Ukraine four centuries ago and was later brutally repressed by the U.S.S.R.’s Communist regime from 1945 to 1989.
Code: 
Holy Resurrection Cathedral is functional now but far from finished.  Funds are still needed to complete the interior and the surrounding  complex, in which many of the church ministries will be based. To learn  more about how you can help the Ukrainian church and its many  ministries, please [click here](http://www.cnewa.ca/default.aspx?ID=169&pagetypeID=25&sitecode=CA&pageno=1).  To help fund the completion of Holy Resurrection Cathedral, use one of the following links: [CNEWA](http://www.cnewa.org/donations.aspx?ID=2476&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1) or [CNEWA Canada](http://www.cnewa.ca/donation.aspx?ID=2476&sitecode=CA&pageno=1).
More…
 
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