Assumption Cathedral

About

The Assumption Cathedral is the oldest monument of Volhynia from the pre-Mongol period, built in the middle of the 12th century by Prince Mstislav Izyaslavych. Also known as the Mstislav Church, it was the main shrine of Volhynia and the burial place of the Volyn-Galician princes for centuries.

The cathedral was an important center of culture and education: it housed a school and an art workshop, concluded interstate agreements, and probably created part of the Galician-Volyn chronicle. The temple survived the Mongol-Tatar invasion, fires and decline, and at the end of the 19th century it was rebuilt in the pseudo-Byzantine style.

Today, the Assumption Cathedral rises above the defensive ramparts of the ancient settlement and, together with the bishop's house and bell tower, forms the historical complex of the "castle" - the former fortified residence of the Volyn bishops.