Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul

The most unusual church in Kamianets-Podilskyi is the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. This is a unique Orthodox church whose architecture includes a minaret in its ensemble — an element of Islamic architecture on which a sculpture of the Mother of God has been installed. The wooden church was built in the 70s of the 14th century. According to one version, the decision to build such a church was prompted by the appearance in the city of a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. Later, the church was rebuilt, replacing the wooden structure with a stone one.

Photo from twitter.com

In the middle of the 16th century, two chapels were built near the church, on the south and north sides — the chapel of the Holy Communion and the Chapel of the Consolation of the Mother of God and the Immaculate Conception. The capture of the city in 1672 by Turkish troops led by Sultan Mehmed IV resulted in the Turks converting many churches into mosques. Thus, a minaret was added to the Peter and Paul Church.

Baroque and neo-Gothic elements appeared in the church after the Turkish troops left Kamianets-Podilskyi and Polish rule returned. A new altar, confessional and bishop's throne were installed in the church. To avoid demolishing the minaret and leaving it as an obvious symbol of the Muslim faith, Catholics placed a sculpture of the Mother of God on it.

Interesting facts:

• The church building was made using three architectural styles: Renaissance, neo-Gothic and Baroque).
• The minaret is 36 m high.
• The wall paintings in the cathedral were executed by the Italian artist Giovanni Sampini.
• During Soviet rule, the church was turned into a museum; only in 1991 did it resume its work as a Catholic church.