St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, Kyiv

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The Church of St. Nicholas in Kyiv is the second oldest Catholic church in the city. It stands on Velyka Vasylkivska Street in the Pecherskyi District and is now shared by the Catholic Church and the National Organ and Chamber Music Hall of Ukraine. Built from 1899 to 1909 to serve Kyiv’s growing Polish community, it was designed in Gothic Revival style by Władysław Horodecki, with ornaments by Emilio Sala and an earlier design by Stanisław Wołowski. The two tall towers reach about 60 meters, and the project was funded by voluntary donations over ten years.

In 1938 the Soviet authorities closed the church, and it was used for state purposes for a time. It was restored in 1979–1980 and turned into the National House of Organ and Chamber Music of Ukraine. Since 1992, Catholic Masses and organ concerts have been held there again. The building is currently managed by Kyiv’s cultural department, with the Catholic Church hoping to regain full ownership. The church has faced serious problems, including a 2009 emergency condition, a 2021 fire that destroyed the organ but caused no injuries, and missile damage to some stained glass windows in 2024. Masses are mainly in Ukrainian, with some services in Polish, Latin, and Spanish, conducted by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.