During his official visit to Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the National Reserve "St. Sofia of Kyiv" for the first time, where an excursion was organized for the distinguished guest.
This is stated on the website of "St. Sofia of Kyiv".
Director-General of the Reserve Nelya Kukovalska told the French president about the iconic symbol of the Ukrainian State - St. Sophia Cathedral of the XI century, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, about the deep historical ties between Ukraine and France, as well as about the current difficult situation in which national monuments found themselves due to Russian aggression.
The guest was particularly interested in the story of Queen Anna Yaroslavna of France, the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise. It was from St. Sophia Cathedral that the wedding cortege of Anna of Kyiv went to France, where she married King Henry I of France and gave birth to Philip I, the successor to the throne of the French crown.
The guest of Honor paid special attention to the sarcophagus of Mother Anna Yaroslavna, daughter of Swedish King Olof Skötkonung and the wife of Yaroslav the Wise. The French president also examined in detail the ancient frescoes of St. Sophia Cathedral, where he saw an inscription that Anna Yaroslavna made with her own hands.
In memory of the visit to St. Sophia of Kyiv, the guest of Honor was presented with a facsimile copy of one of the oldest monuments of old Slavonic writing - the Reims Gospel, the origin of which scientists associate with the scriptorium of St. Sophia of Kyiv.
But the high guest promised to contribute in every possible way to developing intercultural relations between Ukraine and France and to return on a longer visit.