Built in the 11th century, the main church of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery was destroyed during the World War II, a couple of months after the Nazi Germany troops occupied the city of Kyiv and the controversial 1941 Khreshchatyk explosions that destroyed the city's main street. According to the Soviet authorities, the church was destroyed by the advancing German troops, while at the same time German authorities put the blame on the withdrawing Soviet troops who practiced the tactics of scorched earth and blew up all the Kyiv bridges over Dnieper as well as being accused in the 1941 Khreshchatyk explosions.
In 1928, the monastery was converted into a museum park by the Soviet authorities and after its return no efforts were provided to restore the church. The temple was finally restored in 1995 after Ukraine obtained its independence and the construction was accomplished in two years. The new Dormition Church was consecrated in 2000.
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.