Gilded Cupolas

They are the most striking architectural features I have ever seen. Their ethereal beauty is enough to steal one’s weary soul away. Their towering magnificence in the backdrop of a cloudless blue sky is treasure in one’s eyes. They look even more enchanting in the first crack of dawn – when the first rays of the sun cast on the golden domes. Or during wintertime, when they are snow-covered - it creates a wonderful contrast of gold and silver. They evoke a feeling of strange calmness and otherworldliness that seems to lighten one’s senses. Perhaps it is because of their colouring or the way they were exceptionally designed or maybe because they are associated with the divine. But there is more. They are monuments - reminders of a bygone age that the people nowadays feel very nostalgic about. They are also the symbol of their faith and that of their forebearers. Their religion suffered so much throughout the ages, but it still remains true, unchanged and forever mystical. Through these gilded cupolas that tower each of their stunning churches, the people are trying to enliven their country’s past once again. It was a past filled with poverty and injustices, as their elders say, but it was also a golden age for many. But it was something they cannot declare openly. Somehow, they feel the pangs of guilt and shame for the crimes committed by their forefathers. And so they remain reticent – and almost embarrassed – when they speak about their country’s violent and bloody history. To a country filled with colourful and fascinating mementos from a once glorious era, I guess it’s a good thing that its people these days are trying to preserve something from it. Hopefully, these churches with their mesmerizing golden cupolas will remain beautiful and fascinating even with the passing of time. May they continue to serve not only as places of worship or sanctuary but also as reminders of a once glorious past that keeps us feel so nostalgic about.

      

Left to right: Assumption Cathedral in Moscow Kremlin, Russia, Golden domes of the Palace Chapel of the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Lavra Monastery in Kiev, Ukraine.