Did you know that

On September 3, 1885, the military engineer Captain Ivan Lilier (1870–1927) committed to the Ecclesiastical Council of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to arrange heating and ventilation in the Dormition Cathedral?

He was not only the author of the project but also closely monitored the implementation of all works. On April 28, 1886, the administration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery expressed gratitude to the engineer for the excellent water heating and ventilation installation in the Great Pechersk Church. In the severe frosts of the winter of 1885/1886, the temperature rose to +13 deg. C and above, the temperature of the air in the church was stable, no signs of humidity were observed, condensation water formed neither on the walls nor in the domes.

A low-pressure water heater with a pressure of 24 feet (7.3 m) and 4.5 feet (1.4 m) in diameter was located in the basement of a separate building at a distance of 11 sazhens (about 23 m) from the church. From the basement to the church was laid an underground brick gallery 2.5 yards high (178 cm) and 1.25 yards wide (89 cm) which continued inside the church. The water boiler contained 64 m3 of water. “Special vertical furnaces” with a diameter of one foot (0.3 m) and a height of 7.5 feet (2.3 m) with vertical gills were installed in the cathedral.

Six months later, after testing the equipment, military engineer Captain Ivan Lilier received a reward of 500 rubles for his work.

Picture captions:

1. Commitment letter of the military engineer Captain Ivan Lilier to provide heating and ventilation of the Great Pechersk Church. September 3, 1885 [Inv. Nr. KPL-A-576]

2. Certificate of Acknowledgement of the administration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to the military engineer Ivan Lilier for the excellent heating installation of the Great Lavra Church. April 28, 1886 [Inv. Nr. KPL-A-587]

3. Drawings of the installation of heating and ventilation systems in the Great Pechersk Church taken from the article by Ivan Lilier in the magazine “Engineer” in 1886 [Inv. Nr. KPL-A-588]

4. “Special vertical furnace” installed in 1885 – the radiator in the interior of the Great Pechersk Church of the late 19th century [Inv. Nr. KPL-N-6025]

5. “Special vertical furnace” installed in 1885 – the radiator in the interior of the Great Pechersk Church of the 1920s and 1930s [From the collection of the NKPHCP]

#Печерські_цікавинки

#Kyiv-Pechersk_curiosities