11. St. Isaac’s Cathedral

Is one of the largest 1-cupola cathedral in the world. It is the third highest after St. Peter’s in Rome and St Paul’s in London. It’s height is 101 meters. It was designed in 1818-1858 by August de Montferrand. At that time very famous architect in Russia. He came from France in his early 20. But he was almost unknown in France. This cathedral can accommodate 13.000 people at one. It’s an active Russian orthodox church nowadays. In the Soviet Era this cathedral was turned into the museum where a research experiment proving that the Earth rotates was on display(Fuko pendulum).

During the history of St. Petersburg there have been 4 St. Isaac’s Cathedrals. This is the 4^th one.

St. Isaac was a Dalmatian (долмацкий) man who supported the development of Christianity. His birthday (30^th of May) considered with the birthday of Peter the Great. That’s why the principal Russian orthodox churches were called in his honor.

The first St. Isaac Cathedral was built in the early 18^th century – the time of Peter I (1707). It was a small wooden church & didn’t match the requirements of the capital (in 1712 Moscow → Spb). The second was built in 1717-1727, designed by Mattarnovi. It was built on the very banc of the Neva river. Was destroyed by lightning(молния).

The third was commissioned by Catherine II in 1760-s. Italian architect Renaldi. That Cathedral was build right on the same spot, where the nowadays cathedral is. The idea of Renaldi was to build a 4-bell tower cathedral, fancy decorated with marbles. But in 1796 Catherine died and that cathedral hadn’t been completed. Her son Paul I who rejected everything which had been done by his mother, invited another architect to complete the construction works. It was Italian architect Brenna. He changed the original design & only 1-bell construction was built. It was not faced with marbles. All the marbles were transferred to construction of the Mikhail’s Palace. This cathedral didn’t meet the requirements of the church again. After the death of Paul I his son, Alexander I announced a competition for the best design of the new cathedral. Many famous Russian architects very experienced ones took part in that competition. But they faced very difficult task: they had to dismantle (разобрать) the previous cathedral but to preserve the basement and the main part of the church – the alter-wall. It was difficult task, that’s why the competition was won by unknown architect from France, who dared to start work. Construction works were started in 1818. In addition to 13.000 wooden piles, 11.000 wooden piles were driven into the ground. Then a laer (слой) of sand and than granite plits were put on top of wooden plits. The next was installing of the colonnade. There are 112 granite columns in the cathedral each weighs over 100 tonnes. They were carved from granite rocks on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Brought to Spb by barges. And polished in front of the construction side. They were put in a vertical position with help of a special scaffolding (леса). In the cathedral there is the model of this scaffolding with the help of the ropes which were tied to the columns. And it took only 40 minutes to install 100 tonn column. Altogether to carve the columns, bring them to Spb, to polish, to install it took only 2 years.

The model of the dome(купол) of the cathedral. Architects was afraid, that the cathedral could sink as one of the previous cathedrals. The cathedral weights over 300.000 tonns. In order to make it lighter, a special dome was designed instead of the brick dome, a metal frame construction was made. Inside it is filled in with ceramic pots, it was made in order to keep warm air inside the cathedral, because warm air which was produced by stoves in the basement of the cathedral vapored very fast. Outside the cupola was guilded. Over 200 pounds of gold was used for the exterior decoration. 400 pounds of gold → for interior.

A special process of guilding was used for the guilding of the cupola. Guilding through mercury, bronze plates were put on the top of the cupola and alloy (сплав) of gold and mercury was put upon those plates. The bronze plates were heated and mercury was put upon those plates. The bronze plates were heated and mercury vaporated and bronze absorbed gold. This treatment was repeated several times and the thick lack of gold was produced. 150 years of lasting were guarantied. And since the 19^th century the cathedral has never been rebuilt. But it was a very poisonous process & over 60 people were poisoned to death & this method has never been used in Russia any more. Model of the cathedral. This is a 1/166 of the original. The model is made of linden (липа) by a talented serf Maksim Salin, who got his independence for this model. It is made without nails or glue. It is a sample like a puzzle. It is the exact copy of the cathedral with 2 exceptions – the fence around the model has never been built. The bell-towers of the model have bells, & the cathedral used to have them. Unfortunately during the Soviet Era (in 1930-s) the bells were melted. Mosaic. There are 62 mosaics in the cathedral. The art of mosaic was known in Kievan Russia in the 11^th century. It was lost. It was revived (возрождён) by Mikhail Lomonosov in the 18^th century. These are cubes of smalt – pieces of glass which are not transpare are set in plaster. First those were paintings, but since it was very cold and wet in the cathedral many paintings started deteriorating & the artist designed to transfer those paintings into mosaics. It took 1 year to transfer 1 m². there are several 1000 of shades(оттенки).

Fuko pendulum. It used to hang from the top of the central dome. It was fixed at the height of 93 meters. This pendulum was to proof the Earth rotates. It was a scientific experiment. In 1991 the church was refunded and the pendulum was taken of. Nowadays in the centre of the dome is a silver platted dove, which is symbol of holy spirit. Iconostasis. It always decorated with icons arrange according certain rules, up to 10 tears of icons, 3 tears of icons.

The bottom row is dedicated to the so-called local saint.

Second row – saint of Russian emperors & empresses, who ruled Russia in the 18^th-19^th centuries. Next is dedicated to the saints of the children of the emperors.

The 3d tear depicts profits (пророки) and various religious holidays. In the center one can see:

“The last supper”. The tsar’s gates is decorated with sculptural groups made by Klodt. Behind the gate there is a huge stand glass “Resurrection”. It was made in Munich in the mid 19^th century, it was one of the largest in Europe. During WWI one third of it was destroyed. After it was restored. The icon stand is decorated with beautiful columns made of malachite and lasurit. Malachite came from Ural and lasurit – from Afghanistan. The columns are made in mosaic technique. Tiny very thick pieces of semiprecious attached to stone base. 16 tones of malachite were used to make these columns. The sealing paintings

The cathedral has 168 paintings including ones, which were painted on plasters with oil paints. Many famous artists took part in the interior design and there was Carl Brullove. In one of the sealing paintings – “Madonna in glory”. Brullove spent many years lying on a scaffolding and painting these murals. He got a cold & died. There are 3 big doors in the cathedral. They are made of oak, faced with bronze bas-reliefs. The weight of each fold is over 10 tones, but one can open it easily as it moves on hinges. The relieves are made by Vitalin.