24. Церкви и соборы сПб.

The churches and the cathedrals of the city have always played one of the main roles in the formation of the city’s artistic appearance. The best local 2 European architect: Trezzini, Monferrand, Porland, Starov, Chevakinsky, Voronihin and others participated in church constructions. The beauty of the church exterior match the richness of the inner decoration.

Icon stands were created by skilled carving and chasing (чеканка) craftsmen paintings and icons were created by the best artists and statues by the most experience sculptors.

Many Cathedrals were the collections of precious historic relics – Military trophies, obtained by the Russian troupes in various wars. Christian holidays played a very a very important role in the life of our city, so the most eminent was Easter and Christian Dozens of thousand of people took part in Easter Night processions, organized along the streets of the city. The 20^th century was the time of hardships for Russian, especially after 1917 revolution. The Church went on severe prosecution (жестокие преследования). Within 5-6 dismantled, turned into offices or storages, just a few of them were turned into the state museum. Before the revolution of 1917 there were over 750 churches in the city. And probably the only Russian Orthodox Church, which has never been closed as an active one is St Nicolas Cathedral (Marine Cathedral).

In 1922 the authorities conducted a large-scale confiscation of Church Valuables. Hundreds of clergymen (работники церкви) were arrested. A many of them died the death of the martyr (замучены до смерти).

Anyway, we are nowadays were restoring our churches, returned them do active ones and were constructing new churches in SPb.

Early Construction period

St Peter and Paul Cathedral

This cathedral it’s a unique architectural monument of the early 18 century. Built in the style which is known as Peter’s baroque. The Cathedral was designed by Trezzini and built from 1712 up to 1732. The 29^th of June in 1733 it was sanctified (освящена). It’s a highest architectural structure in the city and it’s crowned with an angel carrying a cross, the wingspan (размах крыльев) of the angel is about 12 feet. The high of the cathedral 400 feet (122,5 m). The lath spire was wooden at first and it often suffered from storm winds. In 1756 it was on fire because of the lightning stroke (удар). So the bell tower was badly damaged. Later it was restored. In the mid 19century the spires wooden construction was replaced with a metal one.

The interior of the Cathedral reminds a state hall (парадный зал), which is untypical for Russian churches, it’s very specious, filled of light. The majestic icon stand was executed by Moscow covers (резчики) and guilder (позолотчики), that work was supervised by Ivan Zarudniy. In 1725 a wooden church was built inside the cathedral in order to burry Peter the Great. When the Cathedral was completed Peter was reburied and wooden church was dismantled. The main idea of the Cathedral is a tomb (barrialwauld) of the Romanov’s. Most of the Romanov’s beginning with Peter up to the last Romanov’s except 2: Ivan 6 and Peter 2. The last Romanov’s were reburied in the Cathedral on the 17^th of July in 1998, 80 years after they have been executed and 3 years later there were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. They are buried in Saint –Catherine’s chapel. Together with their servant girls, their cook and their doctor. Every year there is a service held in their honor. There are the jasper tomb of Alexander the 2 and rhodomite

Tomb of his wife Mary. In 1923 the Cathedral was closed as an active church and turned into the state museum. Actually hundreds of gold and silver wreaths (венки) and church utensils (утварь), stored in it, were exposed to confiscation museum of the history of SPb.

Alexander Nevsky Laura

In 1710 Peter the Great ordered to construct the monastery in the name of the Holy Trinity and the famous statement and military leader St Prince Alexander Nevsky (13 century). The main patron Saint of SPb. The place for the monastery wasn’t chosen occasionally – it’s where Monastyrka river inflow in Newa river. In the 20 of March 1714 the wooden church in the name of Innonsation of the Virgin was sanctified (благовещение).

In 1724 the relics of A. Newsky were transferred from the Nativity in Vladimir to SPb. The Church of St Alexander Nevsky was situated on the first floor of the building erected by Trezzini in 1717-1722. On its ground floor the church in the name of Innonsation of our lady was set up. It’s facades have retained the primary form till nowadays. From the very beginning the Innonsation church served as a buried place for the members of the royal family and Russian’s state figures.

The Holy Trinity Cathedral became the most majestic temple of the ensemble. Its construction was started in 1776 (architect Starov). In 1790 the cathedral was sanctified (the 4^th of August) and the same days the relics of A. Newsky were transferred from the ST Alexander Church to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The relics of St A Newsky rest in an excellent silver shrine (гробница). It was made in 1747-1752 at S-P Mint from the first silver of Kolivan Mines (рудники). There are many icons and canvases by famous artists. In 1797 the A Newsky Monastery was attributed a rang (присвоено звание) of a Laura. It’s given only to the abbeys that hold the most important position. After the revolution the Laura was closed.

The H T Cathedral it’s an active church. The cemeteries exist as a museum of urban sculpture.

St Nicolas Cathedral

It of the mid 18 century designed by Sava Chevakinssky (1753-1762). Chevakinssky was a sailor and he built this Cathedral in honour of his patron Saint Nicolas, who protect sailors and travelers, that’s why the second name of the cathedral – Marine Cathedral. This Cathedral was made in Russian baroque style and relics of the St Nicolas are kept in this church. It’s probably the only Orthodox Church in the city which has never been closed as an active church. Before the revolution of 1917 in SPb there were more than 750 churches, most of them were dismantled turned into museums or storage.

It consists of 2 separate churches. The church on the ground floor is opened for regular services and the upper church is opened for weddings and bug religious holidays. There are many plugs (дощечки) in the cathedral in honour of the Russian submarines and naval ships perished in different times.

Every year there is a service held in the Cathedral in honour of submarine Kursk, which perished 6 years ago.

Smolny Convent

The ensemble of the resurrection convent (монастырь) is one of Rastrelly’s outstanding creations. It was built in 1748-1769 one the spot\side of the previous Smolny (Tar). Yard Tar was stored there for the shipyards. Empress Elisabeth decided to built nunnery for her there. She wanted to retire there in her old age. After Rastrelly’s death, the construction of the convent ensemble was stopped for a ling time. It was only in 1830-s when Russian architect Stasov completed that design. The interior of the Cathedral was decorated with artificial marble and it was sanctified in 1835. The Smolny Nunnery was turned into the first school for the daughters of the Russian nobility by Catherine the Great, but after October Revolution the church was badly damaged, especially inside. As school it was closed in 1917. In the 1990-s the restoration works were started and nowadays the concert and exhibition complex is opened in it.

A gold age of the construction

From 1760 new period in the structure was started. Baroque was placed with classical style. It reminded antique architectural images.

St Prince Vladimir’s Cathedral

It’s a Petrogradskay site, it started to be built in 1741, but 5 years later, the construction works was stopped and it was decided to repair a church with 5 cupolas according to an ancient Russian tradition, instead of a single dome building. In 1766 the construction of a building was renewed to the project executed to Renaldy. In 1772 it was caught by fire, and only in 1782 the construction works was supervised by Starov. In 1789 the main alter, in the name of St Prince Vladimir was sanctified. It presents a mix of baroque and early classicism styles.

St Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church of St Catherine was started to be built in 1762, to the project of Vallin de la Moth. The architect designed the main facade as a triumphal arch, resting on columns. In 1762 the construction was completed by Rinaldy and the church was sanctified in 1783. Some years later the Polish king Stanislav Ponitovsky and the French general Maurod were buried in it. This church is a complex of a cruciform shape\base crowned with a large dome. It’s a spacious and light decorated sculptor. Nowadays the church is active and services are held there.

Kazan Cathedral

Early 19 century was marked with a construction of several building in the style, known as a high classicism. Among them there were: Smolny Institute by Kvarengy, Admiralty by Zacharov and Stock Exchange by Thomas de Tomon and the building of Mining Institute. The name of Voronihin is connected with a magnificent Kazan Cathedral. The first stone was placed in 1801 and construction works were completed and sanctified in 1811. The interior design is formed by 96 Corinthian styles. The prototype of the cathedral is a St Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. But Roman Prototype is nearly a closed semicircle (практически закрытый полукруг). The cathedral was built to house the family icon of the Romanov’s – our Lady Kazan. Nowadays this cathedral is the principal Russian Orthodox Church in the city. The famous Russian General Kutuzov is buried there (the chief –commander of Russian Army, field - marshal). In 1837 the monuments to Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly (his commarad –in - arms) were instoled in front of the cathedral. In 1929 the cathedral was closed, 3 years later the museum of the history of religion and atheism was opened in it.

Churches of the second half of 19 century – early 20 century

In the mid 19 century Russian classicism was replaced by eclecticism. There were decorated both in the baroque style, classical, Russian style.

St Isaac cathedral

It was built from 1818 – 1858 by the architect August Monferrand. It was a principal Russian Orthodox Church in Russia. The cathedral’s dimensions astonish even nowadays, its high is 101,5 meters. It can accommodate over 13 thousand people at one. The diameter of the dome is 25,8 meters. It’s decorated with 112 monolithic granite columns, each weighs over 100 tons. Inside it’s beautiful and decorated with marbles, brought from Russian and European countries, gemstones (самоцветы) dozens of paintings and mosaic pictures by Brullov, Brunny, Bassin, Nev and others. The bas-reliefs and sculptors were designed by vitally, Le Mer. The Cathedral was named in honour of St Isaac of Dalmatian, who lived in ….. and supported the development of Christianity. His birthday coincided with a birthday of Peter the Great (13 of June).

During the Soviet time the cathedral was closed as an active church and was used as a museum were a scientific research experiment was displayed (Fuko’s pendulum) – to prove that the Earth moves. During WWII, this church was used as storage for the exhibits from the suburban palaces.

The Mosque

In the early 20 century in the architecture of SPb various decorative methods borrowed from historical styles become popular, and there were not borrowed only in western culture but acquired some eastern or oriental forms. The mosque was built in 1910-1914 to the project by architects Vasiliev and Кричинский Гоген. Its design was based on middle-Asian Moslem architecture motives. It’s an active mosque and we have 200 000 Moslems in the city (not far from Teatralnay square).

Buddhist temple

Not far from Black river metro station, on Primorskaya embankment. It was to the initiative and with the support of the Dalai Lama that the Buddhist temple was built in Staraya derevnya in 1909-1915. The architect – Baranovsky. That time in was a suburban site. The Temple changed many owners for the last 90 years. In 1990 it was returned to the Petersburg Buddhist commune.