St. Petersburg is by right a culturalthe capital of our Motherland. Museums, theaters, monuments of architecture, temples, cathedrals without a secret will tell a bright, and sometimes tragic history of Russia. The witness of the past centuries is the majestic Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Christmas (Kazan) church
At the place where the Kazan Cathedral is now located,until 1801 there was a Christmas church. It was erected on the orders of Empress Anna Ioannovna. The construction of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin continued for three years (1733-1736). June 23, 1737 the church in the presence of the Empress solemnly consecrated. A few days later, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was brought to the temple. This relic in 1708 was brought by Peter I. The church became a real decoration of Nevsky Prospekt. The 58-meter multi-tiered bell tower was a truly masterpiece of architecture. The architect of the Christmas Church is MG Zemtsov. During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the church received the status of a cathedral.
Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. History of construction
But in half a century the building has decayed and has ceasedto correspond to the elegant appearance of Nevsky Prospekt that had developed by that time. Because it was decided to completely rebuild the Kazan Cathedral. In 1799, on the orders of Tsar Paul I, a competition was announced for a new temple project. One of the ruler's requirements was that he should resemble the St. Peter's Roman Cathedral erected by the architect of the Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroti. Architects faced the most difficult task: in a small already formed space, it was required to inscribe a monumental structure with a colonnade. Moreover, according to the Orthodox canons, the altar must necessarily have been turned to the east. Consequently, the facade of the building was supposed to go not to the Nevsky Prospekt, but to Meshchanskaya Street (now Kazan).
Many outstandingarchitects such as Gonzaga P., Voronikhin A.N., Cameron C. and Toma de Thomon J.F. First, Paul I. liked the project of C. Cameron, but after the assistance of Count Stroganov, the construction was entrusted to the forty-year-old architect Voronikhin Andrei Nikiforovich. In 1800, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan was erected south of the Nativity Church. All this time the temple continued to work. The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was planned to be built in four years, but the construction dragged on for a long eleven years. It took place against the backdrop of a big patriotic upsurge, the reason of which was the proposal of Count Stroganov to involve only Russian masters in the work. All the building material was also domestic. The work, in which thousands of serfs were involved, was held in very difficult conditions, the technique was almost completely absent. Nevertheless, for eleven years it was possible to erect a masterpiece of architectural art. In height, the temple reaches 71 meters, at that time - a real giant. The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg became a majestic monument of Russian architecture.
Architecture
As was mentioned above, the construction of the KazanThe cathedral was not an easy task. Since according to the Orthodox canons the altar should be facing east, the main entrance leads to Meshchanskaya street. On Nevsky Prospekt the cathedral is a side wall. Voronikhin built a small semicircular area, which is outlined by a colonnade of 95 columns. And on the left and right it ends with monumental portals. The colonnade closes the main body of the cathedral, in the center of it is marked the front portico. And people get the impression that the front entrance to the temple is located right here. The cathedral is made in the form of a Latin cross, a grandiose dome rises above the sredokrestiem.
Furnishings
The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg is strikingbeauty and greatness. Much attention was paid to exterior and interior decoration. Many famous masters worked on sculptures and bas-reliefs, such as I. P. Prokofiev (bronze figure of Andrew the First-Called, bas-relief "The Exaltation of the Copper Snake"), SS Pimenov (sculptures of Vladimir Ravnoapostolnogo and Alexander Nevsky), I. P. Martos ( the bronze figure of John the Baptist, the bas-relief "The Exaltation of the Water by Moses in the Wilderness"), F. G. Gordeev (bas-reliefs "Annunciation", "Adoration of the Shepherds", "Adoration of the Magi", "Flight into Egypt"). For interior decoration, the icons were painted by the best artists of the early 19th century: OA Kiprensky, VL Borovikovsky, VK Shebuyev, GI Ugryumov, FA Bruni, KP Bryullov. For exterior finishing used marble, shungite, jasper, Finnish granite.
Cathedral in the middle of the 19th century
Через год после освящения в храме был отслужен Moleben in honor of sending Russian troops to the war. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov also went to command the troops from these walls. Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was the last refuge of this great commander, he was buried in the crypt of the temple. And a year later, there were celebrations in honor of the complete victory of Russian soldiers over the French conquerors. The Kazan Cathedral (St. Petersburg) became a monument to Russian military glory. It contained trophies brought from the war.
The fate of the cathedral in the post-revolutionary period
Тяжелая судьба ожидала храм после 1917 года.Divine services ceased in him. From the bathing was removed the cross, and in its place put a gilded ball with a spire. The Kazan Cathedral (St. Petersburg) was turned into the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. Many icons were given to the State Russian Museum. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God was transferred to the Prince Vladimir Museum. The interior space was divided into exhibition halls. As a result of alterations, the interior was badly damaged, part of the property was simply plundered. In 1941, the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism was temporarily closed, and in the cathedral they organized exhibitions under the titles "Patriotic War of 1812" and "The Military Past of the Russian People". During the Great Patriotic War, the bombing of the German fascist invaders suffered very badly in St. Petersburg. Kazan Cathedral, photos of which are presented in the article, was no exception. Several shells fell into the temple. After the war, its restoration was carried out.
Cathedral today
1991 was a new milestone in the history of the temple - hisagain opened for worship. In the same year the cathedral was returned to the icon of Kazan Mother of God. And three years later, a golden cross was again erected on the dome. In 1998 a bell rang over the Kazan Cathedral, the voice returned to him again. The bell was cast at the Baltic factory. In 2003, the same plant handed the church a four-ton bell, which became the largest in the Kazan Cathedral. And in 2000 the cathedral became a cathedral. The church often hosts divine services with the participation of the highest ranks of the Orthodox hierarchy. September 12, every year from the Kazan Cathedral is a procession to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. During the history of the church, many abbots have changed in it. Now the abbot is Archpriest Pavel Grigorievich Krasnozvetov, born in 1932.
Address and opening hours
The Kazan Cathedral is located at the address: St. Petersburg, Nevsky Avenue, Building 25. The temple is open daily: on weekdays from 8.30, on weekends from 6.30. Entrance to the cathedral is free.
