Religiou sights in St Petersburg
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Trinity Cathedral
The Trinity Cathedral boasts stunning blue cupolas emblazoned with golden stars. Slow but careful restoration of this cathedral has been underway for several years. In 2006, a fire that started in the scaffolding caused the 83m-high central cupola to collapse – it was a major setback to reconstruction efforts. Nonetheless, the renovation continues, and the smaller renovated cupolas act as a shining example of what is to come. Construction of this vast cathedral began in 1828, according to a design by Vasily Stasov. The cathedral was consecrated in 1835 and functioned as the chapel for the Izmailovsky Guards, who were garrisoned next door. In honour of the Russian victory …
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B
Church of the Assumption
When Tsarevich Nikolai (later Nicholas II, the last Romanov tsar) was attacked by a Japanese fanatic while on a tour of Asia in 1891, he sustained a serious blow to the head but miraculously survived. The customs officers of St Petersburg’s docklands gathered money and constructed a bell tower in thanks for the survival of the heir to the throne. The church was sanctified in 1899, and the imperial family would annually come here to attend a service of thanksgiving for Nicholas’ deliverance. The church was shut from 1935 to 1991. Restoration is ongoing since then, with fantastic results. The impressive portico and shimmering golden domes are particularly (and incongruously…
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C
Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour
The interior of this marvellous 1743 cathedral, which has been beautifully restored and repainted both outside and in, is one of the most gilded in the city. The grand gates bear the imperial double-headed eagle in vast golden busts, reflecting the fact that the cathedral was built on the site where the Preobrazhensky Guards (the monarch’s personal protection unit) had their headquarters. Architect Vasily Stasov rebuilt the cathedral from 1827 to 1829 in the neoclassical style. It is dedicated to the victory over the Turks in 1828–29; note the captured Turkish guns in the gate surrounding the cathedral.
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D
Church of St John the Baptist
This extraordinary building has one of the most striking exteriors in the city – its Byzantine façade is totally incongruous with the rest of the street, although few people seem to notice it, hemmed in on both sides by other terraced buildings on ul Nekrasova. The church once had the whole building, but currently it shares the premises with a hospital. Go past the waiting patients to the 2nd floor where you can see the small church and chat with the charming nuns who look after it.
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E
Kazan Cathedral
The great colonnaded arms of the Kazan Cathedral reach out towards Nevsky. Built between 1801 and 1811, its design, by Andrei Voronikhin, a former serf, was influenced by St Peter’s in Rome. His original plan was to build a second, mirror version of the cathedral opposite. This highly atmospheric church is well worth entering but be aware that it is a working cathedral, so please show some respect for the local customs.
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St Lazarus Church
The St Lazarus Church at Alexander Nevsky Monastery is a crypt dating to 1761. It contains the graves of Count Sheremetyev and his serf-actress wife, as well as a few other statesmen, nobles, artists and intellectuals.
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