Izmaylovsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg: address, description, shrines

Every inhabitant of the northern capital will tell you where the majestic snow-white Izmaylovsky Cathedral is. The address of this largest Orthodox church in our country: St. Petersburg, Izmailovsky Prospekt, the seventh building. After the revolution, the Cathedral desecrated, but today completely revived, can rightly be considered a symbol of the Russian state of Russia.

History of creation

On a warm, warm May day in 1828, the bells ringing in the presence of the Empress Maria was announced that a cathedral had been laid in St. Petersburg. Zhiznachalnoy Trinity, Life Guards Izmaylovskogo regiment, not knowing defeats, the temple had a special purpose. The Imperial military formation did not have its own church, and therefore the soldiers and officers had to visit other parishes. The decision to build a stone church was accepted by Emperor Nicholas I. It was at his request that the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral should have three chapels and accommodate up to three thousand people.

Construction was led by three people: the emperor, the author of the project, the architect Vasily Stasov and the engineer Peter Bazin, who supervised the Committee of St Petersburg buildings. Nicholas I controlled the process of erection, he personally approved the projects.

The construction of the cathedral went quite difficult. When the foundation was built up, twice as many piles were boarded up as originally planned. The base was laid out of limestone slabs, the lower part of the outer walls - made of granite, and the columns - made of bricks.

Architectural ideas

The Trinity-Izmaylovsky Cathedral was built for seven long years. Developing the project, the architect Stasov took as a basis the idea of the triumph of Russia and her army. The magnificent cathedral with its incredible size was inferior only to the St. Isaac's Cathedral, which was built around this time. According to the plan, the building was an equilateral cross with an unconventional layout of the chapters for Russian architecture: they were on the axes of the cross. The crowning building of the central massive drum dominated the entire building. The cathedral had three chapels, of which the main was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, the south - St.. Mary Magdalene, the northern - St.. To John the Warrior.

Opening

On May 25, 1835, the consecration of the church took place. Early in the morning the bell-ringing marked the water-consecration, and then Archimandrite Neil consecrated the aisles. The imperial family visited Izmailovo Cathedral in St. Petersburg the same day in the evening, after returning from Moscow. The Emperor, having examined the temple in detail, expressed his benevolence to the architect. The contemporaries estimated the construction of the Trinity Cathedral as one of the major achievements of Russian architecture. Today, believers come not only from the farthest corners of our country, but also from all over the world.

Description

Today the cathedral on Izmailovsky Prospekt is a huge five-domed building, which has four white portico of the Corinthian order. He, as was conceived, holds more than three thousand people. The blue dome of the cathedral is visible even twenty kilometers from the city. It is considered the second largest in Europe. The wooden dome was created in 1834 by engineers P. Melnikov and P. Bazen.

In 1836, the marble memorial plaques were built into the walls of the cathedral. They engraved the names of the officers of the imperial regiment who fell in battle near Austerlitz, at Friedland, Kulma and Borodino.

Izmailovsky Cathedral is built in the Empire style. Its height is about eighty meters. The blue domes are painted with golden stars. Facades are decorated with four six-columned porticos and sculptural friezes. In the niches are the bronze figures of angels. They were created by the sculptor S. Galberg. The famous Leppe worked on the frieze.

Interior

Izmailovsky Cathedral is spacious and bright. The feeling of space is created thanks to the interior features. Twenty-four slender Corinthian columns "lift to the top" a drum of the main dome, trimmed with caissons with rosettes. It seems that he seems to float in the air.

Both columns and pilasters are made of white marble. Initially they were offered to be covered with white glue paint on ordinary plaster, but the regiment's management solicited permission to polish them.

Small domes, on a blue background painted with golden stars, are designed to create additional dome interiors. In one of them a carved iconostasis is arranged. At first it was a rounded wall. Today this iconostasis, unfortunately, is partially ruined. The altar canopy was solved as a half-rounder of four columns. It has a wooden carved iconostasis that makes up the overall composition.

To the consecration of the church, Nicholas I presented jasper vessels made in gold frame, and a tabernacle in the form of a temple with columns, carved from pink agate. The bronze three-level chandelier, made in 1865, was disposed of in the forties of the last century, when the Trinity Cathedral of Izmailovo was closed.

Shrines

In the cathedral there is an old icon of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. It is considered the oldest among all available in the St. Petersburg temples. The image was created more than six centuries ago - in 1406th year. He has an amazing fate: after the revolution, it was seized by the Soviet authorities. The icon was sent to the Tretyakov Gallery, and after it was sold to a private collection in the United States. At the beginning of the millennium the image was bought from Christie's auction. During the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, President Putin was presented with a donation to the cathedral.

Thousands of believers come to St. Petersburg every year and visit the Izmailovo Cathedral to bow to the old Matron of Moscow. After all, it is here that a particle of the relics of the blessed old man abides. People tell her about their troubles and, as evidenced by the testimonies, they immediately receive answers to all their questions on hot prayers.

The inhabitants of the northern capital know that to create a happy family one must come to the cathedral on Izmailovsky Prospekt and pray before the relics of St. Petersburg. Peter and Fevronia of Murom, where a moleben is held every day.

In the temple there is a unique image. This is the icon of St. Xenia of Petersburg. It must be said that the images of the blessed mother exist in almost every church in St. Petersburg, but the Izmaylovsky Cathedral belongs to the brush of Girvel and is the first lifetime portrait of an old man.

Believers are praying with one more saint of God. This is Nicholas the Wonderworker. In the Izmaylovsky Cathedral, two images are stored at once. One of them is the icon of the saint with the life, and the second - the icon.

Activities

In April 1996, Archpriest Gennady Bartov was appointed rector of the church. Sunday school works at the cathedral. Classes for adults are held on Saturdays Before the evening service. The school is very popular with parishioners. The temple organizes regular pilgrimages to Israel, to the holy places of St. Petersburg and the region, following the footsteps of many saints.

Interesting Facts

In 1867, in the Izmailovo Cathedral, F. Dostoevsky was married to A. Snitkina. Here the famous composer Anton Rubinstein was singing.

When in 1938 the cathedral was closed, it was decided to open a city crematorium within its walls. Fortunately, these plans did not materialize. However, the temple still came to desolation, as the building was used as a vegetable store. After the end of the Patriotic War, large-scale works began in the cathedral. The facades of the building were restored. Works were completed in the sixties of the last century, but the interior of the temple came in a terrible state.

In 2006, a fire broke out in the cathedral during the evening service. He destroyed the main dome and damaged one of the small ones. The parishioners helped to take out all the utensils and icons from the burning building, however, several altar images suffered. The government of St. Petersburg for the restoration of the church has allocated a hundred million rubles.

The Trinity-Izmaylovsky Cathedral and the triumphal column located on its territory - the Monument of Glory are heading the list of the most beautiful historical military ecclesiastical ensembles of our country. The temple is of federal importance. It is one of the four historical dominants of St. Petersburg, together with St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Admiralty and the Peter and Paul Fortress.