Kaliningrad, Konigsberg Cathedral: description from photo

In the westernmost part of Russia there is a picturesque city Kaliningrad, famous for its mild climate, amber ornaments, interesting history and sights. Until the middle of the 13th century it was called the Twangaste and was a Prussian fortification. After the conquest of these territories by the Crusaders, in 1255 the Czech monarch Přemysl II Otakar ordered the fortress, called Koenigsberg, ie, the royal one, to be founded in its place. Soon a city was formed around it, and at the beginning of the 14th century a magnificent structure was built near it - the Konigsberg Cathedral. Today, this building is one of the main decorations and the most frequently visited tourist sites of the city.

Building

The temple was founded in 1333 by Bishop Siegfried. However, he soon died and the construction continued under the guidance of Johannes Claret. Originally conceived to erect a church-fortress. However, according to the decree of Grandmaster Luther of Braunschweig, it was ordered to build just a large temple.

The works were started from the altar part and were completed by 1335. Then began the construction of two towers and a longitudinal part, which was intended for the parishioners. In total, the Konigsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad) was built for fifty years, until about 1380. The building was a length of 101, a width of 36 and a height of 58 meters, taking into account the size of the towers. However, during the fire in the middle of the 16th century, both of them burned down, and only one was restored, the South was decorated with a high spire, and on the North side a pediment was built.

Koenigsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad): history

Buried in 1344 in the altar part of the building, Bishop Johannes Claret did not live to see the consecration of the church, which took place in 1351.

The temple existed as a Catholic church for only about 170 years, until the ideas of the Reformation penetrated the territory of Prussia. As a result of the victory of Protestantism in 1523, Johann Brissmann, the first evangelical sermon in German was read in the church, and the Lutheran religion was recognized as the official religion. Five years later the building of the church was given over to the city of Kneiphof, and around the building itself was formed a clergy settlement with a cathedral square, a school, a dwelling for the abbots of the church, the house of the bishop and with farm buildings.

University period

In the 1530s, near the temple, a building was built in which the University of Albertina is located. From that time the Koenigsberg Cathedral began to function as the church of this famous educational institution, and since 1650 the Wallenrod Library, which is a magnificent collection of scientific and religious manuscripts, has been located in its southern tower. In addition, during the same period, a professorial burial-vault appeared in the temple, in which Immanuel Kant was buried . In 1924, on the two-hundredth anniversary of the philosopher, on the eastern side of the Koenigsberg Cathedral, the portico "Stoa Kantiana" was erected.

History of the church during WWII

Until the bombing of 1944, the Koenigsberg Cathedral stood intact. Unfortunately, during the hostilities he suffered very badly, and later was devastated. The rich decoration of the temple was almost completely burnt. Only a few stone tombstones have been preserved, including a monument to the Duke of Albrecht Hohenzollern, made by the Flemish architect and sculptor Cornelis Floris.

After the war, the building stood for a long period without a roof and slowly came to desolation.

Restoration of historical heritage

In the early 70-ies of the last century, the Konigsberg Cathedral was decided to restore. The first stage of the restoration of the temple was, rather, cosmetic repairs, and full-scale engineering work began only in 1992.

Since the cathedral is located on peaty soil, the foundation is lowered every year by several millimeters. Since the foundation of the temple, he sank more than a meter and a half, and the angle of the walls was more than forty centimeters. To counter these phenomena in 1903, false windows were made, but they did not help, so the restorers had to work hard to restore the strength of the structure. In addition, in the 90s, four bells were installed, as well as a spire and a clock on the South Tower. Thus, the temple acquired a form close to the original.

Description

Koenigsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad), photo of which is decorated with many tourist avenues, is built in the style of the Baltic Gothic. In the architectural board it is notable for the inner tower with a spiral staircase and its arches inherent in the Sicilian architecture of the 11-13 centuries.

In October 1998, the Immanuel Kant Museum was opened in the temple building, part of the exposition of which is devoted to the history of the building itself. At the moment, work is under way to transform the Koenigsberg Cathedral into an important cultural and religious center.

The building houses the Evangelical and Orthodox Chapel, as well as regular concerts of classical and religious music and international organists competitions.

Some interesting facts

Directors liked to shoot in the historic center of Kaliningrad, so similar to the pre-war Germany, films about the war, and the Cathedral often got into the frame.

By the 750th anniversary of the founding of the city, a postage stamp with a picture of its sights was issued. One of them was the Cathedral. The sight of this temple is also imprinted on the commemorative coin of ten rubles worth, which is included in the series "Ancient Cities of Russia", issued in 2005 with a circulation of five million.

In 2007, the Konigsberg Cathedral was a contender for the title of one of the "Seven Wonders of Russia", and already in the next it was recognized as the main symbol of the Kaliningrad region as a result of summing up the action "Seven Wonders of the Amber Territory".

Koenigsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad): address

Finding this temple is very simple, as it is located on one of the island's historical city centers - on the island of Kant, surrounded by the river Pregol. The official address of the cathedral is Kant Street, 1. You can get there by one of two bridges connecting the mainland and the island.