St. Nicholas Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Cathedrals of St. Petersburg

Among the considerable number of Orthodox churches in St. Petersburg, St. Nicholas Cathedral has a special place. It is one of the oldest temples of this scale in the entire capital of the Russian Empire. He stands out and the vivid expressiveness of his architecture, and the many circumstances of Russian history associated with him for more than two and a half centuries of his existence.

Prehistory of construction

The St. Nicholas Cathedral in St. Petersburg was erected during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. His existence is largely due to such a prominent historical figure of the Petrine era, as Prince Mikhail Golitsyn. During the reign of Peter the Great's daughter, he occupied the administrative post of the president of the Admiralty College. It was from this high-ranking state grandee that the initiative was proceeding, according to which the capital stone St. Nicholas Cathedral should be erected on the site of the existing wooden church in the Kanonerska street. According to the ancient Orthodox tradition in Russia, Saint Nicholas was considered the patron saint of seamen and all who were somehow connected with the sea. The plan of Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn received the highest monarchy approval.

How the temple was built

The St. Nicholas Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built in nine years. With the level of development of construction equipment in the mid-eighteenth century, this is a relatively short period. For comparison: the construction of the famous St. Isaac's Cathedral in the next century lasted more than forty years. The place for the construction of the cathedral was not chosen by chance. In this part of the city, sailors, shipbuilders and officials of the Naval Department were permanently living. To the same naval agency belonged to the architect of the cathedral S.I. Chevakinsky. It was also important and close to such waterways as the Fontanka and the Catherine Canal. Among other things, it was convenient for them to deliver materials for large-scale construction. And there was no shortage of serf labor in Prince Golitsyn.

Architectural features

Stylistically, St. Nicholas Cathedral in St. Petersburg is an outstanding example of the so-called "Elizabethan Baroque". For most architectural works of this style, the scale of the buildings, the pretentiousness of the decorative design of the facades and interiors are characteristic. The building of St. Nicholas Cathedral has a traditional cross-shaped layout and five-domed layout of the main architectural volumes of the upper tier. The facades are brightly decorated in a two-tone scale characteristic of Russian baroque. The building is crowned with five gilded domes that rise above the roofs of the surrounding quarters. Complementing the temple complex is a separate four-tiered bell tower with a pointed spire.

Russian Sailors' Cathedral

Nikolsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg was originally designated in the project as a "maritime regimental church." And there is nothing surprising in the fact that it was destined to enter Russian history as the main symbolic temple uniting all Russian sailors. That is why, near the cathedral, there is a memorial obelisk in honor of the Russian sailors who died in the Battle of Tsushima, and in the temple there are memorial signs in honor of the crew of the nuclear submarine Komsomolets and other vessels that have not returned to their quay from distant campaigns. In the St. Nicholas Cathedral, regular services are held in honor of those who are away from their native shore. Annually in August, the memorial service for sailors of the nuclear submarine "Kursk" is performed in the walls of the church . It should be remembered that the St. Nicholas Church is the oldest, but by far not the only naval cathedral in Russia.

Cathedrals of St. Petersburg

Any architectural work always exists in the context of an immediate and more distant environment. That is why it is interesting to look at St. Nicholas Cathedral in St. Petersburg on the background of the whole city. The new capital of the Russian Empire was built, unlike Moscow, not chaotic. And in the general urban planning, the significance that the state attached to the church as one of the main pillars of social life can be clearly discerned. If you look at the city plan, it is impossible not to notice that the majestic Orthodox cathedrals are located practically in all the key points of the northern capital. They are very diverse in their architectural solutions, but they, among other things, clearly traced the idea of state imperial greatness. It is characteristic that in the capital of the Russian Empire, in addition to traditional Orthodox cathedrals, one can also find Catholic churches, Protestant kirches and Moslem mosques. None of the peoples included in the empire was not religiously disadvantaged. A special place in St. Petersburg and its environs is occupied by temples dedicated to the sea patron, St. Nicholas the Sinner. By the way, he was traditionally in Russia one of the most revered saints.

Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Kronshtadt

No less significant for Russian sailors is the Orthodox church, located on an island in the Finnish Gulf in the mouth of the Neva. The main base of the Russian fleet was traditionally considered to be Kronstadt. St. Nicholas Cathedral, towering above its coast, is visible from afar. This was the intention of its creators - it can be oriented as a beacon to everyone who approached the capital of the empire from the Baltic direction. The grandiose cathedral was laid on the Anchor Square of the city of Kronstadt in 1903, and completed in ten years. Shortly before the outbreak of World War I, his consecration took place. The solemn moleben for this occasion was the imperial family.

Architecture of the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt

The grandiose domed structure reminds of its appearance the famous St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople. It was this classic architectural image that was taken as the basis by the architect V.A. By Kosyakov. Strong Byzantine influence is felt in the decorative design of facades and interiors. The best craftsmen from all over Russia were drawn to their creation. The temple project in Kronstadt received the highest approval and state funding for the construction. His budget was one of the largest in Russian history, he was approaching two million rubles. The Russian empire did not spare money for the iconic architectural works, which were supposed to symbolize its greatness.

After the revolution

The fate of the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt was unenviable during the Soviet era. Divine services were held in it until 1927. And in the future he ceased to be a temple. In its walls there was a cinema, a club, a concert hall. And since 1974 there functioned a branch of the Central Naval Museum. At the same time, internal partitions were erected, and irreparable damage was caused to historical interiors. The decision to return the cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church was made at the beginning of this century. The necessary amount of restoration work was carried out. December 19, 2005 for the first time in many years in the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt a solemn service was held. The Divine Liturgy was held on the feast day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.