One of the largest religious buildings in the Northern capital is the majestic Kazan Cathedral. From the center of the building, wings stretched in both directions - colonnades. Outside, the cathedral is decorated with bas-reliefs made of yellowish limestone. The building makes a tremendous impression. The interior and exterior of the temple is stunning: 56 magnificent columns, which are made of Finnish pink granite and decorated with gilded Corinthian capitals, create a sense of spaciousness and grandeur.
Cathedral construction
For two centuries it was the shrine of the Romanovs' house. It was first brought to the city by Peter I. In the first half of the 17th century, the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos was built in St. Petersburg (the author of the project was MG Zemtsov, a famous Russian architect). It was located on the very spot where the magnificent cathedral is located today. At the end of the century, the church, as well as the buildings adjacent to it, were demolished, resulting in a huge square in the center of the city.
Project creation
A creative competition was announced to create a project for a new church. It lasted for about three years (1797-1800). Its participants were faced with a rather difficult task. Paul I wished the new temple to resemble the famous Cathedral of St. Peter, located in Rome, the work of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti and other architects of the Renaissance. The cathedral must have been decorated with a colonnade, about the same as the one attached to St. Peter's by the architect Giovanni Bernini. It was important to fit the new monumental building into the already designed architectural space.
In accordance with Orthodox canons, the altar of the temple should face east, and the main facade - to the west, that is, to Meshchanskaya (today Kazanskaya) street.
From the very beginning of the competition, great architects took part in it - P. Gonzaga, A. N. Voronikhin, Ch. Cameron. In 1800, J. F. Thomon arrived in the capital to participate in the competition.
Initially, Paul I approved the project of Charles Cameron. However, thanks to the support of Count A.S. Stroganov, who was responsible for the construction, in November 1800, A.N. Voronikhin's project was adopted. This decision has been widely and for a long time discussed in the society. Particularly heated discussions were caused by the origin of Voronikhin, who was a former serf of the Stroganovs. He received his freedom in 1786.
Temple shrines
The Kazan Cathedral has the main shrine - the miraculous. At the beginning of the 17th century, during the struggle against the Swedish and Polish invaders, the icon always accompanied the Militia of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. Then it was kept in the Moscow Teremny Kazan Cathedral.
Peter I in 1710 ordered to bring to St. Petersburg an ancient repetition of the miraculous image.
When Voronikhin was building the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon, fulfilling the will of Emperor Paul I, from the proposed prototype he used only the motif of a semicircular colonnade located in front of the temple building. For the rest, the Russian architect created an independent structure that harmoniously merged with the development of Nevsky Prospekt.
95 huge columns outline a small area. On the right and left, the colonnade ends with massive portals. This structure also has a special purpose - it covers the main body of the temple.
The building project was not completed in full. When the construction of the Kazan Cathedral was already being completed, he proposed to build an additional colonnade, which was supposed to be located on the southern side of the building. She had to repeat the northern counterpart. However, his offer was rejected.
Description of the temple
From the side of Kazanskaya Street, it was decided to make the central entrance to the Kazan Cathedral. St. Petersburg received a completely unique building, which the citizens of St. Petersburg are justly proud of, and many guests of the city examine with interest.
In plan, the cathedral resembles a form; a huge dome rises above its middle. The outer columns, entablature, capitals, cladding and bas-reliefs are made of Pudost stone. It is a rather soft limestone with a yellowish tint. It was mined not far from St. Petersburg.
Statues and sculptural groups adorn the entire city Kazan Cathedral in this sense is also no exception. Here sculpture is given special importance in the external design. On the attic of the portals (above the side passages), there are bas-reliefs. On the western side - the works of I.P. Prokofiev, from the east - the work of I.P. Martos. The famous bas-relief by D. Rachette is located above the altar.
The northern entrance is decorated with monumental doors, which are an exact copy of the “Paradise Gates” of the Baptistery. They are made of bronze by the sculptor from Italy Lorenzo Ghiberti.
On both sides of the doors, in special niches, there are bronze figures of St. Andrew the First-Called and Vladimir Equal to the Apostles and Alexander Nevsky.
The bas-reliefs "Adoration of the Magi", "Annunciation", "Adoration of Shepherds", "Flight to Egypt" are in the northern portico.
Interior decoration
Kazansky is distinguished by its rich and solemn interior. You can feel the Russian scale and power in it. The first unique iconostasis was created according to the drawing by A. Voronikhin.
A little later (1836) a luxurious gift was made to the city. Petersburg, the Kazan Cathedral received a new iconostasis, minted from silver, made by the project of the architect K.A. Tones. It was recaptured by the Don Cossacks in 1812 from the French.
Most of the icons were painted by the best artists of the early 19th century - O. A. Kiprensky, V. L. Borovikovsky, F. A. Bruni, V. K. Shebuev, G. I. Ugryumov, K. P. Bryullov and many others.
The meaning of the temple
In 1811 the Kazan Cathedral was consecrated. St. Petersburg cherishes the memory of the valiant Russian soldiers who went straight from the church, after serving a prayer service, to the Patriotic War.
MI Kutuzov left this cathedral to command the Russian troops, and here his body was buried with honors in 1813, in a crypt under the arches of the Kazan Cathedral. Twenty-four years later, a monument to the great commander was erected on the square in front of the cathedral.
The Kazan Cathedral contains numerous trophies of the Patriotic War: banners of defeated troops, keys to captured cities and fortresses.
It is difficult for the current generation to imagine that the Kazan Cathedral was closed in 1929. St. Petersburg (at that time Leningrad) began an active struggle against the "religious intoxication". Three years later, this historical site housed the Museum of the History of Atheism. The priceless icons of the cathedral were partially donated to the Russian Museum.
The most important and most revered shrine of the temple - the icon of the Mother of God - was transferred to the cathedral, which was located on the Petrograd side. The interior actually turned out to be looted; it was significantly damaged during various reconstructions.
Cathedral today
At the end of the last century, the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was returned to the Diocese, and at the same time the lost status returned to the temple. At the beginning of the XXI century, the church and all parishioners greeted the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which was returned to its rightful place.
The Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (Kazan Cathedral) in St. Petersburg was built in 1801-1811 by the architect A. N. Voronikhin to store the revered list of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Kazan. After the Patriotic War of 1812, it acquired the significance of a monument to Russian military glory. In 1813, the commander M.I.Kutuzov was buried here and the keys to the captured cities, standards, banners, Davout's marshal's baton and other trophies of war, some of which are kept in the cathedral, are placed here. During the construction, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was taken as a model. On the outside of the cathedral there are 182 columns of Pudost stone, inside the church there are 56 columns of the Corinthian order made of pink Finnish granite. Clickable photos, with geographic coordinates and referenced to a Yandex map, 02.2014.
1. Modern view of the Kazan Cathedral from above
2. The original project of the Kazan Cathedral, not completed. It was planned to build two colonnades - northern and southern, only the northern 
3. Panorama of the northern facade of the Kazan Cathedral 
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5. Pediment "All-Seeing Eye" 
6. Dome of the cathedral. The cross crowning the dome rises 71.6 m above the ground level. The Kazan Cathedral is one of the tallest domed buildings. The dome is supported by four powerful pillars - pylons. The diameter of the dome exceeds 17 m. During its construction, Voronikhin, for the first time in the history of world construction practice, developed and applied a metal structure 
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9. Colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral, includes 96 columns 
10. In front of the cathedral in 1837, according to the project of the sculptor Orlovsky, monuments to Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly were erected. During the Great Patriotic War, they were disguised and the soldiers, passing by them, gave them a military salute. Near the monuments they swore an oath of allegiance to the Motherland. 
11. Bas-relief "The outflow of water from a stone by Moses in the desert", I.P. Martos 
12. Borelief "Appearance to Moses in the Burning Bush", P. Scolari, model by I. Commander 
13. Monument to M.I. Kutuzov 
14. The facades of the cathedral are faced with gray Pudost stone. The Pudost stone is a calcareous tuff, mined near the village of Pudost, Gatchinsky district of the Leningrad region (the quarries were exhausted in the 1920s), its deposits date back to the late Pleistocene and were formed on the site of a small lake. Pudost stone is easily processed and changes color depending on the light and weather, taking on different shades of gray and yellowish gray. The stone is interesting in that the inside retained its original viscosity, while the outer part acquired the hardness of fired brick. The facing of the Kazan Cathedral took 12 thousand cubic meters of Pudost stone 
15. Mummers 
16. The capital of the column of the Kazan Cathedral 
17. Man compared to the columns of the Kazan Cathedral, the total of the outer columns is 182. The columns are assembled from blocks of Pudost stone, and the joints between them are worn out. Due to the fragility of the stone, immediately after the creation of the columns, it was rubbed with the so-called Riga alabaster, but this did not help the preservation of the corlons. 
18. Bronze statue of St. Vladimir, the Baptist of Russia, in his left hand he holds a sword, and in his right - a cross, trampling on the pagan altar. Sculptor Pimenov S.S., 1807, cast by Ekimov 
19. Bronze sculpture of Andrew the First-Called, sculptor V.I. Demut-Malinovsky, 1807, cast by Ekimov 
20. The two-meter base of the cathedral and its colonnades are laid out of huge blocks of Serdobol granite. The stairs leading to the colonnade are made of slabs of red-pink rapakivi granite 
21. Bronze statue of Alexander Nevsky, sculptor S. Pimenov, 1807, cast by Yekimov. At the feet of Alexander is a sword with a lion, the emblem of Sweden, a Russian shield rests on it. 
22. Sculpture of John the Baptist, sculptor I.P. Martos, 1807, cast by Ekimov. All four statues took 1,400 pounds of bronze. 
23. Bas-relief "Adoration of the Magi" on the northern portico, F.G. Gordeev 
24. Each such column weighs 28 tons, height is about 14 meters 
25. Capital 
26. Column close up 
27. Cross on the dome 
28. Cathedral pigeons 
29. Monument to Barclay de Tolly, above the high relief "The Copper Serpent" I.P. Prokofiev 
30. Borelief "Presentation of the Tablets to Moses on Mount Sinai", P. Scolari after Lactman's model 
31. The carved portal of the northern doors of the temple is made of Ruskeala marble. The northern gates of the cathedral are cast in bronze on the model of the famous "Paradise Gates" of the 15th century in the Florentine Baptistery (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Ghiberti), V. Ekimov. This is a copy, but with confused plots. 
32. Bronze compositions on Old Testament subjects on the original in Florence, cast from left to right in pairs:
1 "Creation of Adam and Eve. Their fall into exile from Paradise".
2 "The Sacrifice of Abel and His Killing by Cain".
3 "The Murder of the Egyptian by Moses and the Exit of the Jews from Egypt".
4 "The offering by Abraham as a sacrifice to God of the son of Jacob."
5 Isaac's blessing to Jacob.
6 "The sons of Jacob in Egypt buying bread from Joseph."
7 "Jews in the wilderness and Moses adopting legislation on Mount Sinai."
8 "The enclosure of the ark around the walls of Jericho, the destruction of Jericho."
9 "The defeat of the proud Nicanor, who threatened to destroy Jerusalem."
33. Inside the temple there are 56 columns of the Corinthian order made of pink Finnish granite with gilded capitals. The interior of the cathedral is divided by monolithic granite columns into three corridors - naves. The central nave is four times wider than the side naves and is covered with a semi-cylindrical vault. The side aisles are covered with rectangular caissons. The ceiling is decorated with rosettes imitating painting in the form of a stylized flower. They are made of French alabaster, the only material, according to APAplaksin, "which hardly had anything foreign, except for the name, other materials of non-Russian origin for the entire building ... were not used." 
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35. Commemorative plaque with the inscription "The consent of PAUL I started 1801" 
36. Commemorative plaque with the inscription "The care of ALEXANDER I finished 1811" 
37. In 1812, honorary trophies were delivered to the Kazan Cathedral: French military banners and the personal baton of Napoleon's Marshal Davout. Kazan Cathedral began to turn into the first museum of military relics in Russia in 1812 at the initiative of Kututsov. At the same time, Russia was at war with Persia, and 4 Persian banners taken near Lankaran were delivered to the cathedral. At the beginning of the XX century. In the inventory of the cathedral, there were 41 French banners and standards, 11 Polish - 11, Italian - 4, German - 47, as well as 5 military badges - 3 French and 2 Italian. In total - 107 banners and standards. Field Marshal M.I.Kutuzov was buried here on June 11, 1813. Above the grave, there are 5 standards and one banner that have survived to this day. Later, a painting by the artist Alekseev "The Miracle of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow" was placed above the grave. The painting depicts the liberation of Moscow by the militia led by K. Minin and Prince D. Pozharsky in October 1612 with the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God 
38. Tomb of Kutuzov 
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40. After the successful liberation by Russian troops under the command of MB. Barclay de Tolly of Western Europe from Napoleon in the cathedral began to receive the keys to the French fortresses taken by Russian troops. 97 keys were placed on the walls of the cathedral, most are now in Moscow, but 6 sets of keys are located above the grave of M.I. Kutuzov: from Bremen, Lubeck, Aven, Mons, Nancy and Gertrudenberg 
41. Banner and standards of the Napoleonic army, keys to European cities 
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43. Standard 
44. Standards of the Napoleonic army 
45. Keys to Mons 
46. Keys to Nancy 
47. Keys to Lubeck 
48. Keys to Aven 
49. Keys to Bremen 
50. Keys to Gertrudenberg 
51. Royal Doors 
Address: Moscow Red Square
First mention: 1625 year
Start of construction: 1990 year
End of construction: 1993 year
Project author: O. I. Zhurin, G. Ya. Mokeev
Shrines: Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Coordinates: 55 ° 45 "19.5" N 37 ° 37 "09.0" E
The small cathedral has a special status among the temples that surround the Moscow Kremlin. It appeared thanks to Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, a national hero and one of the leaders of the popular struggle against the Poles who seized Moscow. In the 1930s, the Kazan Cathedral was completely destroyed, but 60 years later it was rebuilt.
Cathedral in front of the State Historical Museum and Nikolskaya Tower
The history of the famous icon
In 1579, 27 years after the capture of the Kazan Khanate by Russia, a great fire broke out in its capital. The fire was quickly carried away by the wind, and the merciless flames destroyed part of the houses in Kazan. According to the surviving legend, it was then that the ten-year-old Matrona saw the Mother of God in a dream, and she asked her to find the icon in the ashes.
The girl hastened to tell the local priest Yermolai about the dream. When the conflagration was dug up, an image of the Mother of God was actually found in the indicated place. Later, during the conflagration, a new convent was rebuilt, and Matrona, taking the name of Mavra, became its first novice.
Several copies or copies were made of the newly acquired image. The first of them in 1579 was sent as a gift to the Russian sovereign John IV the Terrible. Then icons appeared in other Russian cities. Everywhere they were cherished as shrines, separate temples and monasteries were built in honor of the Kazan icons. The feast of the acquisition of an Orthodox shrine is celebrated by believers today on July 8.
Construction history
A historical guide to the city, published at the end of the 18th century, reported that the first temple, which was erected in honor of the revered icon, appeared near the Kremlin in 1625. It was built of wood with the money of Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky.
View of the Cathedral from Red Square
It is known that during the second people's militia, formed in 1611, Pozharsky did not part with the list made from the famous icon. After the victory over the Polish-Lithuanian invaders and the liberation of the capital, he kept the cherished image in his parish church on Lubyanka. The new wooden cathedral was built by the prince especially for the Kazan icon. However, the church stood for only 9 years and burned down in a fire.
The place near Red Square was not empty for long. Already in 1636, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich allocated money, and a new stone church was erected near the Moscow Kremlin. As was customary in temple architecture, at the beginning of the 17th century, the bell tower was added to the northwest of the church building. The new church immediately acquired a high status, because it was consecrated by the Moscow Patriarch Joasaph I.
The history of the temple in the 17th-20th centuries
In 1647, a side-altar dedicated to Saints Guriy and Barsanuphius was added to the Kazan Cathedral. The solemn ceremony of its consecration was attended by the son and successor of Mikhail Fedorovich - the Russian sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich.
Despite the fact that the temple was small in size, it has always played an important role in the spiritual life of the city. Kazan Cathedral was revered along with the most famous churches in Moscow, and its abbot was highly respected among the Moscow clergy.
Time passed, and in the 60s of the 18th century, the Kazan Cathedral was reconstructed at the expense of Princess M.A. Dolgorukova. The dilapidated side-chapel was demolished, and around the bell tower many shops appeared, selling wax candles, apples and ruddy rolls. For a long time, Moscow merchants were sworn in in the stone church.
View of the cathedral from the State Historical Museum
Over time, the Upper Trading Rows, towering nearby, became so upset that they practically blocked the view of the temple from the Kremlin side. At the very beginning of the 19th century, the hipped-roof bell tower was dismantled, and a two-tiered belfry was erected in its place according to a new model.
Like the rest of Moscow, the Kazan Cathedral underwent many trials during the invasion of French troops in 1812. Before the arrival of enemies near the church, Muscovites willingly bought popular prints and caricatures of the French and Napoleon himself. To prevent the revered icon from getting to the enemy, the priest of the temple hid it in advance. However, when the French troops entered the city, they did not fail to mock the Orthodox church. The soldiers threw the throne from the altar and dragged the horse's corpse into the church.
Another large-scale alteration of the cathedral was carried out in 1865. The architect Nikolai Ivanovich Kozlovsky prepared the project, the temple facades were rebuilt in the classical tradition, and another tier was added to the bell tower. It is noteworthy that both parishioners and priests greatly regretted such changes. After the reconstruction, the Kazan Cathedral lost its original appearance and looked like many rural churches that stood in different parts of the country.
With the advent of Soviet power, church life changed. Divine services in the cathedral were not immediately banned. In the summer of 1918, Patriarch Tikhon, who preached here, told the parishioners that the royal family had been shot by the Bolsheviks. And in the fall of the same year, the most priceless temple shrine, the famous Kazan icon, disappeared without a trace.
View of the cathedral from the south-east and Averkievsky side-chapel
In the mid-1920s, the famous restorer Pyotr Dmitrievich Baranovsky took up the capital restoration of the building. The work lasted for several years, as the restorers tried to restore the historical appearance of the cathedral. By 1929, they managed to decorate the walls and recreate the rows of ancient keeled kokoshniks, but the unexpected happened. Baranovsky learned that the Moscow leadership had decided to demolish the cathedral. The Moscow authorities wanted to hold physical culture parades and demonstrations of workers on Red Square and therefore did not want to see a single religious building nearby.
The architect was very upset, but managed to make careful measurements of all the architectural parts of the temple. The documents compiled by him were used several decades later, during the restoration of the cathedral. In the early 1930s, services in the cathedral were banned. First, a dining room was opened inside the former church building, and then a marble warehouse was created, which was used for the construction of the Moscow metro.
In 1936, the cathedral was destroyed to the ground, and in its place a pavilion erected, built according to the project of Boris Mikhailovich Iofan. Then a summer cafe was built here, then the site was decorated with marble and a fountain was arranged in the middle. After all this, a public toilet was built on the site of the Orthodox church.
Revival of the temple
The initiative to recreate the ancient temple was put forward by the employees of the city's monuments protection society. Construction began in 1990 and took three years. The cathedral near the Kremlin became the first church on the territory of the former USSR, which was restored in its historical form.
The dome of the cathedral and the mosaic of the Kazan Mother of God
It is noteworthy that all the work was carried out under the guidance of the talented architect Oleg Igorevich Zhurin, who studied with P. D. Baranovsky. The builders were lucky because old records, drawings and photographs of the cathedral were preserved. Photo of wall paintings could not be found, so professional painters from Bryansk and Palekh painted the temple in the traditions of the 19th century.
The opening of the revived shrine was timed to coincide with the beginning of November. And now this temple is considered a symbol of the liberation of the capital from the Polish-Lithuanian troops.
The architecture of the temple and its interior decoration
The Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a one-pillar church. It is surrounded by rows of picturesque kokoshniks, which make the one-domed church very elegant. From the northeast there is a chapel dedicated to Saint Averkiy of Hierapolis, and the northwest corner is occupied by a slender hipped bell tower.
Inside the temple, you can see a revered icon and a reliquary. All those who have visited the cathedral celebrate the beauty of its interiors and the excellent performance of the church choir.
The current state of the cathedral and the visiting regime
The Orthodox Church is active. Believers and tourists can get into it from 8.00 to 18.30. Church services are held here at 8.30 and 16.50.
Almost all guests of the Northern capital consider it their duty to admire the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. This Orthodox church is located in the city center, at the crossroads of Nevsky Prospekt and the Griboyedov Canal. An island on the Neva, a nearby bridge and a square adjacent directly to the Kazan Cathedral are named after him.
The well-known religious building is capable of impressing an inexperienced tourist with its size: its height exceeds 70 m. The temple was built specifically to store the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which, according to legend, is capable of healing the sick and performing miracles.
Architect and sculptor of the Kazan Cathedral
The history of the construction of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg is rather unusual. The famous landmark had a more modest predecessor - the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This stone building, construction of which began in 1733, has become a remarkable example of the Baroque style in architecture. The distinctive characteristics of the church were the bell tower, placed directly above the doors, and the dome made of natural wood.
The first architect and sculptor who participated in the creation of the future Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was Mikhail Zemtsov. The Nativity of the Theotokos Church, built according to his project, was completed four years after the laying of the first stone. Before the first service, the deeply revered image of the Kazan Mother of God was transferred to it - an exact copy of the miraculous icon that mysteriously appeared in Kazan at the end of the 16th century. The relic was brought to the northern capital during the reign of Peter I and was previously kept in the Trinity Cathedral.
Of the interesting facts about the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, it is worth mentioning that it was considered a "courtier". Empress Anna Ioannovna herself was personally present at its opening, and in 1773 the future Emperor Paul I was married here. Also, solemn prayers in honor of the victories of Russian troops over the Napoleonic army in 1812 were regularly held here.
At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Paul I decided to hold a competition for the best version of the new church. The monarch wanted the city to be decorated with an almost identical copy of the Vatican Cathedral of St. Peter. Even the projects of famous architects - Trombaro, Cameron, Gonzago and others - did not impress Paul. In 1800, Count Stroganov, whose mansion was located not far from the church, presented to the tsar a sketch of the gifted young master Andrei Voronikhin. He was immediately approved, and the count was appointed head of the board of trustees in charge of construction work.
In 1801, the foundation stone of the new building was solemnly laid in the presence of the new Russian ruler Alexander I. However, the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built not only according to the project and with the participation of the architect Voronikhin, but also with the help of his talented colleague N. Alferov. It was assumed that in the western part of the temple there would be an entrance, in the east - an altar, and the northern and southern facades will be decorated with monumental colonnades of more than 90 columns with an impressive height of 13 m. However, in practice, only the northern colonnade was completed, and to this day it is genuine decoration of Nevsky Prospect. The columns are installed in 4 rows.
The construction of the grandiose cathedral lasted 10 years, and at least 5 million rubles were spent on it. After the completion of the building, the emperor awarded its creator with the honorary order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree.
After the opening of the new church, the old church was immediately demolished. The further history of the cathedral is rather unusual. Among the significant events, the following are worth noting:
In 1812, after the victory over the French, about 30 banners left by the defeated Napoleonic troops and taken as trophies were transferred here for storage. Also, about 100 keys from European fortresses and settlements that surrendered to the mercy of Russian military leaders, their flags and the personal rod of Davout, the commander-in-chief of the enemy army, were delivered to the cathedral. The ashes of the outstanding Russian commander M.I.Kutuzov, a true hero of his Fatherland, are buried in the northern aisle of the sanctuary.
In the second half of the 19th century, speeches and demonstrations of revolutionaries were regularly held on the square in front of the temple. Among them was the famous Plekhanov, the leader of one of the populist groups.
In 1913, during the celebration of the three hundredth anniversary of the reign of the Romanov dynasty, a stampede occurred in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, in which more than 30 people died.
In the first years of Soviet power, the temple became an object of looting: more than 2 tons of silver utensils and other valuables were confiscated from it. Since the beginning of the 1930s, it housed the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. Divine services were resumed only after the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s.
The appearance of the cathedral and the style of architecture
The cathedral's colonnade is considered a real gem of Nevsky Prospekt. The main thoroughfare of the city stretches from west to east, and Orthodox churches are oriented in the same way during construction. This often creates difficulties for architects. An unusual design solution made it possible to make the lateral - northern - part of the building, overlooking the avenue, a front door.
The cross on the dome is also, in accordance with religious canons, turned to the avenue with an edge and from the side of the northern facade is almost invisible. The cathedral itself is made in the form of a traditional Catholic cross.
There is no bell tower in the church, and the belfry is located in the western part of the colonnade. On both sides of the latter there are large porticoes, as well as two pedestals, on which plaster sculptures of angels stood until the middle of the 19th century. For facing the facades of the building, an original material was used - gray tuff. It is also called the Pudost stone, since it is mined near the village of Pudost in the Leningrad Region.
Opposite the cathedral, there are monuments to M. B. Barclay de Tolly and M. I. Kutuzov. Bronze monuments look almost the same: famous military leaders are depicted at full height and in cloaks reminiscent of the times of antiquity. However, de Tolly's posture indicates peace, while Kutuzov energetically urges the army to attack.
At the northern wall of the temple there are 4 bronze sculptural compositions depicting Alexander Nevsky, Prince Vladimir, John the Baptist and Andrew the First-Called. Their authors are, respectively, S. Pimenov (the first two sculptures), I. Martos and V. Demut-Malinovsky.
The bronze gates on the north wall of the building completely copy the famous "heavenly doors" of the Florentine baptismal house, dating from the 15th century. The porticos of the temple attract attention with beautiful bas-reliefs:
- The eastern passage from the side of the northern colonnade is decorated with a bas-relief of Martos, depicting how Moses, during the exodus of the Jews, extracts water from stones. Above the western passage, a bas-relief by I. Prokofiev is symmetrically located, dedicated to the erection of the copper serpent by the same prophet in the desert.
- The walls of the building, which have porticoes, are decorated with large bas-reliefs and small panels by sculptors Rachette, Gordeev, Kashenkov, Anisimov and others. All of them describe the life of the Mother of God and the miracles associated with the icon of the Kazan Mother of God.
Icon of the Kazan Mother of God and the interior decoration of the cathedral
Inside, the cathedral resembles a giant hall of the imperial residence. More than 50 columns of the Corinthian order, decorated with gilded capitals, give it a monumentality. The material for these elements was pink granite delivered to St. Petersburg from Finland. The columns divide the interior of the temple into 3 aisles - the nave. The width of the central nave is 4 times the width of the side ones, and the semi-cylindrical vault makes it possible to visually enlarge its space even more. The ceilings of the side naves are organically inscribed with rectangular caissons and rosettes in the form of fantastic flowers, imitating real paintings and made of alabaster.
The mosaic on the floor in the temple is made of natural pinkish and gray marble brought from Karelia. The floor steps of the pulpit and altar, as well as the pulpit, are lined with coral-crimson porphyry.
Most of the icons of the Kazan Cathedral were painted by the great painters of the late 18th - early 19th centuries: Bryullov, Borovikovsky, Shebuev, Basin, Ugryumov, Bessonov, Ivanov, Kiprensky and others. Their works adorn not only the iconostasis, but also the walls and pylons of the building. All canvases are made in the style of Renaissance artists.
Of the bas-reliefs inside, only two have survived to this day: "Taking into custody" by Rachette and "Carrying the Cross" by Shchedrin. The rest collapsed already 2 years after the victory over the French and were replaced by frescoes and oil paintings.
The iconostasis was created in the 1830s according to a sketch by the architect Ton and decorated with trophy silver, inherited by the Russian troops after the flight of the Napoleonic army. The precious cladding was stolen during the Soviet era, but it has now been completely restored. Above the northern and southern entrances there are sculptural compositions depicting the arrest of Jesus and his march to the place of execution. The main shrine - the face of Our Lady of Kazan - is located on the left side of the Royal Doors.
Opening hours and excursions to the cathedral
The entrance to the temple is free. It is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am (Saturday and Sunday from 6.30 am) until the end of the evening service. The most convenient way to get to the cathedral is by metro to the stations "Nevsky Prospekt" or "Gostiny Dvor", and you should go to the Griboyedov Canal.
Sightseeing tours of the temple, in which the guide will tell you about the history of its construction and shrines, usually last 1.5-2 hours and will cost from 600 to 4000 RUB depending on the number of participants.
Kazan Cathedral is a unique architectural monument that organically combines the features of Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
When, while traveling, you find yourself in St. Petersburg, I am sure that you will certainly want to walk along its "main artery" - Nevsky Prospekt. During this walk, you will certainly pay attention to the majestic cathedral located near the Griboyedov Canal.
Once in my student days, this place was one of my favorites in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). Here we used to make appointments with friends. Because even in bad weather it was very convenient to wait for each other under the cathedral vaults, which reliably sheltered from the pouring St. Petersburg rain. On days when the sun drove away the winter blues, we liked to sit on the benches of the square located near this temple, exposing our pale faces to the first gentle rays.
On the same benches, a lot of notes were read and re-read during the preparation for tests and exams during sessions at the institute. That is, this place for me is steadfastly associated with joyful memories.
So, my story will focus on the amazing Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
History of the Kazan Cathedral
The predecessor is the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
I think it will be interesting for you to know that since 1737, on the site of the present location of the Kazan Cathedral, a stone baroque church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally built (architect Mikhail Zemtsov). Before its consecration, a copy of the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God was brought here. It was a surprise to me that Empress Anna Ioannovna herself accompanied him on foot.
The church had a court appointment. In 1773, the wedding of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich takes place there. Army victories were also celebrated here. By the end of the 18th century, the temple was seriously dilapidated, and Paul I announced a competition for a project to build a new St. Petersburg temple to replace it.
The creation of the Kazan Cathedral
The imperial decision approved the idea of the architect A.N. Voronikhin, who was beginning his masterful path, and the former serf of Count Alexander Sergeevich Stroganov, the president of the Academy of Arts.
I read that the count himself is appointed chairman of the board of trustees, organized during the construction of the cathedral, which lasted a decade (1801-1811). For his grandiose work, Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, IV degree.
The cathedral was consecrated by Metropolitan Ambrose on September 27 in 1811. About 5 million rubles were transferred from the state treasury for the construction of this magnificent temple.
The cathedral becomes a monument to Russia's triumph over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812. In 1813, in its left side-altar there is the tomb of the brilliant Russian Field Marshal M.I.Kutuzov, whose body was brought to St. Petersburg in June from the Prussian city of Bunzlau. At the burial place, a bronze fence was erected (by A. N. Voronikhin) and five standards and one banner were erected, which have survived to this day.
Above the grave itself was an icon of the Smolensk Mother of God. In the church space of the cathedral, 107 "captive" banners and standards of the French army were also hung (most of them are now kept in Moscow), as well as 97 sets of keys from the conquered fortresses and cities of France. I think that you will also pay attention to the two grandiose monuments to Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly opposite the Kazan Cathedral.
They were erected in 1837 in memory of the events of the Patriotic War with Napoleon.
Cathedral in the XIX - early XX century
Even today, I am amazed by the magnificent facades of the Kazan Cathedral, although some of them are now lost. Made of Pudozh stone, they were lavishly decorated with sculptural compositions and bas-reliefs. The most famous masters of that time worked on this splendor: I.P. Martos, I.P. Prokofiev, V.G. Godeev, V.I.Demug-Malinovsky.
The bronze gates of the north were made like the “heavenly doors” of the baptistery of Florence (15th century).
I am very sorry that not all of this beauty has survived to this day. True, 56 gigantic columns of pink granite in Finland, in my opinion, still inspire a sense of steadfastness, grandeur and reliability today. The stucco molding of the temple belonged to the works of F. Toricelli and B. Medici. The iconostases were made by A. Leblon and F. Chretien. The images, most of which are now in the Russian Museum of the Northern Capital, were painted by O. A. Kiprensky, F. P. Brullo and other prominent masters.
The temple was filled with light by a beautiful chandelier of 180 candles (by J. Guerin). On the day of the illumination of the Kazan Cathedral, the eponymous miraculous Image of the Mother of God was dressed in a magnificent golden robe, adorned with precious stones and pearls. Out of 40 poods of trophy French silver, the architect K.A. Ton completed the facing of the main iconostasis. Later, in 1884, an 11 pood silver tomb for the shroud appeared in the cathedral, and in 1890 - chased banners.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1903, the townspeople had an unusual idea - to create the same mighty belfry near the Kazan Cathedral, but the Academy of Arts reasonably rejected this intention. For the 100th anniversary of the cathedral, a number of restoration works were completed under the guidance of the best architects and artists, including my favorite diocesan architect A.P. Aplaksin.
It is he who owns the words: "With the Kazan Cathedral, Russia caught up with Europe, ... having risen high to the level of the image of the beautiful."
The magnificent interior decoration, revered shrines, church utensils, which in themselves were works of art, in a word, all this created an indelible feeling of beauty among the parishioners. And the memorial plaques located here, the bas-reliefs of Paul I and Alexander I, as well as the tomb of M.I.Kutuzov reminded of the imperial glory of Russia.
It was from here that on September 12, on Nevsky Prospect, there was a solemn procession with the cross to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (you can read about it in more detail in my article), in which the imperial persons and knights of the Order of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky certainly participated. By the way, I was interested to know that earlier this day was an official day off in St. Petersburg. Other solemn processions of the cross were also performed in the Kazan Church.
The patronal feast - the day of the Kazan Mother of God, celebrated on July 21 and November 4, gathered a lot of citizens in the cathedral. As a result, the prayer service in front of the miraculous icon was carried out right on the street opposite the cathedral.
On the day of remembrance of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Slovenian enlighteners, on May 24, many students flocked to the Kazan Church. On the feast of St. Sava of Serbia, which falls on January 27, the capital's Serbs came here. A special thanksgiving prayer was sounded here on January 7 (in a new style) - on the Day of Victory over Napoleon.
In the same church on November 8, 1893, the funeral service for my beloved great Russian composer Ilyich Tchaikovsky was performed.
That is, the Kazan Cathedral from the beginning of its existence to the revolutionary coup of 1917 fulfilled not only its direct spiritual mission - serving the liturgy - but also reflected all the cultural and historical events of Russia, being an outstanding monument of its military glory.
I myself learned with interest that shortly before the revolutionary events of 1917, it was in the Kazan Cathedral for the only time in the history of the St. Petersburg diocese that the elections of the ruling bishop were held by a free vote of the priesthood and laity. It was the future martyr Benjamin (Kazan).
In January 1921, even before the cathedral was closed, it was he who consecrated the side-chapel of the Hieromartyr Hermogen, Patriarch of Moscow.
After the process of requisitioning church valuables in 1922, during which Metropolitan Veniamin (Kazan) was innocently shot, the interior of the cathedral was also badly damaged. One silver weighing about 2 tons was withdrawn from it, as a result of which a unique silver iconostasis perished in the melting furnace. I was surprised that, despite the increasing repression, there was still an almshouse for elderly women here until 1925, and the parish remained large. Missionary and charitable activities did not stop.
Since 1928, the temple was given into the hands of the "renovationists", and from the beginning of 1932 it was closed.
The GPU set up warehouses in the basements of the temple. In my opinion, it was a real blasphemy that in the cathedral, which meant so much for Russia, the new authorities decided to create nothing, namely the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism.
I had a chance to visit there as a child. There was a feeling of emptiness, heaviness and heartfelt bewilderment. But all this is now in the past.
Restoration of spiritual life in the Kazan Cathedral
In the early 90s of the XX century, the cathedral began to gradually return to its true purpose. And I am glad that I, together with my friends, witnessed this revival. In autumn 1990, the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, lost during the years of repressions against the church, were recovered in the depositories of the Museum of Atheism and Religion located in the Kazan Cathedral. The solemn divine service on the occasion of their presence was led by Patriarch Alexy II. From Leningrad on February 6, 1991, the holy relics were sent by train "Krasnaya Arrow" to Moscow. At that time, the authorities were still trying to prevent widespread publicity of what happened, but, nevertheless, a huge crowd of people gathered to see off the Monk Seraphim.
This sea of the people even made it difficult for the train to leave the Moscow railway station. When the train started, all those present bowed to the ground with respect. Soon, in 1991, services began in the left aisle. The lighting of the central chapel, after many years of oblivion, took place in 1992.
At the end of April 1994, the cross was again solemnly raised on the cathedral dome.
Main shrine
As for the most central shrine of the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral, research continues to this day regarding the history of its appearance on the banks of the Neva. I read different versions about which of the lists of the original (or even the original itself) ended up in St. Petersburg. According to one of them, it was an icon, with which in 1611 the Kazan militia went to Moscow to oppose the nobles and Lithuanians who besieged it, and which it then handed over to the Nizhny Novgorod people under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky.
With that Image, on October 22, 1612, first Kitai-Gorod was taken, and then the Moscow Kremlin, and the icon was placed by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky in 1636 in the Kazan temple he built near Red Square.
Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov subsequently began to especially venerate this shrine. It was he who commanded to celebrate her days at the all-Russian level: July 21 (the date of the amazing appearance of the Image of the Mother of God in Kazan) and November 4 (the day of the liberation of Moscow from foreigners). After the birth of his son, Tsarevich Dmitry, the son of Mikhail Fedorovich Alexei Mikhailovich begins to consider the icon the keeper of the Romanov family.
This was adopted by all subsequent rulers of this dynasty. Of course, lists were also written from the icon. According to another version, in the Kazan Cathedral of St. Petersburg, there is a list made from the Kazan icon after its miraculous acquisition and given to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. That is, there is still no consensus about which icon is in the church today. But the fact that since the 18th century she has already performed miracles is proved by numerous written and oral testimonies. And I believe that when worshiping any shrine, the statement “According to your faith, let it be unto you” is true.
Social activities at the Kazan Cathedral today
Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg is, in my opinion, very significant social work:
- With the blessing of Archpriest Pavel Krasnetsvetov, who is currently the rector of the temple, a pilgrimage center has been opened here. The main goal is to revive and support the Christian tradition of visiting holy places for "pilgrimage". It offers both one-day excursions and long trips, including to the holy places abroad. If you are interested in this information, then I inform the service phone: 930-47-12. Opening hours: daily 12: 00-17: 00
- The cathedral has a rich library, which, in addition to literature, contains audio and video recordings.
How to get to Kazan Cathedral
I will show you how to get to the Kazan Cathedral. You need to take the metro to the Gostiny Dvor station and get off the side of the Griboyedov Canal. The cathedral will be opposite (you just need to cross Nevsky Prospect). Kazan Square is located in front of the temple.
Time to visit Kazan Cathedral
I want to please you that the entrance to the cathedral is free. Just do not forget, please, that this is an Orthodox church, where it is necessary to observe an easy dress code. Although a lot of "imported" tourists come here, which is necessary, but I suppose that a well-mannered person (like you and me) will respect the rules of the spiritual places that he visits, be it an Orthodox church, a mosque or a Buddhist temple.
The cathedral is open every day: on weekdays from 7:00 am, on Sunday and holidays from 6:30
Visitors' access to the temple stops after the end of the evening service, around 21:00. During working hours, the sacraments of baptism and weddings take place here, orders for various spiritual requirements are accepted.
There is always a cleric (priest) on duty in the church premises, with whom you can discuss life problems that are of concern or concern to you, even if you are not a parishioner of the cathedral (and even a resident of St. Petersburg).
Under the colonnade of the heroic temple
I really hope that my story about the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral did not leave you indifferent.
The temple is alive and active today. Prayers offered in it daily protect our city, its inhabitants and guests. It preserves the memory of the heroic times and glorious victories of the Russian army, of the wonderful people of Russia who fought and worked for the good of the Fatherland and their neighbors.
The cathedral continues the traditions of charity and spiritual care, supports the cultural undertakings of the city, and pays great attention to the education of young people. Be sure to visit here, bow to the great Russian shrine - the Image of the Kazan Mother of God, honor the memory of Field Marshal M.I.Kutuzov and all the warriors who brought victory to the country in the Patriotic War of 1812. In a warm season, sit on a bench in the park near the cathedral and admire the magnificent fountain and magnificent monuments to Russian commanders.
I am sure that a meeting with this masterpiece of church architecture and a place that preserves historical memory will leave a good mark on your heart.