The architecture of the Kazan Cathedral in the northern capital. History of construction Kazan Cathedral inside description
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 upon a time, in my student youth, this place was one of my favorites in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). This is where we usually made appointments with friends. Because even in bad weather it was very convenient to wait for each other under the cathedral vaults, reliably sheltering them from the pouring St. Petersburg rain. On the days when the sun drove away the winter blues, we liked to sit on the benches of the park located near this temple, exposing our pale faces to the first gentle rays.
On the same benches, a lot of notes were read and reread during preparations for tests and exams during sessions at the institute. That is, I firmly associate this place with joyful memories.
So, my story will be about the amazing Kazan Cathedral of St. Petersburg.
History of the Kazan Cathedral
Predecessor – Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
I think you will be interested to know that since 1737, on the site of the current location of the Kazan Cathedral, the 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. What was surprising to me was that he was accompanied on foot by Empress Anna Ioannovna herself.
The church had a court purpose. In 1773, the wedding of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich took place there. Army victories were also celebrated here. By the end of the 18th century, the temple had become seriously dilapidated, and Paul I announced a competition for a project to build a new St. Petersburg church to replace it.
Creation of the Kazan Cathedral
The imperial decision approved the plan of the architect A. N. Voronikhin, who was beginning his master's career, who was once a serf of Count Alexander Sergeevich Stroganov, the president of the Academy of Arts.
I read that the count himself was 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, 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 aisle 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. A bronze fence was erected at the burial site (by A. N. Voronikhin) and five standards and one banner were installed, which have survived to this day.
An icon of the Smolensk Mother of God was placed above the grave itself. In the temple space of the cathedral, 107 “captive” banners and standards of the French army were also hung (most of them are kept in Moscow today), as well as 97 bunches of keys from conquered fortresses and cities of France. I think 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 19th – early 20th centuries
Even today I am amazed by the magnificent facades of the Kazan Cathedral, although some of them have now been lost. Made of Pudozh stone, they were generously 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 northern gate was 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 made of pink granite from Finland, in my opinion, even today inspire a feeling of steadfastness, grandeur and reliability. The stucco molding of the temple belonged to the works of F. Toricelli and B. Medici. The iconostases were made by A. Leblond and F. Chrétien. The images, most of which are today 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 (the work of J. Guerin). On the day of the illumination of the Kazan Cathedral, the miraculous Image of the Virgin Mary of the same name was dressed in a magnificent golden robe, decorated with precious stones and pearls. From 40 pounds of trophy French silver, architect K. A. Ton completed the facing of the main iconostasis. Later, in 1884, an 11-pound silver tomb for the shroud appeared in the cathedral, and in 1890, chased banners appeared.
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 wisely rejected this intention. For the 100th anniversary of the cathedral, a number of restoration works were carried out under the guidance of the best architects and artists, including my favorite diocesan architect A.P. Aplaksin.
It was he who wrote the words: “With the Kazan Cathedral, Russia became equal to Europe, ... rising highly to the level of depicting the beautiful.”
The magnificent interior decoration, revered shrines, church utensils, which 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, 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 every year on September 12, a solemn religious procession to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra took place along Nevsky Prospect (you can read about it in more detail in my article), in which imperial persons and holders of the Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky certainly took part. By the way, I was interested to learn that previously this day was an official holiday in St. Petersburg. Other solemn religious processions were also performed in the Kazan Church.
The patronal holiday - the day of the Kazan Mother of God, celebrated on July 21 and November 4, gathered a lot of townspeople in the cathedral. Due to this, a prayer service in front of the miraculous icon was held right on the street opposite the cathedral.
On the day of remembrance of 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 held here on January 7 (new style) - Victory Day over Napoleon.
In the same church on November 8, 1893, the funeral service of my beloved great Russian composer Ilyich Tchaikovsky was held.
That is, the Kazan Cathedral, from the beginning of its existence until 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 to its military glory.
I myself learned with interest that shortly before the revolutionary events of 1917, it was in the Kazan Cathedral that for the only time in the history of the St. Petersburg diocese, elections for the ruling bishop were held through a free vote of the clergy and laity. He became the future martyr Veniamin (Kazansky).
In January 1921, even before the closing of the cathedral, it was he who consecrated the chapel of the holy martyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow.
After the process of requisitioning church valuables in 1922, during which Metropolitan Benjamin (Kazan) was innocently shot, the interior of the cathedral was also badly damaged. One piece of silver weighing about 2 tons was taken from it, as a result of which the unique silver iconostasis perished in the melting crucible. I was surprised that, despite the increasing repressions, there was still an almshouse for elderly women here until 1925, and the parish remained numerous. Missionary and charitable activities did not stop.
Since 1928, the temple was handed over to the “renovationists”, and since the beginning of 1932 it has been closed.
The GPU set up warehouses in the basements of the temple. In my opinion, the real blasphemy was that in the cathedral, which meant so much for Russia, the new authorities decided to create nothing more than a 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 20th 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 the fall of 1990, in the storage rooms of the Museum of Atheism and Religion, located in the Kazan Cathedral, the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, lost during the years of repression against the church, were found. The solemn service on the occasion of their discovery was led by Patriarch Alexy II. From Leningrad on February 6, 1991, the holy relics were sent on the Red Arrow train to Moscow. At that time, the authorities were still trying to prevent wide publicity of what had happened, but, nevertheless, a huge crowd of people gathered to see St. Seraphim off.
This sea of people even made it difficult for the train to depart from the Moscow station. When the train started moving, everyone present bowed to the ground with respect. Soon, in 1991, services began in the left aisle. The lighting of the central aisle took place in 1992 after many years of oblivion.
At the end of April 1994, the cross was again solemnly raised onto 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 have read different versions about which of the original lists (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 people of Nizhny Novgorod under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky.
With that Image, on October 22, 1612, first Kitay-Gorod was taken, and then the Moscow Kremlin, and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky placed the icon in 1636 in the Kazan Church he built near Red Square.
This shrine was later especially revered by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. It was he who ordered 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, Mikhail Fedorovich’s son 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 also began to be written from the icon. According to another version, in the Kazan Cathedral of St. Petersburg there is a copy made from the Kazan Icon after its miraculous discovery and handed over to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. That is, there is still no consensus on which icon is in the church today. But the fact that since the 18th century it has already shown miracles is proven by numerous written and oral testimonies. And I believe that when worshiping any shrine, the true statement is “According to your faith, be it done to you.”
Social activities at the Kazan Cathedral today
The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg carries out, in my opinion, very significant social work:
- With the blessing of Archpriest Pavel Krasnotsvetov, who is currently the rector of the temple, a pilgrimage center has been opened here. The main goal is the revival and support of the Christian tradition of visiting holy places for “praying.” It offers both one-day excursions and long trips, including to holy places abroad. If you are interested in this information, then I’ll tell you the phone number of the service: 930-47-12. Opening hours: daily 12:00–17:00
- There is a rich library at the cathedral, which in addition to literature contains audio and video recordings.
How to get to the Kazan Cathedral
I’ll tell you how to get to the Kazan Cathedral. You need to take the metro to the Gostiny Dvor station and exit on the Griboedov Canal side. The cathedral will be opposite (you just need to cross Nevsky Prospekt). In front of the temple there is Kazansky Square.
Time to visit the Kazan Cathedral
I would like to please you that admission to the cathedral is free. Just do not forget, please, that this is an Orthodox church, where it is necessary to comply with a simple dress code. Although a lot of “imported” tourists come here, whatever they have to wear, I assume 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 a.m., on Sundays and holidays from 6:30 a.m.
Visitor access to the temple ceases after the end of the evening service, around 21:00. During working hours, the Sacraments of baptism and weddings take place here, and orders for various spiritual needs are accepted.
There is always a cleric (priest) on duty in the temple premises, with whom you can discuss life problems that concern you or concern you, even if you are not a parishioner of the cathedral (or 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. The prayers offered there daily protect our city, its residents and guests. Here 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 is preserved.
The cathedral continues the traditions of charity and spiritual care, supports the cultural endeavors of the city, and pays great attention to the education of youth. 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 warm weather, sit on a bench in the park near the cathedral and admire the luxurious fountain and magnificent monuments to Russian commanders.
I am sure that meeting with this masterpiece of church architecture and a place that preserves historical memory will leave a good mark on your heart.
One of the most famous sights of St. Petersburg is the majestic Kazan Cathedral (another name for the temple is Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God). It was built at the beginning of the 19th century. The temple was consecrated in honor of the highly revered image, for the sake of which the magnificent building was erected. The shrine is located in the temple to this day: this is a list of one of the most famous icons - the image of the Kazan Mother of God.
Soon after the completion of construction, a war began between the French and Russian empires, after which the temple began to be perceived as a monument to the glory of the Russian army. Here you can see military trophies from that period. On the territory of the temple there is the grave of the famous commander Mikhail Kutuzov.
Three centuries of temple history
Before the Kazan Cathedral was built, a copy of the miraculous icon was kept in a church consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. This church was built in the 30s of the 18th century, and by the end of that century it had fallen into disrepair. Then it was decided to build a new temple in its place. The emperor announced a competition, famous architects presented their projects, but none of them became a winner. After some time, the emperor was offered another project, the author of which was a former serf Andrey Voronikhin. It was this project that received the approval of the emperor.
Construction work continued ten years(a very short period of time, considering the technology of the 19th century!). The cost of these works exceeded four and a half million rubles. The old church, in which the list of the miraculous image was kept, was dismantled only after the construction of the new temple was completed.
Work on finishing the building continued until late 20s of the XIX century. They ended almost eighteen years after the consecration of the cathedral. In the 40s of the 19th century, repair work was carried out in the temple for the first time. Almost twenty years later, a second renovation was carried out. It included restoration of wall paintings and restoration of icons.
Student demonstrations have repeatedly taken place in the square in front of the cathedral. There, in the mid-70s of the 19th century, a demonstration of one of the revolutionary societies took place.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a solemn event took place in the temple - celebration of the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty. But this page in the history of the temple cannot be called joyful: during the celebrations, a terrible stampede began in the crowded cathedral, in which several dozen people died.
In the post-revolutionary period, or more precisely, in the 20s of the 20th century, many valuables were confiscated from the temple, and its interiors were badly damaged. In particular, a unique iconostasis made from captured silver was destroyed. It was sent to the smelter. In total, approximately two tons of silver were seized from the cathedral (not counting many other valuables). In the early 30s of the 20th century, the temple was closed, and a short time later a museum was opened in its building, the exhibitions of which were dedicated to the history of religion and atheism. In the middle of the 20th century, restoration work was carried out in the building. First, the interiors were carefully restored, then the facades.
In the early 90s, services resumed in one of the chapels of the cathedral.. A few years later, the cross shone again over the dome of the temple. At the end of the 90s, the building was completely consecrated. At the beginning of the 21st century, it was finally returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Temple interiors and architecture
Before construction of the cathedral began, the emperor expressed the following wish: the temple should resemble a Roman cathedral, consecrated in honor of St. Peter. This wish was fulfilled: the colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral really resembles the columns of the famous Vatican Church.
The colonnade of the St. Petersburg Cathedral consists of ninety-six columns. In addition to the fact that it gave the temple a resemblance to an Italian cathedral, it also allowed the architect to solve one difficult problem. The fact is that in Orthodox churches the entrance is traditionally located in the western part of the building, and the altar in the eastern part; The avenue on which the cathedral was built stretched from west to east. For this reason, the temple actually stands sideways to the avenue, but this is invisible thanks to the columns adorning the northern (that is, side) part of the church. By the way, the architect planned to decorate the temple on the southern side with exactly the same columns, but for a number of reasons he was unable to complete his plan.
The diameter of the cathedral dome is almost eighteen meters. It is formed by two rows of ribs made of iron. And under the huge iron dome there are two more, these domes are built of brick. Interestingly, all of the listed domes were built before methods for static calculation of such structures appeared. We can say that the architect’s intuition helped him successfully design the domes.
The walls of the cathedral are lined with special tuff, mined in the Gatchina region. Pedestals have been preserved on both sides of the giant colonnade. Once upon a time there were sculptures depicting angels on them. They were made of plaster and, according to the builders' plan, they were to be replaced by similar bronze sculptures. But these plans never came to fruition. In the 20s of the 19th century, the plaster sculptures were removed, but for a number of reasons new ones were not installed.
Tourists are impressed by the facades of the cathedral, but its interiors do not disappoint. Installed in the temple more than fifty columns. They are made from pink granite, they are decorated with gilded capitals. The bas-reliefs of the early 19th century also make an impression on those entering. The images of the temple were painted by famous painters of the same period. Speaking about images, one cannot fail to mention the most important shrine of the temple. It is, as mentioned above, a list of the famous miraculous icon, in whose honor the cathedral was consecrated.
Sculpture and painting
The cathedral contains many beautiful works of art; Which ones should you pay the most attention to? Which ones to inspect first? Let's name some of these works:
The temple is decorated both inside and outside many sculptures. All of them deserve close attention, as they were created by the best sculptors of the country.
Please note bronze northern doors of the temple. They were made by foundry master Vasily Ekimov, famous in the 19th century. These doors are an exact copy of the doors cast in the 15th century by the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti for the Florentine baptismal house.
Separately, a few words need to be said about painting. The iconostasis of the temple, its pylons and walls were painted by famous artists of the early 19th century. Among them Karl Bryullov, Fyodor Bruni, Pyotr Basin and many others.
Also pay special attention to the pictorial work " Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven" This is an altarpiece, its author is Karl Bryullov. According to experts, this work is one of the main decorations of the cathedral, although the rest of the paintings in the temple are certainly worthy of careful inspection.
Monument to Military Glory
As mentioned above, the temple is a kind of monument to Russian military valor, victory over the French Empire. Here, after the end of the war with Napoleon's army, enemy banners captured by the victors were displayed. There were one hundred and seven such banners (currently most of them are in the Russian capital). And next to them one could see ninety-seven keys. These are the keys to cities that surrendered to the Russian army. Most of these trophies are also currently in Moscow. Six bunches of keys can be seen in the St. Petersburg church, they are placed above grave of Mikhail Kutuzov(the great military leader is buried on the territory of the cathedral).
By the way, there is a misconception that the heart of the famous Russian commander was buried separately from his body, in one of the Polish cities. But this version is not true. In the first half of the 20th century, an autopsy was performed on the commander's body. The results of this autopsy completely debunked the version of a separate burial of the heart.
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 copy of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Kazan. After the Patriotic War of 1812, it acquired significance as a monument to Russian military glory. In 1813, commander M.I. Kutuzov was buried here and the keys to the captured cities, standards, banners, Davout’s marshal’s baton and other military trophies were placed, some of which are kept in the cathedral today. During construction, St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome was taken as a model. On the outside of the cathedral there are 182 columns made of Pudost stone, inside the temple there are 56 columns of the Corinthian order made of pink Finnish granite.
Photos are clickable, with geographic coordinates and linked to a Yandex map, 02.2014.
1. Modern view of the Kazan Cathedral from above
2. The initial project of the Kazan Cathedral, not completed. It was planned to build two colonnades - northern and southern, only the northern one was implemented 
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 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 used 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 design of the sculptor Orlovsky, monuments to Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly were erected. During the Great Patriotic War, they were camouflaged and 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 flow of water from a stone by Moses in the desert”, I.P. Martos 
12. Bas-relief “Appearance to Moses in the Burning Bush”, P. Scolari based on the model of I. Komander 
13. Monument to M.I. Kutuzov 
14. The facades of the cathedral are lined with gray Pudost stone. Pudost stone is calcareous tuff mined near the village of Pudost, Gatchina district, 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 various shades of gray and yellowish-gray. The stone is interesting because the original viscosity was retained inside, while the outer part acquired the hardness of baked brick. For the cladding of the Kazan Cathedral, 12 thousand cubic meters of Pudost stone were required 
15. Mummers 
16. Capital of the column of the Kazan Cathedral 
17. A person compared to the columns of the Kazan Cathedral, there are 182 external columns in total. 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 covered with so-called Riga alabaster, but this did not help the preservation of the columns 
18. Bronze statue of St. Vladimir, the baptist of Rus', in his left hand he holds a sword, and in his right hand a cross, trampling on a pagan altar. Sculptor S.S. Pimenov, 1807, cast by Ekimov 
19. Bronze sculpture of St. 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 made of huge blocks of Serdobol granite. Stairs leading to the colonnade were made from slabs of red-pink rapakivi granite 
21. Bronze statue of Alexander Nevsky, sculptor S. Pimenov, 1807, cast by Ekimov. At Alexander’s feet is a sword with a lion, the emblem of Sweden, and 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 Doves 
29. Monument to Barclay de Tolly, on top is the high relief “Copper Serpent” by I.P. Prokofiev 
30. Bas-relief “Giving the tablets to Moses on Mount Sinai”, P. Scolari based on the Lactman 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, modeled after the famous “Gates of Heaven” 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 the plots mixed up 
32. Bronze compositions on Old Testament subjects on the original in Florence, cast from left to right in pairs:
1 "The creation of Adam and Eve. Their fall into sin and expulsion from paradise."
2 "The sacrifice of Abel and his murder by Cain."
3 "The killing of the Egyptian by Moses and the exit of the Jews from Egypt."
4 "Abraham's sacrifice to God of the son of Jacob."
5 "Isaac's blessing upon Jacob."
6 "The sons of Jacob in Egypt buying grain from Joseph."
7 "The Jews in the Desert and Moses Legislating on Mount Sinai."
8 "Encircling the ark around the walls of Jericho, destroying 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 granite monolithic 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 naves 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 A.P. Aplaksin, “which hardly had anything foreign in it, except for the name; no other materials of non-Russian origin were used for the entire construction... were not used.” 
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35. Commemorative plaque with the inscription “Began 1801 by the permission of PAUL I” 
36. Memorial plaque with the inscription “The care of ALEXANDER I died in 1811” 
37. In 1812, honorary trophies were delivered to the Kazan Cathedral: French military banners and the personal staff of Napoleonic Marshal Davout. The Kazan Cathedral began to turn into Russia's first museum of military relics of 1812 on the initiative of Kutuzzov. At the same time, Russia was at war with Persia and 4 Persian banners taken near Lankaran were brought to the cathedral. At the beginning of the 20th century. In the inventory of the cathedral there were 41 French banners and standards, 11 Polish ones, 4 Italian ones, 47 German ones, as well as 5 military badges - 3 French and 2 Italian. 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, which 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 under the leadership of K. Minin and Prince D. Pozharsky in October 1612 with the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God 
38. Kutuzov's grave 
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40. After the successful liberation by Russian troops under the command of M.B. Barclay de Tolly of Western Europe, keys from French fortresses taken by Russian troops began to arrive in the cathedral from Napoleon. 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 
The Kazan Cathedral (Cathedral of the Kazan Mother of God) in St. Petersburg is located in the very center of the city and, thanks to its unusual architecture, is deservedly considered one of the symbols of the northern capital of Russia. This largest attraction is the Orthodox cathedral church of the St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Church.
The cathedral is consecrated in 1811. Construction lasted from 1801 to 1811
Architect— A.N. Voronikhin.
Address: St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prospekt, building 25.
How to get there: Nevsky Prospekt / Gostiny Dvor metro station. Exit from the metro to the Griboyedov Canal. The cathedral is located opposite the metro exit.
Opening hours: Daily. On weekdays - from 7:00 to 20:00 (end of the evening service), on Sunday - from 6:30 to 20:00 (end of the evening service).
History of the construction of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
The history of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg goes back to the first decade of the 18th century, when a chapel was built next to the hospital. Over time, it was replaced by a church built from wood, erected in honor of the Kazan Mother of God. In the early 30s of the 18th century, by the greatest command of the Empress of the Russian state, Anna Ioannovna, a new stone church was founded, which became the main cathedral of St. Petersburg. However, by the end of the 18th century it had fallen into disrepair, so there was a need to build a new one.
This was the period of the reign of Paul I, who wanted the new building of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg to resemble the Roman Cathedral of St. Peter. A competition was announced, to which many famous masters of architecture of that time submitted their works. However, the victory went to the Russian architect A.N. Voronikhin, and in 1801 construction began, which lasted 10 years. The construction of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was carried out exclusively by Russian serfs, using local building materials. After the victory of the Russian army over Napoleon's troops, the Cathedral of the Kazan Mother of God became a symbol of Russia's military glory.
The uniqueness of the Kazan Cathedral project was that the temple was built along Nevsky Prospect and was facing it on the north side. The canons of Orthodox architecture required that the entrance be in the western aisle. Architect Voronikhin found a brilliant solution by building a semicircular colonnade consisting of 96 columns reaching 13 meters into the sky. Vertical flutes covering the columns from top to bottom give them a feeling of lightness and airiness. This grandiose structure opens onto the main street of the city of St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, a lack of funds did not allow the construction of the same colonnade at the southern facade of the Kazan Cathedral.
Until the October Revolution of 1917, regular services were held in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. After the Bolsheviks came to power, the cross on the dome of the cathedral was replaced with a gilded ball decorated with a spire, and the Museum of the History of Religion was organized in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, which existed until 1991. Later, the exhibits were transported to another room, and the temple was returned to the parishioners. Today, the dome of the church is once again crowned with a cross, and the belfry has been replenished with a new bell, cast by the craftsmen of the Baltic Shipyard.
Kazan Cathedral - description of appearance.
The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg has three entrances, each of them is decorated with a portico, six columns of which support a triangular-shaped pediment with bas-reliefs of the “All-Seeing Eye”. In the niches of the northern façade, parishioners and tourists are greeted by bronze-cast statues of Prince Vladimir, the great Alexander Nevsky, as well as Saints John of Kronstadt and St. Andrew the First-Called. In addition, its walls, as well as the walls of the western entrance, are decorated with bas-reliefs on biblical themes. The northern gate cast in bronze, which is an exact copy of the “Gates of Paradise” of the Florentine baptismal house, also evokes admiration. They were created by the hands of the Russian master Vasily Ekimov.
Another example of foundry art that amazes the viewer with the careful execution of its details is a cast-iron grate that encircles a small square in a semi-ring opposite the western entrance to the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Since 1837, bronze-cast monuments to the great Russian commanders M.I. Kutuzov and M.B. have been an integral part of the architectural complex of the Kazan Cathedral and Nevsky Prospect. Barclay de Tolly.
To decorate the facades of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, they used Pudost stone, from which most of the buildings and palaces of the city were built. To make 56 columns supporting the vaults of the temple, Voronikhin chose pink granite from the Karelian Isthmus. Foreign experts who were present during the construction of the Kazan Cathedral were delighted with the skill of the Russian workers, who broke out huge masses of granite from the rock and processed the columns with great precision, practically without using measuring tools.
Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg inside, photo and description.
Despite the severity and brevity, the interior of the temple is similar to the palace halls. And the light pouring through the large windows creates the illusion of lightness of the massive dome, which is 16 meters in diameter. Of the original bas-reliefs that decorated the interior of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, only two have survived today; the rest have been lost.
Unique iconostases from all over the world, lined with captured French silver, were plundered during the years of Soviet power. Today, the former greatness of the images made by academicians of painting O. A. Kiprensky, V. K. Shebuev, A. I. Ivanov, and F. P. Bryullov has been restored.
Of course, the main relics of the temple for more than two centuries have been the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God and the tomb of the great commander M. I. Kutuzov. On the lattice, made according to Voronikhin’s sketches, surrounding his tombstone, banners and standards are hung, as well as symbolic keys to the city gates and fortresses of Europe, taken during the Patriotic War of 1812.
Many tourist routes around St. Petersburg include a mandatory visit to the Cathedral of the Kazan Mother of God, despite the fact that the temple is operational. Therefore, during the excursion you must remain silent and adhere to certain rules of behavior. In particular, photography and video filming inside the temple is prohibited.
Here you can not only get acquainted with the external and internal decoration of this architectural and historical monument, but also purchase various souvenirs, icons and crosses consecrated in the temple, literature and photographs of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, and also light candles. Those who wish can collect holy water. The Kazan Cathedral annually attracts those who appreciate the alliance of amazing architecture, indescribable beauty of the structure and true faith.
In 1710, next to the hospital located on Nevsky Prospekt, it was decided to build a chapel, and a little later - a wooden church of the Kazan Mother of God.
In 1733, by order of Anna Ioanovna, a new stone church was founded, called Rozhdestvensky. It was decorated with a magnificent 58-meter bell tower.
The icon of the Kazan Mother of God was transferred from the Trinity Cathedral. So they began to call him Kazansky.
Having received the status of a Cathedral, it became the main temple in St. Petersburg, but, having stood until the end of the 18th century, the building fell into disrepair.
It was decided to build a new, ceremonial cathedral.
Paul I was in power at that time, he expressed only one wish to the architects - the project should be similar to St. Peter's Cathedral in ancient Rome. In addition, it was required to fit into the surrounding landscape.
A fairly wide architectural competition was held, to which many fashionable foreign architects presented their options. But they were all rejected.
And a year later, Pavel, regardless of rank and pedigree, approved the project of the former serf Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin.
Of course, a commoner could not submit his project to the imperial table. This was done for him by his former owner, Count Stroganov, who, by the way, did not lose out, becoming the main trustee of the construction site.
Be that as it may, in 1800 the construction of a new Kazan Cathedral began.
The work was completed a year before the Napoleonic War.
Interestingly, the previous cathedral often acted as a temple where ceremonial services were held on the occasion of new victories of Russian weapons.
So the Kazan Cathedral, new, magnificent, and the best at that time in St. Petersburg, was built very on time.
The symbolism emphasizes the fact that the project was Russian, exclusively Russian craftsmen worked, and only stone quarried in Russia itself was used for finishing.
There was one subtlety that had to be taken into account during the project.
According to Orthodox canons, the entrance should be located in the west, and the altar in the east, thus Kazansky would be facing Nevsky Prospekt.
Voronikhin developed a project according to which the northern façade was decorated with a majestic colonnade made of 96 columns standing in a semicircle.
Thus, the northern part became the front door, decorating the main avenue of the capital.
At the very end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century, a square was laid out near the colonnade, and later a large fountain was added.
The interior decoration resembles the hall of a royal palace.
The light falling from the high windows creates the illusion of a dome floating in the air, and the rows of granite columns visually make the room even higher.
The entire space is richly decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs. The icons were painted by famous artists Kiprensky, Ivanov and others.
The façade is decorated with sculptures.
After the revolution, the Kazan Cathedral was taken away from the church, the cross was removed from the dome, and a gilded ball topped with a spire was installed in its place.
A museum of religion was opened in the building.
He also suffered during the Great Patriotic War - several shells hit him.
Divine services in the Kazan Cathedral resumed in 1991, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God returned to it, and a gilded cross appeared on the dome again.
As a gift, in honor of the tercentenary of St. Petersburg, a four-ton, two-meter bell was cast.
Since St. Isaac's Cathedral remains a museum, the Kazan Cathedral takes the place of the main ceremonial temple of the Orthodox Church in St. Petersburg.
Address:
St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prospekt, building 25
Opening hours:
Daily:
On weekdays from 8.30 until the end of the evening service.
On weekends from 6.30 until the end of the evening service.
Official website
How to get there:
From the Gostiny Dvor metro station (exit to the Gribotedov Canal), cross the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and the Griboyedov Canal. The cathedral is visible immediately from the metro.
