Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg – history, photo, description, times of worship, ticket prices 2021, map
There are many holy places and monuments in Russia, which reflect the long-suffering history of the country, the spiritual and heroic deeds of the people, the great figures of the state and the church. But the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, which has become an important milestone in the development of the European style in Russian architecture, has a special sacral significance among them.
Kazan icon – a symbol of protection in war
Its creation is associated with the main shrine of Russia – the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, the appearance of which to the world can only be called a real miracle. The Russian soldiers, overshadowed by her holy image, accomplished many military and civil feats, including the most important of them – the liberation of the country from the Poles in the 16th century. It was in front of the face of the Kazan Mother of God that the militia prayed before the attack on besieged Moscow, a religious procession took place with her in October 1612. The icon played a great role in the victory over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava (1609) and near Vyazma (1812) in the war with the French.
Construction history
A memorial plaque on the wall of the cathedral announces the beginning of the construction of the temple at the behest of Paul I in 1801 instead of the collapsing Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Eminent European architects took part in the competition for projects of the future temple, but the designs of the talented nugget architect Voronikhin, who did not participate in the competition, recommended by Count Stroganov, were taken as the basis. The laying of the first stone took place after the tragic death of Paul the 1st on September 8, 1801 in a solemn atmosphere.
Cathedral – the embodiment of sacred memory
10 years (1801-1811) were spent on the construction of the significant shrine of the northern capital. Almost 5 million rubles were spent to create an architectural masterpiece. The former serf of the Stroganovs, the architect Voronikhin, who brilliantly realized the idea of the emperor, was awarded the honorary order of St. Vladimir. After the consecration of the Kazan Cathedral (September 15, 1811), the old church was demolished, and the new church became an object of prayerful worship of the people and a kind of monument to the military victories of Russia.
Architecture and interior decoration
The unsurpassed masterpiece of architecture is made in the Empire style and repeated in many ways the famous Roman Cathedral of St. Peter, as Paul 1 wanted. The form of Roman basilicas and Orthodox domed-cross churches was embodied in the appearance of the temple. The grandiose building of the cathedral, built of Pudozh stone (lime tufa), in the form of an elongated 4-pointed Latin cross in the center is crowned with a slender domed tower. The majestic facade colonnade repeats the architectural style of the Roman sanctuary. Outside, the facade of the temple is decorated with bronze statues of Orthodox saints and elegant bas-reliefs. The northern entrance (gate), decorated in the style of the “Paradise Doors” of the Florentine Cathedral, is made of bronze.
The internal construction also corresponds to the parameters and forms of the Roman basilica: 4 rows of monolithic Corinthian columns made of granite divide the space into 3 naves (corridors). The splendor of the interiors, decorated with domestic natural stones, is amazing. Decorators and sculptors (Pimenov, Martos, Demut) used jasper, Karelian marble, porphyry, lime tuff according to Voronikhin's plan. Eminent artists Bryullov, Bruni, Borovikovsky, Kiprensky, Shebuev decorated the walls with delightful murals on religious subjects, genuine pictorial masterpieces.
Colonnade
According to religious canons, the entrance to the cathedral should be from the west, the altar – in the east. Compliance with this rule made the temple turned sideways to Nevsky Prospekt. To create a front entrance from the north, Voronikhin designed a monumental semicircular colonnade of 96 columns 13 meters high. Each Corinthian column of tufa, ending in an intricate capital, is also an architectural masterpiece, embodying the filigree work of the builders.
What failed to materialize
Voronikhin's ideas were not fully realized – the southern colonnade was not installed, but the northern one became an undoubted decoration of Nevsky Prospekt. There are no sculptures of the archangels Michael and Gabriel on pedestals on both sides of the colonnade and the planned fence at the western entrance in front of the square. Despite this, the colonnaded structure of the Kazan Church is not inferior in grandeur and beauty to the Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
shrines
Immediately after the Patriotic War of 1812, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, which became the first European analogue of religious objects in Russia, immediately after the Patriotic War of 1812 turned into a memorial repository of shrines and relics symbolizing important historical events of the state, the exploits of outstanding military leaders.
monuments
Having attended the solemn prayer service in honor of the opening of the temple, M. V. Kutuzov immediately left from here to take command of the army, forever linking his fate with him. It was in the Kazan Cathedral that the body of the great field marshal was buried (June 1813). After 5 years, Alexander I issued a decree on the erection of monuments to the brilliant commanders Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly, which they could fully execute only in 1837.
Sculptors Orlovsky, Galberg, architect Monferan and President of the Academy of Arts Olenin took part in the creation of monument projects. The sketches of Orlovsky were recognized as the best, who managed to embody in the sculptures of the generals their significant contribution to the victory over the French, the essence of the characters of each of them and the portrait resemblance. Both monuments are erected on granite pedestals, on which the names of military leaders are “written” in gold.
sacred relics
The main shrine not only of the Kazan Cathedral, but of the entire Russian people is the miraculous Kazan icon, according to legend, found by 8-year-old Matryona in the ground under a burnt house. The location of the icon, later immortalized by the monastery, was told to the girl by the Mother of God, who appeared to her in a dream. In addition to the Kazan icon, the icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Savior, the Resurrection of Christ with a particle of the Lord's Sepulcher are worshiped in the cathedral.
Behind a low bronze fence, decorated with gilded wreaths, uprights and corner posts in the form of cannon barrels, is the sacred grave of Kutuzov. It is surrounded by conquered trophies, symbolizing the victory of the Russians over the French and the liberation of Europe: Napoleon's marshal's baton, banners and standards, keys to European cities and fortresses.
Worship Schedule
Kazan Cathedral – a place of spiritual purification, a meeting place with its shrines – is always filled with people who come to worship services that take place every day. The cathedral opens on weekdays at 7 am, on Sundays and holidays – at 6.30.
Divine services on weekdays
Sundays and holidays
Every day, solemn rites of baptism and weddings are held in the cathedral between liturgies. Prayer services are performed, memorial services are served by prior arrangement.
Sunday school for children and adults
The Kazan Cathedral is a center of religious education, where Sunday schools for children and adults are organized. The adult educational course is 3 years, but you can become a student at any time. Teaching is conducted by highly erudite clerics in the form of lively dialogues, scientific and educational lectures on the main issues of Orthodoxy. The program includes an introduction to the basics of the Law of God, the Catechism, the Old and New Testaments, the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, etc.
Class schedule: on Saturdays (September-May), 16.00-18.00.
Sunday School Program for Children
Children's Sunday school students are divided into 3 age groups: junior (5-7 years old), middle (8-11), senior (12-17). The program includes the study of the Law of God (the basis of moral education), teaching church singing (spiritual and aesthetic education). Children have the opportunity to show their talents in singing, fine arts, participate in various concerts, festive events, and make pilgrimages to holy places. A Sunday liturgy is organized for the students every month.
Timetable of classes:
Youth Club of the Kazan Cathedral
In our pragmatic, rather cynical time, it is not easy for young people to decide on moral guidelines, to find the right path in life. The youth club of the Kazan Cathedral unites searching, caring Orthodox youth, striving to find answers to the pressing questions of life in the process of communication between themselves and representatives of the church.
Organization of club activities
The program of club meetings includes the following activities:
Working hours
The Kazan Cathedral, as the guardian of the main shrine of the Russian people, makes it possible for every person who wants to bow to the icon of the Kazan Mother of God to do so on any day.
It is open for visits:
Where is it located and how to get there
The Kazan Cathedral is located at the address: St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prospekt, 25.
You can get to the cathedral by metro, from the station “Nevsky Prospekt” or “Gostiny Dvor”. Get off at the stop “Griboyedov Canal”, where the cathedral is located on the opposite side. You can also get there by public land transport: trolleybus N 17, fixed-route taxi N 306, bus N 100.