Saint Isaac's Cathedral. St. Isaac's Cathedral - history or deception of the Russians on a grand scale St. Isaac's Cathedral architect

St. Isaac's Cathedral (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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St. Isaac's Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in St. Petersburg today and one of the tallest domed structures in the world. Its history began in 1710, when a wooden church was built in honor of Isaac of Dalmatia, a Byzantine saint whose memorial day coincides with the birthday of Peter the Great. In it, in 1712, Peter married Ekaterina Alekseevna, his second wife. Later the wooden church was replaced by a stone one. The third temple was erected in the second half of the 18th century, but immediately after the completion of the work it was declared inappropriate for the formal development of the city center. Emperor Alexander I announced a competition for the best project for its reconstruction. After 9 years, the project of the young French architect Auguste Montferrand was approved, and work began.

The construction of the cathedral lasted 40 years and required a huge amount of effort. However, the result exceeded all expectations. The monumentality of the cathedral is emphasized by its square construction. 43 types of minerals were used during construction. The base is lined with granite, and the walls are covered with gray marble blocks about 40-50 cm thick. St. Isaac's Cathedral is framed on four sides by mighty eight-column porticoes, decorated with statues and bas-reliefs. Above the bulk of the cathedral rises a grandiose gilded dome on a drum, surrounded by granite columns. The dome itself is made of metal, and about 100 kg of red gold was spent on its gilding.

St. Isaac's Cathedral is sometimes called the Museum of Colored Stone. The interior walls are lined with white marble with finishing panels of green and yellow marble, jasper and porphyry. The main dome was painted from the inside by Karl Bryullov; Vasily Shebuev, Fedora Bruni, Ivan Vitali and many other famous artists and sculptors also worked on the interior decoration of the temple.

The height of the cathedral is 101.5 m; 12,000 people can be in the temple at the same time. However, the architect Montferrand himself believed that the cathedral was designed for 7,000 people, taking into account the fluffy skirts of the ladies, each of whom needed at least 1 square meter. m. of space.

After the revolution, the temple was destroyed, about 45 kg of gold and more than 2 tons of silver were taken out of it. In 1928, services were stopped, and one of the first anti-religious cathedrals in the country opened here. During the Great Patriotic War, the basements of the temple served as a repository for works of art that were brought here from all palaces and museums. For camouflage, the dome was repainted gray, but it was still not possible to avoid the bombing - to this day, traces of artillery shelling are visible on the walls and columns of the temple. They did not shoot at the dome itself; according to legend, the Germans used it as a landmark in the area.

The temple was given museum status in 1948, and church services on Sundays and holidays were resumed in 1990, and this tradition is still alive today. In addition, the cathedral regularly hosts concerts, excursions and other events.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

Colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral

The colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral is worth special attention. This is the most famous observation deck in St. Petersburg. From a height of 43 m there are views of the Neva and the central areas of the city. It is especially beautiful here on white nights - there is something mystical in this ghostly light. You can climb the colonnade only on foot using a spiral staircase.

Construction of the colonnade began in 1837, immediately after the dome was erected. The temple was built using technologies from the early 19th century; granite monolithic blocks were delivered from the Gulf of Finland, and a special mechanism was built to lift them to a height. Most construction was carried out manually by serf workers. 


Practical information

Address: Isaac's Square, 4.

Opening hours: from 10:00 to 17:30.

Prices on the page are as of November 2019.

Description

Finding yourself in the historical center of St. Petersburg on the banks of the Neva, you cannot help but notice that among the architectural ensembles of the embankments, a building stands out, striking in its size and monumentality - this is St. Isaac's Cathedral. When approaching this colossus, admiration for its power intensifies, the realization that it was created by the genius of human thought and labor leads to delight. Along with the Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Isaac's, as an architectural monument, is one of the city-forming dominant features of the historical center of the city on the Neva. Photos with ceremonial views of St. Isaac's Square are published in all guidebooks to St. Petersburg.

The height of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg is 101.5 meters

St. Isaac's Cathedral is the most grandiose domed structure in Russia. In the world, in size, it is inferior to only three similar buildings - St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome (its height is 132 meters), St. Paul's Cathedral in London (its height is 111 meters) and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (its height – 114 meters).

History of St. Isaac's Cathedral

The pinnacle of the work of the architect Auguste Ricard de Montferrand and the work of his whole life was the construction of one of the largest domed structures in the world - St. Isaac's Cathedral, which lasted 40 years (1818 - 1858), today considered one of the main symbols and decorations of St. Petersburg.

Construction of the first wooden St. Isaac's Church.

The history of the creation of St. Isaac's Cathedral is inextricably linked with the history of the construction of St. Petersburg. The first wooden church was built in the former Chertezhnaya at the Admiralty on the banks of the Neva right in front of the Admiralty docks. The wooden church was founded by order of Peter I as a house church and was named in honor of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, the king’s heavenly patron. In the summer of 1707, after minor alterations (a tetrahedral tower with a spire was built over the log gable roof, and an altar apse was added), the house church of the Romanov family was consecrated. Work on the construction of the spire and reconstruction of the church was led by the outstanding architect Domenico Trezzini and engineer Hermann Van Boles.

Important events from the life of the royal couple and the city are associated with the erected temple. Here on February 19, 1712, Peter I married his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna.

By that time, the Northern capital was rapidly being built and developed, the stone Peter and Paul Fortress was being built on Hare Island, Vasilievsky Island was being built up, the Summer Palace of Peter I was built on the Left Bank of the Neva in the Summer Garden, the first ships were launched from the Admiralty shipyards.

Second stone St. Isaac's Church.

During the reign of Empress Catherine I, next to the wooden church in her image and likeness, a new stone temple was erected in the style of Peter the Great's Baroque. By 1724, the structures of the vaults and walls had become quite dilapidated. As a result of the reconstruction, a covered gallery was built around the high bell tower on high stone pillars. The stone vaults of the church were replaced with wooden structures, and the walls were reinforced with metal ties. A dome with a turret and an angel with a cross was built on a high octagonal drum. The reconstruction work was led by architects Trezzini, Zemtsov, Usov, Eropkin. The consecration of the temple took place in 1727. After a fire in 1736, the temple was restored and rebuilt until 1746.

Third St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Even after reconstruction, St. Isaac's Church, located in close proximity to the Neva, collapsed before our eyes due to errors in construction and imperfect structures.

Taking into account the shortcomings of the previous buildings, it was decided to build St. Isaac's Cathedral more thoroughly. Admiralty Meadow was chosen as the construction site.

In 1746, by order of Empress Catherine II, the architect Antonio Rinaldi began construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. The architecture of the new temple resembled the previous model, but was distinguished by its large size, ideal proportions, and solemn appearance.

The construction of the cathedral was delayed and construction was completed during the reign of Emperor Paul I by the architect Vincenzo Brenna. The consecration of St. Isaac's Cathedral took place in 1802.

Fourth St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Due to a lack of funds, they saved on construction and finishing materials, as a result of which St. Isaac's Cathedral began to deteriorate before our eyes.
This state of affairs did not in any way correspond to the state of the main cathedral of the Russian Empire and the ambitions of the new Emperor Alexander I.

Work on the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral began after the Napoleonic War of 1812. The construction was entrusted to the architect-engineer Auguste Montferrand. Emperor Alexander was presented with a project, the analogues of which were the cathedrals of St. Peter in Rome, St. Paul in London, and St. Mary in Florence.

Construction of the cathedral.

St. Isaac's Cathedral was supposed to surpass in size all the churches erected by that time. The construction of the cathedral was unprecedented in scale and duration.

In 1818, the ceremonial foundation stone of St. Isaac's Cathedral took place. It took 5 years to dismantle the old cathedral, drive 10,762 piles and lay the foundation.

The next 2 years were spent on the construction of the colonnades of the four façade porticoes. The work was supervised by Russian masters Samson Sukhanov and Arkhip Shikhin.

Solid granite pieces of the required shape were cut out of the rock near Vyborg, and on-site hewn columns, 17 meters high and weighing 114 tons, were transported by ship along the Neva to the construction site and installed in their place. A total of 48 columns of future porticos were erected.

Stone blocks, sand and crushed stone were delivered by water, and other building materials were transported by rail. The construction of the walls and dome pylons took 6 years, another 5 years were spent on the construction of the cathedral vaults, the drum of the central dome and four corner bell towers.

The dimensions of the cathedral are enormous. The height is 101.5 meters, the total weight of the building is 300,000 tons. The entire structure is erected on a high stereobat, which gives it great solemnity. The internal area of ​​the cathedral is 4000 square meters. The facades are lined with marble blocks 40-50 centimeters thick.

Dome of the cathedral.

A special design solution was invented for the dome of the cathedral, the model for which was the dome of St. Paul in London. To distribute loads and reduce weight, Auguste Montferrand used a metal structure consisting of three domed parts. The first internal, cut-off dome rests on four powerful pylons. Metal structures are covered with boards, covered with tarred felt and plastered. The interior surfaces were painted by artist Karl Bryullov. The second internal dome rests on the internal arch and supports a light lantern; it is painted from the inside to resemble a blue starry sky with golden rays. This artistic technique gives the entire under-dome space lightness and festivity, despite its enormous size. The third outer dome is covered with copper sheets and gilded on the outside. 100 kilograms of red gold were spent on gilding the dome. The dome is crowned with a light lantern and a gilded cross, the construction of which took place in 1839.

Sculptural decoration of the cathedral.

At the insistence of Montferrand, Ivan Petrovich Vitali, who created the unique doors of the temple, became the main sculptor of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Following the example of the “Golden Doors” of the Baptistery in Rome by the great Italian master Ghiberti, Vitali cast bas-reliefs in bronze for the doors of the cathedral. Bas-reliefs were also cast for the pediments of the porticos. Figures of angels with wings and stylized torches in their hands were installed at the four outer corners of the high attic. On major holidays, a fire was lit in these gas torch lamps. On such days, St. Isaac's Cathedral acquired even greater monumentality and solemnity.

The interior of the cathedral.

St. Isaac's Cathedral was built as the home church of the Romanov family, all work on the interior decoration was carried out with the active participation of Emperor Nicholas I. It took 17 years to finish and decorate the interiors.

The main iconographic subjects in the design of the iconostasis and interior decoration are dedicated to the heavenly patrons of all crowned persons, during whose reign all four religious buildings were built.

All the details of the interior emphasize the unity of earthly imperial power with heavenly power, sanctified by the Lord God himself. The iconostasis is built in the form of a triumphal arch; the imperial style is emphasized by six ten-meter malachite columns located on both sides of the royal doors.

All icons in the cathedral are made using the Florentine mosaic technique based on original paintings by artists T. Neff and F. Bryullov.

The sculptural composition “Christ in Glory” located above the royal doors, created by the sculptor P. Klodt and the artist T. Neff, is striking in its monumentality.

The painting “The Last Judgment” above the iconostasis, painted by the artist F. Bruni, is filled with tragedy; its coloristic and compositional design conveys the idea of ​​the omnipotence of God.

In accordance with European traditions, a grandiose altar window with an area of ​​28 square meters was made with a full-length stained glass image of Jesus Christ made by German masters. The internal surfaces of the walls and pylons are lined with marble 43 meters high up to the attic. Above the attic, the walls are decorated with artificial marble.

The area of ​​the dome ceiling is occupied by a monumental painting called “The Virgin Mary in Glory”, created by the artist Karl Bryullov. The paintings on the dome drum, sail vaults and attic according to the sketches of K. Bryullov were carried out by the artist P. Basin. The dome at its base is decorated with monumental statues of the twelve apostles.

The cathedral was illuminated with the help of seven gilded bronze chandeliers and candelabra. In 1908, electrification of the interior space was carried out. The interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral amazes with its grandeur and festivity; 300 kilograms of gold were spent on the decoration.

History of the cathedral after construction.

The ceremonial consecration of the Cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia took place on May 30, 1858 in the presence of Emperor Alexander II, members of the August family, the retinue of their court, honored guests of foreign embassies, high-ranking dignitaries and nobles, nobility and citizens of different classes. On the square filled with people in front of the cathedral, regiments were built in ceremonial formation, which the Emperor and his retinue drove around, greeting them. The entire August family and their retinue, led by the Emperor, entered St. Isaac's Cathedral, where representatives of the highest clergy performed the rite of consecration of the temple. Chronicles of that time describe this event as the greatest holiday of national significance. The image of the power and greatness of the state and the inviolability of the throne was embodied in the architecture and monumental decoration of the cathedral.

The majestic silhouette of St. Isaac's Cathedral completed the ceremonial appearance of the capital of the Russian Empire, becoming the main architectural dominant along with the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In 1871, the grandiose building, which required significant annual financial investments, was transferred to a government department - the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Thus, St. Isaac's Cathedral began to simultaneously serve two functions: as a home church for the royal family and as an Orthodox center for city-wide holidays.

Under Soviet rule in 1931, St. Isaac's Cathedral acquired the status of a public museum.

The exhibition consisted of three sections: the history of the construction of the cathedral, the anti-religious work of the museum and the natural science part.

During the Great Patriotic War, during the period of the enemy fascist blockade, St. Isaac's Cathedral fulfilled its important mission - it became the main repository for the most valuable museum exhibits taken from suburban palaces and city museums.

After the war, restoration work on the cathedral was carried out on an unprecedented scale.

As a reminder of the artillery shelling of the city by the Nazis during the siege, during which St. Isaac's Cathedral was damaged, the restorers left holes from enemy shells on the colonnade of the western portico.

Cathedral-museum

In 1963, the historical and artistic cathedral-museum "St. Isaac's Cathedral" was opened to the general public. After the restoration, the magnificent interiors of the temple were revealed; once again, mosaics and paintings by nineteenth-century masters appeared before visitors in their unique splendor.

A special place among the museum’s exhibits was occupied by the Foucault pendulum, hanging from the dome of the cathedral. At a certain time, the pendulum was launched, and when it oscillated, one could see its deviation relative to the marks on the floor - this confirmed that the earth was spinning.

Within the walls of the temple there is a magnificent bust - a sculptural portrait of the architect Auguste Montferrand, made by the sculptor A. Foletti, from the same types of marble that were used to decorate the cathedral. The museum's exposition includes models telling about the construction of the building and a model of a small copy of St. Isaac's Cathedral, stands with detailed descriptions and engravings, architectural drawings, documents of that time related to the construction and the personality of the architect Auguste Montferrand.

St. Isaac's Cathedral is also a museum where the life and work of the great architect Auguste Ricard de Montferrand is most fully illuminated. Here you can learn not only about the construction of the largest temple in Russia, but also about another no less significant and famous monument erected by a genius nearby on Palace Square - the Alexander Column.

During excursions held in the museum, visitors get acquainted with the history of the construction of the cathedral, construction methods of that time, engineering inventions that were first used in the construction of the grandiose building. Of particular interest and admiration among tourists are the interiors of the cathedral, which amaze with the splendor and richness of their decoration - Florentine mosaics, paintings, sculptural compositions, and decorative elements.

The history of the life and work of the great architect Auguste Montferrand and those great masters who created this masterpiece of architecture will be no less interesting in the narration of the guides conducting the excursions.

Since 1991, church services have been held in the temple four times a year.

Today St. Isaac's Cathedral is one of the main cultural centers of St. Petersburg, in addition to cultural, educational and excursion activities, a lot of scientific work is carried out here in the field of studying the historical, artistic, decorative, applied and architectural heritage, restoration work is constantly carried out and improved using the most advanced technologies .

The construction and history of St. Isaac's Cathedral are inextricably linked with the history and life of our great city from the first days of its existence to the present day.

Recently, St. Isaac's Cathedral has acquired a completely new artistic appearance, which is created by the illumination of the facades and domes, drawing its solemn silhouette in the luminous panorama of the night city.

Pride and admiration for the greatness of the human spirit covers people when they climb the dome colonnade, where the observation deck is located. From this high point, guests can see a beautiful panorama of St. Petersburg and all the main architectural sights of the historical center. The cathedral colonnade is one of the most successful places for photo and video filming of ceremonial views of St. Petersburg from a bird's eye view.

St. Isaac's Cathedral transfer to the Russian Orthodox Church

On January 10, 2017, news appeared in the media that shook the cultural community of St. Petersburg - St. Isaac's Cathedral is being transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. This decision was made by the government of St. Petersburg, headed by the city governor Georgy Poltavchenko.

The museum complex St. Isaac's Cathedral is one of the main museums and cultural centers in Russia, where excursions, exhibitions, concerts and cultural programs are constantly held. Solemn services on major Orthodox holidays are held annually in St. Isaac's Cathedral.

St. Isaac's Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia) in St. Petersburg is the largest Orthodox church in the city, which has the status of a museum. From 1858 to 1929 it was the cathedral of the St. Petersburg diocese. Currently, the cathedral is considered one of the main attractions of the city and its symbol. Every year the temple is visited by thousands of tourists; the colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which offers a 360-degree panorama, is especially popular.

History of the cathedral

The architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg is Auguste Montferrand. The temple was built on the site of the old cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, so an important condition was the preservation of the altar of the previous temple. The project was under the supervision of Emperor Nicholas I and the most modern technologies of those years were used during the construction of the temple.

Construction continued from 1818 to 1858, and on May 30 (June 11), 1858, the solemn consecration of St. Isaac's Cathedral took place. Since 1991, services have been held daily in the temple.

On the external walls and columns of the temple you can see chips and dents - these are the consequences of shelling and bombing during the Great Patriotic War. During the blockade, exhibits from the Museum of City History, the Summer Palace of Peter I and from suburban museums of Leningrad were stored in St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Since 1950 and over the course of 10 years, the building was reconstructed; an observation deck was installed on the dome.

Currently, St. Isaac's Cathedral has the status of a State monument-museum and is part of a museum complex that unites the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and the Stone Museum. The church diocese repeatedly asked to transfer the cathedral to its full jurisdiction, but the municipal authorities refused. Disputes about the transfer of the temple to the Russian Orthodox Church are still ongoing.

St. Isaac's Cathedral on Google panorama: outside view

Features of the architecture of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg

The temple is an example of late classicism. The height of the building reaches 101.5 meters and the width is 97.6 meters. The cathedral has a cross-domed shape, there are three altars in it: St. Isaac of Dalmatia, the Great Martyr Catherine and Alexander Nevsky.

The five-domed temple has four more small domes with bell towers. The cathedral is crowned with a large dome, the outer diameter of which is 25.8 meters. Unlike most Orthodox churches, the cathedral does not have an eastern entrance; the main entrance is located in the western portico. The walls and floor of the building are lined with colored marble and slate.

The building is decorated with 112 granite columns of different sizes. Work on the interior decoration began in 1841. Famous artists and sculptors (Karl Bryullov, Pyotr Klodt, Ivan Burukhin, Nikolai Pimenov, etc.) worked on decorating the cathedral. Their work was supervised by the administration of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, all sketches were approved by the Synod and the emperor.

The main technique chosen was oil painting on a special primer; images were also painted in oil on bronze boards. The largest composition of St. Isaac's Cathedral is the painting of the dome; its area is 800 square meters. meters. This part of the work was performed by the famous Russian artist Karl Bryullov.

However, due to the climatic conditions of St. Petersburg, over time the soil deteriorated and the images had to be rewritten, so it was decided to decorate the cathedral with mosaics. The temple is decorated with more than 350 sculptures depicting the glorification and earthly life of Jesus Christ. The sculptural bas-reliefs of the porticoes and doors of the cathedral are of great interest. In addition to sculptures, the temple is decorated with 150 panels and paintings, as well as a stained glass window depicting the Resurrection of Christ, with an area of ​​about 30 square meters. meters.

Interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral on Google panorama:

The colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral is located at an altitude of 43 meters. To climb it you need to overcome 2 spiral staircases of 200 steps. The colonnade consists of 24 columns, 14 meters long, and is an observation deck with an all-round view.

View from the colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg on Google panorama:

Opening hours of St. Isaac's Cathedral in 2019

• Museum entrance: 10:30–18:00, daily, except Wednesday;
• Evening programs: 18:00–22:30 (from April 27 to September 30, closed on Wednesday);
• Entrance to the colonnade: 10:30–18:00, daily (from May 1 to October 31);
• Evening colonnade: 18:00—22:30 (from April 27 to September 30)

The box office closes 30 minutes before closing.

Schedule of services in 2019

During the service, entrance to St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg is free.

• Divine Liturgy: Mon-Fri, except Wednesday - 08:00, Sat-Sun - 09:00;
• Evening service: 16:00.

Prices for tickets to St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg in 2019

Ticket prices during regular business hours:

• Full cost - 350 rubles;
• Holders of international ISIC cards - 200 rubles;
• Children from 7 to 18 years old - 100 rubles;
• Pensioners of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus - 100 rubles;
• Students (cadets), graduate students, adjuncts, residents, assistant trainees of educational organizations of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus - 100 rubles.

Evening ticket prices:

• Entrance ticket to St. Isaac's Cathedral - 400 rubles;
• Colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral with audio tour “Panorama of St. Petersburg” - 400 rubles.

Additional services:

• Audio guide in 10 languages ​​- 200 rubles;
• Audio tour “Panorama of St. Petersburg” - 150 rubles;
• Complex ticket (cathedral + colonnade) per person - 400 rubles;
• Use of binoculars on the colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral (2 minutes) - 100 rubles;
• Use of binoculars on the colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral (1 minute) - 50 rubles.

Free visits are only possible from 10:30 to 18:00 and do not apply to cultural events and entrance to the cathedral colonnade.

Cost of an excursion to St. Isaac's Cathedral in 2019

• Sculpture of St. Isaac's Cathedral— 400 rubles;
• Biblical scenes in the painting of St. Isaac's Cathedral- 400 rubles.

Excursion service in Russian:

• for one visitor, subject to joining an excursion group (for persons entitled to free admission to the museum) - 50 rubles;
• for a group of 1 to 5 people - 600 rubles;
• for a group from 6 to 20 people - 1000 rubles;
• for a group from 21 to 30 people - 1500 rubles.

Excursion service in a foreign language:

• for a group of 1 to 5 people - 1000 rubles;
• for a group of 6 to 20 people - 2000 rubles;
• for a group of 21 to 30 people - 3000 rubles.

Rules of conduct in the cathedral

In the premises of the cathedral and on the colonnade it is prohibited:

• be in a state of alcoholic, narcotic or toxic intoxication;
• bring suitcases, bulky bags and backpacks;
• move around on roller skates and sneakers with wheels, a bicycle, a scooter, a skateboard;
• consume food and drinks;
• go beyond the fences and into the service premises, lean on the racks and display windows of the temple;
• provide commercial and excursion services;
• listen to music, sing and make noise;
• smoking and littering;
• come with animals;
• take professional photos and videos, as well as flash photography during the excursion.

How to get there

St. Isaac's Cathedral (museum) is located in the historical center of St. Petersburg at the address: St. Isaac's Square, 4. Next to it are the main attractions of the city - Palace Square, the Hermitage, and the Bronze Horseman monument.

From the nearest metro station “Admiralteyskaya” it takes about 10 minutes to walk to the cathedral.

Public transport stops are also within walking distance:

• trolleybuses No. 5, 22 and minibuses No. K-306 (stop “Malaya Morskaya St.”);
• buses No. 3, 10, 27 and minibuses No. K-252 (stop “Isaakievskaya Square”);
• buses No. 5, 22, 70, 100 and minibuses No. K-169 (stop “Yakubovicha street”).

You can order a taxi using the mobile applications Yandex.Taxi, Maxim, Uber or Gett.

If you rent a car, you can drive from Pulkovo Airport to St. Isaac's Cathedral in 40 minutes.

Route from the airport to the cathedral on the map - Google Maps

Video: St. Isaac's Cathedral, aerial photography

Saint, since the emperor was born on the day of his memory - May 30 according to the Julian calendar.

The ceremonial consecration of the new cathedral on May 30 (June 11) was performed by Metropolitan of Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Estonia and Finland Gregory (Postnikov).

Montferrand's creation is the fourth temple in honor of Isaac of Dalmatia, built in St. Petersburg.

Height - 101.5 m, internal area - more than 4,000 m².

Story

First St. Isaac's Church

First St. Isaac's Church. Lithograph from a drawing by O. Montferrand. 1710

The church was built on the banks of the Neva, where the Bronze Horseman now stands. The location was clearly chosen poorly; the water, eroding the shore, affected the foundation, destroying the masonry. In addition, in May 1735, a lightning strike caused a fire in the church and it was seriously damaged. Thus, for example, cabinet minister Count A. I. Osterman describes the state of affairs in the church, asking on May 28 (June 8), 1735 for permission from the synod to build a church in his house for his sick wife and appoint a priest there:

The Church of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, where my house is located in the parish, recently burned down and there are now no services in it not only for the Liturgy, but also for Vespers, Matins, and hours.

Already in June of the same year, an estimate was drawn up for the repair of the church. Two thousand rubles were allocated for these purposes, and Major Lyubim Pustoshkin was appointed to supervise the work. The corresponding decree stated:

The Church of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, as soon as possible to begin now, although only to quickly cover the altar with boards, and then to build rafters and roofs over the entire church, so that today there could be a service in it.

As a result of the renovation, the walls and galleries were rebuilt, instead of iron, the dome was covered with copper, and the vaults were replaced with stone. Services began to take place in the church again. But while the work was underway, it became clear that due to ground settlement, the temple needed more corrections or even a complete rebuild.

To inspect the condition of the church, the Senate sent the architect S.I. Chevakinsky, who stated the impossibility of preserving the building. They decided to dismantle the church and build a new one further from the shore.

Third St. Isaac's Cathedral

Project by A. Rinaldi of the third St. Isaac's Cathedral. Lithograph from a drawing by O. Montferrand.

According to A. Rinaldi's design, the cathedral was supposed to have five intricately designed domes and a tall, slender bell tower. The walls were lined with marble over the entire surface. The model and drawings of the project are kept in the Museum of the Academy of Arts. Circumstances were such that Rinaldi was unable to complete the work he started. The building was only completed to the cornice when, after the death of Catherine II, construction stopped and Rinaldi went abroad.

The third St. Isaac's Cathedral on the engraving. 1816

This structure caused ridicule and bitter irony from contemporaries. For example, naval officer Akimov, who came to Russia after a long stay in England, wrote an epigram:

This is a monument to two kingdoms,
Both so decent
On the marble bottom
A brick top was erected.

While trying to attach a piece of paper with this quatrain to the façade of the cathedral, Akimov was arrested. He paid dearly for his wit: his tongue was cut out and he was exiled to Siberia.

In various versions, St. Petersburg residents retold the dangerous epigram:

This temple will show us
Some with affection, some with a scourge,
It started with marble,
Finished with brick.

Architects A. D. Zakharov, A. N. Voronikhin, V. P. Stasov, D. Quarenghi, C. Cameron and others took part in the competition. But all the projects were rejected by Alexander I, since the authors proposed not the reconstruction of the cathedral, but the construction of a new one. In 1813, a competition was again announced under the same conditions, and again none of the projects satisfied the emperor. Then, in 1816, Alexander I instructed engineer A. Betancourt, chairman of the newly formed “Committee for Structures and Hydraulic Works,” to prepare a project for the reconstruction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Betancourt suggested entrusting the project to the young architect O. Montferrand, who had recently arrived from France to Russia. To show his skills, Montferrand made 24 drawings of buildings of various architectural styles, which Betancourt presented to Alexander I. The Emperor liked the drawings, and soon a decree was signed appointing Montferrand as “imperial architect.” At the same time, he was entrusted with preparing a project for the reconstruction of St. Isaac's Cathedral with the condition that the altar part of the existing cathedral be preserved.

Project 1818

The construction of the porticoes was completed by the autumn of 1830, when residents of St. Petersburg could already see four 12-column porticoes and the altar of the old Rinaldi church.

Then it started construction of supporting pylons and walls of the cathedral. Here they used masonry made of bricks held together with lime mortar. For greater strength, granite spacers and metal connections of various profiles were used. The thickness of the walls ranged from 2.5 to 5 meters. The thickness of the outer marble cladding was 50-60 cm, the inner one - 15-20 cm. It was carried out simultaneously with the brickwork, using iron hooks (pyrons) inserted into holes specially drilled for this purpose. For the roofing, wrought iron rafters were made. Ventilation galleries were installed inside the southern and northern walls. To provide natural lighting to the cathedral, light galleries were installed above the attic galleries.

Structurally, the dome consists of three interconnected parts formed by cast iron ribs: the lower spherical, the middle - conical and the outer - parabolic. The diameter of the outer vault is 25.8 m, the lower one is 22.15 m. To create a heat-insulating layer, the space between the trusses was filled with conical hollow pottery pots. This required about 100 thousand of these pots. In addition to thermal insulation, the pots improve the acoustics of the temple.

The lower spherical dome was covered with boards, covered with tarred felt and plastered. The inner conical dome is covered with copper sheets painted in a bluish tone, with large bronze rays and stars creating a spectacular picture of the night sky. The outside of the dome is covered with gilded copper sheets tightly fitted to each other.

Gilding of domes cathedral in 1838-1841 was carried out using the fire gilding method, 60 craftsmen were poisoned and died by mercury vapor. In total, 400,000 workers - state and serf peasants - took part in the construction of the cathedral. According to documents from the time, about a quarter of them died from disease or were killed in accidents.

Consecration

The solemn consecration of the cathedral took place in 1858, on May 30, on the day of memory of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, in the presence of Emperor Alexander II and other members of the imperial family. The troops were lined up, whom the emperor greeted before the start of the consecration ceremony; tribunes for the people were built on Petrovskaya and St. Isaac's squares; the neighboring streets and the roofs of nearby houses were crowded with people.

Appearance

St. Isaac's Cathedral and Senate Square from a bird's eye view

St. Isaac's Cathedral is an outstanding example of late classicism, in which new directions are already emerging (neo-Renaissance, Byzantine style, eclecticism), as well as a unique architectural structure and a high-rise dominant feature of the central part of the city.

The height of the cathedral is 101.5 m, length and width are about 100 meters. The outer diameter of the dome is 25.8 m. The building is decorated with 112 monolithic granite columns of different sizes. The walls are lined with light gray Ruskeala marble. When installing the columns, wooden structures by engineer A. Betancourt were used. On the frieze of one of the porticos you can see a sculptural image of the architect himself (Montferrand died almost immediately after the consecration of the cathedral, but the architect’s desire to be buried in his own creation was denied).

North façade

North gable. "Resurrection of Christ"

Resurrection of Christ. 1841-1843. Stained glass of the main altar

At the suggestion of L. Klenze, a stained glass window was included in the interior of the Orthodox church - originally an element of the decoration of Catholic churches. The image of the Risen Savior in the window of the main altar was approved by the Holy Synod and personally by Emperor Nicholas I. The design of the stained glass window for St. Isaac's Cathedral was created by the German artist Heinrich Maria von Hess; glass production was supervised by M. E. Einmiller, head of the "Glass Painting Establishment" at the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Munich. The area of ​​the stained glass window is 28.5 square meters, the parts are fastened with lead solders. By 1843, a stained glass window was installed in the window of the cathedral in St. Petersburg. It is a key monument in the history of stained glass art in Russia. The appearance of a glass painting depicting Jesus Christ in the capital's cathedral church occurred as a result of the interaction of Western and Eastern Christian traditions, a unique synthesis of figurative Catholic stained glass and an altarpiece Orthodox icon. Its installation in the main church of Russia established stained glass in the design system of Orthodox churches in the country. Stained glass windows received “legal” rights in Orthodox churches. And the image of the Risen Savior on the altar window of St. Isaac's Cathedral became an iconographic model for many stained glass windows in Russian churches, both in the 19th century and in our time.

St. Isaac's Cathedral presents a unique collection of monumental painting from the first half of the 19th century - 150 panels and paintings. Academic artists Bryullov, Basin, Bruni, Shebuev, Markov, Alekseev, Shamshin, Zavyalov and others were brought in to work on the murals. The management of the painting work was entrusted to the rector of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, Professor V.K. Shebuev, the decor project and the general concept of the paintings were developed by Montferrand. The work was carried out under the control of the emperor and the Synod. One of the main problems was the choice of technique for executing the paintings. According to Klenze's initial proposal (Nicholas I agreed with him), the cathedral's paintings were to be done using the encaustic technique. However, Bruni, who was involved in discussing the method of executing future paintings, after consultations with Klenze, held at the beginning of 1842 in Munich, made a report in which he indicated that this painting technique was completely unsuitable for the climatic conditions of St. Petersburg. Based on the opinion of the restorer Valati, Bruni spoke in favor of oil painting on canvas, framed by copper frames with a bottom. Montferrand also favored oil painting. Bruni was commissioned to complete a sample of encaustic painting on copper, but soon it was decided to paint the walls of the cathedral with oil paints on a special primer, and the images in oil on bronze boards. According to the distribution of works, Bryullov was supposed to paint the main dome (the largest composition with an area of ​​800 square meters) and the sails in the central nave, Bruni - the box vault and attic of the main nave, Basin - the chapels of Alexander Nevsky and St. Catherine. The western part of the cathedral was devoted to scenes on themes from the Old Testament, the eastern part to scenes from the life of Christ.

The high humidity in the cathedral premises prevented the creation of soil resistant to adverse external influences. The wall was plastered for painting, cleaned with pumice, heated with braziers to 100-120 degrees and several layers of mastic were applied to it. The low quality of the basis for painting was the reason that in some cases it had to be removed, and artists had to re-write the paintings. In some places the soil lagged behind the plaster. In his letter dated December 24, 1849, Bruni noted that painting on fresh soil was impossible due to the “nitrate oxide” subsequently protruding to the surface of the painting from the wall. The stable composition was created only in 1855, three years before the completion of painting work in the cathedral.

Since the cathedral, due to temperature changes, high humidity and lack of ventilation, created unfavorable conditions for preserving the paintings in their original form, when decorating the interior since 1851, it was decided to use mosaics for interior decoration. The creation of mosaic panels continued until the outbreak of the First World War. Smalt for St. Isaac's Cathedral was produced in the mosaic workshop of the Academy of Arts. More than 12 thousand shades of smalt were used to create the panels; the backgrounds were made of gold smalt (cantorel). Mosaic images were made from originals by T. A. Neff. Mosaics replaced the painting by S. A. Zhivago “The Last Supper”, the paintings of the sails of the main dome, the attic (“Kiss of Judas”, “Behold the Man”, “Flagellation”, “Carrying the Cross” by Basin) and pylons.

Mosaic paintings from the cathedral were exhibited at the London World's Fair in 1862, where they were highly praised.

St. Isaac's Cathedral in the first years after the October Revolution

After the revolution, the temple was destroyed. In 1922, 45 kg of gold items and more than 2 tons of silver jewelry were seized from it.((No AI 2 | Its rector, Archpriest Leonid Bogoyavlensky, was arrested, and the temple became Renovationist. In 1928, services were stopped: the presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on June 18, 1928 decided “to leave the cathedral building in the exclusive use of the Glavnauka as a museum monument.” April 12, 1931 one of the first anti-religious museums in Soviet Russia was opened in the cathedral.

St. Isaac's Cathedral during the Great Patriotic War

Anti-aircraft gunners against the backdrop of night Isaac

Traces of one of the 148,478 shells fired by German troops into Leningrad in 1941-44.

St. Isaac's Cathedral after the Great Patriotic War

see also

Literature

1. A. R. Monterrand Eglise cathédrale de Saint Isaac. - St. Petersburg. , 1845.
2. « History and sights of St. Isaac's Cathedral" St. Petersburg, 1858. - a book compiled from sources of the Imperial Academy of Arts and approved by the main builder of the Cathedral, architect de Montferrand.
3. V. Serafimov, M. Fomin Description of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, compiled from official documents. - St. Petersburg. , 1865.
4. V. Serafimov, M. Fomin Description of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, compiled from official documents. - L.: Society for the dissemination of political and scientific knowledge, 1962.
5. A. L. Rotach St. Isaac's Cathedral is an outstanding monument of Russian architecture. - St. Petersburg. , 1868.
6. Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974.

Notes

1. V. Serafimov, M. Fomin
2. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 8.
3. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 10.
4. V. Serafimov, M. Fomin Description of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, compiled from official documents. - St. Petersburg. , 1865. - S.
5. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 11.
6. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 11-12.
7. V. Serafimov, M. Fomin Description of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, compiled from official documents. - St. Petersburg. , 1865. - S.
8. Conduct of the Governing Senate to the Holy Synod dated June 6 (17), 1735, No. 1962. Also the protocol of the memorial of St. Pr. Synod for the same date.
9. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 12.
10. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 12-13.
11. V. Serafimov, M. Fomin Description of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, compiled from official documents. - St. Petersburg. , 1865. - pp. 6-7.
12. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 13-14.
13. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 14.
14. Zoshchenko M.M. Failures, 39 // Blue Book. - Favorites in 2 volumes. - Fiction . - T. 2. - P. 261.
15. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 14-15.
16. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 15-16.
17. N. Nagorsky Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - St. Petersburg. : P-2, 2004. - P. 2-3. - ISBN 5-93893-160-6
18. V. Serafimov, M. Fomin Description of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, compiled from official documents. - St. Petersburg. , 1865. - S.
19. G. P. Butikov, G. A. Khvostova Saint Isaac's Cathedral. - L.: Lenizdat, 1974. - P. 24.