Rich in sights and churches of St. Petersburg. The Transfiguration Cathedral of the whole guard is one of the most visited churches in the city. It is open daily for worshipers and congregations. It conceals the history of bygone years, and it is the legacy of a great Orthodox culture. Let's talk about its history, features of architecture and interior.
How did it all start?
The cathedral with this name is available not only in the Northern capital of Russia, but also in other cities. In general, these are all the main temples that are dedicated to the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
The cathedral is currently located where there once was a northern suburb of the newly founded city of St. Petersburg. The Church of the Transfiguration of God is most closely associated with the victories of Russia and military glory in the 18th and 19th centuries. This square, on the orders of Empress Catherine I, was built up by the barracks where the Preobrazhensky regiment lodged.
Great story of origin
The military capital of the empire was then St. Petersburg. The Transfiguration Cathedral was built at the behest of Empress Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Peter the Great.
It was built at the location of the headquarters of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, whose guards gave Elizabeth great support in the struggle for the throne. This happened after she managed to become the new ruler instead of Anna Leopoldovna.
This place is closely connected with the important events of that night when the rightful successor succeeded in restoring justice and overthrowing the power of the temporary workers with the help of the Preobrazhensky regiment. After all, it was she who was supposed to become the Empress, but the dominance of German rulers in those times made it virtually impossible for her to ascend to the throne.
At that turbulent time, Elizabeth earnestly prayed to the Mother of God. Soon after she occupied the imperial throne, she ordered the erection of the temple to commemorate this event and in gratitude to the Lord for the mercy shown.
The history of the Transfiguration Cathedral, therefore, is closely connected with important events for the state.
Cathedral building
In 1743, its bookmark took place. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built according to the project of Mikhail Zemtsov, and after his death the construction was under the direction of the architect Pietro Trezzini.
Elizabeth with her own hands laid the first stone in the foundation of the cathedral. She took an active part in matters relating to the construction of a stone church, which was built in the Russian-Byzantine style. In 1754, the church was consecrated by Archbishop Sylvester in the presence of Elizabeth Petrovna.
The second life of the cathedral
In 1825, a fire occurred in the temple due to the negligence of workers. Flames instantly swept the cathedral, destroying most of the building. In fact, after the fire, only walls remained of it. But most of the icons, utensils, as well as the sacristy and more, were saved from the fire.
After the tragedy, Emperor Alexander I ordered the restoration of the cathedral. To renew the temple instructed the architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov. He tried to maintain the former appearance of the building, but still some changes were made to it.
The construction was carried out very quickly, and soon the temple revived to life regained St. Petersburg. Transfiguration Cathedral is now one of the most famous temples of the Northern capital. In its architecture, the traditions of ancient Russian architecture are clearly traced. It was revived in the Empire style, in this form, and reached the present. Metropolitan Seraphim consecrated the church in 1829.
Divine services were always held here, and the doors for parishioners were never closed. The Cathedral gave the name and the square on which it is now located - Preobrazhenskaya. During the reign of Paul I, the temple was named the Cathedral of the whole guard. During the blockade of Leningrad, there was a bomb shelter in the basement of the church.
Rector of the cathedral from 2014 to the present time is Archpriest Nikolai Bryndin. Luke Ivanov was the first rector of the cathedral.
As for capacity, up to 3,000 worshipers can be here at the same time. There is a choir at the temple, there is also a Sunday school for adults and children, and pilgrimage activities are organized.
Monument of architecture of late classicism
Its area is 1180 m 2 , it reaches 41.5 m in height. The facade is decorated with four-column porticoes of the ionic order, whose height is 12 meters. A drum with window openings that completes the building is crowned with a main dome, and a tower clock is located in the northwestern bell tower. The walls are decorated with stucco panels depicting military paraphernalia. The windows have a semicircle shape, which is placed on a rectangle.
On the main dome is an eight-meter cross. The temple has three thrones. The main one is in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, it was in honor of this holiday that a regiment was named. There are also the right (south) - in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh, and the left (north) - in the name of the memory of those saints, on the day of which Elizabeth reigned on the throne, namely in honor of the holy martyrs Clement, Pope of Rome, and Peter of Alexandria.
Around the temple is a square surrounded by a fence. It is built of 102 barrels of enemy cannons that participated in the Russian-Turkish war. Their muzzle dropped down, which is a symbol of victory over the enemy.
Interior
The dome of the cathedral has the colors of the cloudy sky, and in its center is a golden star of Bethlehem. Around her are images of angels and saints. In the main aisle there is a four-tier iconostasis, which was made according to the drawings of the architect Stasov. It resembles a triumphal arch in appearance and is decorated with gilded carvings.
Under the dome is a large chandelier for 120 candles, and there are also chandeliers. The temple is rich in decoration and grandeur.
Famous icons of the Transfiguration Cathedral
The main shrines that are in the temple: the Savior Not Made by Hands, the image of the Mother of God of "All Who Sorrow Joy" and St. vmch and the healer Panteleimon with a piece of relics.
The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands was the favorite shrine of Emperor Peter, the icon was painted by Simon Ushakov. She was very important for Peter, accompanied him all his life and was with him when St. Petersburg was laid. The Transfiguration Cathedral is also the place where the third icon has been located since 1932, and until that time it accompanied the army during the campaigns.
Address and mode of operation
The address of the cathedral is Preobrazhenskaya Square, 1. The nearest metro station is Chernyshevskaya.
The working hours of the temple: every day from 8:00 to 20:00. Liturgy is held at 10:00, on Wednesday and Friday - additionally at 7:00. Evening services - daily at 18:00.
The Transfiguration Cathedral is open to all comers, the services held here, and their detailed list can be found on the official website of the church.