One of the largest religious buildings in the Northern capital is the majestic Kazan Cathedral. Colonnades spread wings from the center of the structure on both sides. Outside, the cathedral is decorated with bas-reliefs made of yellowish limestone. The construction makes a huge impression. The interior and exterior of the temple is stunning: 56 magnificent columns, which are made of Finnish pink granite and decorated with gilded Corinthian capitals, create a feeling of spaciousness and grandeur.
Cathedral building
The icon of the Kazan Mother of God for two centuries was the shrine of the Romanov dynasty. It was first brought to the city by Peter I. In the first half of the 17th century, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in St. Petersburg (the author of the project was M. G. Zemtsov, a famous Russian architect). She was on the very spot where today the magnificent cathedral is located. At the end of the century, the church, as well as the buildings adjacent to it, were demolished, resulting in a huge square in the city center.
Project creation
A creative competition was announced to create a new temple project. It lasted about three years (1797-1800). The participants faced a rather difficult task. Paul I wished that the new temple resembled the famous St. Peter's Cathedral, located in Rome, the work of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti and other Renaissance architects. The cathedral must have been adorned with a colonnade, about the same as that attached to the Cathedral of St. Peter by the architect Giovanni Bernini. It was important to enter a new monumental structure into the already designed architectural space.
In accordance with the Orthodox canons, the altar of the church should be facing east, and the main facade should be facing west, that is, Meshchanskaya (today Kazan) street.
From the very beginning of the competition, great architects took part in it - P. Gonzaga, A. N. Voronikhin, C. Cameron. In 1800, J. F. Thomon arrived in the capital to participate in the competition.
Initially, Paul I approved the project of C. Cameron. However, thanks to the support of Count A. S. Stroganov, who was responsible for the construction, the project of A. N. Voronikhin was adopted in November 1800. This decision has been widely and fairly long discussed in society. Especially heated discussions were caused by the origin of the Voronikhin, who was the former serf of the Stroganovs. He received free in 1786.
Shrines of the temple
Kazan Cathedral has the main shrine - the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. At the beginning of the XVII century, during the struggle with the Swedish and Polish invaders, the icon always accompanied the Militia of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. Then it was stored in the Moscow Terem Kazan Cathedral.
Peter the Great in 1710 ordered that an ancient repetition of the miraculous image be brought to Petersburg.
When Voronikhin built the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon, fulfilling the will of Emperor Paul I, he only used the motif of the semicircular colonnade from the proposed prototype, located in front of the temple building. And the rest, the Russian architect created an independent structure, which harmoniously merged into the development of Nevsky Prospect.
95 huge columns outline a small area. The colonnade ends with massive portals to the right and left. This building also has a special purpose - it covers the main body of the temple.
The building project was not fully implemented. When they had already finished building the Kazan Cathedral, the architect Voronikhin proposed the construction of an additional colonnade, which was supposed to be on the south side of the building. She had to repeat the northern counterpart. However, his proposal was rejected.
Temple description
From the side of Kazan street, it was decided to make the central entrance to the Kazan Cathedral. St. Petersburg received a completely unique building, which St. Petersburgers are rightly proud of, and many visitors to the city are looking at with interest.
In terms of plan, the cathedral resembles the shape of a Latin cross; a huge dome rises above its middle. The outer columns, entablature, capitals, cladding and bas-reliefs are made of pudost stone. This is a fairly soft limestone with a yellowish tint. It was mined near St. Petersburg.
Statues and sculptural groups adorn the entire city of St. Petersburg. Kazan Cathedral in this sense is no exception. Here, the sculpture is given special importance in the external design. On the attics of the portals (above the side passages), bas-reliefs are located. On the western side - the work of I.P. Prokofiev, from the east - a work of I.P. Martos. Above the altar is the famous bas-relief of D. Raschett.
The northern entrance is adorned with monumental doors, which are an exact copy of the Baptistery’s “Gates of Paradise”. They are made of bronze by the sculptor from Italy Lorenzo Ghiberti.
On both sides of the doors, in special niches are bronze figures of St. Andrew the First-Called and John the Baptist, Vladimir the Equal to the Apostles and Alexander Nevsky.
The bas-reliefs "Adoration of the Magi", "Annunciation", "Adoration of the shepherds", "Flight into Egypt" are located in the northern portico.
Interior decoration
Kazan Cathedral (St. Petersburg) has a rich and solemn interior. It feels Russian scope and power. The first unique iconostasis was created according to the drawing of A. Voronikhin.
Somewhat later (1836) a magnificent gift was made to the city. St. Petersburg, Kazan Cathedral received a new iconostasis carved from silver, designed by architect K.A. Tones. He was recaptured by the Don Cossacks in 1812 from the French.
Most of the icons were painted by the best artists of the beginning of the XIX century - O. A. Kiprensky, V. L. Borovikovsky, F. A. Bruni, V.K. Shebuyev, G.I. Ugryumov, K.P. Bryullovi and many others.
Temple Significance
In 1811, Kazan Cathedral was consecrated. St. Petersburg carefully preserves the memory of the valiant Russian soldiers who, straight from the temple, having served a prayer service, went to the Patriotic War.
M.I. Kutuzov left the cathedral to command Russian troops, here his body was buried with honors in 1813, in a crypt under the arches of the Kazan Cathedral. Twenty-four years later, a monument to the great commander was erected in the square in front of the cathedral.
In Kazan Cathedral numerous trophies of World War II are stored: banners, defeated troops, keys to captured cities and fortresses.
Soviet time
It is difficult for the present generation to imagine that in 1929 the Kazan Cathedral was closed. St. Petersburg (at that time Leningrad) began an active struggle against the “religious dope”. Three years later, the Museum of the History of Atheism was housed in this historic site. The priceless icons of the cathedral were partially transferred to the Russian Museum.
The main and most revered shrine of the temple - the icon of the Mother of God - was moved to the cathedral, which was located on the Petrograd side. The interior was actually looted, it was significantly damaged during various reconstructions.
Cathedral today
At the end of the last century, the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was returned to the Diocese, and with it the lost status returned. At the beginning of the XXI century, the temple and all parishioners met the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which was returned to its rightful place.