As long as the generation living in Soviet schools is alive, the Smolny Monastery, or simply the Smolny Monastery, will be associated with V. I. Lenin. And even after decades in the history of this architectural ensemble, the pages associated with 1917-1918 will be the most striking. And the times following these events are the most tragic. Without them, the Smolny Monastery of Rastrelli would have remained just one of many wonderful creations of the brilliant architect.
Name as address
The very history of the name of the monastery is quite interesting, like almost every object in St. Petersburg. Before the emergence of the Northern capital, this territory was a border zone. In the village of Spasovschina, as soon as the Swedes erected the Nyenschanz fortress on the opposite bank , Fort Sabina was erected at this place. Admiralty Shipyard is one of the first buildings of the emerging fortified city. It was for her needs that the Smolyanaya Yard was built. The place was assigned the corresponding name. The Smolny monastery, which arose here later, like the overwhelming number of objects, in its name contains the address of its own location and ... part of the story.
Empress Desire - Law
The idea of the monastery belongs to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, who had previously worried about her old age. She wanted peace and quiet, and all this reliably guaranteed the monastery, the rector of which the queen was about to become. But the severe asceticism of the monastic lifestyle was not included in the concept of happy old age, and the Smolny Monastery was provided rather as a closed educational institution for girls of the most noble origin. Naturally, the comfort of the stay was guaranteed by any of the 120 pupils. For each, separate apartments were provided with all the necessary services - a kind of separate comfortable apartment. The abbess was supposed to have a separate house.
Ober-architect of St. Petersburg
The choice of location is a tribute to the young years spent in the
Smolny Palace (the second name is Maiden), in a peculiar conclusion, at the behest of Anna Ioannovna.
Francesco Rastrelli, the son of the famous Carl Rastrelli, at that time served as the chief architect of St. Petersburg. He was commissioned to build the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent. In 1744, a brilliant architect developed a completely new version of the ritual object, which, together with the surrounding buildings, became a new phenomenon in church architecture.
Original approach
The main distinguishing feature was the complete absence of a stone fence. This was a hint that the institution would not be a closed monastery, implying a complete renunciation of secular life, but would rather be a higher educational institution for high-ranking young ladies. In 1748, the first stone was laid. The empress herself was present at the ceremony. The Smolny Monastery of Rastrelli is becoming one of the most important construction projects in the country.
The old man must be present
But the wishes of women are changeable. And the Empress’s wishes all the more. And already in 1849, the initial project was redone. Firstly, the bell tower, conceived by Rastrelli with a height of 140 meters and exceeding the Peter and Paul Belfry, is reduced to a very modest local size. In the new project there are features of the old Russian monasteries. In particular, it was envisaged the presence of domes: central - large and massive - surrounded by 4 small ones.
Century construction
A large number of funds and workers are allocated for the new ensemble of the Smolny Monastery. In 1754, Elizabeth arrived at the site. What she saw shocked her so much that she immediately became infected with gigantomania and ordered her child to cast a bell that would overshadow the Tsar Bell - it should have been 6.5 meters wide, and it would have weighed 20,000 pounds. But the empress dies before reaching the solemn consecration. Smolny Monastery is forgotten.
Forgotten beginnings
Five years no work has been done here. Without domes and a bell tower, the unplastered complex is surrounded by gloomy legends. Wars devastate the treasury, Catherine II removes Rastrelli from business. For ten years, from 1785 to 1795, the work was carried out, then stopped. And if the Educational society for girls from noble families who had to live somewhere had not arisen with the advent of the new Empress, the Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg would have remained unclaimed - there were only 20 nuns living there.
With the advent of Paul, “noble maidens” (or, as they were called, “Smolyanka”) were evicted, settling widows on the vacant place. Obviously, there are such buildings where, despite their beauty, no one can heat their place.
The owner came
Completely completed the construction under Nicholas I. It lasted an unprecedented long time - 87 years. The architect V.P. Stasov, having won the competition, restored and restored the cathedral for three years, and only in 1835 the complex was consecrated. It became known as the Cathedral of all educational institutions. Inspired by the external beauty that the Smolny Monastery was (photo of that witness), the Russian masters tried to make the interior worthy of the great Rastrelli. The ballroom is decorated with marble, a crystal balustrade and the altarpiece of A. Vasnetsov’s work made the Smolny Monastery a unique treasure of Russian culture. The only thing that was not completed was the bell tower, which, in principle, no longer affected the appearance of the cathedral. He was beautiful.
Nowadays everything falls into place
But to stay in this status the monastery to this day has not been given a revolution, after which this pearl was used even as a warehouse. The poor fellow was closing, changing hands; in 1990, the building is used as a concert and exhibition hall.
The first prayer service after so many times is held here only in 2009. Since 2010, Smolny Cathedral has been used for its intended purpose - it is open for worship. In 2011, after almost a hundred years, Christmas services were held in Smolny Cathedral.