Since time immemorial, the city of Kronstadt, located on the island of Kotlin in the Gulf of Finland, has served as a protective border for the north-west of Russia on the Baltic Sea. However, he is famous not only as a military garrison, but also as a repository of many historical values and sights of St. Petersburg associated with naval glory.
One of the most significant and magnificent buildings is the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt. It is located in the center of the city and serves not only as a monument to the heroism and courage of Russian sailors, but also performs quite peaceful functions: on ordinary and public holidays, divine services, baptisms and weddings are held here.
Kronstadt Naval Cathedral: address
Russia, St. Petersburg, Kronstadt, Anchor Square, 1.
Mode of operation
Kronstadt, Naval Cathedral, opening hours: daily from 9.30 to 18.00.
Also, if you wish, you can attend the worship service, which is held twice a day: at 10.00 and at 18.00.
How to get there
Unfortunately, water routes were canceled this year due to low profitability, so you can now get to St. Nicholas Cathedral only by land transport:
- minibus number 405 in Kronstadt from the metro station "Black River" to a stop at Yakornaya Square;
- Minibus No. 407 to Kronstadt from the Prospekt Prosvescheniya metro station to a stop at Yakornaya Square;
- bus number 101 to Kronshtadt from the metro station "Staraya Derevnya" to a stop at the Public House, then - on foot along Sovetskaya Street to Anchor Square.
Total information
With its appearance, the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker resembles the St. Sophia Church in Istanbul. Its structure is almost identical to the Turkish religious museum, but it is much smaller: the length of St. Nicholas Cathedral is 83 m, the width is 64 m, and the height (including the cross) is a little over 70 m.
At the same time in St. Nicholas Church, in its main part, can accommodate about 3 thousand people.
The Maritime Cathedral in Kronstadt is the second largest in Russia after the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
History
The prerequisites for the beginning of the construction of the cathedral began to appear at the end of the 19th century, when the island of Kotlin had already acquired the status of a lived-in: by this time the port, shipyards, docks, and military base were rebuilt. But a serious church, which would symbolize the faith and piety of the Russian army, still has not been.
Of course, there was an Orthodox church. But she, in comparison with the Lutheran chapels standing nearby, had an unpretentious appearance that the main supporter of the construction of a new church and donator, Archpriest John of Kronstadt, constantly blamed the authorities on this. According to him, some of Russia's failures in the naval field were possible from this. In addition, the majestic church would guard and protect Russia from the encroachments of foreigners, since the temple is equated with the same ship that the Lord controls.
Design: 1896 - 1902
In 1896, through the efforts of one of the initiators, vice admiral and port commander in Kronstadt, N. I. Kazakov, work began on the design of the future St. Nicholas Cathedral. Together with its direct purpose, the temple was also to perpetuate the memory of outstanding naval officials and employees who died in the performance of their duty.
In 1897, an international competition for the design of the building was announced, and a Committee to collect donations for the construction was also appointed. Members of the royal family, ordinary citizens, and ranks belonging to the Maritime Department also donated money. By the way, the latter in 1898 were required to deduct 0.25% of the total salary until 1914.
In total, two competitions were given for the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt. Their schedule was dated 1897 and 1898, however, no winner was chosen at any of the events.
In July 1899, Nicholas II had already approved the project of A. I. Tomishko, who had not previously participated in competitions, but the Construction Committee opposed this, and as a result of the development, V. A. Kosyakov was entrusted. A few years earlier, this architect had already built two similar temples.
In 1901, V. A. Kosyakov presented two sketches to a special military assembly, one of which was finally approved by both Nicholas II and the Committee. The future Naval Cathedral (the city of Kronstadt) under this project largely repeated the lines of St. Sophia of Constantinople.
Bookmark: 1901-1903
The site for the construction of the Naval Cathedral was chosen back in 1898. It became Anchor Square due to its following features:
- this segment was the center of the city;
- the place had some elevation, and was protected from floods;
- according to the plan, St. Nicholas Cathedral, located here, could be observed from all points in the fairway;
- An extensive platform in front of the temple would serve as a parade ground for the parades of naval forces;
- the size of the square was just enough for a huge cathedral.
In 1901, after the administration allocated funds for the construction of the temple, a moleben was held on Anchor Square. John Kronstadt himself consecrated the earth. The event was attended by about 14,000 naval officers and cadets. After the celebration, work began on clearing the site, which lasted several months.
1902 was marked by the beginning of the arrangement of the foundation pit and foundation for the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt.
In 1903, the first walls were laid. It happened on May 8 in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Fedorovna, mother of Maria Fedorovna and princes Mikhail, Alexei and Vladimir.
Construction and decoration: 1903-1913
Until the beginning of 1905, the construction work of the Naval Cathedral did not stop. In Kronstadt, the process was controlled by the leadership of the Committee, however, even the highest ranks could not influence the suspension of the process, which suddenly appeared in 1905-1906 due to internal unrest. This was mainly due to shortages of important building materials: metal structures, bricks and ornaments.
In 1907, the construction of the cathedral was resumed, the interior decoration began. The decor took longer than the construction itself.
In 1908, they finished installing the heating system.
In 1913, the final stage of decoration was completed: on the walls of St. Nicholas Cathedral placed tablets with the names of the dead sailors, made of marble. The list includes all employees starting in 1696.
On June 10, 1913, the Naval Cathedral was consecrated in the presence of the emperor and members of his family. Not only in Kronstadt, but also in St. Petersburg itself, grand festivities took place in honor of this event.
After all the work was completed, recalculated the cost of construction. As a result, it turned out that a total of about 1,876,000 rubles were spent on the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt.
St. Nicholas Cathedral during the Revolution
The temple did not have to fulfill its nominal purpose for long - only 4 years. In 1914, the First World War began, in 1918 the structure was redesigned for civilian needs, and the next year they completely handed over to the parishioners for contractual use.
In the summer of 1929, the last service at the Naval Cathedral of Kronstadt took place. After that, all the temple property remaining after the theft was described and transferred to the State Fund, the State Bank, the Naval and Russian Museums.
The lists of sailors immortalized in gold on the tablets of gold became the irreparable loss. One part of them was broken, the other - used in installation work.
In 1930, the Bolsheviks sent for remelting almost all the bells and metal appliances that they could only find in the church. Only one bell weighing about 5,000 kg was left to alert about the alarm. There is a version that the workers simply could not remove it. A few months later, crosses were dropped from the top. Now, red flags fluttered above the domes of the cathedral.
In 1932, the interior of the church was converted into a cinema, in 1939 it was remade again, but already under the House of Officers. The engineering service of the latter made a significant contribution to the preservation of the technical characteristics of the structure. Regular maintenance helped save the temple and communications from dilapidation and utter ruin.
World War II and the post-war period
With the advent of fascist troops, an observation platform was equipped on the dome of the Naval Cathedral. It functioned until the blockade was lifted. Despite all the efforts of the townspeople, during the war several shells fell into the temple, the holes from which were subsequently eliminated, and the building was repaired.
At the end of hostilities, a new idea came up: to equip a cinema and concert hall in the Naval Cathedral. As a result of major construction work, a suspended ceiling, a balcony, a stage and wall partitions were equipped. The alteration of the premises was carried out until 1954, and its result was a violation of the integrity of the walls of the temple - numerous cracks went along them. In February 1955, the hall was inaugurated. There were evenings, concerts, various entertainment events. After the reduction of the garrison in the 60s. the hall again became one of the branches of the House of Officers.
Naval Cathedral: from the 70s to the present day
In the 1970s, the consciousness of the population changed, and in the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker it was decided to carry out a major overhaul and restoration. The state took the temple under its care, designating it as a cultural monument.
1976 was a new milestone in the history of Orthodox construction. The restoration of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt returned to its original appearance.
In 1978, a fire broke out in the building of the Kronstadt Sailor Club. In this case, the premises of the Naval Cathedral again came to the rescue - the club was temporarily placed in the temple.
May 8, 1980, on the day dedicated to the anniversary of the victory over the German troops, a museum was opened in St. Nicholas Cathedral, named after the Kronstadt fortress. Its area was a little less than 1000 m 2 , and in the collections there were about 3000 items that have come down to us since the war.
Architecture and decoration of the Naval Cathedral
The appearance of the building is dominated by elements in the Romanesque style. The facade is faced with light brick, columns, portals and arches are embossed, with the addition of multiple decorative elements and ornaments. Despite the massiveness and impressive size of the structure, due to the numerous decorations it does not create a feeling of bulkiness.
The portal above the main entrance is decorated with mosaic images of angels and a quote from the psalm 112: “From the east of the sun to the west the name of the Lord is praised!” On the sides are two belfries with gilded arches and icons on the front.
The main decoration of the Naval Cathedral is, of course, its main dome. Bright, huge, richly adorned with gold anchors, resting on a “drum” of numerous ends, it creates a truly magnificent impression.
Several granite steps lead to the entrance to St. Nicholas Cathedral. The doors are massive, decorated with carvings and images of saints.
Inside the Naval Cathedral, the gaze involuntarily rises. The central dome from here seems even wider. Its diameter is 27 meters, and the height from the floor to the top is 52 meters. Two more domes adjoin to its sides, but already smaller. The space is enlarged by open galleries located on the sides.
Inside, the temple impresses with true greatness: a gigantic space is replete with mosaic panels made in the Byzantine style. The interior includes numerous images of fish, algae, seahorses, ships. The iconostasis and stained glass canvases measuring 52 square meters each deserve special attention.
You can not ignore the marble black boards with the names of the dead sailors - everything that was saved and restored from nonexistence. They are located around the perimeter of St. Nicholas Cathedral and are its main feature.
In the prayer building there are three thrones, consecrated in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker, as well as Peter and Paul and St. John. They are posted in the western portal. The northern and southern parts are decorated with images of the Kazan Mother of God and Saint Metrophany, respectively. The restoration of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt helped to convey these images to our times in all their beauty and splendor.
If you can admire the artistic beauty of the Naval Cathedral on ordinary days endlessly, then it is transformed to the highest degree on the dates of Orthodox holidays. Countless strings of candles and lamps make the panels, gilding and stained glass sparkle and shimmer, inspiring awe and solemn awe. The effect is enhanced by the splendor of the service and the singing of the church choir located on the balcony gallery. There are no more magnificent and monumental sights in the city of Kronstadt: the Naval Cathedral is a real symbol of Kotlin Island, a monument to Russia's heroic maritime past and the keeper of its northern northern waters.
The functionality of the Naval Cathedral today
Today the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is fully operational. Work on the capital restoration of its external and internal decoration, as well as the spiritual and patriotic status of the shrine began 15 years ago, when in 2000 the question arose about the revival of naval traditions and the return of Orthodox monuments to the fold of the Church.
In 2002, in the autumn at the top of the church, a new seven-meter cross was cast at the Pushkin Sofia Plant. 3 years later, the first liturgy in such a long time was held in honor of John of Kronstadt.
The spouse of the President of the Russian Federation, D. A. Medvedev, Svetlana Vladimirovna, took a direct part in the restoration of the temple . In March 2009, in Sergiev Posad Lavra, with her participation, a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the construction of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt was held, where a decision was signed on the creation of a charity fund of the same name. Already in May of that year, a corresponding non-profit organization was formed and began its activities.
December 2009 was marked by the beginning of a large-scale reconstruction of the church in the city of Kronstadt. The Naval Cathedral, whose operation until the completion of construction and decoration did not include visits to guests and parishioners, was solemnly consecrated by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill on May 28, 2013 in the presence of numerous representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, statesmen, as well as senior officials of the Black Sea and Northern , Pacific and Baltic fleet.
Today, excursions are not the only reason to visit the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt. Baptism of children and adults, weddings, various services - all this is exactly the same in the St. Nicholas Church, as in any other church in Russia.
I would like to believe that the tragic history of the monument has finally ended. Now, not only Russians from all over the country, but also many tourists from far and near abroad seek to get to the island of Kotlin in order to see with their own eyes the grand sanctuary in the city of Kronstadt - the Naval Cathedral. Although it’s standard operating mode - daily, it’s worth remembering that due to the final opening on major Orthodox holidays, the church is completely filled with parishioners. In this regard, for a thorough familiarization with the shrine, it is recommended to choose ordinary days.