The thousand-year-old city of Kazan ... Beautiful, rich and tolerant ... The symbol of the latter is, perhaps, the Temple of all religions, which, for sure, could not appear in any other settlement. The unique architectural monuments, such as the cathedrals of Kazan, photos of many of which Russians know quite well, were built here mainly in the historic center of the city.
Orthodox pearl
That's what the Peter and Paul Cathedral is called. Kazan, of course, has many symbols, but this architectural monument is its spiritual "calling card". Built on a hill, majestic and especially beautiful, this temple is distinguished by its unique decoration.
Peter and Paul Cathedral (Kazan) delights not only specialists, but also all guests of the capital of Tatarstan. He was visited by almost all emperors and empresses of Russia, many statesmen or public figures. Within its walls were A. Pushkin, A. Humboldt, even Alexander Dumas. During his life in this city, F. Chaliapin often sang here at the service.
Few people know that the Peter and Paul Cathedral (Kazan) was an ordinary parish church. And it was built on the site of the ancient church of the same name located here, the first mention of which occurs in the year 1565. The parishioner of the temple was one of the largest local merchants Ivan Afanasyevich Mikhlyaev. His house was right next to the cathedral. The building today, despite the fact that it was heavily rebuilt, has been preserved and is located in the courtyard of the spiritual monastery.
Description
Initially, the main approach to the temple was from the Spasskaya Tower. That is why the north side was planned by the architect as the main portal: through it the front straight staircase rises to the second floor, into the aisle of Saints Peter and Paul. It was destroyed by fire in 1815, but eighty years later at the end of the nineteenth century it was rebuilt. To the left of the stairs is a chapel in the name of the Burning Cupids, which until 1848 was considered dedicated to Christmas John the Baptist. On the second floor is the "Life-Giving Spring", complementing and emphasizing the height and volume of the temple. Instead of the usual stone tops, characteristic of the then Baroque, over the eaves of the octagon in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, there are light forged lattices.
The cathedral is surrounded by an open gallery on the north and west sides. She turns south towards the lower temple - the Presentation of the Lord. At its level, multicolor stone ornaments are complemented by painted arshin tiles.
History
The annals of the Peter and Paul Cathedral are directly related to the name of Peter I, who visited Kazan in 1722 when he was going on a Persian campaign. The emperor stopped at the merchant and benefactor Ivan Mikhlyaev. During his stay in the city, Peter celebrated his fiftieth birthday. In memory of this and in gratitude to the sovereign, who gave him ownership of treasury unprofitable cloth manufactories, Mikhlyaev decided to erect the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a photo of which testifies to his splendor. The temple was built in the name of Saints Peter and Paul and had unprecedented height and luxury for the entire Volga region.
Architect
Peter and Paul Cathedral is made in the style of the so-called "Naryshkinsky", or Russian, Baroque, which was popular in the country in the late seventeenth - early eighteenth centuries. The uniqueness of the cathedral is given first of all by the abundance of facade details that have survived to this day, as well as their bright coloring. True, unfortunately, the names of the architect and builders of this spiritual temple are unknown.
At the same time, many experts find similarities in its decor with the ornamental decoration of churches that were built in the first half of the eighteenth century in Ukraine. Perhaps the Peter and Paul Cathedral (Kazan) was really built by Little Russians, although it is by no means a copy of any particular style. Much of its architecture and design is unique, and is the fruit of addictions that do not have a specific focus.
Reconstruction
A huge merit in the fact that this cathedral in Kazan has been preserved to this day belongs not only to the builders, but also to the local clergy and elders who served here at a later time. The fact is that over its long history, the structure has repeatedly undergone partial destruction. And first of all, this is due to numerous fires, of which there were at least five.
The Peter and Paul Cathedral (Kazan) was especially damaged in 1815, when due to the strong destruction of the building, the parish had to move for nine whole years to the nearby Gostinnodvorsky church. At this time, the largest reconstruction of the temple was made. It was carried out at the expense of the Cathedral elder and the local merchant - the grandfather of the outstanding scientist and chemist Alexander Zaitsev.
In the 1880s, the cathedral, which had become very dilapidated, looked very deplorable. The main reason was the destruction of the foundation. As a result, even the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral began to heel, they lost their original appearance and decoration elements. The elder and the abbot of the cathedral organized another large-scale reconstruction, the project of which belonged to the architect Litvinov - the author of Kazan University. According to drawings and detailed drawings, he managed to restore the original appearance of the structure. During the reconstruction, parish temples and porches were dismantled and rebuilt, a unique stucco molding on the facades was restored. It was at this time that the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral was enriched with the watches of the famous master Klimov.
After the revolution
During the years of Soviet power, the Peter and Paul Cathedral (Kazan) continued to operate until 1939. And even after the closure, it was officially recognized as an architectural monument, state-protected. Since 1950, thirty years it housed the local planetarium. But thanks to the petition and labors of the Bishop of Kazan and the great activity of the faithful, the church was returned to the church.
Despite the fact that for more than fifty years the church has not been worshiped, the seven-tiered ancient iconostasis, richly decorated in the Russian Baroque style, is perfectly preserved in it.
Shrines
One of the most revered are the relics of the saints Nektarios and Iona of Kazan. They were a father and a son. In the world of the boyars, Nestor and John of Zastolsky were assistants to Archbishop Gury, the very first Kazan saint. When he was sent to the newly established Kazan diocese, John of Zastolsky went with him. Under the spiritual supervision of the saint, he began to lead a virtuous and very pious life. According to the laws of God, he raised his son Nestor. With the consent of his father, the young man took monastic tonsure. He died young.
Miraculous image
The Peter and Paul Cathedral, a photo of which everyone who came to Kazan recognizes, has the miraculous Sedmiozernaya icon of the Mother of God, handed over to him by the Church of Yaroslavl miracle workers. It was there that she was kept for many years, saved by Hieroschimonhom Seraphim.
This shrine was brought from Ustyug to the city of Kazan on October 13, 1615, the monk Euthymius - the founder of the Sedmiozernaya Bogoroditsky desert. He blessed a place for the future monastery.
In the seventeenth century, the icon became famous for its great miracles. When in 1655 the plague of plague raging in the country reached Kazan, it claimed the lives of most of the city’s population in a very short period of time. Almost fifty thousand people died.
And then a vision came to one of the pious nuns in a dream: she had a bright husband who ordered to tell the inhabitants of Kazan that they should hold a seven-day post and that they must bring an icon of the Mother of God from the Sedmiozernaya desert. When the image with honors was met by Kazan and installed in the temple, the pestilence began to recede.
The entire Orthodox population of the city and the local diocese deeply reveres this icon and to this day has received help from the Mother of God in distress and healing in illnesses. The Sedmiozernaya shrine stored in the altar of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is weekly taken out for the service of the prayer and for worshipers to worship it.
Temple today
Currently, the Peter and Paul Cathedral (Kazan), having the status of a cathedral, is deservedly considered one of the most significant centers of spiritual life in the Tatar Republic. Here, not only bishop services are celebrated, but also diocesan celebrations. Twice during the period of recent history, during his First Hierarchical visits to the Kazan Diocese, and this was in 1997 and 2005, it was in the Peter and Paul Cathedral that the Patriarch of All Russia Alexy II performed divine services.