Epiphany Nicholas Naval Cathedral is one of the main shrines of St. Petersburg. This is the brightest monument of church architecture, made in the classical style of the Elizabethan Baroque. The clergy of the cathedral sprinkle Russian sailors every year, blessing them on long voyages.
Start of construction
In the middle of the 18th century, the city of Petersburg was chosen as the place of laying the first stone of the chapel. St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was built for the Esplanade of the Admiralty. And it was in Petersburg that the empire’s main shipyard was. At that time, fleet workers lived in the so-called Sea Settlement. The clergy was forced to settle and conduct services in ordinary homes. However, in 1730, the fleet management decided to allocate for the priests a separate wooden hut, which was subsequently converted into a church. Soon a small chapel grew near the shrine.
Only in 1752, at the request of Admiral Mikhail Golitsyn, did Empress Elizabeth permit the construction of a stone structure in honor of Nikolai the Wonderworker at the expense of the treasury. The project was entrusted to the architect Savva Chevakinsky. In June 1753, construction entered its initial stage. Nevertheless, about three years preparatory work was carried out.
In 1756, the decoration and decoration of the temple began. The only problem was the manufacture of special metal structures, which were frames for the heads. For this, the architects repeatedly had to go to P. Tulid Demidov's factory for details. In the fall of 1760, St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was completely built. The next step is interior decoration. These works were completed in advance by the summer of 1762.
For many years, the temple stood unchanged, withstanding one flood after another. However, many parts of the building required urgent replacement. Reconstruction of the shrine began only in the middle of the 19th century with the main gate and stairs. And in 1901, furnaces were installed in the cathedral for heating the premises. Soon a new altar and throne were brought into the temple.
Hard times
During the October Revolution, St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was forced to change its status. The building held meetings and meetings of the Bolsheviks. In the spring of 1922, all valuables were removed from the church. The total weight of the confiscated utensils for the benefit of the Soviet government was about 330 kilograms.
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral and its ministers experienced difficult times. The priests now and then faced the threat of arrest in connection with reports of incitement and treason. In October 1922, Bishop Alexei and Viceroy Nikolay were exiled to
Central Asia for a public report on the arbitrariness of Soviet power. Numerous complaints of parishioners were unsuccessful. Moreover, soon all the remaining icons and salaries were taken out of the temple. In 1934, all the bells were removed, the weight of which amounted to more than 20 tons. Arrests of clergy and parishioners continued.
Full restoration of the temple began only in the summer of 1941, after the cathedral received the status of the cathedral. During the war, its exterior was badly damaged, but reconstruction work was completed in a matter of months.
Modern life
Today St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral is one of the most visited shrines in St. Petersburg. On weekends, there are lectures on the basics of the Bible for everyone. The classes also discuss the life of the Petersburg diocese, and talk about the harm that psychics and other magical interferences in human life cause to the soul.
There is a boarding school at the temple, where prayers are regularly held. On holidays, children can attend services and even take part in them. In addition, the clergy of the cathedral took guardianship of the Maximilianovskaya and
Nikolaevskaya hospitals, the naval hospital and other medical institutions.
Architecture features
Nicholas Naval Cathedral was built on the model of the Astrakhan Church, which was very popular with Peter I. Nevertheless, it has a number of differences from all other Russian church buildings. Many sea churches are based on the shape of a traditional cross, emphasizing their belonging to Christ the Savior. Some buildings in appearance symbolize a ship that leads parishioners to the pier of salvation. Most often, a circle lies at the base of the cathedral. St. Nicholas Church is made in the shape of an octagonal cross.
The church is crowned with 5 gilded domes. The central tower is octagonal. Each dome has a large openwork cross.
The premises of the cathedral are conditionally divided into 2 halls: upper and lower. Each of them is decorated with historical images. The upper hall is decorated with bright naves and gold patterns. Lower - sculptures and an altar. It is worth noting a five-story chandelier, over which an angel hovers with a crown and a palm branch in his hands.
Shrines of the Cathedral
The main icon of the St. Nicholas Church is the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, written in the 17th century in Greece. The shrine is made in soft blue and blue tones, emphasizing belonging to the marine theme. The icon is decorated with precious stones and mosaics. A particle of the relics of the saint is in his medallion in the central part of the image.
The St. Nicholas Cathedral holds about three dozen icons. This is the image of the Mother of God of Tikhvin, the Cross of the Lord, John of Kronstadt, Ksenia of Petersburg and many others. Also, one of the main shrines of the temple is the cancer of the archbishop of Chernigov.
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral: address and services
The temple is open to all comers from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
It regularly holds the rituals of baptism, repentance, communion, anointing, weddings and other sacred ordinances.
The Naval Cathedral is located on Nikolskaya Square, 1/3, near the Spasskaya, Sennaya and Sadovaya metro stations. Passenger transport constantly runs to the territory of the church. The temple can be reached by bus, tram and minibus.