Address: Russia, St. Petersburg, Izmailovsky prospect, 7A
Building: 1828 - 1835
Architect: Vasily Petrovich Stasov
Coordinates: 59 ° 54'59.5 "N 30 ° 18'21.3" E
Object of the cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation
Content:
One of the most beautiful and majestic cathedrals and churches in St. Petersburg has an amazing destiny. The snow-white building rises right behind the Fontanka, in the Admiralty district of the city. The cathedral is named after the Izmailovsky regiment and is an architectural monument of late classicism. Its main dome rises so high that it can be seen from a distance of 20 km.
Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral from a bird's eye view
Wooden temples
In 1730, the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna issued a decree on the creation of an elite Izmailovsky regiment. The new military formation was named after the village of Izmailovo, which was then located near Moscow.
In 1733, the Izmailovsky Life Guards regiment arrived at the court, and the first garrison church was consecrated in St. Petersburg. It was a camping tent, which in the summer months stood near the mouth of the Fontanka, in the small village of Kalinkina. During the winter months, services were not held there, so soldiers and officers attended parish churches in the city.
In 1742, the Izmailovsky regiment moved to a new territory - up the river. The marching tent-temple was dismantled and moved to the wooden regimental barracks. In the middle of the 18th century, a new five-domed temple was built for the military. It appeared in the place where a small wooden church had already stood under Peter I.
View of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral from the 1st Krasnoarmeyskaya street
The Izmailovsky regiment took part in all the wars waged by Russia. The legendary guards were considered brave. They became famous in various battles and enjoyed the special patronage of all Russian emperors.
Tsarina Elizaveta Petrovna presented the regimental church with gilded silver vessels. In addition, she embroidered graceful covers for the temple with her own hand. Expensive royal gifts were highly valued and cherished as shrines.
The wooden garrison church was not heated, so services were held in it only in the warm season. In winter, the military prayed in a small church in one of the barracks.
General view of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral
In 1824, St. Petersburg experienced a terrible flood. The Neva overflowed and flooded almost all the streets of the city. The central regions were particularly affected. The Izmailovsky temple was flooded with water of three arshins, that is, the depth exceeded 2 m. After that, it was decided to build a stone church.
Construction history
The project of the new cathedral was prepared by one of the founders of the Russian Empire style, Vasily Petrovich Stasov. The talented architect tried to preserve the features of the old wooden temple, which was dear to the guards. The foundation stone of the cathedral in 1828 was attended by Empress Maria Feodorovna and the Tsarevich - the future Tsar Alexander II. The cathedral was erected with the money of the treasury and the personal funds of Emperor Nicholas I.
View of the column of Glory of the Izmailovsky regiment against the background of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral
In February 1834, a storm passed over St. Petersburg. Powerful gusts of wind blew off the unfinished dome. The architect V.P. Stasov was accused of incorrect calculations and was sent under arrest for 10 days. The new temple was consecrated in May 1835.
The fate of the cathedral in the 20th century
At the beginning of the last century, regular services were held in the cathedral. It was a rich temple that contained an almshouse for the elderly and disabled, free apartments and an orphanage. After the revolution, the cathedral was given to the renovationists, and from 1928 for 10 years it served as the cathedral church of the Leningrad diocese.
In the 1930s, an active anti-religious campaign took place in the country. In April 1938, the doors of the cathedral were closed to believers. The city authorities stood up for the demolition of the building and wanted to clear the area, but the war prevented the implementation of the plan.
Fire of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral in 2006
The Izmailovsky temple was badly damaged by shelling and bombing during the Leningrad blockade. One of the shells brought down the main dome. It took the restorers time to return the cathedral to its former beauty. While the restoration was underway, there was a warehouse in the building and a sales point. In 1990, the historic church was given to the parishioners.
Fire and recovery
In 2004, they began to carry out a major restoration of the cathedral, but in August 2006 a big disaster struck. The scaffolding on the dome caught fire, and the flames spread to the temple. Fortunately, none of the people died. Everyone who was inside was evacuated on time. However, a massive fire destroyed the wooden frame of the dome. The supporting structure, which served for more than a century and a half, burned out to the ground.
View of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral after the fire
A criminal case of arson was opened, but the culprits were never found. The money for the reconstruction was allocated from the city budget. In addition, the Pope donated a considerable amount for the revival of the ancient cathedral.
According to the specialists' calculations, the dome could not be weighted with stones and concrete, so the new frame, as before, was made of wood. It was made of laminated veneer lumber and covered with modern refractory materials. The complete restoration of the temple was completed in the winter of 2017.
Architectural features
The monumental building is one of the decorations and architectural dominants of St. Petersburg. It stands next to the former military buildings. Now these buildings are used for shopping malls.
View of the columns of one of the porticoes of the cathedral
The majestic cruciform cathedral rises 80 meters and accommodates 3000 worshipers. The main volume ends with a powerful five-chapter. Huge azure domes with bronze stars and gilded crosses are visible from afar.
According to the canons of classicism, the facades of the temple are decorated with austere porticoes with six columns and triangular friezes. The western portal is decorated with bronze sculptures of angels, which were made by the professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts Samuel Galberg. The pilasters are finished in white artificial marble.
Interior decoration
The interior of the cathedral is spacious and light. The main dome is so high that it appears to be floating in the air. The walls and vaults are covered with intricate paintings on religious subjects.
View of the domes of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral
The rich iconostasis is decorated with columns of the Corinthian order and has a semicircular shape. Here you can see one of the shrines revered by believers - the icon of the Life-Giving Trinity, which was painted in 1406. This is the oldest icon among all the icons that are kept in the churches of St. Petersburg today.
Initially, the cathedral served as a garrison temple, so captured banners, flags from ships and keys to captured cities were kept in it. There were many Turkish banners in the church, obtained during the war between Russia and Turkey in 1877-1978.
Today, the names of the soldiers who died in the battles can be seen on the marble plaques. After the last restoration, new icons and pictorial mosaics appeared in the temple.
The interior of the cathedral
Column of Glory
The cathedral stands in the center of the beautiful Trinity Square. To the east of it stands the Column of Glory in honor of the victory in the Russian-Turkish war. The unusual monument was created by the architect David Ivanovich Grimm and opened in 1886 with the personal participation of Emperor Alexander III.
The amazing monument, 28 m high, was assembled from 108 cast-iron cannons that came to St. Petersburg as trophies. The guns are placed in five tiers. An allegorical sculpture of Glory rises above them. Goddess Nika holds a laurel wreath in her hand. Below, on a granite pedestal, there are boards on which the main battles of the Russian-Turkish war and the names of the distinguished regiments are listed.
Unfortunately, in 1930, during the time of the persecution of the church, the original monument was sent to be melted down.The city authorities planned to erect a monument to the Decembrists at the site of the military memorial, but this did not happen. Today, near the Trinity Cathedral, there is an exact copy of the old Column of Glory, which was made in 2005.
Cathedral today
The temple is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 19:00 and on Sundays from 6:00 to 20:00. Church services are held daily at 7:00 and 17:00, and on Sundays at 10:00 and 17:00. The cathedral has a Sunday school for adults, an orphanage and a youth community. The visit for pilgrims and tourists is free.
How to get there
The temple is located in the city center, at Izmailovsky Prospekt, 7A. From the Tekhnologicheskiy Institut metro station you need to walk 600 meters to it. Trolleybuses No. 3 and 8, minibuses No. K-90, K-115 and K-177 make a stop near the cathedral.
