Kazan Cathedral. The architecture of the Kazan Cathedral in the northern capital Kazan Cathedral architecture
When, while traveling, you find yourself in St. Petersburg, I am sure that you will certainly want to walk along its “main artery” - Nevsky Prospekt. During this walk, you will certainly pay attention to the majestic cathedral, located near the Griboyedov Canal.
Once, in my student youth, this place was one of my favorites in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). Here we usually made appointments with friends. Since even in bad weather it was very convenient to wait for each other under the cathedral vaults, reliably sheltering from the pouring St. Petersburg rain. On the days when the sun drove away the winter blues, we liked to sit on the benches of the square located near this temple, exposing our pale faces to the first caressing rays.
On the same benches, a lot of notes were read and re-read during preparations for tests and exams during sessions at the institute. That is, I firmly associate this place with joyful memories.
So, my story will be about the amazing Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
History of the Kazan Cathedral
Predecessor - Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
I think you will be interested to know that since 1737, on the site of the current location of the Kazan Cathedral, a stone baroque church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin was originally built (architect Mikhail Zemtsov). Before its consecration, a copy of the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God was brought here. For me, it was a surprise that Empress Anna Ioannovna herself accompanied him on foot.
The church had a court appointment. In 1773, the wedding of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich took place there. Military victories were also celebrated here. By the end of the 18th century, the church was seriously dilapidated, and Paul I announced a competition for a construction project to replace it with a new St. Petersburg church.
Creation of the Kazan Cathedral
The imperial decision approved the plan of the architect A. N. Voronikhin, who was beginning his masterful path, and was once a serf, Count Alexander Sergeevich Stroganov, president of the Academy of Arts.
I read that the count himself is appointed chairman of the board of trustees organized during the construction of the cathedral, which lasted a decade (1801-1811). For the grandiose work Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir IV degree.
Metropolitan Ambrose consecrated the cathedral on September 27, 1811. About 5 million rubles were transferred from the state treasury for the construction of this magnificent temple.
The cathedral becomes a monument to Russia's triumph over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812. In 1813, in its left aisle, there is the tomb of the brilliant Russian Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov, whose body was brought to St. Petersburg in June from the Prussian city of Bunzlau. A bronze fence was erected at the burial place (author A.N. Voronikhin) and five standards and one banner were installed, which have survived to this day.
Above the grave itself was placed the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God. In the temple space of the cathedral, 107 “captive” banners and standards of the French army were also hung (most of them are stored in Moscow today), as well as 97 bundles of keys from the conquered fortresses and cities of France. I think you will also pay attention to the two grandiose monuments to Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly opposite the Kazan Cathedral.
They were erected in 1837 in memory of the events of the Patriotic War against Napoleon.
Cathedral in the 19th - early 20th century
I am still amazed by the magnificent facades of the Kazan Cathedral, although some of them are currently lost. Made of Pudozh stone, they were generously decorated with sculptural compositions and bas-reliefs. The most famous masters of that time worked on this grandeur: I. P. Martos, I. P. Prokofiev, V. G. Godeev, V. I. Demug-Malinovsky.
The bronze north gates were made like the "Paradise Doors" of the Baptistery of Florence (XV century).
I am very sorry that not all this beauty has survived to this day. True, 56 gigantic columns made of pink Finnish granite, in my opinion, still inspire a sense of steadfastness, grandeur and reliability. The stucco molding of the temple belonged to the works of F. Toricelli and B. Medici. The iconostases were made by A. Leblon and F. Chretien. The images, most of which are today in the Russian Museum of the Northern Capital, were painted by O. A. Kiprensky, F. P. Brullo and other prominent masters.
The temple was filled with light by a beautiful chandelier of 180 candles (the work of J. Guérin). By the day of the consecration of the Kazan Cathedral, the miraculous Image of the Virgin of the same name was dressed in a magnificent golden riza adorned with precious stones and pearls. From 40 pounds of captured French silver, the architect K. A. Ton made the lining of the main iconostasis. Later, in 1884, an 11-pood silver tomb for the shroud appeared in the cathedral, and in 1890 - chased banners.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1903, the townspeople had an unusual idea - to create the same mighty belfry near the Kazan Cathedral, but the Academy of Arts reasonably rejected this intention. By the 100th anniversary of the cathedral, a number of restoration works were carried out under the guidance of the best architects and artists, including my favorite diocesan architect A.P. Aplaksin.
It is to him that the words belong: “With the Kazan Cathedral, Russia equaled Europe, ... having risen high to the level of the image of beauty.”
The magnificent interior decoration, revered shrines, church utensils, which in themselves were works of art, in a word, all this created an indelible feeling of beauty among the parishioners. And the commemorative plaques located here, bas-reliefs of Paul I and Alexander I, as well as the tomb of M.I. Kutuzov reminded of the imperial glory of Russia.
It was from here that annually on September 12, along Nevsky Prospekt, there was a solemn procession to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (you can read more about it in my article), in which the imperial persons and gentlemen of the Order of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky certainly participated. By the way, I was interested to know that earlier this day was an official holiday in St. Petersburg. Other solemn religious processions were also performed in the Kazan Church.
The patronal feast - the day of the Kazan Mother of God, celebrated on July 21 and November 4, gathered a lot of citizens in the cathedral. As a result, a prayer service in front of the miraculous icon was held right on the street opposite the cathedral.
On the day of memory of Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles, the Slovenian educators, on May 24, many students flocked to the Kazan Church. On the feast of St. Sava of Serbia, which falls on January 27, the capital's Serbs came here. A special thanksgiving prayer service sounded here on January 7 (according to the new style) - on the Day of the Victory over Napoleon.
In the same church on November 8, 1893, the funeral of my beloved great Russian composer Ilyich Tchaikovsky was held.
That is, from the beginning of its existence until the revolutionary upheaval of 1917, the Kazan Cathedral not only fulfilled its direct spiritual mission - serving the liturgy - but also reflected all the cultural and historical events of Russia, being an outstanding monument of its military glory.
I myself learned with interest that shortly before the revolutionary events of 1917, it was in the Kazan Cathedral for the only time in the history of the St. Petersburg diocese that the election of the ruling bishop was held by free voting of the clergy and laity. They became the future Hieromartyr Benjamin (Kazansky).
In January 1921, even before the closing of the cathedral, it was he who consecrated the chapel of the Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow.
After the process of requisition of church valuables in 1922, during which Metropolitan Veniamin (Kazansky) was innocently shot, the interior of the cathedral was also badly damaged. One silver weighing about 2 tons was seized from it, as a result of which a unique silver iconostasis perished in the melting furnace. I was surprised that, despite the increasing repressions, there was still an almshouse for elderly women here until 1925, and the parish remained numerous. Missionary and charitable activities did not stop.
Since 1928, the temple has been given into the hands of the “renovationists”, and since the beginning of 1932 it has been closed.
In the cellars of the temple, the GPU arranged warehouses. In my opinion, it was a real blasphemy that in the cathedral, which meant so much to Russia, the new authorities decided to create nothing, namely the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism.
I had a chance to visit there as a child. There was a feeling of emptiness, heaviness and heart bewilderment. But all this is now in the past.
Restoration of spiritual life in the Kazan Cathedral
In the early 90s of the XX century, the cathedral began to gradually return to its true purpose. And I am glad that together with my friends I was an eyewitness of this revival. In the fall of 1990, in the vaults of the Museum of Atheism and Religion, located in the Kazan Cathedral, the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, lost during the years of repression against the church, were found. The solemn divine service on the occasion of their finding was led by Patriarch Alexy II. From Leningrad on February 6, 1991, the holy relics were sent by train "Red Arrow" to Moscow. At that time, the authorities were still trying to prevent wide publicity of what had happened, but, nevertheless, a huge crowd of people gathered to see off St. Seraphim.
This people's sea even made it difficult for the train to depart from the Moscow railway station. When the train set off, all those present respectfully bowed to the ground. Soon, in 1991, services begin in the left aisle. The illumination of the central aisle after many years of neglect took place in 1992.
At the end of April 1994, the cross was again solemnly raised to the cathedral dome.
main shrine
As for the most central shrine of the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral, research continues to this day regarding the history of its appearance on the banks of the Neva. I read different versions about which of the lists of the original (or even the original itself) ended up in St. Petersburg. According to one of them, it was an icon, with which in 1611 the Kazan militia went to Moscow to oppose the paths and Lithuanians who besieged it, and which they then transferred to Nizhny Novgorod under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky.
With that Image on October 22, 1612, Kitai-Gorod was first taken, and then the Moscow Kremlin, and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky placed the icon in 1636 in the Kazan temple he built near Red Square.
This shrine was subsequently especially revered by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. It was he who commanded to celebrate her days at the all-Russian level: July 21 (the date of the amazing appearance of the Image of the Mother of God in Kazan) and November 4 (the day Moscow was liberated from foreigners). After the birth of his son, Tsarevich Dmitry, the son of Mikhail Fedorovich, Alexei Mikhailovich, begins to consider the icon the guardian of the Romanov family.
This was adopted by all subsequent rulers of this dynasty. Of course, lists were also written from the icon. According to another version, in the Kazan Cathedral of St. Petersburg there is a list made from the Kazan icon after its miraculous acquisition and handed over to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. That is, there is still no consensus on which icon is in the temple today. But the fact that since the 18th century it has already performed miracles is proved by numerous written and oral testimonies. And I believe that when worshiping any shrine, the statement “According to your faith, be it to you” is true.
Social activities at the Kazan Cathedral today
The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg is, in my opinion, very significant social work:
- With the blessing of Archpriest Pavel Krasnotsvetov, who is currently the rector of the temple, a pilgrimage center has been opened here. The main goal is to revive and support the Christian tradition of visiting holy places for "pilgrimage". It offers both one-day excursions and long trips, including to holy places abroad. If you are interested in this information, then I inform you about the phone number of the service: 930-47-12. Opening hours: daily 12:00–17:00
- There is a rich library at the cathedral, in which, in addition to literature, there are audio and video recordings.
How to get to the Kazan Cathedral
I will tell you how to get to the Kazan Cathedral. You need to take the metro to the Gostiny Dvor station and get off at the Griboedov Canal side. The cathedral will be opposite (you just need to cross Nevsky Prospekt). Kazansky Square is located in front of the temple.
Time to visit the Kazan Cathedral
I want to please you that the entrance to the cathedral is free. Just do not forget, please, that this is an Orthodox church, where you must follow a simple dress code. Although the mass of "import" tourists come here, in whatever they need. But I assume that a well-mannered person (like you and me) will respect the rules of the spiritual places that he visits, be it an Orthodox church, a mosque or a Buddhist temple.
The cathedral is open every day: on weekdays from 7:00 am, on Sundays and holidays from 6:30 am
Access to the temple ends after the end of the evening service, around 21:00. During working hours, the sacraments of baptism and weddings take place here, orders for various spiritual needs are accepted.
There is always an on-duty cleric (priest) in the temple premises, with whom you can discuss life problems that concern or concern you, even if you are not a parishioner of the cathedral (and a resident of St. Petersburg).
Under the colonnade of the heroic temple
I really hope that my story about the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg did not leave you indifferent.
The temple is alive and active today. Prayers offered in it every day protect our city, its residents and guests. The memory of the heroic times and glorious victories of the Russian army, of the remarkable people of Russia who fought and worked for the good of the Fatherland and their neighbors is preserved here.
The cathedral continues the traditions of charity and spiritual nourishment, supports the cultural initiatives of the city, and pays great attention to the education of young people. Be sure to visit here, bow to the great Russian shrine - the Image of the Kazan Mother of God, honor the memory of Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov and all the warriors who brought victory to the country in the Patriotic War of 1812. In warm weather, sit on a bench in the park near the cathedral and admire the magnificent fountain and magnificent monuments to Russian commanders.
I am sure that a meeting with this masterpiece of church architecture and a place that preserves historical memory will leave a good mark in your heart.
Almost all guests of the Northern capital consider it their duty to admire the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. This Orthodox church is located in the city center, at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and the Griboyedov Canal. An island on the Neva, a nearby bridge and a square adjacent directly to the Kazan Cathedral are named after him.
The famous religious building can impress an inexperienced tourist with its size: its height exceeds 70 m. The temple was built specifically to store the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, according to legend, capable of healing the sick and working miracles.
Architect and sculptor of the Kazan Cathedral
The history of the construction of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg is quite unusual. The famous landmark had a more modest predecessor - the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This stone building, whose construction began in 1733, has become a remarkable example of the Baroque style in architecture. The distinctive characteristics of the church were the bell tower, located directly above the doors, and the dome made of natural wood.
The first architect and sculptor who participated in the creation of the future Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was Mikhail Zemtsov. The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, built according to his design, was completed four years after the laying of the first stone. Before the first divine service, a deeply revered image of the Kazan Mother of God was transferred to it - an exact copy of the miraculous icon that mysteriously appeared in Kazan at the end of the 16th century. The relic was brought to the northern capital during the reign of Peter I and was previously kept in the Trinity Cathedral.
Of the interesting facts about the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin, it is worth mentioning that it was considered "court". Empress Anna Ioannovna herself was personally present at its opening, and in 1773 the future Emperor Paul I was married here. Solemn prayers were regularly held in it in honor of the victories of Russian troops over the Napoleonic army in 1812.
At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Paul I decided to organize a competition for the best version of a new church. The monarch wanted the city to be decorated with an almost identical copy of the Vatican Cathedral of St. Peter. Even the projects of famous architects - Trombaro, Cameron, Gonzago and others - did not impress Pavel. In 1800, Count Stroganov, whose mansion was located near the church, presented to the tsar a sketch of a gifted young master Andrei Voronikhin. He was immediately approved, and the count was appointed head of the board of trustees in charge of construction work.
In 1801, the solemn laying of the first stone of the new building took place in the presence of the already new Russian ruler Alexander I. However, the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built not only according to the project and with the participation of the architect Voronikhin, but also with the help of his talented colleague N. Alferov. It was assumed that in the western part of the temple there would be an entrance, in the eastern part - an altar, and the northern and southern facades would be decorated with monumental colonnades of more than 90 columns with an impressive height of 13 m. However, in practice, only the northern colonnade was completed, and to this day is authentic decoration of Nevsky Prospekt. The columns are set in 4 rows.
The construction of the grandiose cathedral lasted 10 years, and at least 5 million rubles were spent on it. After the completion of the building, the emperor awarded its creator the honorary order of St. Vladimir 4th degree.
After the opening of the new church, the old church was immediately demolished. The further history of the cathedral is rather unusual. Notable events include the following:
In 1812, after the victory over the French, about 30 banners left by the defeated Napoleonic troops and obtained as trophies were transferred here for storage. Also, about 100 keys from European fortresses and settlements that surrendered to the mercy of Russian military leaders, their flags and the personal staff of Davout, the commander-in-chief of the enemy army, were delivered to the cathedral. In the northern aisle of the sanctuary, the ashes of the outstanding Russian commander M.I. Kutuzov, a true hero of his Fatherland, are buried.
In the second half of the 19th century, performances and demonstrations of revolutionaries were regularly held on the square in front of the temple. Among them was the famous Plekhanov, the leader of one of the populist groups.
In 1913, during the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, a stampede took place in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, in which more than 30 people died.
In the first years of Soviet power, the temple became the object of looting: more than 2 tons of silver utensils and other valuables were seized from it. Since the early 1930s, the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism has been located within its walls. Divine services were resumed only after the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s.
The appearance of the cathedral and the style of architecture
The cathedral's colonnade is considered a real gem of Nevsky Prospekt. The main highway of the city stretches in the direction from west to east, and Orthodox churches are oriented in the same way during construction. This often creates difficulties for architects. An unusual design solution made it possible to make the lateral - northern - part of the building overlooking the avenue, the front one.
The cross on the dome is also, in accordance with religious canons, turned to the avenue with an edge and is almost invisible from the northern facade. The cathedral itself is made in the form of a traditional Catholic cross.
There is no bell tower in the temple, and the belfry is located in the western part of the colonnade. On both sides of the latter there are large porticoes, as well as two pedestals, on which until the middle of the 19th century there were plaster statues of angels. For facing the facades of the building, an original material was used - lime tuff of a gray hue. It is also called the Pudost stone, since it is mined near the village of Pudost, Leningrad Region.
Opposite the cathedral there are monuments to M. B. Barclay de Tolly and M. I. Kutuzov. Bronze monuments look almost the same: famous military leaders are depicted in full growth and in cloaks, reminiscent of the times of antiquity. However, de Tolly's posture indicates calm, while Kutuzov energetically calls on the army to attack.
At the northern wall of the temple there are 4 bronze sculptural compositions depicting Alexander Nevsky, Prince Vladimir, John the Baptist and St. Andrew the First-Called. Their authors are, respectively, S. Pimenov (the first two sculptures), I. Martos and V. Demut-Malinovsky.
The bronze gates on the northern wall of the building completely copy the well-known "Paradise doors" of the Florentine baptismal house, dated to the 15th century. The porticoes of the temple attract attention with beautiful bas-reliefs:
- The eastern passage from the side of the northern colonnade is decorated with a bas-relief by Martos, depicting how Moses extracts water from stones during the exodus of the Jews. A bas-relief by I. Prokofiev is symmetrically located above the western passage, dedicated to the erection by the same prophet of a copper serpent in the desert.
- The walls of the building, which have porticoes, are decorated with large bas-reliefs and small panels by sculptors Rashetta, Gordeev, Kashenkov, Anisimov and others. All of them describe the life of the Mother of God and the miracles associated with the icon of Our Lady of Kazan.
Icon of the Kazan Mother of God and the interior of the cathedral
Inside the cathedral is similar to the giant hall of the imperial residence. Monumentality is given to it by more than 50 columns of the Corinthian order, decorated with gilded capitals. The material for these elements was pink granite delivered to St. Petersburg from Finland. The columns divide the interior of the temple into 3 aisles - the nave. The width of the central nave is 4 times the width of the side ones, and the semi-cylindrical vault allows you to visually increase its space even more. The ceilings of the side aisles are organically inscribed with rectangular caissons and rosettes in the form of fantastic flowers, imitating real paintings and made of alabaster.
The mosaic on the floor in the temple is made of natural pinkish and gray marble brought from Karelia. The floor steps of the pulpit and the altar, as well as the pulpit, are lined with coral-crimson porphyry.
Most of the icons of the Kazan Cathedral were painted by the great painters of the late 18th - early 19th centuries: Bryullov, Borovikovsky, Shebuev, Basin, Ugryumov, Bessonov, Ivanov, Kiprensky and others. Their works adorn not only the iconostasis, but also the walls and pylons of the building. All canvases are made in the style of Renaissance artists.
Of the bas-reliefs inside, only two have survived to this day: "Taking into custody" by Rashett and "Carrying the Cross" by Shchedrin. The rest collapsed already 2 years after the victory over the French and were replaced by frescoes and oil paintings.
The iconostasis was created in the 1830s according to the sketch of the architect Ton and finished with captured silver, which the Russian troops got after the flight of the Napoleonic army. During the Soviet era, the precious lining was stolen, but now it has been completely restored. Above the northern and southern entrances there are sculptural compositions depicting the arrest of Jesus and his procession to the place of execution. The main shrine - the face of Our Lady of Kazan - is located on the left side of the Royal Doors.
Opening hours and excursions to the cathedral
The entrance to the temple is free. It is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am (Saturday and Sunday - from 6.30 am) until the end of the evening service. The most convenient way to get to the cathedral is by metro to the Nevsky Prospekt or Gostiny Dvor stations, and you should get off at the Griboyedov Canal.
Sightseeing tours of the temple, where the guide will tell you about the history of its construction and shrines, last mostly 1.5-2 hours and cost from 600 to 4000 RUB, depending on the number of participants.
The Kazan Cathedral is a unique architectural monument that organically combines the features of Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
One of the largest religious buildings in the Northern capital is the majestic Kazan Cathedral. Wings - colonnades - stretched out from the center of the structure in both directions. Outside, the cathedral is decorated with bas-reliefs made of yellowish limestone. The building makes a huge impression. The interior and exterior decoration of the temple is amazing: 56 magnificent columns, which are made of Finnish pink granite and decorated with gilded Corinthian capitals, create a feeling of spaciousness and grandeur.
Construction of the cathedral
For two centuries it was a shrine of the Romanovs. It was first brought to the city by Peter I. In the first half of the 17th century, the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos was built in St. Petersburg (the author of the project was M. G. Zemtsov, a famous Russian architect). It was located on the very spot where the magnificent cathedral is located today. At the end of the century, the church, as well as the buildings adjacent to it, were demolished, leaving a huge square in the city center.
Create a project
A creative competition was announced to create a project for a new temple. It lasted about three years (1797-1800). The participants faced a rather difficult task. Paul I wished that the new temple would resemble the famous St. Peter's Basilica, located in Rome, the work of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti and other architects of the Renaissance. The cathedral must have been decorated with a colonnade, approximately the same as that attached to St. Peter's Cathedral by the architect Giovanni Bernini. It was important to fit the new monumental building into the already designed architectural space.
In accordance with Orthodox canons, the altar of the temple should be turned to the east, and the main facade - to the west, that is, to Meshchanskaya (today Kazanskaya) street.
From the very beginning of the competition, great architects took part in it - P. Gonzaga, A. N. Voronikhin, C. Cameron. In 1800, J. F. Thomon arrived in the capital to participate in the competition.
Initially, Paul I approved the project of C. Cameron. However, thanks to the support of Count A. S. Stroganov, who was responsible for the construction, in November 1800, the project of A. N. Voronikhin was adopted. This decision was widely and for quite a long time discussed in society. Particularly heated discussions were caused by the origin of Voronikhin, who was a former serf of the Stroganovs. He received his freedom in 1786.
Shrines of the temple
Kazan Cathedral has the main shrine - miraculous At the beginning of the 17th century, during the struggle with the Swedish and Polish invaders, the icon always accompanied the Militia of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. Then it was kept in the Moscow Terem Kazan Cathedral.
Peter I in 1710 ordered to bring to St. Petersburg an old repetition of the miraculous image.
When Voronikhin was building the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon, fulfilling the will of Emperor Paul I, he used only the motif of a semicircular colonnade located in front of the temple building from the proposed prototype. As for the rest, the Russian architect created an independent building, which harmoniously merged into the development of Nevsky Prospekt.
95 huge columns outline a small area. To the right and left, the colonnade ends with massive portals. This building also has a special purpose - it covers the main body of the temple.
The building project was not completed in full. When the construction of the Kazan Cathedral was already being completed, he proposed to build an additional colonnade, which was supposed to be located on the south side of the building. She had to repeat the northern counterpart. However, his proposal was rejected.
Description of the temple
From the side of Kazanskaya street, it was decided to make the central entrance to the Kazan Cathedral. St. Petersburg received a completely unique building, which the citizens of St. Petersburg are rightly proud of, and numerous guests of the city are looking at with interest.
In plan, the cathedral resembles a shape; a huge dome rises above its middle. The outer columns, entablature, capitals, cladding and bas-reliefs are made of Pudost stone. It is a fairly soft limestone with a yellowish tint. It was mined near St. Petersburg.
Statues and sculptural groups adorn the entire city. Kazan Cathedral is no exception in this sense. Here, sculpture is given special importance in the external design. On the attics of the portals (above the side passages), there are bas-reliefs. On the western side - the work of I.P. Prokofiev, from the east - the work of I.P. Martos. Above the altar is a famous bas-relief by D. Rashetta.
The northern entrance is decorated with monumental doors, which are an exact copy of the “Paradise Gates” of the Baptistery. They are made of bronze by the Italian sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti.
On both sides of the doors, in special niches, there are bronze figures of St. Andrew the First-Called and Vladimir the Equal-to-the-Apostles and Alexander Nevsky.
The bas-reliefs "Adoration of the Magi", "Annunciation", "Adoration of the Shepherds", "Flight into Egypt" are located in the northern portico.
Interior decoration
Kazansky is distinguished by a rich and solemn interior. It feels Russian scope and power. The first unique iconostasis was created according to the drawing by A. Voronikhin.
Somewhat later (1836) a luxurious gift was made to the city. St. Petersburg, the Kazan Cathedral received a new iconostasis minted from silver, made according to the project of the architect K.A. tone. It was recaptured by the Don Cossacks in 1812 from the French.
Most of the icons were painted by the best artists of the early 19th century - O. A. Kiprensky, V. L. Borovikovsky, F. A. Bruni, V.K. Shebuev, G. I. Ugryumov, K. P. Bryullov and many others.
The meaning of the temple
In 1811 the Kazan Cathedral was consecrated. St. Petersburg cherishes the memory of the valiant Russian soldiers who, after serving a prayer service, went straight from the temple to the Patriotic War.
M. I. Kutuzov left this cathedral to command the Russian troops, but here his body was buried with honors in 1813, in a crypt under the arches of the Kazan Cathedral. Twenty-four years later, a monument to the great commander was erected on the square in front of the cathedral.
Numerous trophies of the Patriotic War are stored in the Kazan Cathedral: banners, defeated troops, keys to captured cities and fortresses.
It is difficult for the current generation to imagine that the Kazan Cathedral was closed in 1929. St. Petersburg (at that time Leningrad) began an active struggle against the "religious intoxication". Three years later, the Museum of the History of Atheism was located in this historic place. The priceless icons of the cathedral were partially donated to the Russian Museum.
The main and most revered shrine of the temple - the icon of the Mother of God - was transferred to the cathedral, which was located on the Petrograd side. The interior actually turned out to be looted, it was significantly damaged during various reconstructions.
Cathedral today
At the end of the last century, the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was returned to the Diocese, and at the same time, the church returned to its lost status. At the beginning of the 21st century, the temple and all the parishioners met the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which was returned to its rightful place.
In the photo: Kazan Cathedral shortly after its consecration
Story Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg includes several building modifications.
In 1710, a chapel was built on Nevsky Prospekt next to the wooden building of the hospital, and later a wooden church of Our Lady of Kazan. A new stone church was founded by decree in September 1733, built according to the project of M. Zemtsov and was named Rozhdestvensky. A significant decoration of the built church was a multi-tiered bell tower 58 meters high.
On July 2, it was moved here from the Trinity Cathedral. And the Nativity Church began to be called Kazanskaya after the name of the icon. Later, the church received the status of the Cathedral, which became the main temple in the Northern capital.
By the end of the 18th century, the building was dilapidated and it was decided to build a new temple. The Emperor of Russia Pavel I wanted the new temple to be similar to it, and in 1799 a competition was announced for its project.
Sasha Mitrahovich 22.01.2016 11:32
“With what inexpressible delight I greeted the happy morning when I found out that the Empress had entered the capital and was proclaimed the head of the empire by the Izmailovsky regiment, who escorted her to the Kazan Cathedral among a huge gathering of troops and citizens who were ready to take a vow of allegiance to her.”
Sasha Mitrahovich 09.01.2017 11:43
Apparently, it was precisely due to his involuntary participation in the accession of Catherine II that the old Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin was especially unpleasant to Paul I, and when he ascended the throne, he announced a competition for a new project. In fairness, it must be said that this was also required by objective circumstances: on the main street of the capital, the modest Mother of God-Nativity Cathedral looked too unattractive.
The most prominent architects of their time - Charles Cameron, Pietro Gonzago, Jean Thomas de Thomon - took part in the competition for the best design of the cathedral. All of them had to solve a difficult task: the emperor demanded that the new cathedral be similar. This cathedral, seen by Paul I during his travels in Europe in the 1780s, struck his imagination. In particular, he was shocked by Bernini's colonnade, encircling the square in front of the cathedral. Now he wanted such a colonnade to decorate the facade of the Kazan Cathedral. None of the eminent architects could meet the requirements of the emperor. Only the little-known architect A. N. Voronikhin, who came from the serfs of Count Stroganov, succeeded in this. He proposed a solution, thanks to which the temple organically fit into the ensemble of Nevsky Prospekt.
According to Voronikhin's project, the columns were supposed to encircle the cathedral not only from the northern (facing Nevsky) side, but also from the south, and around the temple - from the north, south and west - it was supposed to create three squares. But it was not possible to implement this expensive idea, and the colonnade, similar to the Roman one, adorned only the northern facade of the Kazan Cathedral.
Sasha Mitrahovich 09.01.2017 11:50
Preparations for construction began in November 1800, eight days after the approval of the Voronikhin project. "For the construction of the Kazan Church" a special commission was formed, the terms for the construction of the building (three years) and the cost estimate were determined. Immediately, they began to prepare a construction site, on the site of which there were eleven private houses. Their owners were resettled, giving each of the treasury five hundred rubles. The amount is quite sufficient for acquiring a household, and, however, it is interesting to compare it with the annual salary due to Voronikhin - 3,000 rubles.
After clearing the area, the digging of ditches, the pumping of water from the Ekaterininsky Canal (now the Griboyedov Canal), and the strengthening of the capricious St. Petersburg soil with piles began in full swing. In other words, things moved quickly. And a gilded tablet was already ready, announcing that “the most pious, most autocratic Great Sovereign Emperor Paul the First of all Russia in his reign of the fifth year, and the Grand Master in the third year, laid the foundation for the holy temple.” But the crown bearer did not live to see the solemn laying of the first stone in the foundation of the temple, he was killed by the conspirators in his own bedroom.
His heir, Emperor Alexander I, had to lay the foundation of the cathedral, which he did - moreover, as if expiating his guilt before the late father (and only the lazy did not talk about this fault), he was in such a hurry with the laying that he did not even wait for the coronation.
The laying of the Kazan Cathedral took place on August 27, 1801, the coronation of Alexander the Blessed on September 15. Voronikhin's fears that the new emperor would stop the construction of the Kazan Cathedral were not confirmed. Construction continued at the pace set by Paul I - sometimes they did not stop even at night.
Work connected with the Kazan Cathedral was in full swing not only in St. Petersburg. Stone was being broken near Gatchina (it was the so-called Pudost stone, which is often confused with Pudozh stone), marble was broken in the Olonets province, granite near Vyborg. Hundreds of workers - mostly simple peasants - tirelessly created one of the greatest buildings of the era.
But, despite all efforts, it was not possible to complete the construction within the time period (three years) determined by the late emperor. Russia has entered the era of foreign policy conflicts; began, as they would say now, interruptions in funding. Yes, and Voronikhin could not meet the estimate, which is why difficulties constantly arose. Only by the autumn of 1811 was the cathedral ready for consecration.
Sasha Mitrahovich 09.01.2017 11:59
In 1990, the relics were found in the museum depository, which were transferred to the Church in January 1991. A few more months later, the relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod were discovered in the attic of the Kazan Cathedral, which were considered disappeared.
Although the master plan, including the second colonnade, was not implemented, the Kazan Cathedral is perceived as a complete and perfect piece of architecture. The main thing that contributes to the integrity of perception is the clarity of the compositional solution, the proportionality of architectural volumes and proportions. The composition of the cathedral was developed taking into account its importance as the central structure of the architectural ensemble. And in this case, the architect faced a difficult task. In Orthodox churches, the altar is always facing east, and the entrance to the church is on the opposite side, that is, from the west. When fulfilling this mandatory requirement, it turned out that the Kazan Cathedral was oriented towards Nevsky Prospekt with its side facade. It was necessary to create its front design.
Voronikhin boldly got out of the difficulty. He gave the plan of the building the shape of an elongated cross and built a semicircular colonnade from the side of Nevsky Prospekt.
The colonnade consists of 94 fluted columns of the Corinthian order with a height (with bases and capitals) of about 13 meters. It was placed, like the rest of the building, on a high plinth lined with Serdobol granite.
Three entrances lead to the cathedral: northern (from Nevsky), southern and western; each of them has three doors. The entrances are emphasized by strict six-column porticoes with wide steps.
The light, slender dome rests on a high cylindrical drum with 16 rectangular windows, between which there are pilasters. Voronikhin emphasized the base of the dome by arranging 16 round lunette windows with strongly protruding architraves. The base of the drum, stepped, expanding downwards, serves as a transition from the main vertical of the structure to the horizontal lines of the colonnade and facades.
It is characteristic that the cathedral does not have wide free planes of walls. All of its facades are cut through by huge windows arranged in two tiers. Between the windows vertically there are small piers on which pilasters are placed. From above, along the entire perimeter of the building and over the driveways, there is a massive attic. It increases the height of the walls and hides the roof. There is a balustrade on both sides of the colonnade. Above the windows, along the frieze of the colonnade, on the walls of the porticos, in the attics of the passageways, as well as at the corners of the entablature, there are relief compositions. The cornices of the building and the pediments of the porticos are richly ornamented with stone carvings. On the pediments of all three porticos the "all-seeing eye in the rays" is depicted, on the northern one - a gilded bronze one, on the others - carved from Pudost stone. All decorative details are restrained in their execution, giving the building a picturesque and cheerful tone.
Two trends are revealed in the architecture of the cathedral: monumentality, which is communicated by large-scale volumes, passages, a massive attic and a powerful plinth, and at the same time, the lightness that the smooth semicircles of the colonnade give to the structure with rhythmically, widely spaced, slightly thinned upward columns, a slender dome, numerous windows, and also the color scheme of the cathedral. The Pudost light yellow stone, with which the walls were lined and from which the columns were made, was in harmony with the brilliant, silvery, soaring dome, as if melting in the blue of the sky. The architect's desire to ensure the predominance of light colors was also reflected in the fact that even the fence on the western side of the cathedral was originally painted white, which is unusual for city lattices.
Monumentality and lightness, which are inseparable unity - this is one of the essential features of Voronikhin's work, giving the building a unique expressiveness. Another distinguishing feature of the Kazan Cathedral is that in its composition it is not the domed part (as in traditional Orthodox churches), but the colonnade that is of decisive importance. Completely covering the building from the side of the main thoroughfare of the city, it first of all attracts attention, contributes to the fact that the cathedral is perceived as a building of secular architecture.
The middle part of the colonnade is emphasized by a portico protruding somewhat forward. Above the columns of the portico is a powerful attic. From a distance, from the side of Nevsky Prospekt, the attic is perceived as the base of the dome, and the portico - as its pedestal. Thanks to this impression, the dome is included in the composition of the colonnade as part of it, crowning the center. Thus, the continuity of the colonnade with the building itself was approved.
Openwork semicircles of the colonnade depart from the portico in both directions, connecting it with the driveways. Thus, the main parts of the colonnade (semicircles) turn out to be closed rectangular shapes (portico, driveways), which gives the colonnade stability and completeness.
The center of the colonnade dominates but is not opposed to the driveways. In terms of scale, proportions, linear rhythm, these clearly defined parts are brought to unity.
It becomes clear how important it was for Voronikhin to defend his decision to arrange direct blocking of driveways. He simultaneously solved both technical and artistic problems: with direct ceilings, a commonality of forms of passages and a portico was achieved, passages were organically included in the composition of the colonnade, and the linear structure along the horizontal was not disturbed. The latter was of fundamental importance in the organization of the ensemble of the Kazan Cathedral. The deeply thought-out combination of the northern portico with the dome follows from the architect's general idea in organizing the architectural appearance of the cathedral, its place in the urban complex. A similar combination is typical for other porticos of the western and southern, as well as for the eastern facade, closed by a semicircular altar ledge - the apse. When we look at the cathedral from the opposite canal embankment, the apse is perceived as a tower crowned with a dome (In the implementation of the second colonnade, the "tower" of the eastern facade would play an active role as an accent centering the turn of the two colonnades and uniting them.) the sides of all four facades lead to impressive results: all the parts protruding from the lines of the facades are “smoothed out”, the contours of the building become clear, calm, the building acquires integrity, lightness, naturally and simply enters the surrounding urban environment (Voronikhin developed the master plan for the cathedral, taking into account the presence of open spaces on all its sides. Now the overgrown trees of the square near the lattice, where it was planned to create a square, hide the view of the western portico; the houses built near the cathedral on the south side do not allow you to move to a distance from which the portico would be perceived in harmonious combination with the dome) . The connection with the city is also found in the fact that the building of the cathedral acts from different sides in various combinations with the colonnade and the square. This variety of impressions opens the Kazan Cathedral to the city space even more, enhances the spirituality of its artistic appearance.
Voronikhin created one of the most expressive urban ensembles. He placed the cathedral at such a distance from Nevsky Prospekt that the most favorable ratio of the building to the size of the square and the surrounding buildings was formed. At the same time, it was taken into account that Nevsky Prospekt is actively included in the space of the cathedral square, increasing it.
The main role in the organization of the ensemble is played by the colonnade. It is wide open to Nevsky Prospekt, without obstructing the passage to other city blocks through the driveways along Plekhanov Street and the Griboyedov Canal Embankment. The basement of the eastern passage is connected with the lining of the canal, which plays a significant role in the artistic appearance of this part of the city.
Buildings are compositionally connected with individual elements of the colonnade, fixing the borders of Kazanskaya Square on three sides. On the opposite side of Nevsky Prospekt, two buildings stand side by side. They are limited on one side by a canal, on the other - by Sofya Perovskaya Street, through which access to the city blocks to the north of the cathedral opens. At the same distance from the driveways, corner houses were built along Plekhanov Street and the Griboyedov Canal, the northern facades of which face Nevsky Prospekt. Echoing the driveways, these houses limit the area on both sides, and it seems that the line of the semicircle of the colonnade continues to these buildings. And behind them, as you move from the colonnade to Nevsky Prospekt, an overview of the highway opens up more and more. Thus, the transition from the cathedral to the space of the city is carried out widely and freely, the nearby part of which is involved in the ensemble.
Kazan Cathedral is open from all sides. And from everywhere, from any direction, its various relationships with the houses located around are revealed. Thanks to this, the organizing role of the cathedral in the architectural ensemble is more clearly revealed. The buildings included in it are consistent in height with the height of the Kazan Cathedral. Stylistically, they are heterogeneous, but they have a common feature - the severity of architectural forms, which is characteristic of the appearance of the cathedral. The integrity of the ensemble is greatly facilitated by color. All buildings are of a light tone, close to the light yellow color of the colonnade. Different shades of color of individual buildings do not destroy the unity of the overall color scheme, but contribute to the cheerful sound of the ensemble. The exception in it is the dark building of the House of the Book, which enters the general tone as a contrasting spot; its tower, crowned with a sphere, echoes the main vertical of the cathedral, emphasizing the height of the dome.
The ensemble of Kazanskaya Square also includes the monuments of M. N. Kutuzov and M. B. Barclay de Tolly, erected 26 years after the completion of the construction of the cathedral. They are located against the background of the passages of the colonnade. In order to more accurately determine the places for the monuments, the sculptor B. I. Orlovsky previously used silhouette plank models of the monuments.
The interior of the building was also decided in a solemnly strict manner. The combination of monumentality with lightness and elegance in the development of an architectural image is one of the main creative principles of Voronikhin. In the Kazan Cathedral, this principle is clearly manifested in decorative and artistic decoration, in the general development of which the author proceeded from the nature of the building, its plan, and volumes.
In traditional buildings of the Orthodox cult, the main prerequisite for spatial solutions was the task of detaching the interior from the outside world. It was necessary to create such an environment that nothing would distract attention from the service, the ceremony. Hence a small number of often narrow windows and, as a result, wide wall planes, massive pillars supporting domes, and so on.
Fascinated by the task of creating an architectural ensemble, Voronikhin boldly departed from the traditional principles of church building, created a secular building, the artistic image of which carries life-affirming civic ideals.
The length of the cathedral inside from west to east is 72.5 meters, from north to south - 56.7 meters. The height with the dome is 71.6 meters, the span of the dome is 17.1 meters. The dome has two vaults: the lower one, cut through by a round hole, and the upper one, originally covered with paintings ("The Coronation of the Mother of God" by V. K. Shebuev), and later painted blue.
In plan, the cathedral has the shape of an elongated cross, which determined the spatial solutions of the interior. The main one is its dome part. It turned out to be slightly shifted to the east, adjoining directly to the central altar room and limited from four corners by pylons supporting the dome. From the pylons in all directions - to the west, east, north and south - two-row colonnades of red polished granite depart; their height, with bases and capitals, is 10.7 meters. The bases are covered with sheet bronze, the capitals are bronze (cast according to the model of the sculptor S. S. Pimenov). They were gilded, but, since in the haste with which the construction of the cathedral was being completed, high-quality ground was not prepared for gilding, the gilding had long since disappeared, and the capitals took on a dark color.
Due to the fact that the floor in the altar rooms is raised, the columns are modified. In violation of the style principles of the Corinthian order, they are installed on the floor without bases and their height is reduced.
The colonnades are at the same time the main component of the decorative and artistic design of the premises and have a constructive function - they support the vaults. Their calm rhythm introduces a motif of solemnity and peace. Widely spaced columns (there are 56 in total in the interior) divide the space, but do not isolate the parts from one another. The significance of the colonnades in the architectural appearance of the interior is clearly distinguished in its western part. This is the largest room of the cathedral, intended for believers. It is divided by two colonnades into three elongated naves. The middle nave is four times wider than the lateral ones and is covered by a barrel vault resting on the colonnades. The vault is decorated with octagonal caissons, in which metal, painted rosettes in the form of a stylized flower are fixed. The ceilings of the side aisles are flat coffered, they are much lower than the central one. The same division of space takes place in the altar and in the aisles, and the ceilings are arranged in the same way. This emphasizes the advantage of the central parts, "hiding" the width of the premises.
The architect successfully decided the transition from the vaults to the dome. On four sides, the "cuts" of the vaults, like semi-oval arches, approach the dome part, and it seems that the drum of the dome stands on these arches, slightly touching them with the edge of the base. This is how the connection between the main spaces of the interior is achieved and, as it were, the central dome part expands. At the same time, here in the center a range of circles and semicircles is created, surprisingly light, refined, testifying to the subtle artistic taste of the architect.
The interior is characterized by ideal proportions of architectural components: the height and volume of the column and the depth of the vaults, the length and width of the parts of the "cross", the dimensions of the window openings, etc. are ingeniously designed. they are only small piers, covered with artificial granite pilasters with gilded alabaster capitals. The abundance of windows gives the interior lightness, airiness and connects it with the surrounding external space. The building is filled with light, which, reflected in the polished granite columns and falling on the polished marble floor, gently dissipates and rushes up into the dome. All this gives the interior the character of a palace hall, restrainedly magnificent, majestic and strict.
The mosaic floor of the cathedral is interesting, made of stone of four colors: black, gray and pink marble and dark red Shoksha quartzite. The pattern, the distribution of stone colors in the mosaics are linked to the plan of individual interior spaces, which also contributes to the perception of the organic integrity of artistic solutions.
In the central, under-dome part, the floor is decorated with circles decreasing towards the center, echoing the lines of the dome, its vaults, gradually narrowing upwards. This relationship creates an illusion: the domed part is perceived as a separate round hall. The completeness and stability of the pattern is achieved with the help of straight mosaic elements, fan-shaped from the center and connecting the circles. In terms of shape and color, the parts of the mosaic are arranged in such a way that the impression of a relief pattern is created, and this gives it a special expressiveness.
In the main nave, in the northern and southern aisles, there are alternating colored stripes made up of octagonal tiles of black, red and gray stone. The pattern of the floor emphasizes the elongation of the space; in addition, it "reflects" the octagonal caissons of the vaults.
In the side naves, the mosaic patterns correspond to a narrow, long room enclosed between the wall and the colonnade. Each ceiling caisson corresponds to a pattern: in a circle, on a black background, there is a stylized flower made of pink and gray marble.
The layout and architecture also determined the location of the icons. Unlike other churches, where the icons were placed on domed pylons and walls, filling all the planes, here most of them were installed only in the altar part. There were three altars in the cathedral, separated from the main premises where believers gathered, by iconostases: the main one, in the iconostasis of which was the icon of Our Lady of Kazan, and two on its sides; southern, Christmas-Bogoroditsky, and northern, Antonio-Feodosievsky. It is noteworthy that the main iconostasis could not be "attached" to the altar. In search of a solution for an organic combination of the iconostasis with architecture, Voronikhin compiled three versions of the iconostasis project. According to one of them, the iconostasis was built in 1811. At the same time, Voronikhin installed "small" iconostases in the northern and southern aisles. In all the iconostases, Voronikhin strengthened the decorative motif, probably solving them as separate works not related to architecture, wanting to highlight them. He introduced patterned reliefs and sculptural compositions. But in terms of size, the main iconostasis did not fit into the interior, it was small.
In 1836, a new iconostasis was erected according to the design of the architect K. A. Ton. Magnificent, trimmed with silver, with malachite columns on the sides of the royal doors, it was disproportionate to the volume of the premises, although in itself it was a highly artistic work of art. At the same time, Ton made changes to the decor of the side iconostases. He removed the sculptural compositions in the upper part, leaving the layout of the icons unchanged. He covered the free planes in the lower part with a relief ornament. The design of iconostases became calmer and stricter.
Since that time, bronze-gilded chandeliers began to be hung in the cathedral. In 1836, the main chandelier, made by the master Chopin, with 180 candles was hung under the dome; in 1862 - two "middle" chandeliers in the southern and northern aisles for 32 candles each; in 1892 - between the columns - 16 "small" chandeliers of 16 candles. When all the chandeliers are turned on, the cathedral's room is filled with soft diffused light, the contours of architectural details are softened; the interior, while maintaining a solemn monumentality, acquires a particularly pacifying, calm character.
The Kazan Cathedral is one of the first architectural monuments of classicism, in the design of the facades of which a large place is occupied by sculptures. Later, sculpture was used in the decoration of many large buildings in St. Petersburg: the Mining Institute (1806-1811, architect A.N. Voronikhin), the Admiralty (1806-1820, architect A.D. Zakharov), the Stock Exchange (1805-1816, architect. Thomas de Thomon) and others. It was during this period that the high art of synthesis of architecture and plastic art was achieved through the joint efforts of outstanding architects and sculptors. Russian sculptors created magnificent sculptural ensembles filled with heroic pathos and advanced civil ideals. Statues, reliefs, architectural decorative forms, without losing their independent significance, enriched the content of architectural monuments, enhanced their picturesqueness and artistic expressiveness. Although the artists expressed the ideas of their works allegorically, through ancient or biblical plots and images, they glorified the patriotic deeds of their contemporaries, asserted the power of reason, expressed admiration for a person, his physical and moral perfection, sublimity of feelings.
The ideas of patriotism and humanism underlying the architectural image determined the life-affirming character of the Kazan Cathedral; coming to the fore, they muffled the cult purpose of the building,
The expressiveness and strength of the emotional impact of this monument is not only in the perfection of composition and architectural forms, but also in the deep synthesis of the arts: works of sculpture and painting are connected with architecture into a single whole.
The synthesis of arts has taken place in the history of arts since ancient times; at different stages and in different living conditions, it acquired different forms and depth of content. But the source of its formation has always been the commonality of the ideological and ideological basis of the arts and, consequently, the unity of style. In the synthesis of the arts, their mutual influence was natural. which contributed to the successful development of each. In this regard, the outstanding monuments of architecture and the monumental sculpture of the Ancient World associated with it are indicative.
The Kazan Cathedral is a vivid example of the fact that the synthesis of the arts reaches perfection in those periods when the arts are on the rise in their development, associated with progressive movements in the life of society.
The fusion of arts in the Kazan Cathedral is so natural and logical that they are perceived as an inseparable unity, forming an integral architectural and artistic image. At the same time, sculpture and painting enrich architecture, reveal its essence, without losing, however, their own artistic value.