ST.
NICHOLAS' NAVAL CATHEDRAL
St.
Petersburg, Russia
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral stands
in the western
edges of
Central St. Petersburg and is a glorious confection of blue, white and
gold
which couldn’t be in any other city.
Surprisingly,
it is a lot older than it
looks, you expect maybe
1860s or later, but it was built to a design by Savva Chevakinsky, the
main
architect employed by the Russian Navy, between 1753 and 1762 on the
site of an
earlier, wooden church. The bell tower which stands nearby was added in
1755.
Until the
Russian Revolution put an end
to overt religious
services in the USSR, the Cathedral was associated with the Navy and
contains a
number of memorials to sunken Soviet submarines, including a recent
memorial to
the Kursk.
There are, as
it happens, two churches
here. One on the
ground floor, and one on the floor above. The alter of the upper church
was
consecrated in the presence of Catherine the Great – who was, of
course, a
well-known sponsor of the Russian Navy.
The church,
which unlike many
Cathedrals in St. Petersburg,
still functions as a church, can hold up to 5,000 people and is a
delightful
detour from the more overwhelming fare of the City Centre.
Photo
- Andrew J. Müller
Back
to Cathedrals, Churches,
Abbeys etc... page
©
Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions and Andrew J.
Müller
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. and Jacqui Müller
© Web Design and Layout - Andrew J. Müller
2018
