Nikolsky Naval Cathedral in St. Petersburg: history, icons and address

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The Epiphany St. 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 annually sprinkle Russian sailors, blessing them for long voyages.

Start of construction

The city of Petersburg was chosen as the place for laying the first stone of the chapel in the middle of the 18th century. St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was built for the esplanade of the Admir alty. And it was in St. Petersburg that the main shipyard of the empire was located. At that time, the fleet workers lived in the so-called Sea Settlement. The clergy were forced to settle and hold services in ordinary houses. However, in 1730, the leadership of the fleet decided to allocate a separate wooden hut for the priests, which was later converted into a church. Soon, a small chapel grew near the shrine. Only in 1752, at the request of Admiral Mikhail Golitsyn, Empress Elizabeth allowed the construction of a stone structure in honor of St. Nicholas at the expense of the treasury. The architect Savva Chevakinsky was entrusted to manage the project. In June 1753, construction entered its initial stage. Howeverless than three years of preparatory work.

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 chapters. To do this, the architects repeatedly had to go to the Tula plant of P. Demidov for details. In the autumn of 1760 St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was completely built. The next step is interior design. 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. The reconstruction of the shrine began only by the middle of the 19th century with the main gate and stairs. And in 1901, stoves were installed in the cathedral to heat the room. Soon a new altar and throne were brought to 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 utensils confiscated for the benefit of the Soviet government amounted to about 330 kilograms.

St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral and its ministers were going through 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 Nikolai were exiled to Central Asia for a public report on arbitrarinessSoviet power. Numerous complaints from parishioners were unsuccessful. Moreover, soon all the remaining icons and salaries were taken out of the temple. In 1934, all the bells were removed, weighing more than 20 tons. The arrests of clergymen and parishioners continued. The full restoration of the work of the temple began only in the summer of 1941, after the cathedral received the status of a cathedral. During the war years, its exterior was badly damaged, but the 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 St. Petersburg diocese, talk about the harm caused to the soul by psychics and other magical interventions in human life.

A boarding school operates at the temple, where prayers are regularly performed. On holidays, children can attend worship services and even take part in them. In addition, the clergy of the cathedral took care of the Maximilian and Nikolaev hospitals, the naval hospital and other medical institutions.

Architecture Features

St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was built on the model of the Astrakhan temple, which Peter I liked very much. Nevertheless, it has a number of differences from all other Russian church buildings. Many sea temples have a traditional cross at the base, emphasizing their belonging toChrist the Savior. Some buildings in appearance symbolize the ship that leads the parishioners to the pier of salvation. Most often, a circle lies at the base of the cathedral. St. Nicholas Church is made in the form 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 golden patterns. The lower one - with sculptures and an altar. It is worth noting the five-tier chandelier, above which an angel with a crown and a palm branch in his hands hovers.

Shrines of the Cathedral

The main icon of St. Nicholas Church is the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, painted back 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 saint's relics is in his medallion in the central part of the image. About three dozen icons are kept in St. Nicholas Cathedral. This is the image of the Mother of God of Tikhvin, the Cross of the Lord, John of Kronstadt, Xenia of Petersburg and many others. Also one of the main shrines of the temple is the shrine of the Archbishop of Chernigov.

St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral: address and services

The temple is open to all comers from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm.

It regularly holds rituals of baptism, repentance, communion,chrismation, weddings and other sacred sacraments. The Naval Cathedral is located at 1/3 Nikolskaya Square, near 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 fixed-route taxis.