In the westernmost part of Russia lies the picturesque city of Kaliningrad, famous for its mild climate, amber jewelry, interesting history and sights. Until the middle of the 13th century, it was called Tvangaste and was a Prussian fortification. After the conquest of these territories by the crusaders, in 1255 the Czech monarch Přemysl II Otakar ordered the foundation of a fortress in its place, called Koenigsberg, that is, royal. Soon a city was formed around it, and at the beginning of the 14th century a magnificent building was built near it - the Königsberg Cathedral. Today, this building is one of the main decorations and the most frequently visited tourist sites in the city.
Construction
The temple was founded in 1333 by Bishop Siegfried. However, he soon died and construction continued under the direction of Johannes Clare. Initially, it was planned to build a church-fortress. However, by decree of Grand Master Luther of Brunswick, it was ordered to build just a large temple.
The work was started from the altar and completed by 1335. Then began the construction of two towers andlongitudinal part, which was intended for parishioners. In total, the Königsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad) was built over fifty years, until about 1380. The building was 101 meters long, 36 meters wide and 58 meters high, taking into account the size of the towers. However, during a fire in the middle of the 16th century, both of them burned down, and only one, the South, was restored, decorated with a high spire, and a pediment was built on the North side.
Koenigsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad): history
Bied in 1344 in the altar of the building, Bishop Johannes Clare did not live to see the consecration of the church, which took place in 1351.
The temple existed as a Catholic church for only about 170 years, until the time when the ideas of the Reformation penetrated the territory of Prussia. As a result of the victory of Protestantism, already in 1523, Johann Brismann read the first evangelical sermon in German in the church, and the Lutheran confession was recognized as the official religion. After 5 years, the church building was given into the possession of the city of Kneiphof, and around the building itself a settlement of clergy was formed with a cathedral square, a school, housing for the rectors of the temple, the bishop's house and outbuildings.
University period
In the 1530s, a building was built next to the temple, which housed the Albertina University. Since that time, the Königsberg Cathedral began to serve as the church of this famous educational institution, and since 1650 in itsthe southern tower began to house the Wallenrod Library, which is a magnificent collection of scientific and religious manuscripts. In addition, during the same period, a professorial tomb appeared in the temple, in which Immanuel Kant was also buried. In 1924, on the east side of the Königsberg Cathedral, a portico "Stoa Kantiana" was erected for the bicentennial anniversary of the philosopher.
History of the temple during the Second World War
Until the bombing of 1944, the Königsberg Cathedral stood undamaged. Unfortunately, during the hostilities, he was very badly damaged, and later was devastated. The rich decoration of the temple was almost completely burned. Only a few stone tombstones survive, including a monument to Duke Albrecht of Hohenzollern by the Flemish architect and sculptor Cornelis Floris.
After the war, the building stood without a roof for a long time and slowly fell into disrepair.
Restoration of historical heritage
In the early 70s of the last century, it was decided to restore the Königsberg Cathedral. The first stage of the restoration of the temple was more of a cosmetic renovation, and full-scale engineering work began only in 1992.
Because the cathedral is located on peaty soil, the foundation sinks a few millimeters every year. Since the founding of the temple, he sank more than one and a half meters, and the angle of the walls was more than forty centimeters. To combat these phenomena, false windows were made back in 1903, but they did not help either,therefore, the restorers had to work hard to restore the strength of the structure. In addition, four bells were installed in the 90s, as well as a spire and a clock on the South Tower. Thus, the temple acquired a look close to the original.
Description
The Königsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad), whose photo is adorned by many tourist brochures, was built in the B altic Gothic style. In terms of architecture, it is notable for its internal tower with a spiral staircase and its arches, typical of Sicilian architecture of the 11th-13th centuries.
In October 1998, the Immanuel Kant Museum was opened in the temple building, part of the exposition of which is devoted to the history of the building itself. At the moment, work is underway to turn the Königsberg Cathedral into an important cultural and religious center.
The building houses Evangelical and Orthodox chapels, as well as regular classical and religious music concerts and international organ competitions.
Some interesting facts
The directors loved to shoot films about the war in the historical center of Kaliningrad, so similar to pre-war Germany, and the Cathedral was often in the frame.
On the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the founding of the city, a postage stamp was issued depicting its sights. One of them was the Cathedral. The view of this temple is also captured on the ten-ruble commemorative coin, which is part of the Ancient Cities of Russia series, issued in 2005 with a circulation of five million.
In 2007, KoenigsbergThe Cathedral was a contender for the title of one of the "Seven Wonders of Russia", and the next year it was recognized as the main symbol of the Kaliningrad region as a result of summing up the results of the action "Seven Wonders of the Amber Region".
Koenigsberg Cathedral (Kaliningrad): address
Finding this temple is very easy, as it is located on one of the island's historical centers of the city - on the island of Kant, surrounded by the Pregol River. The official address of the cathedral is 1 Kant Street. You can get there by one of the two bridges connecting the mainland and the island.
