My story will be about the majestic and at the same time unusually elegant temple, which is located on the left bank of the Neva, on the Smolnaya embankment. Its full name is the Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. Many solemn events of my life are personally connected with him: I received the honorary sign of St. mch. Tatiana and several awards for winning educational competitions.
Until 2015, the temple was familiar to Petersburgers as a venue for classical music concerts.
But now it has found its original true purpose, regaining the status of an Orthodox church. It is especially beautiful in winter, when against the backdrop of snow-covered streets its domes glisten over slender white-and-azure walls.
I will certainly mention the good traditions of the cathedral later, but for now I propose to get acquainted with the history of the appearance of this amazing architectural masterpiece in the Northern capital.
Fragments of history
To begin with, I will answer the question: where did the name “Smolny” come from? It turns out that earlier in this place, at the foundation of St. Petersburg itself, there was the so-called "tar yard". Resins for the Admiralty shipyards were brewed here.
The cathedral, first of all, owes its appearance to the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Daughter I was thinking at the end of her life's journey to retire to a monastery.
So she gave a decree to build a monastery for girls from the upper class, intending to become their abbess. She chose the place for a reason. The fact is that under Anna Ioannovna, the Smolny Palace was located here (we already understand the origin of the name). It was in it that Elizabeth spent her young years (which is why this palace was also called the Maiden's Palace). Thus, in St. Petersburg, where so far only male cloisters were present, the first convent began to emerge. The development of the project was entrusted to Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli.
The ingenious architect presented it in the form of a complex consisting of a cathedral and two-story buildings surrounding it for housing and domestic needs of the inhabitants.
The architect's innovative idea was that he decides to modify the usual walls for monasteries to an elegant fence with stucco molding and flowerpots. He planned to build here an outstanding belfry, as much as 140 meters high (it would have become higher than the Petropavlovsk belfry). But later he himself abandoned this plan.
The beginning of the creation of the monastery complex
At the end of October 1748, the pompous laying of the first convent in St. Petersburg takes place.
Sometimes good deeds go wrong. Not without such tricks and here. For some reason, Rastrelli and the construction foreman Mordvinov did not find a common language. The latter, apparently, did not possess sufficient wisdom and with might and main imposed his arbitrariness. Yes, and Elizabeth herself suddenly in a year orders to make changes to the project of the architectural complex of the future monastery. She decides to return to the banks of the Neva the construction of churches according to the old Orthodox canons. The cathedral was supposed to be five-domed, like the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.
A model of the monastic ensemble is created, which in May 1751 is transported to the place where the monastery was built and installed in a special “model room”. Today, this model of the monastery with a bell tower is kept in the museum of the Academy of Arts.
The construction was on a large scale. Masses of labor force were pulled here and abundant funding was sent. Rastrelli introduces his own baroque style into the project. If in Europe only the external facade of buildings was mainly ennobled, then the Smolny Cathedral was beautiful from all sides. At that time, they are thinking of increasing the bell tower to 167 meters in general (it would become the highest building in Europe), and Elizabeth wanted to see the central bell for its belfry more grandiose than the Tsar Bell of the Mother See.
But human desires are not always translated into reality. The war with Prussia begins, cutting off funding for the monastery project. At the same time, the audacity of the empress to take the vows faded. In 1761, she dies, not having lived to see the consecration of the Cathedral.
Construction under Catherine II
The new sovereign Catherine II replaced the architect Rastrelli with Felten, the author of the Hermitage.
This master for ten years, starting in 1765, completes the construction of the buildings and proceeds to the interiors of the still unfinished temple, but everything is again suspended due to lack of funds (or Catherine’s unwillingness to let them go). By the way, at that time 20 nuns already lived in the monastery. The new empress creates an educational institution for girls from noble families.
For their residence, she just chooses the Smolny Monastery (hence the name “Smolyanka” later came from). The nuns were also entrusted to look after the students, among others.
Abolition of the monastery
In 1797, the monastery was completely abolished by the decree of Paul I.
Thus, in St. Petersburg for a long time there was not a single convent. By the way, it is the Resurrection Smolny Convent that will become the forerunner of the magnificent Novodevichy Convent, which you can read about in my article.
Completion of the cathedral
The magnificent temple was completed only by the decision of the next Sovereign Nicholas I.
This task was entrusted to the architect V.P. Stasov, who won the competition announced by order of Emperor Nicholas I. I want to note that Vasily Petrovich had already gained fame as a famous St. Petersburg architect by that time. He created the Moscow and Narva triumphal gates, the Izmailovsky and Transfiguration cathedrals, the building of the barracks of the Pavlovsky regiment on the Field of Mars and many other famous buildings in the city and its suburbs.
Through the efforts of the craftsman, the interiors were restored, an additional row of office buildings was built, and a draft design of the fence was created. And finally, on July 20 (August 2, according to a new style) in 1835, the Smolny Cathedral was consecrated as the Cathedral of All educational institutions in memory of the mother of Nicholas I, Empress Maria Feodorovna, who provided patronage to the youth.
In memory of this event, a medal appeared, on which, on one side, Jesus Christ is depicted blessing the children.
On the back of the medal, a cathedral was minted, which was built longer than all the buildings in St. Petersburg - as much as 87 years! This medal was placed in the tabernacle of the cathedral. (I want to clarify right away that a tabernacle is a special vessel in the form of a temple or a chapel, located in the altar. The Holy Gifts are placed inside, with which priests commune sick and infirm people at home.)
The Smolny Cathedral accommodated more than 6,000 people. But the bell tower was never built.
All subsequent time, until the revolutionary storm of 1917, services were held in the Smolny Cathedral. I found an old photo of the cathedral, I think it will be interesting for you to see how it looked in 1858:
Especially solemn here was the Day of Remembrance of St. Mary Magdalene Equal-to-the-Apostles (August 4), when the royal family arrived at the service.
Mentors and students of women's educational institutions in St. Petersburg were invited here (including the first higher educational institution for girls - the Educational Society for Noble Maidens).
The last rector of the cathedral was Archpriest Andrei Yurashkevich.
The Soviet authorities closed the cathedral in 1923 and confiscated all temple valuables. It housed a warehouse. Only in 1972 was the iconostasis removed, which miraculously survived until these years. The utensils were donated to museums.
In 1974, a branch of the museum complex dedicated to the history of Leningrad was opened here. And in 1990 the concert and exhibition complex was placed.
Cathedral today
As long as the period of its construction was, the road to finding its true purpose turned out to be just as difficult. Today, this wonderful Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is a functioning Orthodox church.
On May 24, 2009, on the day of the teachers Cyril and Methodius, the rector of the Theological Academy of St. Petersburg, Bishop Ambrose of Gatchina served here the first prayer service after spiritual oblivion.
In 2010, under the arches of the Smolny Cathedral, the liturgy sounded again.
And here again the amazing coincidences of history! The cathedral was built for 87 years. And after the revolution of 1917, exactly 87 years later, concert chairs were finally removed from the right Catherine's aisle of the temple. Now more than a thousand believers could attend the service here. And this event was a real celebration. On the day of the Annunciation, April 7, the solemn festive service was led by the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga (Kotlyarov) himself.
An ancient altar was given here as a gift from the Kazan Cathedral. A copy of the altarpiece was created Holy Mother of God letters of A. Venetsianov (the original is in the State Russian Museum).
Now Sunday services in this limit have become regular. In the same year, in memory of the 175th anniversary of the temple, the Mint of St. Petersburg issued a special medal.
In 2011, the first Christmas service was held here.
In 2013, a bell made in Voronezh weighing 10 tons was brought here and illuminated.
On January 25, 2015, the Smolny Cathedral was completely transferred to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. Yes, it is on January 25 that the cathedral regains its true purpose. And it happened on a famous holiday among students - St. Tatiana's Day.
It probably didn't happen by chance. The fact is that the cathedral historically became a temple educational institutions Northern capital. It is not surprising that its priority direction is spiritual and moral education and education of the youth.
Since 1997 in St. Petersburg, on the initiative of the universities and universities of St. Petersburg, its higher Theological School - the Academy, various public organizations and the Committee on youth policy an amazing Tatyaninsky creative competition began. Both the students themselves and their mentors have been participating in it for 20 years.
Today the competition is headed by the Pokrov association, which includes 25 universities of the Northern capital, its Interuniversity campus and Tver State University. This association seems to have two "wings" - spiritual and secular. On January 25, after the solemn liturgy, according to tradition, the winners of the competition are awarded in the Smolny Cathedral.
Students who have especially shown themselves in service to society and educational work receive the Honorary Badges of St. Tatiana.
By the way, the honorary crosses of St. Tatiana in 2012 were awarded the mayor of St. Petersburg G. Poltavchenko and the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga (Kotlyarov). And it was especially joyful for me on the same day to receive from the hands of Vladyka Ambrose the honorary badge of this Saint. After the award celebrations, real winter student festivities begin at the cathedral. At this time, you can freely communicate with the distinguished guests of the holiday.
In the courtyard near the cathedral there is a free field kitchen: you can taste delicious pastries, hot tea. Young people (and not only) participate in concerts, games and fun. As usual, the holiday ends with a real ball, already held in one of the universities of St. Petersburg.
Every year on January 27, on the day of the lifting of the 900-day blockade of Leningrad, in the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral, since 2015, the Council of Intercession students has been taking part in a memorial service for those who died at that tragic time.
The children, together with the teachers themselves, make 900 blows to the bell of the Smolny Cathedral. By the way, the names of the leading universities of St. Petersburg are cast in the lower part of the bell sundress.
Thus, this emerging tradition reminds us of the continuity of generations, the need to preserve the memory of the heroic past of our country and city, and also that the Smolny Cathedral is the main student temple of the Northern capital.
social service
Although the cathedral again began its spiritual mission only in 2015, a diverse social work is already being carried out here in full. I myself was very interested to know that in addition to interacting with the students of the city, a children's Sunday School. In addition to it, at the temple there is a School of Smolyanok for girls from 4 to 12 years old. Classes and excursions are built to familiarize girls with the history of the Institute for Noble Maidens and its good traditions.
Here they teach the rules of good tone and graceful manners, needlework, and develop creativity.
Classes held in the Smolny Cathedral and other museums in St. Petersburg are led by a real cool lady, and even accompanied by various teachers. And graduation balls here, as if in the old days, are also arranged.
And since you can’t do without gentlemen at balls, then a real Corps of Pages was created at the Smolny Cathedral. Boys 5-11 years old are engaged here.
The emphasis is on patriotic education, the study of history, the development of leadership qualities, the study of heraldry, the code of officer honor, the rules of the science of fencing and riding.
In my opinion, it is wonderful that from childhood boys are taught to treat beautiful ladies in a chivalrous way. The children get acquainted with the history of His Imperial Majesty of Pages. On the 1st course, they even get their own military uniform.
And hand-to-hand buoy, dancing, fencing and horseback riding are also taught here. Classes are conducted by a corps educator, guides, trainers, teachers and psychologists.
Balls are held 2 times a year and are distinguished by solemnity. And how can you not be delighted when a real hussar band meets you in front of the hall in Astoria!
Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg its entire history was haunted by the number 87: it was built for so many years, services were performed in it for so many years, and it stood for the same amount without being used for its intended purpose. It is worth coming here to have an association with the word "Smolny", different from the one that everyone is used to.
Contacts
How to get to the Smolny Cathedral
To get to the temple, you will have to tune in to make 2 transfers by transport, or about 30 minutes. stomp on foot from the subway. The starting points are the Chernyshevskaya or Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro stations.
- In the first case you will have to transfer to trolleybus number 15 or bus number 22, 46;
- In the second- by trolleybus No. 5, 7 or bus No. 22.
visit. Working mode
- Since the temple recently, in 2016, went to the Russian Orthodox Church, its mode of operation has changed. Now there are no days off, and the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg receives visitors from 7:00 to 20:00 (the landmark is the evening service).
- In addition to worship services, there are also guided tours: by reservation or three times a day on weekends, at 13:00, 14:30 and 16:00. For the tour you will have to leave a donation of about 200 rubles. (there are discounts for students).
- As before, you can climb the belfry of the Smolny Cathedral, which is considered one of the best viewing platforms in the city.
- Opening hours of the observation deck of the Smolny Cathedral - 11:00-18:00. For visiting the belfry, they also ask for a donation in the amount of 150 rubles. (there are discounts for students). All donated funds are used for restoration work on the interior of the cathedral.
Schedule of Divine Services of the Smolny Cathedral
Services in the cathedral can be attended on any day of the week. Unless in the early morning liturgy (7:00) you can hear it only on weekends and holidays.
The usual worship schedule is as follows:
- 9:30 - late liturgy, after which the Psalter is read;
- 14:00 - prayer service;
- 16:00 - memorial service;
- 17:00 - evening service.
The schedule of services is adjusted only in connection with major holidays or fasts.
Where can you stay nearby?
Specifically, there are no pilgrimage hotels near the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg, but in the vicinity, 2 km from the temple, you can choose a place in a dozen hotels / hostels. If you fundamentally want to stay in a pilgrimage hotel, there are three of them at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, on the embankment of the Monastyrka River: "Iris","Dukhovskaya" and "Feodorovskaya".
The cost of staying in hotels starts from 500 rubles per day.
The history of the creation of the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg
- The name of the future cathedral was prepared by its location. Back in the time of Peter I, tar was produced at this place for the construction of shipyard ships, and the Smolny Palace was located nearby, where the tsar's daughter, Elizabeth, was brought up. When the idea came to her to take the vows, she indicated the place of these Smolny courtyards to build a monastery for herself and 120 young ladies of eminent families.
- The design of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent was entrusted to the courtier architect F. Rastrelli, and the first stone was laid with celebration and firing from cannons in 1748. Rastrelli had many plans (even a wooden model of the monastery complex at the Academy of Arts has been preserved), he wanted to get rid of the defensive walls familiar to monasteries and make the bell tower at the gate the main focus. But the Empress intervened in the construction. Now the bell tower had to be shortened, and in addition to the large dome on the cathedral of the Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg (it was renamed from Novodevichy), its neighbors appeared - four smaller domes (although under them there are two-tiered bell towers).
- The architect did not live to see the completion of his masterpiece, so other masters had to complete the baroque temple, Y. Felten and V. Stasov. Elizaveta Petrovna herself did not have time to see the consecration of the cathedral. The domes were not completed, the walls were not plastered, the interiors were not brought to mind.
- By decree of Nicholas I, he worked for three years to complete the complex Stasov. He did a great job, but the cathedral of the Smolny Monastery had to wait too long for the opening, as much as 87 years.
- In 1835 the cathedral was finally dedicated, giving the title of the cathedral of educational institutions of St. Petersburg. In 1923, it was closed, using the premises as warehouses and a bunker protected from atomic bombing. By 1974, there was no longer an iconostasis and valuables inside, but there was a historical museum. Liturgy was allowed to be held within the walls of the cathedral only in 2010; icons, a cross and a bell were brought. Museum status to religious Smolny Cathedral changed only in 2016.
Architectural and cultural attractions
- The style of the entire Rastrelli complex can be denoted by the word "baroque", though with impurities. After all, the court architect was famous for his handwriting in architecture, which is why the cathedral looks baroque, no matter where you look at it (in European buildings, only one baroque facade was practiced). It can be seen that thanks to the modeling and blue walls present everywhere, the architect managed to get rid of the oppressive atmosphere of Russian monastery buildings, his ideas brought lightness to the exterior of the cathedral. And the alteration of the cathedral into a five-domed one at the request of Elizabeth Petrovna is a tribute to the Russian tradition, because in the mind of Orthodox believers there was an image of a five, consisting of Christ and 4 evangelists. The height of the Smolny Cathedral is quite a bit inferior.
- Bell tower of the Smolny Cathedral attracts tourists with its views: you can see the Neva, the Smolny Institute, the Smolny Monastery, excavations at the site of the Swedish fortress Nyenschanz taken by Peter, and other interesting things in St. Petersburg. Although the bell tower is high, judging by the museum model of Rastrelli, it was planned to be 5-tiered and 140 meters high, that is, higher than all European buildings. Bells could hang in the top three tiers, and a cross would have crowned the belfry. However, there were two “buts”: under martial law (there was the Seven Years’ War), there was nowhere to get funds, and the architect realized that he had gone too far with his ambitions and left the Smolny Cathedral as the tallest building of the monastery complex.
- Garden of the Smolny Cathedral in principle, it is a square sandwiched between Rastrelli Square, Quarenghi Lane, Smolny Street and Smolnaya Embankment. It stands out in it 4 fountains identical to each other, launched in 1934: two bowls in front of the cathedral building and two behind it. The fountains are separated by flower beds. Benches, alleys, cherry blossoms - everything is clean and well maintained.
Shrines and photos of the Smolny Cathedral
Value can be iconostasis Smolny. The baroque shrine adorned the temple until 1972, until it was ordered to be dismantled. Of all the icons that adorned the same ancient iconostasis, only two icons survived by the court painter A. Venetsianov, depicting entrance to the Church of the Holy Mother of God and resurrection of Christ, which are the shrines of the temple.
But he has everything ahead of him: after returning to the possession of the church, it is possible that valuable and rare icons will once again adorn the iconostasis of the Smolny Cathedral.
Next to the azure cathedral is the former Smolny Institute for Girls, where the administration of St. Petersburg now sits. 
It is noticeable, despite the iconostases, that quite recently this place was a museum property.
Smolny Cathedral - video
Historical walk around the Smolny Monastery and the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral. Happy viewing!!!
Smolny Cathedral has gone through a lot, and the time of its full return to life is yet to come. Did you, dear readers, manage to feel it within its walls? We look forward to your stories and experiences.
On January 25, 2015, the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg will traditionally host a student holiday dedicated to the memory of St. Tatiana. The Divine Liturgy will be officiated by Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, co-served by Archbishop Ambrose of Peterhof, Archpriest Pyotr Mukhin, Dean of Churches of Higher Educational Institutions, and a host of clergy. It is expected that during the service hundreds of students will pray and take communion, who will receive books about Orthodoxy as a gift. Students and teachers who have succeeded in educational activities will be awarded certificates of honor and signs. On the eve of this event, we publish the material of Deacon Vladimir Vasilik, dedicated to the difficult fate of the Smolny Cathedral.
Two cathedrals that create the image of St. Petersburg, its "heavenly line", are dedicated to the Bright Resurrection of Christ. This is the Church of the Savior on Blood and the Smolny Cathedral. But if the Church of the Savior on Blood, built on the site of the tragic death of Emperor Alexander II, speaks of the Resurrection in connection with Golgotha and the Cross, then the elegant, festive appearance of the snow-white Smolny Cathedral speaks of Easter as “holidays of the Holiday” and “Celebration of celebrations”. And this is not accidental, because it reflects the spirit of Russian architecture of the late ΧVII - the first half of the XVIII century. - Russian baroque. Western European baroque is built on the contrast of light and darkness, on Woland's paradox: "What will you do with your light if there is no darkness?" On the contrary, Russian baroque grew out of the unity of Russian Orthodox life, out of the joyful feeling of the God-created world: “Glory to Thee, Lord, who created everything!”
The skeptic will say: what Russian baroque? The style is Italian in origin, moreover, the architect of the Smolny Cathedral was the Italian Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli (1700–1771), a Florentine nobleman. I will answer: in Russia, even Italians become Russians. But Russia is not a melting pot, but rather a life-giving soil that recycles any elements and grows amazing flowers. Bartolomeo Rastrelli, living in Russia, conformed to Russian nature, Russian culture, Russian soul. Let us give one example: initially he planned the Smolny Cathedral as a single-dome, in the likeness of the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome, but Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, by whose order the Smolny Monastery was built, ordered in 1749 to build "not according to the Roman manner", but in the image and likeness of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, that is, five-domed. Five domes symbolize Christ surrounded by four evangelists, a symbol that has taken root in Russia since the 14th–18th centuries.
The idea of the Smolny Cathedral largely belongs to the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. She planned to build a grandiose monastery for girls of noble rank and herself retire there at the end of her life. The pious empress, who exalted the importance of the Orthodox Church after her obvious humiliation under Anna Ioannovna, decided to devote her whole life to God and, after the organization of state life, completely devote herself to prayer.
The fate of the Smolny Cathedral is symbolic. It took 87 years to build, 87 years to operate, and 87 years to close. The combination of these numbers is significant: the number 7 symbolizes the fullness of creation, the number 8 - eternity, the eternal non-evening day of the Kingdom of Heaven. The question arises: why did it take so long to build the Smolny Cathedral (from 1748 to 1835)? Legends circulated and circulate around this “long-term construction”: one of them says that allegedly one construction contractor was deceived and ruined, and then forced to pay the treasury. He could not stand the injustice and allegedly hanged himself in the altar or at the entrance to the temple. The authorities, horrified by such a death, allegedly decided not to complete the construction of the temple, and it stood unconsecrated and unfinished for many years.
Well, just rehashings of Gogol's Viy, and nothing more. In fact, there is not an ounce of truth in this story, it is absolutely not confirmed by documents. And this long-term construction is explained very simply: after the death of Elisaveta Petrovna, who was personally interested in this construction, Catherine II came to power, who did not like her predecessor. Of course, she took measures to complete the construction, but rather sluggish. Suffice it to say that the soul of construction, Rastrelli, was removed and J. Felten was appointed architect instead. In addition, Catherine made another decision that was at odds with her aunt's intentions: she turned the monastery into an institute for noble maidens, which absorbed a significant amount of funds originally intended for the construction of the cathedral. It got to the point that under Paul Ι, 276 cast-iron capitals and column bases, as well as other unused Construction Materials. Emperor Paul Ι had other building interests: Mikhailovsky Castle, Alexander Ι had his own building program: Kazan Cathedral, then St. Isaac's Cathedral. Only Nikolai Ι was able to complete what Elisaveta Petrovna intended. But already without a 140-meter bell tower. It's a pity, it would be a magnificent dominant of the city. And a deep symbol - the biblical pillar of fire that led the Jews to the promised land. And the Church as a pillar and affirmation of the Truth.
But what has been achieved is, without exaggeration, a masterpiece of architecture. And note the symbolic thought. The height of the cathedral is 93.7 meters, which is only 7 meters lower than St. Isaac's Cathedral. In plan, the whole monastery is a Greek cross with a central cathedral inside and four churches at the corners. The Greek cross with equilateral branches is at the same time a symbol of our salvation, the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and at the same time a cosmological symbol of the fourfold world. "The four-pointed world is consecrated today by the four-pointed cross." We have already talked about the five domes and its meaning. Note that here Rastrelli maintained a hierarchy of meanings: but only one, the central dome, refers directly to the temple, the other four are bell towers. The central dome, symbolizing Christ, is much larger in size than the others. And again, it is no coincidence that the four belfries symbolically point to the evangelists-evangelists, because the bell ringing itself was called the blagovest from time immemorial.
Note that a similar construction is typical for another brainchild of Rastrelli - St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv. The architectural design of the Smolny Cathedral creates an unusual illusion of its size. As you get closer, the cathedral visually decreases without losing its majesty, in some ways it is similar to the phenomenon of reverse perspective.
The temple, with its elegant decoration in the Elizabethan Baroque style, rather resembles a palace, and this is connected not only with the August Order: the temple should show the image of the Kingdom, however, of Heaven. Its interior decoration was striking in its beauty and splendor: a magnificent baroque iconostasis, in harmony with the snow-white vaults and columns, a unique crystal balustrade.
According to legend, the architect Giacomo Quarenghi, a representative of the opposite view of architecture, despite his irreconcilable character and outright hostility towards Rastrelli, stopped in front of the main entrance to the Smolny Cathedral, turned to face him, took off his hat and exclaimed: “Ecco una chiesa!” (“This is the temple!”).
The beauty of the Smolny Cathedral was captured in the immortal poems of Anna Akhmatova:
Whiter than the arches of the Smolny Cathedral,
More mysterious than the lush Summer Garden,
She was. We didn't know that soon
Let's look back in sadness.
And this is significant for us, because we are remembering the centenary of the First World War. Donations for the wounded and refugees were collected in this temple, prayers were served in it for granting victory to Russian weapons and memorial services for the killed soldiers.
For 87 years, the Smolny Cathedral was the main temple of educational institutions. But in 1922 the temple was closed and turned into a warehouse. The barbaric destruction of its interior began. In fairness, let's say: not immediately. So, the iconostasis was dismantled only in 1972. Only one icon of the Mother of God of the 18th century remained from him in the church. The unique crystal balustrade was barbarously destroyed. According to the legend, part of it was used to decorate the columns at the Avtovo metro station.
In 1989–1990 a number of churches were returned to the city (including the Kazan Cathedral, the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God). However, the fate of the Smolny Resurrection Cathedral was more complex and difficult. Neither last secretary Boris Gidaspov of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU, nor Anatoly Sobchak, the first democratic mayor of St. Petersburg, even thought about returning the Smolny Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church. Outweighed other considerations, including financial ones: after all, a concert hall and a rehearsal site in the city center provide a very good income. It is sad that the pursuit of momentary profit discourages people from a sense of historical memory, and elementary justice, and the fear of God, and human conscience. For it is written: “Holiness befits thy house, O Lord, in the length of the days.” In other words, the temple must be a temple. And in Soviet times, it was a warehouse, an exhibition hall, and even ... an anti-nuclear bunker. Under it, in the late forties, a bomb shelter was built in case of an atomic war for government workers. Of course, the temples of God and monasteries served the Fatherland in the "cold war" to protect Russia from a nuclear threat: suffice it to mention the Sarov Monastery - the nuclear center of Arzamas-16. But hardly anyone will argue that this is the proper and proper use of the temple.
And yet, for last years some steps were taken to restore the temple as a temple. The crosses on the domes were restored. Unfortunately, on July 16, 2001, during a hurricane, the main cross collapsed. And the real miracle was his recovery. On April 12, 2004, a cross was erected over the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The event was attended by representatives of the city administration headed by Valentina Matvienko. Difficult weather conditions made it difficult to erect the cross. The departure of the helicopter from the site near the Peter and Paul Fortress was allowed two hours later than the established time. The cross was carried over the city of St. Peter. Half an hour later, the assemblers and pilots, under the leadership of Vadim Bazykin, managed to complete the installation of the cross at almost a hundred-meter height of the main dome. The height of this cross is 6 meters, weight - about 600 kilograms. The restorers actually recreated it anew.
There was also a resumption of divine services, which became possible thanks to the energetic work of Archpriest Peter Mukhin. On May 24, 2009, Bishop Ambrose of Gatchina served the first prayer service in the cathedral after a long break, and since 2010 the Smolny Cathedral was again open for worship. On April 7, 2010, on the feast of the Annunciation, after 87 years, chairs were taken out of the right Catherine's aisle of the cathedral, making room for half a thousand worshipers. The Divine Liturgy was served that day by Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir (Kotlyarov). The Kazan Cathedral donated an ancient throne for worship. To this day, the altarpiece of the Mother of God was restored - a copy of the painting by A. Venetsianov, stored in the State Russian Museum. After this, divine services in the southern (Ekaterininsky) aisle of the cathedral began to be performed regularly on Sundays. On January 6–7, 2011, the first Christmas service since 1917 was held in the cathedral.
Since 2012, the Smolny Cathedral has been regularly hosting holiday services for students. One of the most memorable is the feast of St. Tatiana on January 25, 2013, which was attended by about 1000 students. Then the service was led by Bishop Ambrose of Gatchina. At the service, students were given 1,000 copies of the New Testament and 1,000 books "The Unknown World of Faith."
Easter Vespers in the Smolny Cathedral in 2014 was celebrated for the first time by Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga together with dozens of clergymen of the university deanery and thousands of believers, including hundreds of children, who warmly greeted Vladyka and received congratulatory gifts from him.
This year, on the feast of St. Tatiana on January 25, Bishop Barsanuphius will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and congratulate hundreds of students of the city. Devotees of Orthodox educational activity will be awarded certificates of honor and signs. Students will receive Orthodox books as a gift.
Since February 2013, in agreement with the administration, divine services have been held daily in the southern Ekaterininsky limit of the Smolny Cathedral. Unfortunately, not everyone understands this. Some old employees grumble: “Just think: they set up a church in the cathedral!” So they are accustomed to its improper use. What can you do!
However, we are optimistic about the future. We are drawn to parishioners, especially young people. The revived Smolny Cathedral is conceived as the main university temple of St. Petersburg, the center of the spiritual life of our youth, its revival. And the revival of Russia.
The Smolny Cathedral of the northern capital of Russia impresses with its splendor and scale. This is a truly unique monument of ancient Russian and European architecture, which, according to historical legend, the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, wanted to make her abode.
The history of the construction of the temple
The Smolny Church organically fit into the neighborhood of the left bank of the Neva River. In ancient times, pitch for ships was brewed there. Construction work began in 1748. The famous architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli was invited to build the temple. The height of the building reaches 93.7 meters. The temple is designed for six thousand people.
Smolny Cathedral in Saint Petersburg
As planned by Rastrelli, a bell tower of five tiers was to be built nearby. The project assumed that its height would be 140 meters. But the author's idea was never realized. The architect died, and the successors of his work decided that the spire of the bell tower would not fit into the overall picture of the area and abandoned this idea.
Other Orthodox churches in St. Petersburg:
Work on the construction of the structure lasted 87 years. The decoration of the premises from the inside was completed only by 1835. Initially, the cathedral was called Voskresensky Novodevichy. Over time, for convenience, it began to be called Smolny. In 1748, Smolny was consecrated as a cathedral of all educational institutions in the name of the Resurrection of Christ. The empress herself attended the ceremony.
Subsequently, in 1765, an educational institution for the education of noble maidens began to operate on the basis of the monastery.
For almost a century, divine services were performed in the temple. When the revolutionary years came, the temple was closed, and all valuables were confiscated from it. Appeals of Orthodox parishioners with requests to return the temple were ignored by the Bolsheviks. Only in 2009 was the first church service held here after the Soviet era. In 2013, a huge 10-ton bell, made in the city of Voronezh, was brought to the temple.
Important! Under the protectorate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Smolny Cathedral was solemnly transferred in 2013 on the day of memory of the holy martyr Tatiana.
Current state
Since 2010, services in the temple have been held daily. Seats were taken out of the Catherine's chapel so that 500 parishioners could stand there. This happened on April 7, 2010. that day, the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir served in the walls of the cathedral.
Interior of the Smolny Cathedral
From the Kazan Cathedral of the city to the Smolny Cathedral, as a gift, an old throne for worship was transferred. The altarpiece of the Mother of God has been restored. Services are held every Sunday in the south aisle of the cathedral.
As a monument of architectural art, the temple is known far beyond the borders of the Motherland and is of world importance. Smolny Cathedral is a branch of the state-level memorial museum. This place hosts wonderful concert programs, exhibits talented artists, and it is worth mentioning separately the scientific and historical and art museum exhibitions.
Description
From a bird's eye view, the monastery resembles a Greek cross. In the center is the temple, and on four sides it is surrounded by churches. The building is designed in the style of the Elizabethan Baroque. The temple has a very festive look. The decoration used elements of stucco, which give the temple a special splendor. The building is painted sky blue and the domes are light grey.
The dome part, according to the Orthodox tradition, is five-domed. This is what Elizabeth wanted to do in her time. The peculiarity lies in the fact that only the central dome belongs to the temple itself. The remaining domes are bell towers.
The main dome is shaped like a helmet. The bell towers are topped by smaller onion-shaped domes.
Surrounded by the educational buildings of the Smolny Institute, the temple in its lower part, namely from the facade, is more like a palace than a temple. There is luxury and elegance in everything here. At the same time, the building of the cathedral looks very majestic.
In the temple, the day of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is especially revered. Easter is celebrated on a different day every year. Therefore, there is no definite date for the patronal feast of the cathedral.
How to get there
The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is located in the city of St. Petersburg at the address: Tsentralny district, pl. Rastrelli, 3/1.
Anyone can get there by two routes:
- At the Chernyshevskaya metro stop, transfer to trolleybus No. 1. Also, fixed-route taxis No. 22 and No. 46 follow in this direction.
- From Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station, transfer to trolleybus No. 5 or 7. Minibus No. 22 also goes there.
Hiking to the temple will take a little - a maximum of half an hour from the metro stations indicated above. But it will bring real pleasure to non-resident guests of St. Petersburg, who will be able to see local sights along the way.
Smolny Cathedral.
One of the most beautiful religious buildings in Russia is the Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, an Orthodox church in St. Petersburg, which is part of the architectural ensemble of the first convent in the city.
According to the ancient Russian tradition, temples were erected on the high banks of rivers, organically fitting into the landscape. The Smolny Cathedral, erected at the bend of the Neva, stands on land that in the Middle Ages belonged to the Novgorod noble family, where the Church of the Savior was destroyed by the Swedes.
On the territory conquered from the Swedes, the urban planning of St. Petersburg introduced its own innovations - to close the distant prospect of straight wide streets with monumental structures. And this role is played by the Smolny Cathedral, forming Rastrelli Square.
Isn't that why it so successfully combines strict St. Petersburg symmetry and regularity with elegant and rich decoration, close in spirit to ancient Russian architecture ...
History reference
According to legend, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna wanted to complete her life path, having retired to a monastery, as an abbess, surrounded by young pupils from noble families. To implement her cherished plan, she provided for the construction of a convent, with a house for herself and separate apartments for 120 girls, in one of the most beautiful areas of the Northern capital.
On the site of the burnt Smolny Palace, where the years of youth of the daughter of Peter the Great (the future Empress Elizabeth) passed in 1748, construction began on the design of the court architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli. The name of the area has been fixed since the founding of the city: once there was a Tar yard, where tar was cooked and resin for the Admiralty shipyard was stored.
The layout of the designed ensemble is stored in the museum and testifies not only to the imperial splendor of the future building, but also to a change in the original design. Rastrelli planned to build a grandiose bell tower 140 meters high above the entrance to the monastery, but later abandoned this idea. As a result, the dominant feature of the complex is the Smolny Cathedral.
The Seven Years' War (1756-1763) suspended construction due to lack of funds. Yes, and Elizabeth was determined to wage war with Prussia to the bitter end, and her desire to go to the monastery gradually faded away. She continues to rule until her death in 1761, without waiting for the consecration of the cathedral.
A change of rulers, a change in the purpose of the building, architectural fashion and architects turns the Smolny Cathedral into the longest long-term construction in St. Petersburg.
Catherine II, who ascended the throne, removed Rastrelli from the post of chief architect in 1762, sending him first on leave for treatment, and then to retire. The construction of the cathedral was handed over to his assistant Yu. Felten, who assumed the position of chief architect of the Chancellery from the buildings.
The monastery, in which not a single nun remained by the end of the 18th century, ceased to exist, and two educational institutions were placed on its territory: the Educational Society of Noble Maidens (1764) and the Meshchansky School (1765), which were later transformed into the Smolny and Alexander Institutes .
The Voskresensky Novodevichy Convent was restored by decree of Nicholas I of March 14, 1845, the monastery was built on the Tsarsko-Selskaya road (Moskovsky Prospekt), but that's a completely different story.
In 1806, the Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi built a wonderful building in the style of classicism for the Smolny Institute. It was here that in 1917 the headquarters of the revolution was located - the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies.
The completion of the construction of the Smolny Cathedral is carried out by the architect V.P. Stasov, who designed the interior decoration, the square in front of the main entrance and the amazing beauty of the high openwork fence.
After consecration in 1835, the temple acquired the status of the Cathedral of all educational institutions. By this period, icons were painted especially for the temple. The large altarpiece of the Mother of God belongs to the remarkable Russian painter, a member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, A. G. Venetsianov.
Like most religious buildings after the October Revolution, the Smolny Cathedral was closed and turned into a warehouse during the years of the Great Patriotic War badly hurt.
After restoration in 1990, the Concert and Exhibition Complex was opened in it. An organ was purchased especially for the hall, classical music concerts and various exhibitions were held here.
Architecture of the Smolny Cathedral
Built in the late Baroque style, the Cathedral surprisingly harmoniously combines the traditions of ancient Russian architecture and European classics. The perfection of proportions, elegance of decor, lightness and grandeur are admirable.
Smolny Cathedral.
“This is the Temple!” - so every time, passing by, he exclaimed famous architect Quarenghi. An adherent of a completely different architectural style, he nevertheless took off his hat to the brilliant creation of Rastrelli.
The composition of the Smolny Cathedral is directed upward, permeated with vertical energy that flows along the edges of the walls, throwing out magnificent waves of patterns. The openwork pattern of the arched windows is complemented by three-quarter columns assembled in bundles; the two-color multi-tiered structure is outlined by a complex contour. Thanks to these details, characteristic of the secular buildings of Rastrelli, the lower two tiers are more like a palace. Unlike European religious buildings with one elegant facade, the temple has an equal view from all sides. The building, 93.7 meters high, has the illusion of shrinking as you approach it.
Smolny Cathedral.
Creating his latest architectural masterpiece, Rastrelli designed a building with a single dome similar to the Catholic churches of Europe, but Elizabeth's desire was adamant: she wanted a Russian five-domed cathedral. The solution turned out to be original. A convex massive central dome with an onion dome crowns the cathedral, and four concave bell towers arranged symmetrically around it are crowned with small onion domes.
From the Smolny belfry, located in the second tier of the bell tower, a panorama of the monastery, the Smolny Institute and a picturesque view of the Neva opens from a height of 50 meters.
Smolny Cathedral from a bird's eye view.
Smolny Cathedral and the entire ensemble of the monastery is a wonderful example of the Elizabethan Baroque, a historical and architectural monument of world significance. The walls of the monastery, which are built as living quarters, are planned in the form of a Greek cross with built-in house churches at the corners. A festive and picturesque look to the whole complex is given by the combination of sky-blue walls with white decorative trim and gilding.
The life of the cathedral in our time
An amazing coincidence: the Cathedral was built for 87 years (1748-1835) and the same amount of time (1923-2010) was closed for worship. Divine Liturgy sounded again under the arches of the cathedral after such a long break on the feast of the Annunciation on April 7, 2010, and in honor of the 175th anniversary of the Cathedral in the same year a commemorative medal was issued.
Since 2015, the cathedral building has been finally transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. Services are regularly held here, the sacraments of baptism and weddings are performed.
It should be noted that the faculties of political science and international relations State University SPB.
The historical tradition is preserved, according to which the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral is the temple of educational institutions in St. Petersburg. The culmination of the activity of the clergy of the temple for the spiritual and moral education of young people was the solemn service on Tatyana's Day - the day of students, which ends with the awarding of the most deserving students with a commemorative sign.
For young citizens, the “Smolyanka School” and “Page Corps” were opened, where much attention is paid to educating children in love for the Fatherland and interest in the sciences that are absent in school curricula: heraldry and etiquette, ancient dances and horseback riding, as well as lessons in medicine and mercy.
As before, everyone can climb 277 steps to one of the highest viewing platforms in the city - the cathedral belfry, and on weekends visit the excursion and see the cathedral. Entrance to the cathedral is free, and the recommended donation collected from tour participants and visitors to the bell tower goes to restore the interior of the temple.
Where is it located and how to get there
Address: Rastrelli Square, 1.
The path to the Smolny Cathedral from the metro is not close. To save time and energy for sightseeing, a trip by public transport will allow:
- from the metro station "Ploshchad Vosstaniya" you will be delivered by trolleybuses 5 and 7 and bus 22;
- from the Chernyshevskaya metro station, trolleybus 15 and bus 22 go in the right direction.
If you wish, you can take a walk through the Tauride Garden, going to it from the Chernyshevskaya metro station along Furshtatskaya Street. Behind the park, turn left onto Tavricheskaya Street, walk along it to the intersection with the street. Tapestry, which will lead to Rastrelli Square to the Smolny Cathedral.
