Saint-Petersburg: The Transfiguration Cathedral as a reflection of its history

There are many sights and churches in St. Petersburg. The Transfiguration Cathedral of the whole Guard is one of the most visited temples in the city. It is open daily for parishioners and worship services. It conceals the history of the past years, and it is the legacy of the great Orthodox culture. Let's talk about its history, features of architecture and interior.

How did it all start?

The cathedral with this name is available not only in the Northern capital of Russia, but also in other cities. In general, these are all the main temples dedicated to the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

The cathedral is located now, where once there was a northern suburb of the newly founded city of St. Petersburg. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is closely associated with the victories of Russia and military glory in the 18th and 19th centuries. This area, by order of Empress Catherine I, was built up by barracks, where the Preobrazhensky regiment quartered .

Great history of origin

The military capital of the empire was then St. Petersburg. The Transfiguration Cathedral was built by the will of Empress Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Peter the Great.

It was built on the site of the deployment of the headquarters of the Preobrazhensky regiment, whose guards gave Elizabeth great support in the struggle for the throne. This happened after she managed to become a new ruler instead of Anna Leopoldovna.

This place is closely connected with the important events of that night when the legitimate successor to the throne managed to restore justice and overthrow the power of the temporary workers thanks to the help of the Preobrazhensky regiment. After all, it was she who was to become the empress, but the domination of German rulers in those days made it almost impossible for her to rise to the throne.

In that troubled time, Elizabeth prayed diligently to the Mother of God. Shortly after taking over the imperial throne, she ordered the construction of a temple in commemoration of this event and in gratitude to the Lord for the mercy granted.

The history of the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral, therefore, is closely connected with important events for the state.

Construction of the Cathedral

In 1743 there was a bookmark. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was erected on the project of Mikhail Zemtsov, and already after his death the construction was under the guidance of the architect Pietro Trezzini.

Elizabeth her own hands laid the first stone in the base of the cathedral. She took an active part in the construction of the stone church, which was built in the Russian-Byzantine style. In 1754 the church was consecrated by Archbishop Sylvester in the presence of Elizabeth Petrovna.

The Second Life of the Cathedral

In 1825, a fire occurred in the temple due to carelessness of workers. The flames instantly swept the cathedral, destroying most of the building. In fact, after the fire, only walls remained of him. But the fire managed to save most of the icons, utensils, as well as the sacristy and other.

After the tragedy, Emperor Alexander I ordered the restoration of the cathedral. The temple was assigned to the architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov. He tried to preserve the former appearance of the building, but still some changes were made to it.

The construction was carried out very quickly, the church, which was soon revived, was restored to St. Petersburg. The Transfiguration Cathedral is now one of the most famous temples of the Northern capital. In its architecture, the traditions of ancient Russian architecture are clearly visible. He was revived in the Empire style, in this form and reached the present day. Metropolitan Seraphim consecrated the church in 1829.

Here, worship services were always held, and the doors for the parishioners never closed. The cathedral gave the name and square, which is now located - Preobrazhenskaya. During the reign of Paul I the temple was called the Cathedral of the whole Guard. During the blockade of Leningrad in the basement of the temple was a bomb shelter.

The rector of the cathedral from 2014 to the present time is Archpriest Nikolay Bryndin. Luka Ivanov was the first rector of the cathedral.

As for the capacity, there can be at the same time up to 3000 worshipers. At the church there is a choir, there is also a Sunday school for adults and children, and pilgrimage is organized.

Architectural monument of late classicism

Its area is 1180 m ² , in height it reaches 41.5 m. The facade is decorated with four-column porticos of the Ionic order, the height of which is 12 meters. The drum with window apertures, completing the building, is crowned with the main dome, and in the north-western bell tower there are the clock tower. The walls are decorated with stucco panels depicting military paraphernalia. The windows have a semi-circle shape, which is placed on a rectangle.

On the main dome there is an eight-meter cross. The temple has three seats. Chief - in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, it was in honor of this holiday that the regiment was named. There is also the right (southern) - in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh, and the left (northern) - in the name of the memory of those saints, on the day of which the accession of Elizabeth to the throne took place, namely in honor of the Holy Martyrs Clement, Pope, and Peter of Alexandria.

Around the temple there is a square that was surrounded by a fence. It is built of 102 barrels of enemy cannons that participated in the Russo-Turkish War. Their muzzle is lowered down, which is a symbol of victory over the enemy.

Interior

The dome of the cathedral has the coloring of the cloudy sky, and in its center - the golden star of Bethlehem. Around her are images of angels and saints. In the main side-chapel there is a four-tiered iconostasis, which is made according to the drawings of the architect Stasov. It looks like a triumphal arch and is decorated with gilded carvings.

Under the dome is a large chandelier for 120 candles, and there are chandeliers. The temple is rich in decoration and splendor.

Famous icons of the Transfiguration Cathedral

The main shrines that are in the temple: the Savior Not Made by Hands, the image of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" and St. Vmch. And healer Panteleimon with a piece of relics.

The image of the Savior of the Holy Face was the favorite shrine of Emperor Peter, the icon was written by Simon Ushakov. She was very important for Peter, accompanied him all his life and was with him when St. Petersburg was laid. The Savior's Transfiguration Cathedral is also the place where the third icon is located since 1932, and before that time she accompanied the army during the campaigns.

Address and mode of operation

The address of the cathedral is Preobrazhenskaya Square, 1. The nearest metro station is "Chernyshevskaya".

The mode of the temple: every day from 8:00 to 20:00. Liturgies are held at 10:00, on Wednesday and Friday - in addition at 7:00. Evening services - daily at 18:00.

For all comers, the Transfiguration Cathedral is open, services are held here, and their detailed list can be viewed on the official site of the church.