Peter and Paul Cathedral - architectural

The Peter and Paul Cathedral, located on theterritory of the fortress of the same name, is the most important sight of the Northern capital, and its visit is included in many sightseeing tours around the city on the Neva. Built in the style of the Petrine Baroque, the temple was built by the architect Domenico Trezzini, and its construction was completed in 1733.

History: the majestic Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paulappeared on the site of a wooden church founded in 1703, which appeared on the territory of the Hare Island simultaneously with the creation of inaccessible earthen ramparts. After solemn consecration in June 1733, the church stood in its original form for slightly more than twenty years, since in 1756 its building was damaged due to a fire caused by a lightning strike. The spire of the cathedral, as well as the chimes located on the facade of the church, were severely damaged by the fire, and only after twenty years a new mechanical watch appeared on the building. They were performed by the outstanding master from Holland O.Kross, and the chimes played the national anthem of the Russian State every hour.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral was often visited by membersImperial family, and at the funeral services were often present even the Emperor. And inside the temple was created the royal tomb, where the remains of members of the imperial family rested, beginning with Peter the Great. Since 1865, ancient tombstones have been replaced by similar white marble sarcophagi, on which are carved gilded crosses.

Since 1924 the majestic Peter and Paul Cathedralbecame a museum, however, many valuable items, including rare books and silver utensils, were transferred to other museum collections. Divine services in the magnificent temple began to be held again only since 1990, but the cathedral still has not lost the status of the museum, and unique collections for the convenience of visitors are gathered in its separate hall.

Interior: Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburgattracts the attention of visitors thanks to the luxurious interior, and the interior decoration resembles the design of the halls of the royal palace. Pylons painted under natural marble, demarcate the inner space of the temple into three separate naves. On the walls of the building you can see religious paintings made by painters G. Gzel, M. A. Zakharov and A. Matveev, A.Kwadri and I. Rossi worked on the stucco decor, but a real "pearl" is the carved iconostasis.

It stands out thanks to the grace of the lines andlightness, and also a characteristic gilt-colored baroque style. All the icons for the luxurious iconostasis were performed by the Moscow master A.Pospelov. And opposite the altar visitors to the best church in the city on the Neva can see the beautiful gilded chair, which is decorated with sculptures of two angels. The royal place is located symmetrically to her, and for its design was used crimson velvet, where the embroidered double-headed eagle and gilt carved crown.

Bell tower: visiting the Peter and Paul Cathedral, it is necessary to drawattention to the majestic bell tower with a height of 122.5 meters, crowned by a thin golden spire, adorned with an unusual figure of a flying angel. The spire of the high bell tower was erected by the Dutch G. van Boles, and after the weathervane was damaged in 1829 during a severe storm, restoration work was entrusted to the roofer Petro Telushkin.

To climb to the top of an acute spire, the masterhe used only a rope, so the emperor rewarded the bold roofer for his courage. So, he was allowed to drink absolutely free of charge in any tavern of the Russian State. In 1858, the wooden structures that were part of the spire were decided to be replaced by reliable metal elements. According to the project of architect Zhuravsky, the structure was rebuilt in the form of a truncated octagonal pyramid, which was connected by means of rings.