Smolny Convent
Smolny Convent or Smolny Convent of the Resurrection (Voskresensky,
History
This
The convent's main church (
The Cathedral is the centerpiece of the convent, built by Rastrelli between 1748 and 1764. The projected bell-tower was to become the tallest building in St. Petersburg and, at the time, all of Russia. Elizabeth's death in 1762 prevented Rastrelli from completing this grand design.
When
The church was closed by the Soviet authorities in 1923. It was looted and allowed to decay until 1982, when it became a concert hall.[3]
The faculties of sociology, political science and international relations of the Saint Petersburg State University are located in some of the buildings surrounding the cathedral.
In April 2015 Smolny Cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and is now an active Orthodox church, the Divine Liturgy is held daily.[4]
The nearby Smolny Institute is named after the convent.
The name "Smolny" derives from the location. In the early days of St. Petersburg the place at the edge of the city where pitch ("smola" in Russian) was processed for use in shipbuilding and maintenance. As a result, the locale was called "smolny" - the place of pitch.
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Opened model of The Smolny Cathedral
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Model of The Smolny Convent
References
- ^ "Smolny". Voice of Russia. 2003. Archived from the original on April 12, 2006. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^
ISBN 5-93893-109-6.
- ^ a b "Cathedral of the Smolny Convent". Archilogy.com. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ "Historic cathedral returned to Russian Orthodox Church | A Russian Orthodox Church Website".