St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral

Coordinates: 59°55′20″N 30°18′01″E / 59.92222°N 30.30028°E / 59.92222; 30.30028
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The cathedral illuminated at night

St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral (Никольский морской собор, Nikolskiy morskoy sobor) is a major Baroque Orthodox cathedral in the western part of Central Saint Petersburg. It has always been closely associated with the Russian Navy, serving as its main shrine until the Russian Revolution.

In the upper church there are numerous memorial plaques for the crews of the sunken Soviet

K-141 Kursk
has also been commemorated there.

The marine regimental church was built on the bank of the Kryukov Canal in 1753–1762 to a design by Savva Chevakinsky, the main architect of the Russian Navy, in place of an earlier wooden church. A freestanding four story bell tower with a tall gilded spire was erected in 1755–1758. The main church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas (a patron saint of seamen) and the feast of the Epiphany.

St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral consists of two separate churches. The Saint Nicholas Church is located at ground level, while the Epiphany Church is on the floor above. The altar of the upper church was consecrated in the presence of Catherine the Great. The main shrine of the cathedral—a Greek icon of St. Nicholas made in the 17th century with a portion of his relics—is located in the lower church.

In 1908 the Tsushima obelisk was erected in the garden in front of the church in memory of those killed at Battle of Tsushima. In 2000 another chapel was consecrated in the lower tier of the bell tower.

St. Nicholas Cathedral is a major example of the so-called Elizabethan or

Corinthian columns, stucco architraves, a wide entablement
and is crowned by five gilded domes. The church can accommodate up to 5,000 people.

  • A postcard from the 1890s
    A postcard from the 1890s
  • A painting of the cathedral's interior, 1843
    A painting of the cathedral's interior, 1843
  • The facade in 2013
    The facade in 2013
  • The lower church in 2017
    The lower church in 2017

See also

References

  • Isakova E.V.; Soyko B.I.; Shkarovsky M.V. (1998). Epiphany Naval Cathedral. Historical essay (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Almaz ltd.
  • Isakova E.V.; Shkarovsky M.V. (2003). Nikolsky Naval Cathedral and other marine churches of Saint Petersburg. churches of Saint Petersburg (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Paritet. .
  • Gusarov A.Yu. (2010). Monuments of military glory of Saint Petersburg (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Paritet. .

External links

59°55′20″N 30°18′01″E / 59.92222°N 30.30028°E / 59.92222; 30.30028