Cathedrals and Churches, Saint Petersburg

Favorite thing: St. Petersburg has many churches all around the town. Most of them are Russian Orthodox Churches, but other denominations can be found as well.

Especially the wide Nevsky Prospekt is lined with churches of all denominations and therefore Alexander Dumas called it "the street of religious tolerance".

During Soviet times many churches were closed and used as warehouses or for any other non-religious purposes. Make sure to check the inside of some churches, but respect the local customs.

Favorite thing: The absence of "classical" orthodox churches (with the notable exception of the Church of the saviour on spilled blood, which due to this feels kind of artificial) in the center is maybe the most striking feature in a russian town.

Kazan cathedral was inspired by St Peter in Rome, St Peter and Paul cathedral designed by an italian architect, St Isaac by a french one. Add to this a lutheran church, an armenian church and St Catherine Church (latin catholic) along Nevski prospect (due to the embassies present during 200 years in the city) and you will feel as in Europe.

To really see the classic five onion domes, you need to go outside of the center, either the monastery of Alexander Nevski or just north of Fontanka...

Fondest memory: All the more striking is then the interior of the churches, either with mosaics and icons or the atmosphere in Kazan cathedral when the icon of Our Lady of Kazan is exposed and you can feel the religiousness surrounding you and the queue of people coming to express their devotion...

A unique and unforgettable experience...

Favorite thing: Vladimirsky Cathedral (till 2000 Vladimirskaya Church) is situated on Vladimirskaya Square. It was been built in 1761-1769 by project of Tresini architect instead of the previous construction of 1747. The bell tower was built in 1791 by Kvarengi architect. Iconostasis and the interior is very rich and I recommend you to go in.

Favorite thing: The central church of Lavra is Troizky Cathedrl. It was built in 1776-1790 by Starov. Until 1918 in the cathedral the relic of Alexander Nevsky was kept. Besides interior was beautified with paintings of Rubens, Van Deyk, Mengs and of other authors, so it looked like not Orthodox church interior indeed. All paintings were moved to Hermitage in 30ss of XX century.

Favorite thing: The oldest church of the ensemble is Blagoveshenskaya Church, built in 1717-1725 by Tresini. It is a bury vault for famous people of XVIII century such as Shuvalov, Vyazemsky, Naryishkin as well as Suvorov.

Favorite thing: It is the cemetery of the famous person of XIX century. In comparison of with cemetery of XVIII century, here you find names are bound up with culture only such as Dostoevsky, Zhukovsky, Kryilov, Chaikovsky, Musorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Kuindgi, Kustodiev and others. The entrance fee is RUR 60 (EUR 1,75) for visit to the both cemetery.

Favorite thing: In XVIII century many famous people were buried here, many scientists and painters as well as a lot of courtiers of Elizaveta I and Ekaterina II Empresses as well as of Pavel I Emperor. Among famous name I can name Lomonosov, Rossi, Borovikovsky, Eiler.

Favorite thing: The entrance church has a name of icon of Mother of Lord of Gladness of All Sorrowful People. The name is a sort of entrance to the so named "death road", because just after entrance there 2 cemeteries on the both sides of the road to Lavra, Lazarevskoye and Tikhvinskoe cemeteries. The church was built in 1784-1786 by Starov.