|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
St Isaac‘s Cathedral
St Isaac's functions both as a church and a memorial museum. Its golden dome can be seen from the Gulf of Finland and the observation deck of the cathedral affords a fine all-round view of the city. The chief creation of Auguste de Montferrand, the cathedral completed the age of Russian Classicism and became the dominant feature of the central squares of St Petersburg and one of its symbols. Originally the Church of St Isaac of Dalmatia, a wooden and ungainly one, was erected on the Admiralty Meadow in 1707. Peter wanted to perpetuate by its erection his birthday that coincided with the church feast of St Isaac - 30 May. In 1717-27, approximately on the site where the Bronze Horseman stands, a stone church was built. The present-day cathedral was built on the site of the third church. The construction of the latter began in 1768 by Antonio Rinaldi and finished in 1802 by Vinzenzo Brenna, but the church proved to be a failure. Montferrand's successful version was under construction within forty years, from 1818 to 1858, many intervals and alterations in the project. The building stands on tarred piles 6.5 metres long over which a massive foundation of granite blocks and rubbles was laid. The walls faced with Karelian marble were erected after the columns of the porticoes had been set up. Outside the cathedral was lavishly embellished with sculpture that transformed it into the largest and probably unique complex of this kind in European art of the nineteenth century.
Soon after the consecration of St Isaac's Cathedral a contemporary wrote: "The harmony of the outer and inner decor, the elegance and beauty of the whole and details, the luxury and at the same time a majestic beauty of the entire church make this cathedral one of the most splendid buildings in our city." More than forty kinds of precious stones, including malachite, lapis lazuli, porphyry, jasper and marbles of various shades, were used in its inner decor. One can see in the cathedral numerous works of painting and mosaics by Karl Briullov, Fiodor Bruni, Piotr Basin, Vasily Shebuyev and other talented Russian artists. The cathedral is adorned with numerous pieces of sculpture by such famous sculptors as Ivan Vitali, Nikolai Pimenov, Peter Klodt and others. The overall area of the mosaic pictures specially created for the cathedral is about 600 square metres. Paintings, mosaics and sculpture, the effective combination of decorative stones and gilding produces a very rich colour range, but they can be perceived as a single whole whith difficulty - details are better to be seen separately and then they amaze by their perfect shapes and finish. An indelible impression is produced by the iconostasis of the main chancel adorned with malachite and lapis lazuli columns and with mosaic icons of the patron saints of the Russian tsars during whose reigns all the four versions of the Church of St Isaac of Dalmatia were built. There are also painted icons of the Old Testament Prophets. Over the altar gates is the sculptural group Christ in Glory, which is surmounted by the mosaic icon The Last Supper created under the influence of the well-known mural by Leonardo da Vinci. The stained-glass set in the window of the main chancel is a unique work of art. Covering an area of about thirty square metres - it is probably the only element of Catholic decor in the Orthodox church. Also unique and large, but at the same time elegant and light in design, is the dome of the cathedral - the only one of this type not only in Russia but in Europe as well. The main cathedral of the northern capital and the largest in the city can accommodate up to 14,000 believers.
The "New Holland is a remnant of old St Petersburg surviving between the River Moika and two artificial waterways - the Kriukov and Admiralty Canals.
The island owes its name to the canals dug there - the artificial waterways reminded to Peter the Great his favourite Holland. The similarly named shipyard was second to the Admiralty and was used for the construction of small and middle-size sailing ships. It was here that at the dawn of the northern capital the basic part of the galley fleet was built, as were battleships. In the first half of the eighteenth century timber for ships was kept in wooden structures erected by the architect Ivan Korobov. But they soon deteriorated and in 1765 a decision was taken to replace them with stone buildings to a design by Sawa Chevakinsky. The construction work progressed slowly and was completed only in the middle of the nineteenth century. The architect Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe designed the facades of the large brick buildings and created an effective arch over the canal leading from the Moika into the depth of the island. The arch is considered to be "one of the most inspiring architectural whims, surviving from old St Petersburg." With Sawa Chevakinsky is also associated one of the most revered ecclesiastical buildings in St Petersburg - the St Nicholas Cathedral, a unique example of the Elizabethan Baroque.
Built in order to "adequately commemorate the glorious deeds of the Russian Navy", it was consecrated to St Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, patron of sailors. A decree "on the construction of a stone church at the Naval Regiment Yard" was signed by Empress Elizabeth in 1752 and the ceremony of the cathedral's consecration took place in 1762 in the presence of Empress Catherine the Great. She presented to the cathedral ten icons featuring the saints on whose church feast-days the Russian Navy defeated the Turkish Fleet. Many generations of Russian sailors reverently attended this cathedral for special festive services and offices of the dead. Services on the occasion of a departure to the sea and a return to the native shores, the start of work on a new ship and its launching are also performed here. The walls of the cathedral witnesed many events associated with the history of the Russian Navy.
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
| © 2004 Private | 
|
