Saint Isaac's Cathedral. For the first time at St. Isaac's Cathedral, services will be held in the main altar

Saint Isaac's Cathedral is not only one of business cards Petersburg: it is known throughout the world as one of the tallest domed structures. In the city on the Neva, this is the largest Orthodox church, which impresses with its majestic and original architectural beauty. Today, the cathedral has the status of a museum, but worship services are also held in it. Everyone who decides to go to St. Petersburg and wants to get to know this city better should visit here. It is from the colonnade of the cathedral that opens beautiful view to the Neva, the center of St. Petersburg, his historical buildings. It is not surprising that this Observation deck is the most popular.

Where is it located and how to get there

How to get there:

Metro: having reached the Admiralteyskaya station, exit the city and walk two blocks along Malaya Morskaya. From the stations Spasskaya, Sadovaya, Sennaya Ploshchad, you can go to Sennaya Square, from where you can turn into Grivtsova Lane. Having reached the Moika embankment, turn left again, and in a couple of minutes you will find yourself at the temple.
You can get to the cathedral by buses No. 27, 2, 22.
They will take you here trolleybuses №22 or 5.

Visiting St. Isaac's Cathedral and opening hours

To date, the question of the transfer of the temple Orthodox Church still not resolved. Believers can pray here during the time of worship. In general, when planning to visit St. Isaac's Cathedral, it is worth focusing on the museum's work schedule.

Important! To visit the colonnade and the temple itself, you need to purchase different tickets.

As for the cost of entering the territory of St. Isaac's Cathedral:

children under seven years old can visit here for free;
for children under eighteen, students and pensioners, the ticket price is 50 rubles in the daytime;
adults need to pay 250 rubles;
in the evening the entrance will cost 400 rubles;
a walk along the colonnade during the day costs 150 rubles, in the evening and at night - 300 and 400 rubles, respectively.

When planning an acquaintance with St. Isaac's Cathedral, pay attention to its opening hours - from 10.30 to 18.00. The colonnade is open to visitors at the same time.

Important!
Ticket offices close half an hour before closing. At the same time, the admission of visitors is stopped.

For those who want to visit St. Isaac's Cathedral in the evening, you should pay attention to summer opening hours:

from May to October you can walk around the temple from 18.00 to 22.30 (except Wednesday);
at the same time, the colonnade is also open (until the end of October);
during the "white nights" you can climb it until 4.30 (from early June to mid-August every day, except Wednesday).

Important!
On Wednesdays, the museum has a day off, but on days school holidays(except for the summer period), as well as public holidays the cathedral is open. Guided tours are offered in the cathedral, an audio guide is offered. In addition, you can order a tour of other temples that are part of the complex of this museum.

Schedule of services in St. Isaac's Cathedral

Where to stay

Tourists should think in advance about where they will live in St. Petersburg during the period of acquaintance with its sights. Near St. Isaac's Cathedral there are three hotels - "Angleterre", "Astoria", "Renaissance Baltic".

"Renaissance Baltic" is a five-star hotel that offers guests of the city on the Neva to stay in cozy single or double rooms.
"Angleterre"- a hotel, known primarily for the fact that it was here that Sergei Yesenin committed suicide. Today it is a modern complex where guests will find everything they need.
"Astoria"- one of the famous St. Petersburg hotels, where many famous people stayed.

History of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg

The history of this temple began since 1710, when a small wooden church was built, named after the saint on whose day Peter the Great was born, Isaac. It was here that the king married his second wife.
Over time, St. Isaac's Cathedral turned to stone, and the history of its creation has as many as four temples on this site. It was rebuilt for the third time in the 18th century, but the result was unsatisfactory - the building did not fit into the overall ensemble of this part of St. Petersburg. Then a competition was announced for best project in which he won French architect Montferrand.
The construction of the majestic cathedral took four decades, but the impressive result was worth it. It is interesting that the predecessor of St. Isaac's Church was not completely dismantled - the altar part, the pylons supporting the dome, were preserved from it. Already in the course of construction work, the project gradually changed - Montferrand took into account the comments made by other architects.
The new building was consecrated in 1858, while both the imperial family and the clergy were present. Many residents of St. Petersburg also came to admire the opening of the new church.
Soon, an architect and an inspector were approved at the cathedral, whose duties included maintaining the building in proper condition. Later it handed over to the Ministry of the Interior. In this regard, the question was repeatedly raised that the cathedral has a dual subordination, although it would be necessary that it belonged to the Church. This dispute continued until the revolution, after which the shrine was nationalized, and later handed over to believers, who were also responsible for the maintenance of the building.
In the pre-war period, many valuables were seized, but the architecture of the temple was not damaged. In 1928 the building was transferred to the department of Glavnauka, deciding to make it one of the museums.
During the Great Patriotic War, exhibits from many Leningrad museums. The structure was damaged by bombings and explosions, and traces of those times are still kept on its walls and columns.
In the post-war period, the temple was restored, again returning the status of a museum to it, and an observation deck was arranged in the domed part. During the same period, they established Foucault pendulum in the central part of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which has been dismantled today.
Services resumed in 1990.

Architectural and cultural attractions

The temple was built in the style of classicism, but elements of other trends are also observed in its architecture. The height and width of the temple exceeds one hundred meters, and the outer diameter of the dome is almost 26 meters. Total number columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral - 112, and their sizes vary.

Did you know? On one of the porticos there is an image of the architect of the temple. The cathedral has five domes, and all the domes are gilded. For this, about a hundred kilograms of precious metal were used.

The main dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral has three parts - lower, outer and middle, and all its elements are made of metal. The cross on top is Greek and made of gold.
At the corners of the main building there are belfries, in which bells are hung, made with the addition of silver and copper to tin. During the construction of this cathedral, more than forty mineral rocks were used, including granite, gray marble, malachite, porphyry, and jasper.
On the porticoes of the columns the figures of the apostles are depicted, there are images of angels above the roof, and on all the pediments (they decorate each side of the building) there are gospel-themed high reliefs.
Porticos decorate the building from the outside, and each of them has high reliefs and statues.
Visitors to St. Isaac's Cathedral also note its magnificent interior decoration: rare types of marble were used for facing, and the domes were painted by the best artists of their time.
It is worth emphasizing that the temple has both picturesque, and mosaic paintings(there are more than six dozen), as well as a huge number of statues, reliefs and sculptural groups.
Attracts attention and pigeon, covered with silver, which is placed on a cable under the dome and symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
The cathedral has three altars which are lined with marble. The columns at the main altar are covered with malachite. Near each of them there are sculptures. Separately, it is worth mentioning the stained-glass window of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which is one of the largest. It depicts the resurrection of Christ and is made of elements of more than a hundred shades.
Colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral is part of the complex. Its height is 43 meters, and you can climb it only on foot - it leads up spiral staircase. There is an observation deck here.

Shrines of the cathedral

The main shrine of the temple is The Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in a Gold Frame(honored list). She is considered miraculous. During the Soviet period, many icons were stolen and lost.
kept in the temple cross with a particle of the Cross of the Lord, and ark with part of the relics of Andrew the First-Called.
Was here The miraculous image of the Savior, icon of Panteleimon with part of the relics, TO Orsun Icon of the Mother of God, ancient gospels.

Interesting facts about St. Isaac's Cathedral

The Society of Preachers was first founded on the pulpit of the cathedral.
In the process of gilding the domes of the temple, sixty craftsmen died from mercury vapor poisoning, and in total about four hundred thousand people took part in the construction of the cathedral.
According to one of the local legends, the construction took so long because Montferrand was predicted to die after the construction of the cathedral. The architect died within a month of completing the main project of his life.
Photos of the construction of the cathedral were among the first shots taken in.
During the construction, one of the innovative technologies was used - electroplating. Thus, for the first time in world architecture, it was possible to place copper statues at a considerable height from the ground.
In Soviet times, an anti-religious museum was opened in St. Isaac's Cathedral - it was one of the first museums of its kind in the country.

Photo of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg

The image of this temple is known to everyone who is interested.
You can examine the structure from each side, noting more and more new details.
From a height, the temple looks no less beautiful and impressive.
At night, the cathedral is illuminated, creating a magical atmosphere around.
Photos inside St. Isaac's Cathedral allow us to convey only a small part of its magnificent decoration.
The dove, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, soars in the sky, under the main dome.
Numerous sculptures are visible from afar.
Climbing the colonnade, you can admire the panorama of the city.

St. Isaac's Cathedral - video tour

St. Isaac's Cathedral is one of the main shrines of St. Petersburg. Although it was built for a long time, the temple survived the bombing and plunder without losing its magnificent splendor.

Divine services with processions on Easter night will be held in all the churches of the city. The main Easter service will be led by Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga. It will take place in the Kazan Cathedral.

WHERE TO GO TO SERVICE

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

For the first time in modern history St. Isaac's Cathedral, services of Great Friday and Great Saturday will be performed in the main Altar.

22-00 - reading of the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles

23-00 - Midnight Office

23-45 - Procession

00-00 - Easter Matins and Liturgy

9.00 - Divine Liturgy (in the aisle of St. Alexander Nevsky)

At the end - the consecration of Easter cakes.

16.00 - Great Vespers (in the aisle of St. Alexander Nevsky)

Kazan Cathedral

12:00-21:30 Consecration of Easter cakes

21:30 Reading of the Acts of the Holy Apostles

22:00-23:00 General confession

23:15 Easter Midnight Office

23:45 Beginning of the procession

00:00 Easter morning. Divine Liturgy.

10:00 Late Divine Liturgy

17:00 Great Easter Vespers

Sampson Cathedral

11.00 - 18.30 Consecration of Easter cakes.

22.00 - Reading of the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

23.00 - Midnight Office.

23.50 - Procession. Easter morning. Divine Liturgy.

10.00 – Liturgy

17.00 - Great Vespers

Resurrection Smolny Cathedral

Until 21.00 - consecration of eggs and Easter cakes

23.00 Midnight Office

00.00 Easter Matins, Divine Liturgy

09.30 Divine Liturgy

15.00 Late Supper

Nikolo-Bogoyavlensky Naval Cathedral

10.00-22.00 - Consecration of Easter cakes, Easter, eggs.

22.00 - Reading of the Acts of the Apostles.

23.00 - Easter Midnight Office.

23:45 - Procession

00.00 - Easter Matins.

01.30 - Divine Liturgy (upper and lower church)

09.00 - Divine Liturgy and procession for children. The children's choir of the Sunday school of the cathedral sings.

09.00 - 17:00 - Consecration of Easter cakes.

13.00 - 16.00 - Concert of the choir of the Nikolo-Bogoyavlensky Naval Cathedral (lower temple).

17.00 - Easter Vespers.

WHERE TO GO AFTER SERVICE

Easter egg history

Family excursion, which invites the Faberge Museum. Children and adults are promised to learn about the origins of the tradition of dyeing eggs, the meaning of patterns and the materials from which eggs can be made.

Visitors will learn how Faberge made Easter eggs for the imperial family, the Museum promised.

In addition, for all museum visitors, confectioners and chocolatiers from the Eliseev Kuptsov Shop will give a master class on decorating Easter gingerbread.

Where: embankment of the Fontanka River, 21, Faberge Museum

Tours start: 13:30, 14:30, 15:30; master classes from 14.00 to 17.00

Ticket price: 300-450 rubles

AND WHAT ELSE

The festive concert in the Park of Internationalists near the Poklonny Cross will begin on April 8 at 11.30

Children's Easter performance in the Church of St. Basil the Great in Aspen Grove will be held on April 8 at 14:00.

The church choir "Astron", created by Archimandrite Eleazar, confessor of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra, will perform on April 9 at 19.00 on the stage of the Variety Theater named after. Raikin.

ON A NOTE

April 7, the day of Holy Saturday, and April 8, the day Orthodox holiday Easter in St. Petersburg will be strengthened by bus, trolleybus and tram routes, next to the city cemeteries. This:

Buses No. 90, 195 (to the Southern Cemetery)

Buses No. 397, 398 (to the Northern Cemetery)

Buses No. 138 (to the Crematorium)

Buses No. 347 (to the Ilikovsky cemetery)

Buses No. 382 (to the Kazan cemetery)

Trams No. 9, 10, 18, 23, 43, 58

Trolleybuses No. 9, 14, 20, 25, 38, 40.

In addition, on the night from Saturday to Sunday, the metro will operate around the clock. Please note that from one in the morning to six in the morning the interval between trains will be increased.

Also, from midnight to six in the morning, the movement of buses will be organized along routes No. 8, 12, 56, 77, 80, 93, 106, 114, 130, 142, 154. The traffic interval is 30 minutes.

The Transport Committee warns that on Saturday from 23.00 to 01.00, it is possible to quickly block traffic on St. Isaac's Square - this is due to the procession around the cathedral.

In this case public transport will be sent on shortened or detour routes, the department added.

BY THE WAY

TV channel "Saint Petersburg" will conduct a live television broadcast of the Easter night from the Kazan Cathedral with inclusions from the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent and Prince Vladimir Cathedral. Start at 23:30

ON A NOTE

How to celebrate Easter?

On Great Saturday, Easter cakes and eggs are brought to the temple for consecration. At about eleven o'clock in the evening, prayer begins, and around midnight the main service is matins. The parishioners are preparing for the solemn procession. After it - the main Christian service - the Liturgy. Father blesses Easter.

Returning from the church, the fasting people break their fast. A festive table is being prepared, always with Easter cottage cheese, which symbolizes the sweetness of heavenly life, painted eggs and Easter cakes. According to the rules, first you need to eat an egg and a piece of Easter. By the way, it is customary to keep a painted egg throughout the year in order to protect the house and family from adversity.

What you need to know about one of the most famous temples Russia.

Chief Marine

The history of St. Petersburg knows four St. Isaac's churches. The first wooden church was built in 1707 on the territory of the Admiralty by order of Peter I. Emperor Peter Alekseevich was born on May 30 in the old style - St. Isaac of Dalmatia was his heavenly patron. In 1712, Peter I got married here with his second wife Ekaterina Alekseevna. In 1722, he signed a decree that the sailors of the Baltic Fleet should take the oath only in the church of St. Isaac.

Over time, the small church fell into disrepair, and it was decided to build a new stone St. Isaac's Church, more spacious and closer to the Neva. New in 1760, the rivers were dismantled - the waters of the Neva undermined the foundation of the building. The third cathedral was built further off the taps. First, Antonio Rinaldi began to work on it under Empress Catherine II, and it was completed by Vincenzo Brenna already under Emperor Paul I. The building looked like an absurd building that began with marble slabs and ended with ordinary bricks.

100 years of woods

In 1809, a competition was announced for the construction of a new temple - the third cathedral did not match the appearance Petersburg. The condition of the competition was to keep the three consecrated altars of the current church. Architects submitted projects, but they were all rejected by Alexander I.

Things moved only when the emperor got the drawings of the young architect Auguste Montferrand. In 1818, he prepared a project in which he intended to preserve the altar part of the third cathedral, some interior details, and also to connect the old and new foundations. The project received the approval of the emperor.

The fourth cathedral was solemnly consecrated on June 12/May 30, 1858, the day of the memory of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, in the presence of Emperor Alexander II.

Tribunes for the people were set up on Petrovsky and St. Isaac's Squares, which weren't enough anyway - people climbed even on the roofs of the nearest houses. The scaffolding from the cathedral was finally removed only in 1916.

Interior decoration

St. Isaac's Cathedral has a unique collection of monumental painting of the first half of the 19th century - 150 picturesque images. For work on the murals were involved academic artists K. Bryullov, P. Basin, F. Bruni, V. Shebuev, A. Markov, N. Alekseev, P. Shamshin, F. Zavyalov and others. Plafond of the central dome with an area of more than 800 square meters. m “Theotokos in glory” was made by K. Bryullov, but due to the illness of the master in 1848 it was completed by P. Basin.

In the design of the cathedral, Ural malachite and badakhshan lapis lazuli were used; Shoksha porphyry, black slate, multi-colored marbles: pink Tivdia, yellow Siena, red French.

For interior decoration The cathedral used Russian and Italian marble: white, dark red, white Carrara, rare dark red marble. The peculiarity of the iconostasis is eight malachite and two lapis lazuli columns.

In 1843, a stained-glass window depicting the risen Christ was installed on the altar of the main chapel. The area of the stained-glass window is 28.5 square meters, the height is 9.5 meters, the details are fastened with lead solders. The stained glass window "The Resurrected Christ" is one of the largest monuments in the history of stained glass art in Russia.

shrines

Tikhvin icon Mother of God.

On the day of the consecration, the Holy Synod donated to St. Isaac's Cathedral the relic of a part of the Cross of the Lord and a part of the relics of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. The miraculous list of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God was placed in the cathedral. A year later, the donations of believers for the icon created a golden riza with diamonds and precious stones weighing more than 12 kg. In the cathedral were the Image of the Savior, lost in Soviet times, in a silver riza with diamonds; icon of the Great Martyr Panteleimon with a particle of his relics in silver-gilt risen as a gift to the cathedral in 1871 of the Otathon St. Panteleimon Monastery.

On the right side of the pulpit, on a special lectern, was the Icon Not Made by Hands of the Savior, written by F. F. Ukhtomsky (1693), before which Emperor Peter I prayed.

XX century

From 1858 to 1924 the cathedral was the main cathedral St. Petersburg(Petrograd) diocese and the main cathedral of the Russian state.

In May 1922, during the seizure of church valuables, 48 kg of gold items, more than 2 tons of silver jewelry were taken out of the cathedral.

On April 12, 1931, one of the first anti-religious museums in Soviet Russia was opened in the temple.

In 1990, the first divine service after a long break was held in the cathedral; regular weekly services began to be performed in 2002, and in the fall of 2015, daily morning and evening services are performed in the cathedral.

St. Petersburg's St. Isaac's Cathedral is a special monument. The fact is that its history is inextricably linked with the construction of the city.

Therefore, the cathedral is not only religious building, but also a recognizable symbol northern capital having the status of a state museum-monument.

Where is it located and how to get there?

The golden dome of the cathedral rises to a height of 101 m, is clearly visible from different parts of the city and is a landmark for tourists.

St. Isaac's Cathedral is located on the square of the same name in the Admiralteisky district, within walking distance from the monument to Peter I. Those wishing to admire the beauties of the cathedral, it is most convenient to get to the Admiralteiskaya metro station, and then take a short walk (about two blocks).

You can also get to the Nevsky Prospekt or Ploshchad Vosstaniya stations, but they are located further away, so you have to transfer to buses 7, 24, 191 and get to the Admiralteisky Prospekt stop, and then also continue on foot (for the rest of the route runs through the historical part of St. Petersburg).

Opening hours of the observation deck and ticket price

The museum-monument "St. Isaac's Cathedral" is open to visitors from 10.30 am to 6.00 pm on all days of the week, except Wednesday. During the spring and summer period, guests are also offered evening programs from 18.00 to 22.30.

Note: the box office closes half an hour before the end of the working day, at the same time visitors are no longer allowed inside the museum.

And what can you see in thirty minutes? If you want to slowly enjoy the beauties of the museum, it is better to plan your visit with a margin of time.

Full ticket price memorial museum is 250 rubles.

Reduced tickets can be purchased for the following categories:

youth (from 7 to 18 years old inclusive) - 50 rubles;
pensioners - 50 rubles;
students (graduate students, cadets, etc. of educational institutions) - 50 rubles;
owners international cards ISIC - 150 rubles.

Separately, you can visit the Colonnade of the Cathedral (with the services of an audio guide). In this case, the ticket price is 150 rubles. For the convenience of visitors, tickets can be purchased online on the museum's website.

History of creation

The history of the monument dates back to the 18th century, when Emperor Peter I ordered the construction of a temple in honor of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, whom he considered his patron.

The temple was erected in a few months, and opened in 1707. The second St. Isaac's Cathedral was rebuilt to replace the outdated one in 1727. However, eight years later it burned out. The cause of the fire was a lightning strike. Restoration work lasted almost until the middle of the 18th century and did not bring success.

After that, Empress Catherine II ordered the construction of a new cathedral designed by A. Rinaldi. It ended in 1802. However, the result of the emperor was not impressed, and he was forced to re-announce the competition for architectural projects.

Interesting facts about the architect and the construction of the cathedral

The young French architect O. Montferrand became the winner.

The original draft of O. Montferrand contained errors and young man It took some time to fix them and continue building. The work has been completed. And on the day of St. Isaac of Dalmatia in 1858, the cathedral was consecrated and until 1929 was cathedral Russian Orthodox Church.

What are the columns made of?

The columns of the cathedral, decorating the porticos, are made of granite, which was delivered to St. Petersburg from the quarries near Vyborg.

Interestingly, the columns also adorn the interior of the temple. So the main altar is decorated with columns lined with malachite and exuding the smell of myrrh.

The oil of this tree was included in a special composition, with which the plates were attached to the base.

How many years was it built

The construction of the temple took 40 years. In connection with such a long period, a legend even arose that the architect was predicted to die after the completion of the work, and he intentionally delayed the construction.

dome of the cathedral

The outside diameter of the dome is 25 m, and inside - 22.1 m. It took 100 kg of gold to gild it.

Inside the dome is decorated with paintings by K. Bryullov. Under it, on a cable, a dove hovers - a symbol of the holy spirit.

How many steps in the cathedral lead to the colonnade?

562 steps lead to the upper colonnade, which offers a panoramic view of the city.

The average time to climb this staircase is 15 minutes. This observation deck became accessible to visitors in the middle of the 20th century. Today, everyone can go up there, thanks to special elevators.

architecture style

St. Isaac's Cathedral was built in the spirit of late classicism, which is characterized by monumentalism, orderliness, proportionality and harmonious inclusion of the monument into the surrounding architectural ensemble.

Worship Schedule

The current schedule of services is posted on the official website. museum complex. If you are going to attend a service in the Cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, it would not be superfluous to clarify its date and time of beginning.

As a rule, on weekdays, morning services begin at 8.00 am, and on Saturday and Sunday from 9.00 am. Evening services begin at 4:00 pm on all days of the week.

Who does not know the famous state memorial museum Saint Isaac's Cathedral? The gilded domes of which are a postcard and a symbol of the city on the Neva. Cities of Petra. The cathedral impresses with its scale, its beauty. And today I will share with you, my dear readers, how you can get to the cathedral for free.

When going to the city on the Neva, he made a plan of events. And this plan included a visit to St. Isaac's Cathedral. You can visit for free every day, except Wednesdays and only at certain times. Namely, only on time for church events in the temple.

How can you get into the state museum-monument St. Isaac's Cathedral for free? To do this, you do not need to be included in the list of categories of citizens (residents of the Russian Federation) who have the right to free admission to the museum. For this you need:

Just know the schedule of services held in the temple and tell the password to the guard at the entrance opposite the main one.

That's why I want to say Thanks a lot Russian Orthodox Church for this opportunity.

Before the service, you approach the guard who is sitting in the booth, with reverse side from the main entrance. You say the password: "To the service" and calmly pass.

So we did just that, and visited this most magnificent temple. I will not describe its history and all the sights. This can be viewed on the Internet. And I shared a secret!

That's the whole secret. And the casket just opens!