St. Sampson’s Cathedral

Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Religious Architecture (see also Religion.Church)
Categories / Religion. Church/Places of Worship (see also Architecture and Urban Planning)
ST SAMPSON’S CATHEDRAL, located at 41 Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Avenue. An architectural monument, one of the oldest churches of St. Petersburg. Constructed in 1728-40 in the Baroque style of Anna Ioannovna on the site of a wooden church, founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1709, on Vyborgskaya Side, honouring the victory over the Swedes in the Poltava battle, won on the day of St. Sampson. The first city cemetery and the first hospital were opened on the territory of the church. The main building of the church was arched and crowned with a cupola on a high facetted dome drum. The refectory and multi-storied hipped-roof bell tower adjoin the main building. The main iconostasis features icons by A. Kvashnin, A. Pospelov, and T. Bazhenov. In 1761, four small domes were attached to the main drum and the interior of the cathedral was painted. A chapel was constructed in 1800 to the left of the building. Restorations were carried out in 1908-09 (by architect A. P. Aplaksin), new iconostases were built for the side-altars, and a cast iron plaque with the text of the speech Peter the Great made before the Poltava battle was hung on the wall; two Baroque-style chapels were built within the precinct (architect N. E. Lansere), and the church was converted into a cathedral. Since 1874, a charitable society established under the auspices of the church supported a hospice and an orphanage. In 1909, the church congregation built a facility housing missionary courses, halls for talks and a bookshop. In 1938, the St. Sampson’s Cathedral was closed down and its priests were arrested; the building was turned into a storehouse. Restoration of the facade was completed in 1977 by architects V. S. Banige and M. N. Mikishatyev. St. Sampson’s Cathedral housed a branch of St Isaac's Cathedral Museum, since the spring of 2002 services have been held in the side-altar. From the name of the cathedral come the names of Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Avenue and Sampsonievsky Bridge. Up until 1772, many associates of Peter the Great were buried on the Orthodox and Lutheran Cemeteries of St. Sampson’s Cathedral (including "Princely Father" P. I. Buturlin, Siberian Governor Prince M. P. Gagarin, Tsar’s Surgeon L. Blyumentrost, architects D. Trezzini and J. Le Blond). In 1740, A. P. Volynsky, A. F. Khruschov and P. M. Eropkin were buried on the grounds of St. Sampson’s Cathedral, and in 1886 a memorial was installed on their grave (architect M. A. Shchurupov, sculptor A. M. Opekushin). During the bicentenary anniversary of St. Petersburg the monument to Peter the Great was placed in front of the cathedral (by sculptor M. M. Antokolsky, after October 1917 the monument was removed, to be restored in 2003).

References: Аплаксин А. П. Сампсониевский собор в С.-Петербурге, 1709-1909. [СПб.], 1909; Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994. Т. 1. С. 119-122; Музей-памятник Сампсониевский собор / Текст И. С. Филипповой. СПб., 2002.

V. V. Antonov. Antokolsky Mark Matveevich
Aplaksin Andrey Petrovich
Banige Vladimir Sergeevich
Bazhenov Т.
Blumentrost Lavrenty Lavrentievich
Buturlin Peter Ivanovich
Eropkin Peter Mikhailovich
Gagarin Matvey Petrovich, Duke
Khrushchov Andrey Fedorovich
Kvashnin Andrey Ivanovich
Lansere Nikolay Evgenievich
Le Blond Jean-Baptiste Alexander
Opekushin Alexander Mikhailovich
Peter I, Emperor
Pospelov Alexey
Shchurupov Mikhail Arefievich
Trezzini Domenico
Volynsky Artemy Petrovich
Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 41
Аплаксин А. П. Сампсониевский собор в С.-Петербурге, 1709-1909. [СПб.], 1909
Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994 Baroque
St. Isaac's Cathedral
Sampsonievsky Bridge
1709
1710