St. Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church

Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Religious Architecture (see also Religion.Church)
Categories / Religion. Church/Places of Worship (see also Architecture and Urban Planning)
ST. CATHERINE’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, located on Nevsky Prospect, between buildings 32 and 34. An architectural monument, constructed in 1763-83 in a transitional style merging Baroque with early Classicism (architect J. B. Vallin de la Mothe, from 1775 the construction work was supervised by A. Rinaldi, who altered the original project). The cross-shaped building set at the far end of the grounds is crowned with an impressive cupola. The church could hold up to 2,500 people. The main facade is decorated with an arched portal resting on free-standing columns. The building is crowned with a high parapet embellished with figures of Evangelists. The interior decor was designed by architect D. Minchaki and undertaken by artists G. Valeriani, J. Mettenleiter and sculptor C. Albani. In 1801, a part of the interior decor was done by architect V. Brenna. In 1890-91, the church, which had acquired a multinational congregation consisting of approximately 25,000 people, was extended. Catholic monks served in the church until 1892, after that diocesan clergy took over. The main Catholic church in the capital, it boasted numerous relics, rich donations and precious church plates. Stanislaw August Poniatowski, the last king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, (in 1938 his remains were returned to Poland) and French General J. V. Moreau were buried In the crypt. The burial service for architect A. A. Montferrand was conducted here in 1855. In 1844, the church established the Charitable Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which kept an almshouse and two gymnasiums in buildings adjacent to the church, as well as a primary school and a sanctuary for boys. The church library numbered 60,000 volumes. In 1938, the church was closed down and turned into a storehouse, later it was given over to the Leningrad Philharmonic Hall; interiors were damaged by fires of 1947 and 1984. In 1990, the building was returned to the Catholic Community, and religious services were resumed in 1992. Illustration, see p. 267.

References: Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1996. Т. 3. С. 221-223; Ханковска Р. Храм Святой Екатерины в Санкт-Петербурге. СПб., 2001.

S. V. Boglachev. Albani Concenzio
Brenna Vikenty Franzevich (Vicenzo)
Mettenleiter Jacob
Minchaki Iosif
Montferrand Auguste Augustovich (Henri Louis Auguste Leger Ricard de)
Moreau Jean Victor
Poniatowski Stanislaw August, King
Rinaldi Antonio
Valeriani Giuseppe
Vallin de la Mothe Jean Baptiste Michel
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city, house 32-34, litera м/у домами
Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл.: В 3 т. СПб., 1994-1996
Ханковска Р. Храм Святой Екатерины в Санкт-Петербурге. СПб., 2001 Baroque
Neoclassicism
Philharmonic named after D.D. Shostakovich
1782
1763