St. Sergius All Artillery Cathedral

Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Religious Architecture (see also Religion.Church)
Categories / Religion. Church/Places of Worship (see also Architecture and Urban Planning)
ST. SERGIUS ALL ARTILLERY CATHEDRAL (St. Sergius of Radonezh Cathedral), located at 6 Liteiny Avenue. An architectural monument in the Classicist style, constructed in 1796-1800 (architect F. I. Demertsov) on the site of a stone chapel of the same name, built in 1744-46 (architect I. Schumacher) for workmen of the neighbouring Foundry Yard and Artillery settlement. The cathedral with three side-altars was crowned with a large cupola on an impressive dome drum. A two-storied bell tower rose above the main entrance adorned with a four-columned portico. The walls were embellished with the paintings from the lives of St. Sergius (artist N. A. Sauerweid, 1870). The construction cost 30,000 roubles. In 1803, the church acquired the status of a cathedral. In 1832, it was transferred to the Military Department. In 1914-16, architect L. N. Benois extended the building so that it could accommodate 2,700 people, the dome drum and the cupola were made anew from reinforced concrete. The new decor and religious paintings were made by artist A. G. Platunov. In 1915, a burial chapel for artillery officers fallen in the course of duty was attached to the cathedral. Two other chapels were arranged within the precinct. The St Sergius Congregation with a school and an orphanage functioned from 1868. In 1879, for the first time in Russia the Cathedral hosted meetings unaccompanied by divine services. In 1932, the church was closed down, two years afterwards it was partially demolished for the needs of the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU), the architect was I. F. Bezpalov, (today the building belongs to the Department of Internal Affairs). From St. Sergius Cathedral comes the former name of Tchaikovskogo Street (Sergievskaya Street).

References: Покровский Н. М. Житие преподобного Сергия Радонежского чудотворца и Сергиевский всей артиллерии собор: (Крат. ист. очерк). СПб., 1891; Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994. Т. 1. С. 123-125.

V. V. Antonov. Bezpalov Innokenty Fedorovich
Demertsov Fedor Ivanovich
Platunov A.T.
Sauerweid Nikolay Alexandrovich
Schumacher Ivan Danilovich
Liteiny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 6
Tchaikovskogo St./Saint Petersburg, city
Покровский Н. М. Житие преподобного Сергия Радонежского чудотворца и Сергиевский всей артиллерии собор: (Крат. ист. очерк). СПб., 1891
Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994 Neoclassicism
Foundry Yard