Cathedral of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Holy Resurrection Temple

Categories / Religion. Church/Places of Worship (see also Architecture and Urban Planning)
Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Religious Architecture (see also Religion.Church)
CATHEDRAL OF THE RENEWAL OF THE JERUSALEM HOLY RESURRECTION TEMPLE, Smolny Сathedral, the Cathedral For All Educational Establishments, located at 1 Rastrelli Square. Monument of Baroque architecture. The cathedral was built in 1748-57 as the Cathedral of Smolny Monastery (architect F. Rastrelli); its interior decoration started in 1762 (architect Y.M. Felten; was not completed). The lower part of the building is divided into two tiers and surmounted with a tall lantern drum, abutting four belfries. The entire composition of the building is extraordinarily dynamic and produces the impression of the Cathedral soaring towards heaven. After the monastery was closed, all the construction work was halted, and the cathedral remained un-consecrated. In 1828, the church passed under the jurisdiction of Establishments of Empress Maria Fedorovna, and its interior decoration was done in 1832-35 by architect V.P. Stasov. The cathedral, which could accommodate 6,000 people, was eventually consecrated in 1835. The icons for the cathedral were done by artists P.V. Basin, A.V. Tyranov, A.V. Notbek, and others and the altarpiece representing Our Lady was painted by A.G. Venetsianov. Emperor Nicholas I donated a 5-pood (82 kg) silver tabernacle to the cathedral, which was made by jeweller J.W. Keibel to the design by K.A. Ton. The main iconostasis was made in 1873-75 in the Baroque style (carver E.I. Shrader after the design drawing by M.E. Messmacher), the side altars were done in 1883 (carver K.I. Steinholz). The Icon of the Our Lady of Chernigov adorned with a rich frame was particularly venerated. The cathedral was the main church for educational institutions under the jurisdiction of the Department of Empress Maria Fedorovna's Establishments (the names of the institutions were inscribed in gold letters on the altar). In 1923, the cathedral was closed down, its interior decoration was destroyed, and the building itself was used as a storehouse (the iconostasis was removed in 1972). Since 1974, the cathedral has been affiliated with the Museum of St. Petersburg history, and has been functioning as a concert and exhibition hall since 1990.

References: 50-летие Воскресенского собора всех учебных заведений, 1835-1885. СПб., 1885; Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994. Т. 1. С. 96-99.

V. V. Antonov. Basin Peter Vasilievich
Felten Yury (Georg Friedrich) Matveevich
Keibel Johann Wilhelm
Maria Fedorovna, Empress
Messmacher Maximilian Egorovich
Nicholas I, Emperor
Notbek Alexander Vasilievich
Rastrelli Francesco de
Shrader Ermolai Ivanovich
Stahlin Jakob von
Stasov Vasily Petrovich
Ton Konstantin Andreevich
Tyranov Alexsey Vasilievich
Venetsianov Alexander Gavrilovich
Rastrelli Square/Saint Petersburg, city, house 1
50-ти летие Воскресенского собора всех учебных заведений, 1835-1885. СПб., 1885
Антонов В. В., Кобак А. В. Святыни Санкт-Петербурга: Ист.-церков. энцикл. СПб., 1994 Baroque
Empress Maria's Department of Institutions
St. Petersburg Museum of History
1748
1835
1923
1988