Grand Princes’ Burial Vault

Categories / Architecture/Cemeteries (see also Municipal Economy)
Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Religious Architecture (see also Religion.Church)
GRAND PRINCES’ BURIAL VAULT is an architectural monument situated in the territory of Peter and Paul Fortress, an extension to the north-eastern part of SS. Peter&Paul Cathedral, intended for burials of members of the Imperial family (Grand Princes and Princesses; hence the name). The project (architect D.I. Grimm) was approved in 1896, the construction, finished by 1908, was carried out by architects A.O. Tomishko and L.N. Benois, who introduced some changes. Thanks to properly calculated proportions, the building crowned with an onion dome, stylized in Baroque and connected to the Cathedral by a covered gallery, is perceived as a single whole. Marble lining, mosaics (master V.A. Frolov), ormolu (master E.A. Weber) were used in the decoration; the altar of St. Alexander Nevsky aisle had a crucifixion made in technique of Florentine mosaic at Peterhof Lapidary Factory to the drawings of V.P. Vereshchagin, the author of icons, artist N.A. Bruni. The fence in front of the western facade was created in 1904-06 (architect Benois) design based on the pattern of the grille for the Summer Garden. The Grand Princes’ burial vault was designed for 60 tombs. The first to be buried here in 1908 was the brother of Emperor Alexander III, Grand Prince Alexey Alexandrovich (1850-1908), the last one, in 1915, Grand Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich. In 1909-12, a number of reburials from the Emperor's burial vault of the cathedral took place. In 1908-15, a total of 13 persons were buried in the Grand Prince's Burial Vault. Marble tombstones of the same type destroyed during the years of Soviet Government have been restored. Since 1967, the exhibition of St. Petersburg Museum of History is situated in the Grand Prince's burial vault. In 1992, Grand Prince Vladimir Kirillovich (1918-1992) who had died abroad, was buried in the Grand Prince's Burial Vault; subsequently, in 1995, the ashes of his parents: grandson of Emperor Alexander II, Grand Prince Kirill Vladimirovich (1876-1938) and his spouse, Grand Princess Viktoria Federovna (1876-1936) were transferred to the burial vault from Coburg.

Reference: Гендриков В. Б., Сенько С. Е. Петропавловский собор - усыпальница императорского дома Романовых. СПб., 1998.

Y. M. Piryutko. Alexander II, Emperor
Alexander III, Emperor
Alexander Nevsky, Duke
Alexey Alexandrovich, Grand Prince
Benois Leonty Nikolaevich
Bruni Nikolay Alexandrovich
Kirill Vladimirovich, Grand Prince
Konstantin Konstantinovich, Grand Prince
the Grimms
Tomishko (Tomishka) Antony Osipovich (Iosifovich)
Vereschagin Vasily Vasilievich
Viktoria Fedorovna, Grand Princess
Vladimir Kirillovich, Grand Prince
Weber E.A.
Петропавловская крепость
Гендриков В. Б., Сенько С. Е. Петропавловский собор - усыпальница императорского дома Романовых. СПб., 1998 St. Peter and Paul fortress
St. Peter and Paul fortress
SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral
Imperial Burial Vault
St. Petersburg Museum of History
1908
1992