The Kazansky Cathedral

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan replaced the wooden church (constructed in 1733-1737 by architect Mikhail Zemtsov) where had been treasured the miracle-working icon of Our Lady of Kazan. This icon was a family relic of the Romanovs and was thought to be the patroness of the royal family.

According to the wish of Paul I the cathedral was to remind of the St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The construction of it was entrusted to architect Andrey Voronikhin (the Count Stroganov's serf).

The construction works took 10 years (1801-1811) - respectively a short period for such a grand construction. It is interesting that the cathedral was built exceptionally of the home manufactured wares and only by local architects, thus from the very beginning the accent was made on patriotism. To construct the cathedral in such a short period of time thousands of workers and serves had to work round the clock in the most terrible conditions.

Andrey Voronikhin had a difficult task to solve: in keeping with the church canons, the altar of the cathedral was to face eastwards, hence the main entrance and the facade faced westwards. Thus the main street of the city, Nevsky Prospect, was to front the side facade of the cathedral, and not the main one. Andrey Voronikhin solved the problem by supplying the cathedral with a grand semicircular colonnade facing onto Nevsky Prospect. Andrey Voronikhin intended to put up a similar colonnade facing south; however, the Patriotic War of 1812 broke out and interfered with his plans.

The Patriotic War of 1812 became a crucial point in the history of the cathedral. The temple constructed to house the miracle-power icon of Our Lady of Kazan was turned into the treasury of the victory relics such as captured French colors, keys to the fortresses and cities of Western Europe taken by Russian troops during the war against Napoleon. In 1813 in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan field-marshal Kutuzov was buried and the memorial significance of the cathedral increased considerably.

In 1837 in front of the cathedral the monuments to celebrated Field Marshals Mikhail Kutuzov and Mikhail Barclay de Tolly, the heroes of the Napoleonic war, were placed. Designed by sculptor Boris Orlovsky and architect Vasily Stasov, they fit the whole ensemble so splendidly that many citizens of Saint Petersburg still believe that they were included in the original project of Andrey Voronikhin.

Soon after the Revolution of 1917 the Soviet Government took the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan from Russian Orthodox Church and adjusted the unique building to the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism that was opened to the public in 1932.

The date of the 4th of November, 1990 is considered to be the day of the cathedral's revival. Then for the first time after more than a 70-years break the divine service was held in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan.

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