Catherine the Great’s grandson Nicolas I who ruled from 1825 to 1855 laid out the square with St. Isaac’s Cathedral at the northern end and the Mariinsky Palace in the south. Nicholas began building the palace in 1829 when his eldest daughter the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna was ten years old and presented the palace to her as a wedding gift in 1839.

Directly in front of the Mariinsky Palace, in the center of the square is a bronze equestrian monument of Nicholas I, the first equestrian statue in Europe with the rear hooves of the horse providing the only support points. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna reportedly said she disliked the statue because the first thing she saw in the morning was the back end of her father’s horse.

The Hotel Astoria is on the eastern side of the square. When it opened in 1912 it was one of the most luxurious hotels in the Russian Empire, built to host visitors coming to St. Petersburg to celebrate 300 years of Romanov rule. Hotel Astoria underwent complete renovations in 2002, is a member of Leading Hotels of the World, and managed by Rocco Forte Hotels, in case you want a reservation.

The present St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the fourth church at this site. Alexander I commissioned the cathedral and construction began in 1818. Before construction could begin, 25,000 piles had to be driven into the marshy soil. The building itself rests on 10,000 tree trunks. And the amazing statistics don’t end here.

The cathedral dome is 333 feet high and covered with 500 kilos of pure gold. Artisans gilded the dome with a technique that used mercury. Depending on the source, between 60 and 1,000 workers died from mercury poisoning.

The exterior has 112 red granite columns with corinthian capitals. Each 80 ton column was erected as a single block, using wood frameworks before the walls were erected. The bronze doors are covered with relief designs patterned after the Battistero di San Giovanni in Florence.

The interior is equally astounding. Decorations utilize 900 pounds of gold, 16 tons of malachite, 1100 pounds of lapis lazuli, and 1,000 tons of bronze to create mosaic icons, paintings, and columns. The result is breathtaking.

There are three altars. The central altar is dedicated to St. Isaac, the ascetic monk of Dalmatia who was Peter the Great’s patron saint. To the left is an altar for St. Alexander Nevsky, canonized in 1547 for his role as a defender of Kievan Russia. On the right hand side is an altar for St. Catherine, a martyr of the early church.

The interior of the cathedral can accommodate 14,000 people. In 2016 2.3 million tourists visited the Cathedral of St. Isaac.

Visiting the historic sites of St. Petersburg was an awe-inspiring experience. I’ve never seen so much gold, or amazing art in one place. I departed having seen more than I expected, and knowing there are many treasures I didn’t see.

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St. Isaac’s Square, early 19th century. Public Domain.

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St. Isaac’s Cathedral.

St. Isaac’s Square.

Alexandra Guzeva. “10 Reasons Why St. Isaac’s Cathedral is a Unique Masterpiece. “ Russia Beyond. Jan. 17, 2017

The post ST. PETERSBURG: VISITING ST. ISAAC’S CATHEDRAL & SQUARE first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

When I entered the building, I first noticed golden fixtures and a greenish hue. The second impression, of course, was of crowds of people.

The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, completed in 1733, is very much Peter the Great’s church. His tomb and that of his second wife Catherine (later Catherine I) is at the front of the Screen of Icons. On the right side of the screen is a large icon of Jesus, with an Imperial crown and a face that resembles Peter’s face. On the left, is an icon of the Virgin Mary, who resembles Peter’s wife.

The cathedral is also the final resting place of almost all the Romanovs (excluding Peter II and Ivan VI). The last imperial remains belong to Nicholas I and his family and are housed in the Chapel of St. Catherine, the Martyr. The remains include those of four servants found with the family. These were interred in 1998. However, at the time most of the remains were found, those of Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Marie were missing. These were found later, but aren’t in the chapel. The church didn’t accept their authenticity.

The most recent, and probably the last, internment is that of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III. After the Russian Revolution, the tsarina fled home to Denmark where she died in 1928. In her will, she requested that her remains be returned to Russia and placed next to those of her husband, but not while the communists were in power. The remains were interred in 2006.

CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR ON THE SPILLED BLOOD

Alexander III built the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood as a memorial to his father on the very spot where the assassin fatally wounded Alexander II in 1881. Construction began in 1883 in the style of orthodox churches built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

The structure sits along the Griboedov Canal which was narrowed so the church could be built on the exact spot where Alexander II was attacked. Cobblestones were pulled up and identified by number so they could be placed exactly where they were on the fateful day. There is also a portion of the original bridge railing. Outside is a golden canopy marking the spot.

The church was completed in 1907 during the reign of Nicholas II. From 1907 to 1917, weekly requiems for Alexander II took place. The church’s interior walls are covered by over 7500 square meters of breathtaking mosaics.

In 1932, the Soviets closed the church. During World War II, it was used as a temporary morgue during the Siege of Leningrad. Our guide mentioned that after the war, the Soviets wanted to tear down the church in order to widen the canal, but specialists informed the government that there was no way to save the priceless mosaics created by Russian craftsmen. The government responded by turning the cathedral into a warehouse for the Small Opera Theater.

In 1970 the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood became part of the St. Isaac’s Cathedral Museum (more on that next week), underwent a complete restoration and opened to the public in 1997.

Photos by Author

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul

Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood

The post ST. PETERSBURG: THE CATHEDRAL of SAINTS PETER & PAUL and THE CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR ON THE SPILLED BLOOD first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

One of the interesting aspects of travel is that often what you think is true turns out to be slightly different. The complex I’d always thought of as Catherine’s Summer Palace never had that name. Officially the structure was called the Great Palace of Tsarskoye Selo until 1910, after which it was called simply The Catherine Palace.

I also thought the palace was named after Catherine the Great, and her presence there is a strong one. But The Catherine Palace is named after Catherine I, Peter the Great’s second wife. It is said that while Peter was putting the finishing touches on Peterhof, Catherine announced she wanted her own palace. And that Peter granted her the site, presently near the town of Pushkin, so that she wouldn’t become a landless widow.

Catherine I began constructing her palace in 1717. Peter the Great’s successor, Empress Elizabeth, demolished the structure twenty-five years later, and replaced it with the present rococo building. Over 100 kilometers of gold gilds the stucco facade. The blue, gold and white facade is over 300 meters long.

In the 1770s Catherine the Great made her indelible mark on the palace. She wanted to replace the rococo design with a Neo-Palladian style, and have her own apartments done in the Greek Revival style. However, Catherine accepted the recommendation that she keep the gilded rococo decorations in the public areas, because it would impress foreign dignitaries, as it continues to impress visitors today.

One enters the building via the Grand Staircase completed in 1863, but retaining the rococo style. The Great Hall, done in baroque style, opens off the staircase. Its 800 square meters was designed for official receptions, banquets, and balls. The effect is breathtaking.

The Great Hall with its gilded woodcarvings and thousands of mirrors was Empress Elizabeth’s preferred setting for her twin avocations of seducing men and spending money.

From the Great Hall, the palace opens into a series of rooms featuring lapis lazuli, jasper, malachite and other priceless artifacts. Originally, the palace had 58 halls. Since World War II, 32 have been restored.

After the Great Hall, the next room is the Chevalier Dining Room featuring porcelain dishes called Order Services with the badges and sashes pertaining to the former Russian aristocracy.

The White State Dining Room further on was used for banquets and smaller evening meals.

The private apartments begin with what is called the Small White Dining Room, though the dining table isn’t presently seen.

The second private apartment is the Chinese Drawing Room of Tsar Alexander I dominated by his portrait. The walls are painted in watercolors inspired by Chinese designs.

Leaving the palace, visitors can wander through THE CATHERINE PARK. Among the features is the Old Garden which Peter the Great may have designed in the Dutch style.

But Catherine II wanted to show Europe a modern 17th century garden, and monuments to her rule. The landscaped park includes the Great Pond surrounded many smaller structures.

The brick buildings known as THE ADMIRALTY once stored boats for excursions across the Great Pond.

The TURKISH BATH and the CHESME COLUMN both commemorated Russian victories in the Russo-Turkish War.

The GROTTO PAVILION on the edge of the Great Pond features incredible acoustics. During our visit an all-men’s chorus sang a capella before offering copies of their CD for sale.

Visiting The Catherine Palace is an experience of sensory overload. Not only because the sheer opulence is exhausting, but also because of the crowds inside the palace. There’s no stopping for a longer look as visitors surge forward for a better photographic look. But underneath the crowded floor and noisy chatter, it’s still possible to glimpse a moment in history when a very few lived opulently, supported by people who didn’t share the wealth.

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Portrait of Catherine I, Public Domain.

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The Great Palace of Tsarskoye Selo (The Catherine Palace)

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Peter the Great became the first of the Romanov tzars in 1682. Standing at six feet, seven inches tall he was an imposing figure. Today his legacy still dominates St. Petersburg, the city he founded on the banks of the Neva River as his Window to the West. So, it seems fitting to begin our visit to St. Petersburg with Peterhof, Peter’s Summer Palace facing the Gulf of Finland.

Peter wanted a summer palace he could use as he traveled to and from Europe via the harbor at Kronstadt. He also wanted a palace that rivaled Versailles, and spared no expense in money or manpower to make his desire a reality.

The dominant geographic feature is a bluff that is sixteen miles high, and less than 328 feet from the shoreline. The Lower Gardens stand between the bluff and the shore. The Grand Palace stands at the top the bluff. Behind it are the Upper Gardens.

The Grand Palace looks imposing, but isn’t actually that large, having a mere thirty rooms. Initial construction was complete in 1724. Peter died the following year.

Empress Elizabeth, Peter’s daughter from his second marriage, expanded the property to the size of the present palace. Guides are quick to share two facts about Elizabeth. First, she was Peter’s “unofficial” daughter, since Peter and his second wife Catherine weren’t married at the time Elizabeth was born. Secondly, Elizabeth possessed 15,000 dresses, many of which are preserved. Why? Apparently, Elizabeth would not allow anyone to wear the same fabric or design she wore, and she changed clothes several times a day. But, I digress.

Elizabeth constructed the present palace in the baroque style around the walls her father erected. When Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, became empress, baroque was out of fashion. Catherine designed rooms with a more classical theme.

Entrance to Peterhof is via a ceremonial staircase featuring gilded statuary. The stairs open into a magnificent Ballroom, followed by the Throne Room.

Behind the throne is a well-known painting by Erichsen of Catherine the Great astride her horse Brilliant.

Catherine added Chesma Hall next to the Throne Room. The Hall is named for a series of paintings done to depict the Battle of Chesma during the Russo-Turkish War. Since the artist had never seen a naval battle, Catherine arranged for him to watch a ship explode so he could create more realistic paintings.

I thought the Oak Study depicting Peter the Great’s personal study extremely interesting in its simplicity, though it seems unlikely Peter kept such a tidy space. Peter allegedly designed the chair to his specifications.

THE TRUE GRANDEUR OF PETERHOF IS IN THE GARDENS.

The Grand Cascade in front of the palace contains three waterfalls, 67 fountains, and 37 golden statues with the statue of Samson ripping open the jaws of a lion at its center. The fountains run into the Marine Canal and flow into the Gulf of Finland. They run without the use of pumps. Water gathers in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens and gravity does the rest.

The Samson Statue joined the fountain in the 1730s to depicted Russia’s victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War. The lion is part of the Swedish coat of arms. Samson symbolizes Peter, and the fact that Russia won the battle on St. Samson’s Day. The highest fountain shoots a sixty-five foot jet of water from the lion’s mouth.

My favorite fountain, and the only one with sound, has mechanical ducks being chased by an equally mechanical dog. Barking and quacking ensue.

Peter was fond a practical jokes. Several fountains shoot unexpected showers on unsuspecting guests. This trick fountain, for example, has a place for someone to hide and shoot water unexpectedly as this video demonstrates.

Peterhof is amazing. The Summer Palace associated with Catherine the Great is even more so. We’ll visit it next time.

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Photos by Author

Peterhof

Jim Whyte. “All that Glistens is Gold.” The Guardian. Feb. 8, 2006.

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