ST ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL

            St. Petersberg's Glorious Church

            The present St. Isaac’s Cathedral, austerely regal by day and ominously imposing by night is the fourth largest domed cathedral in the world. The dome of the largest church in St. Petersberg, covered with 100 kg of pure gold, dominates the city’s skyline. A Frenchman spent his entire life, 40 years (1818-1858),on the project and  died one month after its completion. Finnish granite pillars, a 30,000-ton edifice, gray marble exterior, red granite colonnades, gold covered domes, and bronze statues make for a stunning structure that can accommodate 14,000 people. The cost to build the cathedral was ten times that of the winter palace.

            The first wooden church burned. The second church, also wooden, was built at the present site of the Peter the Great statue. Water undermined that church and it fell to ruins. Catherine the great commissioned the third and present church to be built on its present site. However, she died when the church was only half finished, and her son, in revenge, never finished the church. A total of 24.000 pillars support the church.

            The church was an active one until 1932 when it became a museum. In contradiction to Russian Orthodoxy St Isaac’s contains 600 golden sculptures. Built with three aisles, the golden chandeliers hold many, probably hundreds, candle lights. The large main columns are joined with an arch. The icons on the iconostasis are actually mosaics as weather destroyed the painted icons before they were even completed.

            The marble columns are not covered with frescoes, as seen in some churches. A large mosaic is in the center of the marble floor while the rest of the floor is done in marble stripes. Immediately on each side of the iconostasis alter door is a lapis column, then three large malachite columns extend out on each side of the lapis ones.

            Acoustics are perfect in the church. All outside doors are large and heavy with the heavily carved relief door weighing ten ton. The church is so named because Peter the Great was born on May 30 which is the day of St. Isaac. The interior with its 14 varieties of marble, generous touches of jasper, malachite, gilded stucco and many frescoes and murals is the main attraction. The lovely stain glass windows and carved white marble iconostasis are also worthy of special note.

            One can almost say that if you’ve seen one Russian Orthodox Church you’ve seen them all as they follow a definite décor theme. St Isaac’s is an exception and was truly mind boggling and exceptionally beautiful---a definite must-see for any visitor to this fascinating city.

HISTORIC LANDMARKS

                      The Catherine Palace and Peter and Paul Fortress

             The elegant Catherine Palace, built in 1718 for Peter the Great’s wife, is a monument to Russian art and culture. The summer palace of the czars is located just outside the city. Construction began in 1744 and after years of embellishment and reconstruction it reached its current Baroque grandeur of elegant blue, white and gold perfection.

            The Catherine Palace facade is the longest in all of Europe, stretching more than 1,000 feet in a fantastic profusion of columns, windows, pilasters and statues. Originally the ornaments of the palace were gilded, which must have been a brilliant contrast against sapphire blue walls. Very expensive to maintain and difficult to keep looking fresh and clean, later Catherine II ordered the gilt palace ornaments to be painted over in a bronze color.

            There are two fronts to the palace; one faces the garden and the other is an enormous parade ground enclosed in a one-story arc of baroque buildings and gilded railings. After Peter and Catherine’s deaths, the palace passed to their lively, blue-eyed daughter, Elizabeth, who lived in the palace during the reigns of her half-brother Peter II and her cousin, Anna. Elizabeth had the palace enlarged and later the famous Italian Architect Rastrelli took on the task of the famous palace facades that are seen today.

            Catherine II made a Neo-Classical style addition, which she preferred over the flamboyant Baroque style, to the far wing of the palace.

The weather was very damp and dreary while I was in St. Petersburg and I managed to pick up a nasty cold. Unfortunately I felt pretty awful the day we made this visit so my notes are shorter than usual.

The Peter and Paul Fortress, built in 1703, is situated on a small island in the Neva River delta. The historical treasure  has been a prison, fortress and now is the burial site of Russian czars. Originally built to defend against the Swedes, Peter the Great laid the first stone.

The city developed on both sides of the fortress but eventually the site across the river is the one that was sustained. From the Admiralty on the south embankment the main streets radiate like wheel spokes. Canals and other streets cross the spokes and run parallel to the main channel of the Neva.

Across the Neva  River, the distinctive gold spire shines over what was a major shipbuilding and naval center. The city’s major streets fan out from this point. The 12-meter thick walls support 300 pieces of artillery. The fortress even had a functioning mint at one time. The courtyard is cobbled.

            Nearby stands the Dutch-style Peter and Paul Cathedral, a shrine to the Romanoff dynasty. Its belfry supports a stunning needle-like golden spire, which can be seen from most any spot in the city. The golden angel holding a cross is the city symbol. The bells ring four times a day. The baroque interior with its carved iconostasis is breath taking. It took 40 serfs seven years to carve the linden wood under the gold leaf. Inside are the Romanoff monarch sarcophagi, and the one with a bust on top identifies Peter the Great.