ST ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL

                           St. Petersberg

          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. Petersburg is covered with 100kg of pure gold and  dominates the city’s skyline. Taking 40 years to build, (1818-1858) a Frenchman spent his entire lifetime on the project, and died one month after its completion. Granite Finnish 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 into ruins. Catherine the Great commissioned the third church on the present site. However, when she died it was only half finished and her son, in revenge, never finished the building, so it was 40 years before the church was completed. A total of 24,000 pilings 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 candle lights. An arch joins the large main columns. The icons on the iconostasis are actually mosaics as weather destroyed the painted icons before they were  completed. 

            The marble columns are not covered with frescos. In the center of the marble floor is a large mosaic, then the rest of the floor is done in marble stripes. Immediately on each side of the iconostasis altar door is a lapis column, then three large malachite columns stand on each side of the lapis columns.

            The acoustics in the church are perfect. All outside doors are large and heavy. The heavily carved relief door weighs 10 tons.

            The church was named St. Isaac’s 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 frescos, mosaics and murals, which are the major attraction. The lovely stain glass and the carved white marble iconostasis also are of special note.

           St. Isaac’s is an exception, but one almost can say if you’ve seen one Russian Orthodox church you’ve seen them all, as they follow a definite décor theme and layout. This one was mind boggling and exceptionally beautiful.