History of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment. Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral (Trinity Cathedral) Holy Life-Giving Trinity Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment

If you look at this temple from the Fontanka, it seems that now a miracle ship with blue domes-sails in golden stars, snow-white, like a cloud, will float out from behind the houses...

And it is difficult to imagine, looking at its radiant beauty, that of all the churches in St. Petersburg, the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral is perhaps the most long-suffering: right from the day of its foundation until now, its fate has haunted it. But the cathedral floats in its stellar splendor - through collapses, fires, revolutions and sudden changes in landmarks.

Under the highest leadership

It all started with the formation of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment in 1730 - by order of Anna Ioannovna, for reliable support for the throne. The Izmailovites became the third imperial regiment after the Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky and in the future they did not disappoint the hopes placed on them.

Like the entire Russian army, the Izmailovites had to attend church. For the convenience of the military, each regiment had its own temple and camp church. Only the Izmailovsky guards had to go to other parishes at first.

In 1743, the first church was built in the newly built Izmailovskaya Sloboda (today the main street of that settlement has become Izmailovsky Prospekt). With the growth of the parish, it became small, and in 1752, at the request of the Izmailovsky regiment and the decree of Empress Elisaveta Petrovna, a more spacious wooden church was erected right on the spot where the cathedral is now. The church was special: small domes relative to the main one were located along the cardinal points - the branches of the cross. This is how the temple was built in Kerstovo, which belonged to Elizabeth’s confessor. The Empress generously donated the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity.

In November 1824, the church was “irreversibly damaged by water” during the most destructive flood in St. Petersburg. And in 1827, Nicholas I, from 1823 to 1825 - commander of the second brigade of the first guards division, expresses his will, at the expense of the Emperor’s Cabinet, to build for the Izmailovites a new church for 3000 parish people, with three chapels - the Holy Trinity, Mary Magdalene (in the south ), St. John the Warrior (in the north).

The Emperor appoints himself as the chief construction manager, Vasily Stasov as the architect, and Peter Bazin as the engineer. According to historians, Nicholas’s constant intervention in construction, repeated changes “on the fly” of the already approved plan were largely the reason for the first construction failures.

Construction. First tests

The foundation stone of the temple was timed to coincide with the regimental holiday of Pentecost. The Emperor was absent due to the Turkish campaign, so at the celebration on May 13, 1828, Maria Feodorovna, the Dowager Empress, came with her grandson Alexander, the future Tsar-Liberator. She laid the first stone at the foundation, while the others laid “newly minted platinum coins.”

A long seven-year construction began, large-scale - to show the power of Russian weapons, difficult - with its defeats and victories.

204 masons, 30 stonemasons, 80 carpenters, 24 axemen, 12 blacksmiths and 277 carriers were equipped for the construction. It was planned to drive 5,500 piles into the foundation, but in reality their number was almost doubled - to 9,000 four-plant piles. The reason was extremely weak soil. The foundation was laid with Tosna slab (limestone quarried along the banks of Tosna), the base was made of granite. Strip and bar iron were used to connect brick walls and columns. The construction of the foundation took the entire year of 1828.

In 1829, construction reached the porticoes, and in 1830 they began to build a central drum with a helmet-shaped dome, which was especially difficult due to the scale of the structure. In August, 16 columns holding the dome cracked - Stasov was sent to the guardhouse for 1 day. Bazin had to correct the mistake: for more than a year, under his leadership, the columns and dome were strengthened.

In 1832, the dome was sheathed and topped with a gilded dome and a cross. It is decorated with 280 golden stars, and each small one - 208. When the dome was painted, everything around the cathedral at a distance of 100 fathoms (more than 200 meters) was watered so that dust would not spoil the purity of the color. The central dome became the second largest wooden dome in Europe at that time - on clear days it was seen before reaching 20 kilometers from the city!

On the night of February 23, 1834 (according to some sources - 1833), a storm broke out over St. Petersburg. The central dome was torn off by monstrous gusts of wind and fell onto the eastern dome. When Nicholas arrived at the scene of the tragedy in the afternoon, pieces of copper cladding, bricks, and fragments of a broken cross were lying around the cathedral...

The investigation began. Stasov was arrested for 10 (5?) days, and a commission consisting of eminent engineers, architects, mathematicians I. Charlemagne, K. Thon, Montferrand, Visconti, A. Mikhailov, found serious errors in the plans and calculations. In order not to tempt fate, the new dome project was again entrusted to Bazin. The engineer developed the project for almost four months, and in the fall of 1834 the Bazin dome was already covered with copper.

In the spring of 1835, Fyodor Brandukov covered the dome with cobalt, painted with gold stars, and on May 25, in front of the Izmailovsky regiment in full force, the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral was consecrated.

Nicholas did not make it in time for the consecration, but visited the cathedral later and was dissatisfied with the icons that were painted for the temple by his personal order by academicians - Rector of the Academy of Arts Vasily Shebuev, Academician Vasily Sazonov, Professor Alexey Egorov, Professor Andrei Ivanov. The new faces were entrusted to the self-taught Nikolai Maikov to paint, but even he failed to satisfy the emperor. Therefore, the icons in the temple are partly from academicians, partly “from the people,” i.e. Maykov.

In everything - triumph and power

The cathedral, as intended, could accommodate 3,000 people. The huge Empire-style temple became the largest in Russia at that time. Its facades were decorated with six-column porticoes of the Corinthian order, and in the niches there were bronze angels by S. Galberg. The sculptural frieze was made by Ivan Leppe.

Everything in the interior was also striking with its discreet splendor and scale. 24 Corinthian columns supported the vaults, illuminated by a bronze five-ton chandelier with 300 candles, created by K. Grayson. The light reflected from the white marble of the columns and pilasters, but perhaps more dazzling was the censer with 370 candles - the largest in Europe.

The semicircular iconostasis, decorated with Corinthian columns, was worked in the workshop of A. Tarasov. In 1872, to the faces painted by “academicians and peasants” were added images by D. Buzato and T. Neff, transferred from St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The altar was covered with a canopy with the inscription “Victory with this banner”: according to legend, these words were seen in the sky by the Emperor of Rome Constantine I the Great before the battle with the then Italian ruler Maxentius.

The walls of the military temple were decorated with captured Turkish banners and regimental banners. Behind the glass display cases are the keys to Lemotik, Bayazet, Nikopol, Kars, Adrianople and other defeated fortresses and cities. In 1836, white marble boards appeared on the walls with the names of Izmailov officers who died at Austerlitz, in the battle of Friedland, Borodino and Kulm inscribed on them.

Nicholas himself made a generous gift for the consecration: he donated to the cathedral jasper vessels set in gold and a jasper tabernacle, made like a temple with columns of pink agate.

Parishioners. Chapel and Column of Glory

The lives of many - famous and unknown - were connected with the life of the cathedral. In 1867, F. M. Dostoevsky and A. Snitkina got married under the arches of the temple. And the composer and pianist, the first director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, A. Rubinstein, set out from under the vaults on his last journey: the funeral service for the great musician was held on the day of his 65th birthday, November 16.

The cathedral becomes revered and glorified among Christians. By the end of the 19th century, about 8,000 people a year confessed there. On the patronal feast day, a parade is held in front of the cathedral, and the banners of the regiment are sprinkled with holy water. On the Savior Not Made by Hands, parishioners go to the Fontanka River for the blessing of water, and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary walks around the surrounding streets.

In 1895, next to the cathedral, the Empire-style chapel of St. Alexander Nevsky. The “architect” - parishioner-engineer S. Kondratyev - created a chapel project completely free of charge in honor of the miracle of saving the imperial family during a train crash in the village of Borki in 1888. Another event, the memory of which is enshrined in the chapel, is the miraculous salvation of Nicholas II on a trip around the world: in Otsu (Japan), a fanatic from among the police hit the crown prince on the head with a saber. But the blow slipped and the wounds turned out to be minor.

Another monument outside the walls of the cathedral is dedicated to the military glory of the Izmailovites. First, 4 cannons are brought from the Turkish campaign, from near Gorny Dubnyak, where the Izmailovsky regiment won a difficult victory. Later, other captured weapons appeared, and with them the idea of ​​a monument.

The authors of the “Column of Glory” were military engineer G. Zhitkov and architect D. Grimm. The column is a five-tiered structure on a cast-iron base of 4 Turkish mortars, composed of 100 captured guns of various calibers. The column is crowned with the figure of Nika - Victory.

The column was opened in 1886. Representatives of all districts and branches of the military that became participants in the Turkish War of 1877-1878 were invited to the celebration. The prayer service was served by regimental priests who participated in the war and were awarded crosses on the St. George Ribbon.

In 1930, the column was sent for melting down - not even the military glory of former Russia was spared. Only in 2005 the column was restored.

20th century: new times - new challenges

After the revolution, the regiment and the regimental clergy disappeared. The cathedral first becomes a parish church. In 1922, the Bolsheviks confiscated temple valuables - golden sacred vessels, silver vestments, lamps and crowns, crosses. Over the course of a month, parishioners collect a significant amount of personal silver and buy back most of the “expropriated” goods.

At the same time, 86 people - clergy and parishioners - were arrested for resisting Soviet power. Four of them were shot, others were imprisoned. The cathedral is captured by “renovationists” loyal to the new government.

Further events develop tragically and predictably.

1924: the chapel was closed and turned into a cafe, then a beer stall, and during the war years and after - a warehouse.

1925 - all war trophies are removed from the cathedral;

1932 - The Presidium of the Leningrad City Council decides to blow up the temple in order to build a theater for workers in its place and from its remains - after the parishioners appeal to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the temple is abandoned;

1938 - the cathedral is officially closed;

1940 - they plan to turn the cathedral into a crematorium, but the temple is saved by scientists who have proven the destructiveness of the crematorium in the city center - only with such an argument could the new authorities be persuaded; During the siege, the corpses of those who died of starvation are kept in the cathedral;

after the war, the mood of the authorities changed significantly: in 1952 - 1967, a number of works were carried out to restore the dome and facades;

the cathedral served as an unheated warehouse until the 90s and is being destroyed;

1990 - returned to the Russian Orthodox Church;

2004 - restoration of the cathedral resumed.

We believe in this, the cathedral survived its last test in August 2006. The scaffolding caught fire, turning the dome into a huge torch blazing over the city in a matter of minutes. At 17:10, the large dome collapsed on the inner vault - 170-year-old wooden structures burned down.

The investigation has not established the cause of the fire. And in 2007, the government of St. Petersburg allocates 58 million for small domes. Subsequent expenses are also impressive: for the restoration of the facades - from 1 billion rubles, for the restoration of the large dome - 120 million rubles.

In 2008, small domes were opened and a cross was installed on the main dome.

In 2010, the facades of the cathedral were finished and the restoration of the main altar was completed.

In 2011, a particle of the relics of St. Matrona of Moscow.

Now the temple has been restored, only minor work is being done. From all the trials - time, fire, elements and unbelief - he emerged clean, snow-white, like a cloud in the blue July sky. The stars are shining, the long-suffering temple crowned with them, as if with military awards, floats above the courtyards, streets, river...

Address: St. Petersburg, Izmailovsky Prospekt, 7a.

Nearest metro: metro Technological Institute-1; metro Technological Institute-2; Baltiyskaya metro station.

Website: www.izmsobor.ru

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The Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment (Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral) is one of the largest monumental churches in St. Petersburg. Its bright blue domes, which are still decorated with stars, can be seen from a distance of 20 km from the city.

The cathedral was erected by the architect V. Stasov in 1828-1835 for soldiers and officers of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, one of the oldest in Russia. Founded by Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1730 and named after the village of Izmailovskoye near Moscow, the regiment took part in many battles that were decisive for the Russian Empire. The barracks of the Izmailovsky Regiment were located where Krasnoarmeyskie streets are today.

Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral is a large white temple, decorated with four porticoes of the Corinthian order and five blue domes. The cathedral, which served as the main garrison church of the city, housed military trophies obtained during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. In memory of the officers who fell in the war, their names were carved on marble plaques hung in the Izmailovsky Trinity Cathedral.

In 1886, a monument was erected in front of the temple, designed by the architect D. Grimm. It consisted of several rows lined up with Turkish cannons and topped with the figure of “Glory.” In 1930, the monument was demolished. The monument to military glory was recreated and inaugurated in 2005 on a historical site.

In the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral in 1867, the wedding ceremony of the Russian writer F. Dostoevsky took place. After the revolution of 1917, the Izmailovsky Trinity Cathedral was looted and in 1938 closed for worship. In the 30s of the 20th century, a plan was developed according to which it was planned to build a crematorium in the cathedral, but, fortunately, it was not implemented. For a long time, the cathedral premises were used as a warehouse, which caused serious damage to the architectural structure.

In 1990, the cathedral was returned to believers, services resumed there, but restoration work continues in the temple to this day. A huge amount of work was carried out to restore and restore the cathedral, as a result of which the appearance of the cathedral acquired its original beauty, the central chapel in honor of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, the chapel of St. John the Warrior and the chapel of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene were restored and consecrated by priests.

The cathedral is an architectural monument of federal significance and is protected by the state. Included in the UNESCO Protective Register.

In the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral there is the oldest icon that is generally found in St. Petersburg Orthodox churches. This is an icon of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. The image is over 600 years old; it was painted in 1406.

Every day at 16:00 in the cathedral a prayer service is served before the relics of the great saints of God: the blessed Elder Matrona of Moscow, the patrons of the family of Peter and Fevronia of Murom and Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

On Tuesdays at 17:00 a prayer service with an akathist is served in front of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsarina of All", on Wednesdays at 17:00 a prayer service with an akathist in front of an icon with a particle of the Great Martyr George the Victorious.

The temple is open on weekdays: 9.00-19.00, on Sundays and holidays: 8.00-20.00.

Divine Liturgy is served daily, starting at 10.00.

Evening services are held on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on the eve of the holiday at 17.00

Description

The Holy Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg is located on Izmailovsky Prospekt near the Fontanka River in a small square surrounded by urban buildings. On the vast territory between modern Moskovsky and Izmailovsky Avenues, between the embankment of the Fontanka River and Zagorodny Avenue, the barracks of the Imperial Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, formed by decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1730, were located by company. The majestic white-stone temple, its five domes, covered with blue paint and a scattering of gold stars on high drums with semi-circular windows, are visible from many parts of the city. The cathedral on Izmailovsky Prospekt is a visible witness to the military history of Russia.

History of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg in the 19th century

The first regimental wooden church, built on the initiative of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, was irreversibly lost in 1824 as a result of a devastating flood. In 1827, Emperor Nicholas I, being the former commander of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, ordered the construction of a new large stone Holy Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg to begin. The temple was solemnly founded in 1828 on Izmailovsky Prospekt.

The construction of the cathedral was carried out according to the design of the architect V.P. Stasov and the engineer P.P. Bazen under the personal supervision of Emperor Nicholas I. To construct the foundation, 9,000 piles were driven into soils that were complex in their geology. In plan, the cathedral was an equilateral cross; the base was lined with granite. The walls and columns were built of brick and reinforced with metal reinforcement. The central dome was supposed to rise on a high drum with semi-circular windows. In 1830, during the construction of the central large drum and dome, the load-bearing columns cracked due to an error in the calculations. Work to strengthen the columns and stability of the main dome was carried out by engineer P. Bazin. The side domes on high drums with windows were located along the axes of the temple, which was cruciform in plan. Outside, all four aisles were decorated at the ends with classical porticoes with columns; sculptures were installed in niches on the sides. The main volume of the cathedral was decorated with a festive frieze, on which figures of angels alternated with laurel garlands.

In 1832, the Holy Trinity Cathedral was freed from scaffolding, but on February 23, 1833, the main dome was torn off by a storm, and the brickwork of the walls was partially damaged. The new design of the main dome was carried out by engineer P. Bazin. In 1834, the domes of the cathedral were covered with blue paint with gold stars.

The interior of the temple turned out to be very bright due to the white walls, five light drums and huge semi-circular windows. 86 columns of the Corinthian order supported a central drum with a dome. Ancient regimental images were grouped into special icon cases. The inner surfaces of the temple domes were painted by the Yaroslavl serf artist Timofey Medvedev and his son Peter. The icons for the iconostasis were painted by famous academicians of painting of that time, many of the icons were made by the self-taught painter Nikolai Maikov. Above the altar there was a triple canopy, representing a festive semi-circular double colonnade, crowned with the inscription “With this banner, conquer”; the composition was completed by a huge gilded cross and a dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

To a large extent, the internal appearance of the temple was shaped by huge icons by Timothy Neff with images of the patron saints of Russia: the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Isaac of Dalmatia, the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the Great Martyr Catherine. Later the icons were replaced with mosaic copies.

Particularly revered was an ancient icon with the image of the Resurrection of Christ in a silver robe with the relics of Saints John Chrysostom, the First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen, the Great Martyr Barbara, a piece of the wood of the Cross of the Lord, as well as the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” On the eve of the Feast of the Holy Trinity on May 25, 1835, the solemn consecration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral on Izmailovsky Prospekt took place.

Construction of the chapel

In 1893, on the corner of Izmailovsky Prospekt and the street of the 1st Company of the Izmailovsky Regiment at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, it was decided to build a chapel in the name of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. The chapel was built according to the design of engineer S. Kondratiev and solemnly consecrated in 1895. The architecture of the chapel resembles the Holy Trinity Cathedral in miniature: in plan there is an equilateral cross. A tall drum and a blue dome decorated with gold stars.

Military trophies of the Imperial Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment

The existing regimental banners were placed in the most honorable place near the choir. The St. George banner with the inscription “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812,” received by the regiment in 1813, was installed behind the right choir. During the Crimean Wars of 1853-1856 and 1877-1878, military trophies from enemy ships captured in battles were brought to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Trophies taken in major battles during the Russian war for the liberation of the Balkan peoples from the Turkish yoke were located in the narthex at the main entrance to the cathedral. At the choirs of the main chapel, memorial plaques with the names of officers killed in battles were attached to the walls.

Under Alexander III, a commemorative column of captured cannons was built, designed by military engineer G. M. Zhitkov and architect D. Grimm. The “Military Glory” column was built from 100 captured guns, grouped into 5 tiers and topped with a bronze figure of Victory. Four Turkish mortars were installed on a cast iron base. The names of the most important battles of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 are engraved on the corners. Memorial plaques dedicated to the war of liberation in the Balkans were mounted on a granite pedestal.

Charity

At the end of the 19th century, a military hospital for soldiers of the Izmailovsky regiment and a shelter for orphans was opened at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The Poor Relief Society was created. In 1897, the Holy Trinity Cathedral by the beginning of the 20th century became the largest spiritual, educational and social center in St. Petersburg.

History of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the 20th century

After the decree of the Soviet government was issued in 1918 on the separation of Church and state, the status of the temple from a regimental cathedral turned into an ordinary parish church. The Izmailovsky regiment and the regimental clergy were gone. The new authorities sought to destroy the Church as an institution. Religious societies were prohibited from owning property, educating children, and having rights to property. Widespread expropriation of church property began. In 1922, a commission to confiscate valuables also came to the Trinity Cathedral. In total, about 2 kg were taken out. gold and 300 kg. silver Persecution of clergy began. In 1922, the Bolsheviks arrested Metropolitan Veniamin of Petrograd and Gdov, the rector of the Trinity Cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Cheltsov, a total of 86 people. Most of the clergy were convicted and sentenced to prison. Vladyka Veniamin was shot. Father Mikhail, upon his release, was assigned to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kolomna.

In 1925, the banners of the Izmailovsky regiment, military trophies obtained in the wars with Turkey, and memorial marble plaques were knocked down from the Trinity Cathedral. In 1928, the “Military Glory” column, as a “symbol of Russian militarism,” was dismantled, and the captured guns surrounding it were destroyed.

The 30s of the 20th century became especially difficult for the clergy of Trinity Cathedral. Accused of counter-revolutionary agitation, the rector of the Trinity Cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Cheltsov, Metropolitan Seraphim of Leningrad and Gdov, and Bishop Ambrose were shot.
In 1933, the Trinity Cathedral in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was closed. The Leningrad diocese was headed by Patriarch Alexy I. He gave the Holy Trinity Cathedral the status of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, but in 1938 the temple was closed.

During the Great Patriotic War, a bomb shelter was built in the basements of the Trinity Cathedral; soldiers from a nearby anti-aircraft battery lived there. After the war, Trinity Cathedral was a sad sight. There were unheated warehouses in the temple, and the building fell into disrepair. The first post-war restoration was carried out in 1952-1956.

In 1994, under the rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Metropolitan John, the Orthodox community was again formed. Colossal work has begun to bring the Orthodox church back to life. In 1996, Metropolitan Vladimir appointed Archpriest Gennady Bartov as rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral. In 1997, the tradition of all-night vigil and bishop's services on the Patronal Feast of the Most Holy Trinity was established.

The history of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment in the 21st century

The 2000s were characterized by extensive restoration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The facades and domes were restored, and active work began on restoring the historical interior. A large number of religious shrines, church utensils, military trophies, and banners of the Izmailovsky regiment were donated to the Trinity Cathedral by the Museum of the History of Religion. In 2003, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin donated to the Holy Trinity Cathedral an icon of the Holy Trinity made by masters of North-West Rus' from the 15th century. Since 2003, the Holy Trinity Cathedral has held annual choir festivals during Holy Week. In the same 2003, a shelter at the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral for orphans was revived on Lermontovsky Prospekt. In 2005, the recreated triumphal column “Military Glory” was inaugurated and consecrated.

Fire in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg

Restoration work in the cathedral was interrupted by a terrible fire that occurred on August 25, 2006. The central and partially northern domes and attic rooms burned down. The completely burnt wooden central dome and the damaged four small domes, damaged structures and the interior of the temple had to be restored again.

Restoration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral

A City Headquarters was created for restoration work. The wooden structures of the main dome were replaced with unique semi-arched elements made from laminated wood, which became the basis of the structure. External work and finishing of the internal space were carried out in stages. On May 27, 2008, the small domes of the cathedral were opened. On October 9 of the same year, a 9-meter gilded cross was installed on the main dome.

Modern life of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg

In 2010, on the day of the patronal feast of Pentecost, the restored main altar, consecrated in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, appeared before the flock in all its glory. The Divine Liturgy was conducted by Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir. In 2011, Patriarch Kirill brought an Orthodox shrine to the cathedral forever - a particle of the relics of the holy blessed Matrona of Moscow, next to which were placed reliquaries with particles of the relics of the holy saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom and the holy Ecumenical Teachers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. The Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment in 2015 celebrates the 180th anniversary of its consecration.

Information

• Architect

  Every St. Petersburg resident knows the majestic snow-white cathedral with blue domes, which is located right behind the Fontanka, on Izmailovsky Prospekt. During the years of the Bolshevik regime, desecrated and today being revived and decorated, this cathedral is truly a symbol of the Russian state.

  Facade of the stone cathedral of the L.-Gv. Izmailovsky Regiment. V. P. Stasov. 1831

  Model of the dome of the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral.

  G

  Trinity Cathedral of the Izmailovsky Regiment. K. P. Beggrov. 1836. Fragment

  Izmailovtsy at the Cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity of the Lieutenant-Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment. Unknown artist 1840s. Fragment Chapel in the name of St. blgv. led book Alexander Nevsky

  On a sunny, warm day on May 13, 1828, the ringing of the city's bells announced that there was to be a new cathedral in St. Petersburg. Metropolitan Seraphim of St. Petersburg and Novgorod, in the presence of Empress Maria Feodorovna, heir to Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich (future Emperor Alexander II), solemnly laid the foundation for a new temple. The largest Orthodox church in Russia, one of the most majestic and beautiful cathedrals of the Orthodox Church.

  The cathedral was erected in honor of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, and it was built for the imperial regiment, which did not know defeat on the battlefield - the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment.

  The regiment itself was formed by the Highest Decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna on September 22, 1730 and was the third after the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments. The regiment was named after the Empress's place of residence - the village of Izmailovsky, not far from Moscow.

  The regiment did not have its own church, so soldiers and officers had to visit other parishes. In September 1732, a camp church was brought to St. Petersburg, assembled and consecrated in a meadow near the Fontanka River. But even now the church stood only in the summer. For the winter, with frosts, it was dismantled.

  In 1743, a wooden church was assembled in the newly built Izmailovskaya Sloboda. However, the church turned out to be not spacious enough.

  At the end of 1752, the regiment submitted an all-submissive request to Empress Elisabeth Petrovna to begin construction of a new church, which was built on the very spot where the Cathedral now stands. Construction lasted two years, and on June 1, 1756, the temple was consecrated. However, on November 7, 1824, the Church of St. Trinity Church was irreversibly damaged by the flood - the water, reaching half the height of the Altar, broke all the windows, broke the fence, the pulpit, the floor of the temple, and soaked the sacristy.

  

  The decision to build a stone cathedral for the Izmailovsky regiment instead of a dilapidated wooden church was made by Emperor Nicholas I. In the highest rescript given on October 2, 1827, the sovereign noted: in memory of the time when he commanded the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment, he wants to build a new church on money from the Cabinet of His Imperial Highness. Nicholas I wanted the new temple, like the wooden Trinity Church, to have three chapels: the main one in honor of the Holy Trinity, the southern one - St. Mary Magdalene, northern - St. martyr John the Warrior. The cathedral was supposed to accommodate 3000 people.

  The construction was supervised by three people: the Emperor himself, the architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov, the author of the project, and the engineer Petr Petrovich Bazen, head of the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works in St. Petersburg. Nicholas I personally controlled the entire process, approved the projects, which sometimes seriously complicated the work - ready-made solutions had to be remade in accordance with the artistic taste of the sovereign. However, sometimes the architects managed to defend their point of view.

  
  

  The solemn ceremony of laying the foundation of the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral took place on the day of the regimental holiday of Pentecost, May 13, 1828. Neither the emperor nor his wife were present - due to the war with Turkey, Nicholas I had to accompany the troops. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna traveled around the south of the country. Only the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and her grandson, the future Emperor Alexander II, attended the celebration. The military command was represented by Commander-in-Chief Count P.A. Tolstoy, military governor general P.V. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, former regiment commander adjutant general M.E. Khrapovitsky. Metropolitan Seraphim (Glagolevsky) of St. Petersburg performed a prayer service. The first stone in the foundation of the new temple was laid by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Those present placed “platinum coins prepared for this occasion of a new minting” at the base of the temple. Only the 3rd battalion from the Izmailovsky regiment was present. The other two met this day on the Turkish campaign. Seven years of difficult work lay ahead.

  When developing the project for the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral, Vasily Stasov was guided by the idea of ​​the triumph of Russia and the Russian army. The majestic temple in its enormous size was second only to St. Isaac's Cathedral, which was already under construction at that time in St. Petersburg.

  According to the plan, the cathedral was an equilateral cross with an unconventional arrangement of the chapters - along the axes of the cross. The building was crowned by a massive central drum, dominating the entire building.

  
  

  The construction of the foundation continued throughout 1828 - the soils at the construction site turned out to be difficult. Instead of the expected 5,500, 9,000 four-fat piles were driven. The foundation was laid out of Tosno slab with lime mortar, the base was entirely made of granite. The walls and columns were erected from bricks with metal connections from strip and bar iron. By the fall of 1829, the building was erected up to the gables of the porticoes. The following year, the construction of the central drum with a dome began, which presented the greatest difficulty. Due to an error in calculations, in August 1830, 16 columns that bore the load from the dome cracked. Because of this emergency, Vasily Petrovich Stasov, by decision of Nicholas I, was removed from work and put in a guardhouse for a day. Peter Bazin had to solve the engineering problem of strengthening the columns and stability of the main dome. Correction of the defects continued for more than a year.

  

  But the problems with the central chapter did not end there. In April 1832, the lining of the dome was completed, and in May the gilded dome and cross were installed. The central dome was decorated with 280 gilded stars, the small ones - 208 each. By the end of November, the dome was freed from the scaffolding and appeared in all its glory, but three months later - on the night of February 23, 1833 - the main dome was torn off by a storm. One of the small chapters was damaged. It was only by luck that no one was hurt.

  When Nicholas I arrived at the scene at two o’clock in the afternoon, parts of the cross broken into small pieces were still lying around the cathedral, sheets of copper sheathing scattered by the wind, fragments of rafters and bricks, the crumpled and damaged frame of the dome thrown from the drum was barely holding on, having fallen on the eastern chapter. The fall of the dome partially damaged the brickwork.

  The investigation began. A commission of famous engineers, mathematicians, and architects found a number of design errors made by Stasov when designing the dome and which caused the disaster. The architect was again punished - five days in the guardhouse and making a note of the incident in his personal file.

  The emperor entrusted the development of a new dome project to Bazin. Four months after the disaster, he presented a design for a dome on rafters made of dry wood, as well as a design for constructing a bell tower in the western dome.

  In the fall of 1834, the new dome was already covered with copper and primed, and in the spring, the master of painting Fyodor Ivanovich Brandukov covered it with cobalt with gold stars. The domes of the former wooden church were green. Historically, green was the color of the Izmailovsky Regiment. In January 1830, Stasov proposed covering the domes with copper with acid backing the surface, which would give the color a green patina. The idea was approved, but already on August 26, 1831, Nicholas I wished to replace the green color with blue with gold stars “like in Moscow on the Arkhangelsk and in Tver on the Tver Cathedral.” Stasov made several versions of the project. In September, he received the sovereign’s resolution to cover the domes “with a light blue color, like on the collars of the Semenovsky regiment’s uniforms, and to make stars throughout the entire dome much more, as indicated in pencil.” On October 24, the new painting project was approved.

  

  The bells for the cathedral were cast by the famous Yaroslavl master Ivan Olovyanishnikov. There were four large bells, and several more medium and small ones.
  During 1835, the façades were being decorated, moldings and sculptures were being made and installed. The figures for the niches in the porticos were commissioned from the sculptor Samuil Galberg. The figures of angels and the outer frieze between the garlands were cast by the sculptors according to two models made by the sculptor Ivan Leppe. Stylized antique altars on cast iron and pressed iron tripods for the balustrades around the four snare drums were made by manufacturer Carl Grayson and installed by May 1, 1836.
  To decorate the interior of the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral, serf painter Timofey Medvedev, known for his works in churches in the Volga region, was invited from Yaroslavl. Together with his son Peter, he painted the domes. The arches were also painted, but Nicholas I ordered them to be whitewashed.

  To paint the icons, Vasily Stasov invited venerable artists: the rector of the Academy of Arts Vasily Shebuev, professor Alexei Egorov, former professor Andrei Ivanov (father of the famous artist Alexander Ivanov), academician Vasily Sazonov, etc. The order was very honorable and profitable.

  

  The solemn consecration of the cathedral took place on the eve of the Holy Trinity, on May 25, 1835. All three altars were consecrated on the same day. Consecration of the northern aisle in honor of St. martyr John the Warrior was performed by Archimandrite Neil (Isakovich) in the concelebration of the clergy. Consecration of the southern aisle in honor of St. equal Mary Magdalene was committed by archimandrite. Theodotius (Ozerov) also in co-serving the clergy. The consecration of the main altar and the first Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow and Kolomna, co-served by the vicar of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Archimandrite Palladius (Belevtsov), the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Archimandrite Platon (Gorodetsky), and the capital’s clergy.

  

  The entire Izmailovsky regiment gathered for the celebration, and parishioners came. The Emperor was not present: he only returned from Moscow in the evening and visited the cathedral with his wife and Tsarevich Alexander. Having examined the temple, Nicholas I was dissatisfied with the icons painted by the academicians. He ordered that these works be abandoned and demand a deposit from the authors.

  According to experts, the reason for the failure of the venerable artists was that they did not take into account the specifics of the place where the icons were located, as well as the shape of the iconostasis.

  The emperor entrusted the creation of the new icons to the artist Nikolai Maikov, a self-taught person who had no artistic education. However, his works did not always satisfy the sovereign. Therefore, some of the images painted by academics remained. Thus, the following icons appeared in the main iconostasis: in the Royal Doors - the Annunciation by Maykov and the Evangelists by Egorov; above the iconostasis in a round frame and carved gilded radiance is an image of the Lord of Hosts by Maykov; Maikov's works replaced the central icons in the first tier - the Savior and the Mother of God and in the second tier - Sts. Nicholas of Novgorod and Princess Olga, St. equal to app. Konstantin and Elena. Also in the iconostasis were: icons of the Old Testament Holy Trinity (the appearance of God to Abraham in the form of three angels), St. Queen Alexandra, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Apostles Peter and Paul, Mary Magdalene, Sts. Archangel Michael and Anna the Prophetess, Great Martyr Catherine, St. Andrew the First-Called and Righteous Elizabeth. On the High Place there was an image of Maykov’s work - the Assumption of the Mother of God into heaven with the image of the apostles.

  Above the altar, the cathedral organizers tripled the canopy, which was crowned with the inscription “Victory with this banner,” a huge gilded cross and a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The famous phrase “Victory with this banner,” which predicted victory for the Byzantine Emperor Constantine, was personally written by Emperor Nicholas on the design of the iconostasis.

  In 1859, huge icons by Timofey Neff, intended for St. Isaac's Cathedral, but then replaced with mosaic copies, were transferred to the Izmailovsky Holy Trinity Cathedral. The images of the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Isaac of Dalmatia, the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the Great Martyr Catherine finally formed the internal appearance of the temple.

  In general, the interior decoration of the Trinity Cathedral was extremely laconic and orderly. Ancient regimental images were grouped into special icon cases; there was no chaotic accumulation of small and medium-sized icons, which is typical for small churches. Most icons were gifts from sovereigns or contributions from military personnel.

  The temple itself seemed very bright due to the abundance of white, five light drums and huge semi-circular windows.

  Among the especially revered shrines was an ancient image of the Resurrection of Christ in a silver robe with the relics of saints John Chrysostom, the first martyr Archdeacon Stephen, the Great Martyr Barbara, as well as a piece of the wood of the Holy Cross. The parishioners also especially revered the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”

  

  Chapel

  In 1893, at the Trinity Cathedral, they decided to build a chapel in memory of the miraculous salvation of the royal family during a train crash on October 17, 1888 and the heir to the throne on April 29, 1891.

  The train crash, on which Emperor Alexander III and his entire family were, occurred in the village of Borki, now on the Southern Railway, due to the train's overspeed. The royal family, although it was at the epicenter of the disaster, was not harmed. The assassination attempt on the future Emperor Nicholas II was made during his trip around the world in the Japanese city of Otsu. A Japanese fanatic who was among the police hit the Tsarevich on the head with a saber. Fortunately, the blow was light, and Nikolai Alexandrovich was not seriously injured.

  After much negotiation, it was decided to build the chapel on the corner of Izmailovsky Prospekt and 1st Rota (now 1st Krasnoarmeyskaya Street).

  The chapel project was completed free of charge by civil engineer Sergei Kondratyev, a parishioner of the cathedral. The construction contractor was also a parishioner and the initiator of the construction - personal honorary citizen Alexey Goryachev.

  The chapel was founded on May 17, 1894. The solemn ceremony was attended by Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich, who then served in the Izmailovsky regiment, eminent parishioners and the entire regiment. The chapel was erected within a year and consecrated on May 19, 1895.

  The chapel building was built according to the model and style of the Trinity Cathedral: it is also an equilateral cross with small porticoes on two columns of the Corinthian order, with triangular pediments. The tall dome is painted blue and decorated with gold stars. The eastern window contains a unique stained glass image of Christ the Savior.

  
  

  
  Izmailovtsy - parishioners of Trinity Cathedral

  Everyone who entered the Trinity Cathedral was amazed at the number of war trophies located here. In the most honorable place, near the choirs, the current regimental banners were placed. Here, behind the right choir, in 1850, the St. George Banner received by the regiment in 1813 was installed with the inscription “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812.” It was reminiscent of the exploits of the Izmailovites in the Battle of Borodino.
  New trophies appeared in the temple during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Turkish banners, guns, badges, flags of enemy ships captured in battles...

  In the most prominent and honorable places in the cathedral were the trophies of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, in which the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment not only took part, but also accomplished many feats and earned many awards. The war for the liberation of the Balkan Orthodox Slavic peoples aroused enormous sympathy and support throughout Russia. The names of the battle sites and the names of the heroes were on everyone’s lips. The trophies of this war greeted those entering already in the vestibule, at the main entrance to the temple. There were banners and badges taken in major battles of this campaign, abandoned banners collected by our troops and badges of fleeing Turkish units found in cities and fortresses abandoned by the Turks.
  This company was the last in which the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment took part. During the Russo-Japanese War, the guard remained in the capital.

  

  Transfer of Turkish banners to Trinity Cathedral Izmailovsky shelf July 22, 1877.

  From the moment of its consecration, marble plaques with the names of officers who died in battles and died from wounds appeared on the walls of the regimental church. The boards were placed in the eastern part of the temple, near the choirs of the main chapel. Holy Trinity Cathedral is one of the first regimental churches with memorial plaques. On the anniversaries of major battles, in which the Izmailovites suffered heavy losses, memorial services were always held.

  Cannons also became decorations of the cathedral. The first four Turkish cannons were granted to the Trinity Cathedral after the battle of Gorny Dubnyak, where the Izmailovsky regiment secured victory with its courage.

  The guns were transported to St. Petersburg. The idea to build a monument from cannons belonged to Emperor Alexander II, but it was already realized by Emperor Alexander III, who personally supervised the project.

  The design of the monument was carried out by military engineer-captain G. M. Zhitkov, after which it was finalized by David Grimm, a member of the Cabinet of Architects. The monument, called the “Military Glory” column, is a structure of five tiers with more than 100 captured guns of various calibers. It is crowned with the figure of Victory. The cast-iron base of the column is decorated with four Turkish mortars, and on the corners are the names of the places of the most important battles of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. On a massive granite pedestal, bronze memorial plaques were installed with the names of members of the imperial family, a list of all units of the troops that took part in the liberation war in the Balkans, and a chronological summary of the course of military operations. On the lower belt of the column are the names of those who participated in the creation of the monument.

  

  The grand opening of the column took place on October 12, 1886 - the anniversary of the battle of Gorny Dubnyak and became an all-Russian holiday. Representatives of military districts and all branches of the military that participated in that war arrived in St. Petersburg. Regimental priests who participated in the war and had pectoral crosses on the St. George Ribbon were invited to perform a prayer service at the monument.

  

  "Civil" parishioners of the Holy Trinity Cathedral

  Despite the fact that the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral was a regimental church, it was also popular among the civilian population: the capital of the Russian Empire grew rapidly, and the number of parishioners expanded. It is known that by the end of the 19th century. Up to 7-8 thousand people a year confessed in the cathedral.

  In 1867, the wedding of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky and Anna Grigorievna Snitkina took place in the Trinity Cathedral. The writer’s second marriage turned out to be a happy one; they lived together until the classic’s death.

  In the fall of 1894, the Izmailovsky Cathedral witnessed farewell to the outstanding composer and pianist, the first director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Anton Rubinstein. The funeral service and funeral took place on November 16, the composer’s 65th birthday.

  The clergy and parishioners of the cathedral were active in charitable activities. In 1845, a shelter for military orphans with an infirmary was opened. Since 1870, charitable activities extended not only to the soldiers of the Izmailovsky regiment, but also to the civilian population of the parish. At the cathedral, a Society for Relief of the Poor was created, which included the clergy of the cathedral, the commander and officers of the regiment and wealthy parishioners. The number of members of the society in different years ranged from 120 to 140 people. Everyone donated as best they could: some contributed free labor, wealthy benefactors contributed more than 100 rubles at a time. Many donors gave a ruble monthly... Saint John of Kronstadt became a charitable member of the Society since 1893. He contributed significantly to a charitable foundation. Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich also actively helped the Society.

  
  

  In 1897 the Society found its own home. Officially, it had the name “House of Emperor Alexander III for the charity of the poor of the parish of the Trinity Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment of the Church.” And in everyday life they called it that - Izmailovsky House. The building, with minor modifications, has survived to this day at the address: 10th Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, 7.
  The Society's charitable activities were expressed in the maintenance of shelters for girls and boys and in the issuance of benefits to the poor, and after the construction of the Izmailovsky House - also in religious and moral readings and in providing parishioners with rooms to rent at relatively inexpensive prices.

  By the beginning of the 20th century. The Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral was the largest spiritual, educational and social center in St. Petersburg.

  History of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment. XX century
  20s

  Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral in winter. Fragment

  Defendants in the case of confiscation of church valuables. In the center is Metropolitan Benjamin. June 1922

  Iconostasis of the side chapel of the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral. 1938

  Hieromartyr Mikhail Cheltsov

  The Royal Doors of the main iconostasis of the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral. 1938

  Destruction caused to the cathedral during the Great Patriotic War

  Restoration of the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral. 1953

  The life of the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral changed dramatically in February 1918. The well-known decree of the Soviet government on the separation of Church and state turned the cathedral from a regimental church into an ordinary parish church. The regimental clergy was abolished, and the regiment itself was gone: its barracks on numerous Rota streets were occupied by the Red Army.

  The “expropriators” came to the Trinity Cathedral on March 15, 1922. The district authorities appeared on the threshold of the temple just at the moment when the Divine Liturgy was going on, and there were a large number of parishioners in the cathedral. To the demand to hand over the valuables, the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Cheltsov, the future martyr, refused, citing the fact that he did not have permission from the highest church authorities and parishioners. The priest asked permission from the latter directly from the pulpit, and the parishioners unanimously refused. Not wanting to come into direct conflict with a large number of believers, the Bolsheviks left.

  But a month later, the district executive committee forced Father Mikhail to sign an agreement on the transfer of church valuables. A complete set of golden sacred vessels from the 1830s was taken to the provincial department. - gift for the consecration of the temple; 86 silver vestments, 2 wreaths, 2 lamps and 2 crowns with precious stones. The parishioners managed to buy back a significant part of the temple's valuables: over the course of a month, believers collected hundreds of silver objects - knives, forks, spoons, jugs, etc. and brought them in as ransom. Thus, they saved 29 vestments, all 14 Gospels, all 9 crosses and 40 items of church utensils from destruction. In total, about 2 kg of gold and 300 kg of silver were taken from the Trinity Cathedral, taking into account the ransom.

  However, it was precisely in resisting the decree on the confiscation of church valuables that the Bolsheviks accused Metropolitan Veniamin (Kazansky) of Petrograd and Gdov, who was arrested on May 31, 1922. Together with him, the clergy and laity closest to him were arrested, including the head of the metropolitan chancellery, rector of the Trinity Cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Cheltsov. The process was formed in haste. There were 86 people in the dock. Father Mikhail, who shared a prison fate with his son Pavel, categorically denied any guilt.
  On July 5, 1922, the verdict was announced: 10 people, including Father Mikhail, were sentenced to death, most to imprisonment or forced labor. Only 22 people were acquitted.

  In 1924, the chapel in the name of St. blgv. led book Alexander Nevsky. Since 1930, the chapel building housed a cafe, in 1937 - a beer stall, and after the Great Patriotic War - a warehouse.

  In 1925, the banners of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment, captured Turkish flags and keys to captured Turkish fortresses and cities - Kars, Bayazet, Lemotik, etc. - were taken from the cathedral. Later, the marble plaques mounted in the walls with the names of the dead Izmailov officers were also lost.

  In 1928, by decision of the district authorities, the “Military Glory” column was dismantled - as a “symbol of Russian militarism” and an obstacle to tram traffic. The barbaric action outraged even the workers (“Future generations will call us barbarians for breaking monuments, that’s a fact,” Ivan Petrov, a worker at the Bolshevik plant, wrote in Smolny). But no protests helped. In January 1930, the column was sent for melting down (there is evidence that it was sent to Germany), and all the captured guns surrounding it were destroyed.

  The Bolsheviks decided to destroy the cathedral itself. In 1932, the Presidium of the Leningrad City Council decided to wipe the temple off the face of the Earth. In its place they wanted to build a theater for the workers of the area - from materials left over from the destroyed building. The city authorities were determined, but desperate parishioners turned to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. After many months of proceedings, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee still left the cathedral in force. True, not for long.

  Having defended the cathedral from the authorities, the community began repairing the temple - by this time the building already required replacement of wiring, roofing work, restoration of icons, etc. The work lasted about five years. Having made the final decision to close the cathedral, the authorities, hiding it, energetically forced the community to carry out expensive repairs. The Bolsheviks had their own views on the ancient building.

  During this tragic time, the Holy Trinity Cathedral was a cathedral for the only time in its history. This decision was made in December 1933 by Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky), the future Patriarch Alexy I. That year he headed the Leningrad diocese, and since the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was already closed by that time, the Metropolitan found a replacement for him in the form of Izmailovsky cathedral Vladyka often served here. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, as it was then called, had the status of a cathedral until its closure in 1938.

  In March 1938, the temple was officially closed. All clergy were transferred to other churches in Leningrad. The parishioners made a last desperate attempt to save the cathedral: knowing that not a single priest remained, on the morning of April 8, they nevertheless opened the building and declared their readiness to fight. In the evening the same thing happened again. And two days later, the “ringleader,” the chairman of the parish council, Grigory Tolokontsev, was arrested on charges of participation in a counter-revolutionary organization and shot.

  In the spring of 1939, the empty building was transferred to the theater. Lensovet for organizing a decorative workshop.

  40-80s

  A year before the Great Patriotic War, they decided to make a crematorium in the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral. Such a project of one of the city engineers came to the table of the city authorities. However, this was categorically opposed by scientists who convinced the party leadership that it was inappropriate to set up a crematorium in the city center, and especially in a building that is an architectural monument.

  However, the cathedral had to come into close contact with the theme of death: during the years of the siege, the building was used to store the corpses of Leningraders who died of starvation. According to the recollections of the siege survivors, the temple was almost entirely filled with the bodies of the dead. A bomb shelter was built in the basements, and for some time soldiers from a nearby anti-aircraft battery lived there.

  The building of the Trinity Cathedral itself was damaged by bombing. Serious damage was caused to the domes and the western façade. In general, by the end of the 40s, the temple was a sad sight - and this despite the fact that on the eve of its closure in 1938, the community carried out large-scale repairs. Not only fascist shells contributed to the horrific state of the monument: due to improper use of the building, the molded and carved parts of the iconostasis were damaged, the remaining images were torn and stained, and the painting in the dome crumbled in places.

  

  The damage caused during the war was repaired only in 1952-1956, during the restoration of the temple building: at that time the facades and domes were restored, including the rafter system and dome structures. In 1966-1967 New work was carried out to restore the facades of the cathedral.

  Although the Holy Trinity Cathedral was under state protection, there were unheated warehouses for a long time, and the building gradually fell into disrepair.

  This situation continued until the 90s. Publications periodically appeared in the press about thefts, destruction, and fires that were started in the cathedral by teenagers and homeless people.

  
  

  1958

  
  1990-2000. Revival of the cathedral

  On July 5, 1990, more than twenty representatives of the intelligentsia of the Northern capital turned to the vicar bishop of Ladoga Arseny with a request to bless the formation of the Orthodox community at the cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment.

  The city authorities transferred the cathedral to the Leningrad diocese and the Parish Council began restoration work. The work ahead was colossal: in fact, the community was given only bare, damp walls - there was no heating, the basements were flooded with water (so that it was possible to move around in boats). At first, in winter, the Liturgy was celebrated at subzero temperatures. The clergy's hands froze to the liturgical vessels.

  Repair and restoration work began with pumping out water in the basements, draining the premises and glazing the windows in the temple.

  At the end of 1990-1991, a temporary iconostasis was created (mainly by the works of the artist Konstantin Ivanov) and fully installed. Icons and church utensils were donated to the temple from the Museum of the History of Religion. Many icons were donated by parishioners.
  In 1991, on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the cathedral was given a chapel in the name of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.
  In 1993, services were held in the cathedral for four days already (the rector at that time was Archpriest Sergei Chevyaga). The previous tradition of patriotic activities of the community began to be resumed: the Society of the Holy Martyr John the Warrior was created, which included officers of the Russian army.In 1994, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga John became the rector of the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral.

  After the death of Metropolitan John, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of December 26, 1995, Metropolitan Vladimir (Kotlyarov) was appointed to the St. Petersburg See. With his arrival, a new stage in the revival of the Trinity Cathedral began. Metropolitan Vladimir paid great attention to the liturgical life and restoration work in the Izmailovsky Cathedral. On April 6, 1996, Metropolitan Vladimir appointed Archpriest Gennady Bartov as rector and chairman of the Parish Council of the cathedral.
  In 1997, on the patronal feast of the Most Holy Trinity, an all-night vigil was held in the cathedral from the moment of its closure, led by His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga. This is how the tradition of bishop's services on the day of the patronal feast was established.

  In 1996-1997 The roofing of three aisles was replaced, the plaster sculpture of the Archangel Michael in a niche on the western side of the cathedral was restored, the balustrades were repaired, and the temporary iconostasis in the main aisle was reconstructed. In 2000, large-scale work was carried out to equip part of the basement of the cathedral; as a result of this reconstruction, the cathedral received a vaulted “Slavic Hall” for meetings with soldiers and holding ceremonial events, and an art workshop was created.

  History of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment. XXI Century

  Fire in the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral.

  Firefighting

  Destruction caused by fire

  The Holy Trinity Cathedral entered the 21st century with intense, but still joyful efforts to revive the shrine: the temple was replenished with icons, the number of parishioners grew... In 2003, on the day of its patronal feast of Pentecost, the cathedral received a gift from the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, an icon of the Most Holy Trinity made by masters of North-West Rus' of the 15th century. The ancient image was bought abroad, where it ended up after the revolution. The icon became the most revered shrine of the temple.

  On October 1, 2005, a significant event took place in the life of not only the cathedral, but also the whole of St. Petersburg. The recreated triumphal column “Military Glory” was solemnly opened and consecrated. The consecration of the column was performed by His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.
  On the same memorable day, a parade of units of the military garrison, cadets and cadets of the military schools of St. Petersburg took place. The organizers tried to reproduce the protocol of the original parade in 1886 as accurately as possible. The painstaking, systematic work to restore the cathedral was interrupted by a terrible fire on August 25, 2006. At 17.15, during the service, a fire broke out on the scaffolding of the central dome (the second largest wooden dome in Europe). Almost simultaneously, the scaffolding on the northern dome caught fire, and soon the fire spread to the attic. The service was not interrupted, but completed according to the regulations with allowable reductions. An operation to save holy icons and liturgical utensils has begun.
  The fire grew rapidly, and soon it could be observed from a distance of 20-25 kilometers.
  The fire was difficult to control due to the height of the dome: no fire escape could reach the main source of the fire. We had to use two Mi-8 helicopters from the North-Western Regional Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, but this took time... Only by 11 pm the fire was localized, but the pouring and dismantling of the smoking structures continued until the morning.
  The fire caused enormous damage to the cathedral. The fire inside the building was prevented, but the wooden central dome designed by the engineer Bazin, which had served for 170 years, completely burned down. Four small domes were also damaged. The interior of the temple and its structures were damaged by water: columns, floors, vaults, etc.
  As eyewitnesses reported, the scaffolding of the main dome caught fire simultaneously in three different places, and at different heights. However, an analysis of photographs and videos taken by parishioners during the emergency did not clarify the picture of the events.

  
  

  Immediately after the emergency, a collection of money was announced for the restoration of the shrine. A month after the fire, Trinity Cathedral was visited by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. He donated 3 million rubles for the restoration of the temple. Funds were transferred from the Diocesan Administration. The rectors of St. Petersburg churches also responded to the misfortune. The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, donated 10 thousand euros for the restoration of the cathedral. Residents of St. Petersburg also made their contribution. Already in the first two months after the fire, more than 6 million rubles in donations were collected from individuals and organizations.

  On May 27, 2008 - the day the Northern capital was founded - the restored and restored small domes of the Holy Trinity Cathedral were opened. And on a sunny day, October 9, 2008, a cross was installed on the main dome of the cathedral. This event became a symbol of the revival of the temple. This 9-meter cross became an exact copy of its predecessor, which had crowned the temple since 1835 and died in a fire.

  

  In 2010, large-scale work was carried out to decorate the facades of the cathedral. By this time, the four-year restoration of the main altar had been completed. The altar, consecrated in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, appeared in its full splendor when, on the day of the patronal feast of Pentecost, the Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.
  In 2011, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, a shrine was brought to our cathedral forever - a particle of the relics of St. blzh. Matrona of Moscow. From now on, the flow of people wishing to venerate the holy relics does not dry out. Later, next to the relics of the blessed Matrona, reliquaries were placed with particles of the relics of the holy saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom and the holy Ecumenical Teachers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

  
  

  In 2012, restoration of the chapel in honor of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene began. August 4, 2013 on the day of remembrance of St. Equal Apostles. Mary Magdalene was consecrated by the priestly rite of the restored chapel in honor of St. Equal to the Apostles. Mary Magdalene. The consecration was performed by the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Gennady Bartov, co-served by the cathedral clergy.

  

  In 2015, the cathedral celebrated the 180th anniversary of the consecration and in 2016 - the 130th anniversary of the grand opening and consecration of the “Military Glory” monument, which together with the cathedral formed a single military-church ensemble of the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment .

  Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral is located on the corner of Izmailovsky and Trinity Avenues. Its blue domes decorated with golden stars are visible from Moskovsky Prospekt, from the Obvodny Canal, and from the embankments of the Fontanka.

  Historical and architectural information

  The Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral was built by decree of Emperor Nicholas I to satisfy the spiritual needs of soldiers and officers of the Izmailovsky Guards Regiment, which Nicholas once commanded. At the time of construction, the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral was the largest church in Russia. The architect of the cathedral was V.A. Stasov, who created a majestic and harmonious building in the Empire style. Some stages and events in the history of the cathedral:

  • 1828 Foundation of the cathedral;
  • 1835 Consecration of the cathedral;
  • 1867 Wedding in the Trinity Cathedral of F.M. Dostoevsky with A.G. Snitkina;
  • 1886 Opening of the monument “Military Glory” in front of the cathedral;
  • 1894 Funeral service in the cathedral for the first rector of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, composer Anton Rubinshein;
  • 1895 Consecration of the chapel of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral on the corner of Izmailovsky Prospekt and 1st Rota (now 1st Krasnoarmeyskaya Street).

  

  After the revolution of 17, difficult times came for the Orthodox Church. The clergy were subjected to repression - some priests of the Trinity Cathedral were shot, others were convicted. Church valuables were requisitioned. The “Military Glory” monument, built from captured Turkish cannons, was sold for metal. During the siege of Leningrad, the cathedral building was used as a storage area for corpses. After the war, the cathedral, heavily damaged by bombing, was restored, however, its real revival began only in the 90s, when the cathedral itself was transferred to the St. Petersburg diocese.

  Shrines of the cathedral

  

  Currently, the cathedral houses several unique shrines that attract a large number of followers of the Orthodox Church and interested tourists from all over the country:

  • The oldest icon in St. Petersburg. Its age is over 600 years. This is an icon of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, created in 1406.
  • The first icon of Saint Xenia of Petersburg. It was painted from a portrait taken during her lifetime.
  • Particles of the relics of three saints - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, as well as St. Peter and Fevronia of Murom Wonderworkers, St. Matrona of Moscow.

  How to get there

  

  Trinity Cathedral is located one short trolleybus stop from the Tekhnologichesky Institut metro station. You can walk from the metro in 5-7 minutes. Those interested in temple architecture are invited to take a tour of other interesting objects located in St. Petersburg. Among them are:

  • St. Isaac's Cathedral is the most majestic temple in Russia;
  • Kazan Cathedral is an example of the classical style, a monument to the victories of the Patriotic War of 1812;
  • The Smolny Monastery Cathedral is the best creation of Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the most beautiful church in St. Petersburg;
  • Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood at the site of the death of the martyr Tsar Alexander II.

  As well as many other religious buildings of St. Petersburg, descriptions, history and interesting facts about which you will find on our website.