- Alexandro-Nevskaya lavra
- St. Nicolas cathedral
- St. Joann convent on river Karpovka
- St. Sampson cathedral
- Smolny Novodevichy convent
- St. Ksenia chapel
- St. Vladimir cathedral
- Armenian church
- Chesmenian church
- Lutheran church
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Alexandro-Nevskaya lavra
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One of the oldest architectural ensembles of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Nevsky Lavra, was founded in 1710 on that very place where according to the legend Alexander Nevsky defeated Swedish troops.
The monumental cathedral is crowned with a high dome and harmonizes well with the surrounding monastery buildings. Among the icons of the cathedral the one most honored is the icon of Saint Serafim Sarovsky.
From the very beginning the Alexander Nevsky Lavra got the status of the most prestigious burial place in Imperial Russia. The members of royal family, priests, outstanding governors and commanders were buried there. Among them one should name Commander Suvorov, prince Bezborodko, architects Quarenghi, Voronikhin, composers Chaikovsky, musician Rubinshtain, the Aleksander Pushkin wife Natalia Goncharova.
In 1936-1937 on the territory of the monastery the museum was created. It was called Leningrad Necropolis and in 1939 was transformed into the Museum of Urban Sculpture.
At the beginning of the 20th century there were about 12 churches on the territory of the Lavra. Nowadays there are only two of them that are open. The revival of monkery happened in autumn 1996 and today the Alexander Nevsky Lavra is a functioning monastery of Saint Petersburg eparchy.
Open: 9-30 – 15-30 (October - April), 9-30 – 18-00 (May – September)
Closed: Thursday Location: Metro Station «Ploshchad Aleksadra Nevskogo» in front of the hotel «Moscow»
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
St. Nicolas cathedral
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The great example of the late Russian baroque, the gilt-domed Nikolsky Cathedral, is situated on the bank of the Kryukov Сanal. The project of the cathedral was worked out by architect Chevakinsky who was also entrusted to direct the construction works started in 1753 and finished in 1762. For the new cathedral the former Navy troop court parade ground was chosen.
The consecration of the cathedral took place on the 20th of June 1762. Empress Catherine the Great herself attended the solemn ceremony. After the revolution of 1917 Nikolsky Cathedral had hard times. And although the considerable part of the cathedral's decoration was lost, the temple wasn't ruined and even wasn't closed as many other churches of St Petersburg. During the blockade of Leningrad metropolitan Alexy I, the future patriarchy of all Russia, lived there and hold services.
Nowadays Nikolsky Naval Cathedral is a functioning Orthodox cathedral that carefully cherishes its long-standing memorial traditions. In 1989 the walls of the cathedral were enriched with one more memorial plaque commemorating the crew of submarine Komsomoletz. And just recently the memorial plaques with the names of the decedent sailors of the submarine Kurk were added to the cathedral's walls.
Location: Ploshchad Truda, 4
Open: 08-30 – 22-30 every day
Closed:
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
St. Joann convent on river Karpovka
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Founded in 1900 by Father John of Kronshtadt, later became a nunnery. The building of the nunnery was built in 1900-1902 by Nikonov.
Service: Monday-Saturday 8.00 – 17.00, Sunday 9.00 -17.00
Location: Karpovki reki emb., 45
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
St. Sampson cathedral
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The onion domes of the historic St. Samson's Cathedral rise above one end of Sampsonievsky Garden in the north-west of the city. The church was originally built in memory of the Russian victory over the Swedes at Poltava and boasts five magnificent Baroque style cupolas. St. Samson's Cathedral was built not far from the place where a wooden church was built, by order of Peter the Great, to commemorate Russia's victory over Sweden at Poltava on St. Samson's Day (June 27), 1709. St. Samson's Cathedral was closed in 1938 and has yet to be officially reopened as a church, even though it has been largely restored over the last decade. Nevertheless, the adjacent park, cathedral and bell tower are worth a look for lovers of Baroque architecture and Russian history.
Located: Bolshoy Sampsonievsky prospect, 41
Open: winter 11-00 – 19-00, Summer 10-00 – 20-00
Closed: Wednesday
Open:
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Smolny Novodevichy convent
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The Smolny ensemble, notably the Smolny Institute, is among St. Petersburg's most cherished historical monuments related to the greatest event of our epoch, the October Socialist Revolution which came about in 1917. The name Smolny comes from the time when St. Petersburg was in the process of construction and there was a tar yard (smolyanoi dvor) at the bend of the Neva where tar (in Russian smola, hence Smolny) was made to meet the needs of the Russian fleet. In the 18th century it lay on the city's outskirts and it was in this remote place that they decided to establish a convent. Its builder was Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The Smolny Convent is one of his best productions. The five-domed cathedral, nearly 100 metres high, is especially impressive. Turquoise and white, it seems to be soaring in the air. Giacomo Quarenghi, another great architect, would take his hat off when he passed the Smolny Cathedral. Today the Smolny is the seat of the St. Petersburg Regional and City Committees.
Located: Ploshchad Rastrelli, 3/1
Open: 11-00 – 18-00
Closed: Wednesday
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
St. Ksenia chapel
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Excuse, the information will be placed in a near future!
Location:
Open:
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Synagogue
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The synagogue, miraculously, lacks the haunting emptiness of its counterparts in Poland or Hungary. With the breakup of the USSR, the Jewish communities of the FSU have awoken from a deep slumber, as thousands seek to rediscover their heritage.
Very much in use, the synagogue houses a day school and a library The Grand Hall often hosts concerts of well-known cantors from the United States, Israel and Canada. The red-brick Small Synagogue is used for everyday worship; Torah and Hebrew lessons take place in the adjacent Yeshiva, which also provides meals for Jewish pensioners.
Ancient Jewish art is mainly represented by the Temple and its fittings, of which all that is left to contemplate is the lower portion of a fortified wall. Even if this overstates the fact, it is most probable that very little distinctively Jewish art ever flourished for an extended period. The position of Judea and its history naturally discouraged the development of art, however vigorous its beginning may have been. The remains of the ancient synagogues that are now extant present very meager data, and the best preserved of the ancient ones, such as the great synagogue in Kafr Bir'im, while containing much of interest and many characteristic forms, give but little inspiration to the synagogue-builder.
Located: Lermontovskiy prospect, 2
Open: every day
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St. Vladimir cathedral
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The church was built to shelter the historic Vladimir Mother of God icon. The icon traveled to Jerusalem, Constantinople and then Kiev, where Prince Andrey Bogolyubskiy bought it and brought it to the ancient Russian city of Vladimir after which it is named. Subsequently the icon was credited by the Orthodox Church with freeing Moscow from the control of the Mongols. A vigorous restoration of the church began in the 1970s, including restoration of the facade and icons. Nevertheless, the effects of years of neglect have been difficult and slow to correct.
In 1990, after the church had been returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, the first services where conducted in what observers described then as a gloomy and cold environment where there were only two icons donated by church parishioners. Moreover, the church did not have a cross for more than a year after it reopened.
Located: Vladimirsky prospect, 20
Open: every day
Closed:
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Armenian church
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Continuing with a tradition of non-Orthodox churches being welcome on Nevsky prospect, the Armenian merchant Ovanes Lazarian paid for the city's first Armenian church to be erected here in 1771. It was designed and built by German architect Georg Veldten and completed in 1780. The Soviet regime deemed it reasonable to bash the place to bits and install a 2nd floor, which blocked the view of the cupola. The church has been fully restored now, however, and it's open to visitors.
Location: Nevsky pr., 42
Service: 11.00 and 17.00; Saturday, Sunday: 7.00, 10.00, and 18.00
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
Chesmenian church
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One of the city's most wonderful buildings, this red-and-white Gothic beauty looks not unlike a candy cane, with long, vertical white stripes giving the impression that it's rising straight up from the earth like a mirage and shooting upwards. Designed by Yury Felten, it was built between 1777 and 1780 in honour of the Battle of Chesme (1770).
The church's remote location is due to the fact that Catherine was on this spot when news arrived of her great victory over the Turks. Ever capricious, Catherine ordered that a shrine be built on the spot to preserve this great moment in Russian history. It now seems particularly incongruous with its surroundings, as Stalin's ill-fated city centre has since grown up around it.
Location: Lensoveta str., 12
Service: 10.00, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10.00 and 18.00
Closed: Monday
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
Lutheran church
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Mary. The church was built in 1805. It is usually called the Finnish church and is one of the oldest and largest Protestant churches in Russia.
Location: Bolshaya Konyushennaya str., 8
Open: 10.00 - 18.00
Service: Sunday 10.30 – in Finnish, 13.30 – in Russian,
Wednesday 19.00 – in Russian
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
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