The Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady
1801-1811 architect A.N. Voronikhin
The Cathedral is a sample of High Classicism. In the Cathedral there was (and since 2001 it has been there again) the wonder-working icon of Our Lady of Kazan. Hence is the name of the Cathedral. The building has the form of the "Latin" cross. Its northern faÓade faces Nevsky Avenue. The facade is surrounded by a huge semicircular colonnade with 92 columns. Its length is over 100 meters. In the middle of the colonnade there is a portico with six columns. The same porticos are at the southern and western facades.
The Colonnade of the Cathedral is opened to Nevsky Avenue. It is not only the main part of the architectural ensemble but it is a meaning center of the surrounding space.
Different materials were used for the construction of the Cathedral: Limestone, granite, marble from various stone quarry of Russia. The walls were lined with Pudozhsky limestone. The height of the dome is equal to 62 meters.
The interiors of the Cathedral have been changed. Thus the bas-reliefs which decorated the vaults were replaced in 1814 soon after the death of architect A.Voronikhin with paintings "in imitation stucco molding".
The Cathedral was sanctified on the 15-th of September 1811. When scaffolds were taken down Voronikhin used the board for building a house for himself in Kamennoostrovsky Avenue (the house remained till 1980). The Cathedral was closed in 1929. It housed the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. It has come to be a Cathedral of St-Petersburg since 1999.
The Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady
1801-1811 architect A.N. Voronikhin
The Cathedral is a sample of High Classicism. In the Cathedral there was (and since 2001 it has been there again) the wonder-working icon of Our Lady of Kazan. Hence is the name of the Cathedral. The building has the form of the "Latin" cross. Its northern faÓade faces Nevsky Avenue. The facade is surrounded by a huge semicircular colonnade with 92 columns. Its length is over 100 meters. In the middle of the colonnade there is a portico with six columns. The same porticos are at the southern and western facades.
The Colonnade of the Cathedral is opened to Nevsky Avenue. It is not only the main part of the architectural ensemble but it is a meaning center of the surrounding space.
Different materials were used for the construction of the Cathedral: Limestone, granite, marble from various stone quarry of Russia. The walls were lined with Pudozhsky limestone. The height of the dome is equal to 62 meters.
The interiors of the Cathedral have been changed. Thus the bas-reliefs which decorated the vaults were replaced in 1814 soon after the death of architect A.Voronikhin with paintings "in imitation stucco molding".
The Cathedral was sanctified on the 15-th of September 1811. When scaffolds were taken down Voronikhin used the board for building a house for himself in Kamennoostrovsky Avenue (the house remained till 1980). The Cathedral was closed in 1929. It housed the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. It has come to be a Cathedral of St-Petersburg since 1999.