Saint Sampson's Cathedral

Saint Petersburg, Russia

St Sampson's Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in St. Petersburg. Rumor has it that it was in St. Sampson's Cathedral that Catherine II of Russia secretly married Grigory Potemkin in 1774.

The original wooden church was built in 1710 to honor Sampson the Hospitable. It was on the feast day of that saint that Peter the Great defeated Charles XII of Sweden in the Battle of Poltava. The existing church was built under Empress Anna to a design by Pietro Antonio Trezzini. It was consecrated in 1740. The tent-like belltower was built at a later date. The original church had only one dome; the four subsidiary domes were added in 1761.

The church was considerably renovated as part of the battle's bicentennial celebrations. A Rastrelliesque chapel was constructed on the grounds, and Peter I's address to his soldiers at Poltava was inscribed on the wall. It was at that time that the church was elevated to cathedral status. The parish was disbanded by the Soviets in the 1930s, and the building was converted into a warehouse. It was restored in the late 1970s and reopened in 2000 as a museum attached to St. Isaac's Cathedral.

The grave yard which surrounds the church has been filled for centuries. Some of the city's first foreign architects, including Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond and Domenico Trezzini, were buried there. The tomb of Artemy Volynsky and Pyotr Yeropkin (both executed exactly 31 years after the Poltava victory) is made by Alexander Opekushin (1885). The statue of Peter the Great in front of the cathedral was designed by Mark Antokolsky. It was removed by the Soviets and restored in 2003 as part of the city's tercentenary celebrations.

On 5th February 2017 the cathedral was transferred from the state to the Russian Orthodox Church at a ceremony in the cathedral.

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Details

Founded: 1740
Category: Religious sites in Russia

More Information

www.saint-petersburg.com

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Кирилл Ищенко (5 years ago)
Очень красивый и один из старейших соборов Санкт-Петербурга. Несколько лет назад восстановили иконостас, который поражает своей изысканностью и красотой. Здесь чувствуется время...., Как изнутри,так и снаружи. Ведутся службы, собор действующий, так что можно посетить и помолиться, или просто осмотреть красоту интерьера.
Кир Иванов (6 years ago)
Прекрасный собор. Не очень удобно с парковкой, но место найти можно. Зимой, конечно в парке грустновато, но внутреннее убранство собора компенсирует окружающую серость. И поют хорошо. Настоятельно рекомендую
Ой Всё (6 years ago)
Потрясающе красивый храм с необыкновенным барочным иконостасом. На фото - фрагмент внешнего оформления. В храме 3 придела, есть старинные иконы, для посетителей сделано описание на 2 языках. Богослужения проводятся регулярно, по расписанию. При входе стенд с жизнеописанием последнего настоятеля храма, погибшего в годы репрессий. От метро Выборгская не больше 10 минут пешком, рядом Сампсониевский сад с прудиками и памятником петербургским зодчим.
Sang Gu Kim (6 years ago)
This park is very sillent and beautiful
Sa Pr (7 years ago)
It might not be as sumptuous or big as other cathedrals, but still manages to be a great monument and an architectural beauty.
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