Peter and Paul Cathedral architecture. Peter and Paul Cathedral outside and inside

Peter-Pavel's Fortress . Baroque

Cathedral of St. apostles Peter and Paul - Peter and Paul Cathedral

Pam. arch. (federal)

1712-1733 - architect. Trezzini Domenico

see Peter and Paul Fortress ( continuation)

The height of the cathedral is 122.5 m; the spire is 40 m. The cathedral is consecrated, services are performed according to a special schedule, and the rest of the time it functions as a museum.

Wooden Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul was founded on June 29 (July 12), 1703, Peter's Day, in the center of Hare Island. The temple with a bell tower in the form of a pointed tower in the “Dutch style” was consecrated on April 1, 1704. In 1709-1710. The church became cruciform in the “three spitz” plan and was expanded.

The construction of the new stone cathedral began on June 8, 1712 according to the design of D. Trezzini. In 1719, under the leadership of the Dutchman H. van Boleos, the assembly of the wooden structures of the bell tower spire was completed. In 1724, the spire and small dome of the bell tower were covered with copper sheets gilded through fire by the Riga master F. Tsifers. According to Trezzini's drawing, a copper cross with the figure of a flying angel was made and installed above the apple of the spire. The height of the bell tower became 106 m.

This is a three-nave temple. A bell tower was erected above the western span of the middle nave, and an octagonal drum above the eastern one. The design of the facades uses the idea of ​​a smooth transition from the first tier to the second through the introduction of lateral volutes. A copper plaque by artists A. Matveev and A. Zakharov with the image of the apostles Peter and Paul was placed in the attic. Wooden sculptures were installed above the attic, completed with a beamed pediment. The oval window in the lower part of the eastern facade is decorated with a stucco image of cherubs in the clouds. Facades of the cathedral in the 1730s. were painted pink.

Wooden Church of St. App.
Peter and Paul.
Rice. N. Chelnakova, 1770s.

Cathedral of St. App. Petra
and Pavel. 1841
Lithogr. A. Duran.

The rise of P. Telushkin
on the bell tower spire.
From the engraving beginning. 1830s

Photo -
S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky,
beginning XX century

View of Petropavlovsky
cathedral until reconstruction in 1858
Added - .

Plan of the cathedral.

New bell for the cathedral
St. Apostles Peter and Paul.
1905

Raising the bell
to the bell tower
Petropavlovsky
cathedral, 1905.

Removal
camouflage
cover from the dome.
1944
Added - .

In 1756, a fire destroyed the wooden spire and roof, the clock and bells were destroyed, and the western portico was destroyed. In 1757, over the altar, according to a drawing by V.V. Fermar, master builder A. Antonietti erected a brick dome topped with an onion dome. The facades were painted grayish-green. Since 1762, the bell tower has been restored by the Office of the Construction of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. By order of Catherine II - in the same forms. The laying of the stone tiers was completed in 1770. According to the design of the Danish master B. P. Bauer, a new wooden spire, lined with gilded copper sheets, was erected in 1773. The chimes, made by watchmaker B. F. Oort Crass in Holland in 1757-1760, were installed in 1776 by watchmaker I. E. Roediger.

In 1777, the spire was damaged by a storm. The correction was carried out according to the drawings of the architect. P. Yu. Paton. The new figure of an angel with a cross, based on a drawing by A. Rinaldi, was made by master K. Forshman.

In 1778, under the leadership of academician Leonhard Euler, work was carried out to equip the spire with a lightning rod.

In 1779, in the western part of the cathedral, the chapel of St. Catherine. The ceiling of the chapel was painted in 1830 by I. E. and F. A. Pavlov.

At the beginning of the 19th century. century, renovation work was carried out in the cathedral with the participation of architect. L. Ruska, D. Visconti, A. I. Melnikov, I. I. Charlemagne, artists V. K. Shebuev and D. I. Antonelli.

In 1829, a storm again damaged the angel figure on the spire. Roofer Peter Telushkin carried out repairs without erecting scaffolding. The repairs carried out in October-November 1830 went down in the history of domestic technology as an example of Russian ingenuity and courage.

In 1856-1858 According to the design of engineer D.I. Zhuravsky, instead of a wooden one, a metal spire was built. Inside the spire, a spiral iron staircase leads to a hatch in the casing, located at a height of 100 m above the apple, a six-meter cross with an angel (sculptor R. K. Zaleman?) The weather vane angel rotates around a rod installed in the plane of the figure itself. The volumetric parts of the angel are made by electroplating, the remaining parts are stamped from forged copper. Gilding was carried out under the leadership of the chemist G. Struve by the Korotkovs’ artel of merchants. Angel height - 3.2 m, wingspan - 3.8 m

At the same time, the chimes were overhauled. The work was carried out by the Butenop brothers. Since 1859, the chimes played music by composer D. Bortnyansky every fifteen minutes, and at noon and midnight - the anthem “God Save the Tsar,” written by A. F. Lvov.

In 1911, the facades were repainted sandy.

The silhouette of the elongated bell tower after the reconstruction became very impressive; it is difficult to believe that the changes were made by one engineer without architectural and artistic education and experience.

After the revolution, services were stopped, and in 1919 public access to the cathedral was prohibited. In 1927, the cathedral building was transferred to the Museum of the Revolution. Since 1954 it belongs to the Museum of the History of Leningrad. In 1955-1957 Scientific restoration was carried out according to the project of I. N. Benois. In 1987-1995 artists L.N. Sokolov and Yu.I. Trushin carried out the restoration of paintings and icons. In 1991-1995, restoration of the angel and cross was carried out. In 1996-1998 The Catherine's chapel was restored according to the project of architect. A. E. Gunich and S. S. Nalivkina. The family of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II is buried there.

In 1999-2001, the figure of the angel was restored again.

(based on materials , , )

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated February 20, 1995 No. 176 “On establishing a list of historical and cultural heritage Federal (All-Russian) significance:Historical and cultural reserve "Peter and Paul Fortress -State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg"

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 10.07. 2001 No. 527: Peter and Paul Fortress: o. Zayachiy, Peter and Paul Fortress

On Hare Island at the mouth of the Neva. A month later - on June 23 (according to other sources - on July 12 (June 29, old style)) the first church of St. Petersburg (wooden) was founded in the name of the Supreme Holy Apostles Peter (heavenly patron of Emperor Peter I) and Paul. Construction was completed on April 1, 1704, at which time the church was consecrated. According to the recollections of contemporaries, it was “cruciform in appearance and about three spitz dogs, on which on Sundays and holidays they raised pennants, it was painted to look like a stone with yellow marble.”

The temple was rebuilt in stone to the design of the architect Domenico Trezzini in 1712. According to legend, on June 8, Emperor Peter I laid the first stone in the foundation of the cathedral, the second stone was laid by Empress Catherine, and then the stones were laid in turn by all the highest dignitaries present at the ceremony. Peter I did not live to see the completion of construction, which lasted 21 years (1712-1733) during the reigns of Catherine I, Peter II and Anna Ioannovna. The completion of the construction of the cathedral was supervised by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

On June 29, 1733, the temple was consecrated and from that time it was cathedral St. Petersburg. In pre-revolutionary times, this complex of buildings was jointly monitored by: the Department of the Court Clergy, the Military Department, and the Ministry of the Imperial Court. The rector of the cathedral in the rank of protopresbyter, who headed the Court clergy, could also be the confessor of the royal family.

Before the completion of the construction of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the city cathedral was the Trinity-Petrovsky Church on Trinity Square. Since the establishment of the St. Petersburg diocese in 1742, the Peter and Paul Church has become a cathedral. He was never officially deprived of this status, even when in the 19th century the metropolitan see was in the Kazan Cathedral.

The main altar of the temple (with a fragment of the relics of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called placed under it) was consecrated in the name of Sts. Peter and Paul. In the southwestern corner of the cathedral, in the chapel of St. The second altar was consecrated to the Great Martyr Catherine.

The cathedral is a monument of Peter the Great's Baroque architecture. It is an elongated rectangular building of the “hall” type, characteristic of Western European architecture. Its walls are decorated with pilasters and cherub heads on the window frames. The interior of the cathedral is divided into three naves by powerful pylons, decorated with pilasters of the Corinthian order. In terms of its architectural style, the cathedral is closer to Protestant churches in central Europe.

The dominant feature of the cathedral is a multi-tiered bell tower on the western facade, topped with a high gilded spire with a weather vane in the form of a flying angel with a cross. Its tiers are connected by curls - volutes, which create a smooth transition from the main building of the cathedral to high tower. The construction of the cathedral spire was carried out by the Dutchman Herman von Boles under the supervision of Domenico Trezzini. The spire, installed in 1723, was covered with gilded copper sheets. More than 8 kilograms of red gold were spent on gilding the spire. The work on constructing the wooden spire was completed by the end of 1724, and at the same time the chimes purchased by Peter I were installed on the bell tower. The height of the cathedral is 122.5 meters, the height of the spire is 40 meters, the height of the angel figure is 3.2 meters, and the span of its wings 3.8 meters. Peter and Paul Cathedral - the most high building St. Petersburg, except for the television center tower.

Lightning struck the bell tower spire repeatedly. A particularly severe fire caused by lightning occurred on the night of April 29-30, 1756, during the reign of Elizabeth. The spire that caught fire collapsed, and the chimes also died. The fire engulfed the attics and the wooden dome; they managed to dismantle the iconostasis and take it out of the cathedral. After the fire, the masonry of the walls cracked, and the bell tower of the cathedral was forced to be dismantled down to the windows of the first tier. The cathedral was repaired a year later after the fire, but the bell tower remained disassembled.

In 1766, under Catherine II, it was decided to restore the bell tower. The work lasted 10 years. During the restoration, the size of the dome was reduced and the shape of the roof was simplified. In 1776, another chime clock was installed on the bell tower to replace the lost ones. Until 1917, they performed “Kol Glorious” at the beginning of each hour, and at 12 noon - the national anthem “God Save the Tsar.” The watch was made in Holland by master Oort Crass.

In the autumn of 1830, a storm wind tore the leaves off the cross and the angel's wings were damaged. Expensive restoration with preliminary scaffolding was ahead. At this time, the roofing master Pyotr Telushkin submitted a written statement that he undertakes to correct all the damage to the cross and angel of the cathedral without building scaffolding. Telushkin, as a poor artisan, not having the collateral required for contractors for construction work, “pledged,” as the St. Petersburg Vedomosti put it, “his life to secure the business he had taken on.” He did not assign a specific remuneration for his work, leaving it to his superiors to determine its value, but asked only for 1,471 rubles for the materials that he would need to carry out the repairs. Telushkin's proposal was accepted, although no one believed in a favorable outcome of his enterprise. Nevertheless, Telushkin completed the task he took upon himself, demonstrating extraordinary physical strength, dexterity and intelligence.

For his work he was paid from one to five thousand rubles in banknotes. President of the Academy of Arts A.N. Olenin introduced Telushkin to Emperor Nicholas I, who awarded the brave roofer with money and a silver medal on the Annensky ribbon with the inscription “For zeal.”

There is a legend that Telushkin was also presented with a letter, upon seeing which they were obliged to pour it for free in any tavern, but he lost it; then he was given a special mark under his right cheekbone, according to which Telushkin, when coming to a drinking establishment, snapped his fingers - this is where the characteristic gesture supposedly came from, indicating drinking alcohol. The event described in the legend would have been quite probable during the reign of Peter I, but it is unlikely for the reign of Nicholas I, so it is most likely an element of urban folklore.

Under Alexander II in 1857 - 1858, the wooden spire structures were replaced with metal ones according to the design of engineer D.I. Zhuravsky. Metal structures were manufactured in the Urals at the Votkinsk plant.

The interior of the cathedral was luxurious, but had a slightly secular character. The length of the nave is 61 meters, the height is about 16 meters. In the 1720s, the temple was painted by masters F. Vorobyov, M. Negrubov and P. Zybin. What attracts the most attention in the interior of the palace is the wooden carved gilded iconostasis in the form of a triumphal gate - as a monument to Russia's victory in the Northern War. The gate was made in 1722-1726 in the traditions of European Baroque by the architect I.P. Zaprudny (icons - A. Pospelov, A. Merkuriev and F. Artemyev). Artists T. Ivanov and I. Telega worked for 4 years to create the iconostasis according to the sketches of the architect and sculptor Ivan Petrovich Zarudny. About forty Moscow carvers took part in the work. In 1865-1866, carved wooden doors were replaced with cast ones (made of copper, on an iron frame). The iconostasis contained 43 icons, painted mainly in the 18th century by Moscow icon painters under the direction of A. Merkuryev.

The walls are painted in light colors, the pylons and pilasters are painted to resemble pink and green marble, the vaults are covered with colorful paintings, and there is a lot of gilding. The wall paintings were painted in oil on canvas by A. Matveev, G. Gzel, A. Zakharov, I. Nikitin and others. The interior is more reminiscent of a secular palace hall than a church.

Opposite the altar is a magnificent gilded pulpit, decorated with statues of the two Apostles. The royal seat is decorated with a carved gilded crown and crimson velvet. The cathedral is illuminated by five chandeliers made of crystal, gilded bronze and colored glass at the end of the 18th century.

Inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral, along its walls and on the bell tower, for many decades a huge number of military trophies were placed: banners, shields, weapons and keys to conquered cities.

The first burials on the site of the Peter and Paul Cathedral began to take place in the old wooden Peter and Paul Church, when the little princess Ekaterina Petrovna was buried there in 1708.

By the end of the 19th century, there were 46 burials in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, and there was practically no room left for new burials. In 1896, next to the cathedral to the northeast of the temple, the Grand Ducal Tomb was built according to the design of D.I. Grimm and L.N. Benoit - the throne of St. is consecrated in it. Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky (third throne of the temple). The cathedral is the tomb of Russian emperors, starting with Peter I and ending with Alexander III, with the exception of Peter II, Ivan Antonovich, who was killed in 1764. Numerous members of the royal family are buried here.

Ceremonies such as weddings and baptisms were never held in the temple. The funeral service took place only for the deceased members of the imperial family and for the commandants of the fortress.

After the revolution of 1917, church services in the Peter and Paul Cathedral were stopped, in 1919 the cathedral was officially closed, and in 1923-1924 it was turned into a museum. Most of the church valuables were removed from the cathedral in May 1922. Further fate values ​​are unknown. The clockwork that played the anthem Russian Empire, was turned off and replaced in 1952 by a new one, which played the Anthem of the Soviet Union four times a day. The iconostasis in the cathedral has been preserved, as have 18 paintings of Gospel scenes by artists of the first half and mid-18th century, placed on the walls above the windows.

Since the fifties of the twentieth century, the cathedral has been under the jurisdiction of State Museum history of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). The buildings of the cathedral complex have federal status. Excursions are conducted in the temple with extreme intensity.

In the summer of 1998, on the 80th anniversary of the execution of Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, their children and servants, the burial of their remains took place in the Catherine Chapel of the temple. In September 2006, the remains of Maria Feodorovna, the widow of Emperor Alexander III, who died in exile in 1927, were reburied next to the grave of her husband.

The first parish registered in the early 1990s was eventually canceled after several services were performed in the tomb and on the porch of the cathedral (not in the main volume of the temple). Then the temple was looked after by the rector of the Prince Vladimir Cathedral, Archpriest Pavel Krasnotsvetov. In the second half of the 90s, the church had a rector, Archpriest Boris Glebov, who came on July 12 to the church holiday to celebrate the Liturgy - already in the cathedral itself; the first bishop's all-night vigil and Liturgy were celebrated here by Metropolitan Vladimir on Christmas Day 1999. At the same time, on the days of remembrance of the emperors, representatives of monarchist organizations led by Archpriest Alexy Masyuk came to the temple to perform funeral services. In July 2001, the parish of the Imperial Memorial Cathedral was restored and services were resumed.

The current parish has been blessed by the Ruling Bishop since 2001, the rector of the cathedral is Abbot Alexander (Fedorov), the chairman of the Parish Council is B.A. Almazov. The service takes place in Patronal holiday(full) - except for 2006 (due to repairs of the altar), if possible - on Christmas and Easter prayer services or Great Vespers, as well as on memorable days - memorial services and prayer services.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg is in many ways “the very best.” This is the oldest cathedral, and the tallest, and the most famous, and not only because it houses the tomb of the Russian tsars. The style of construction was unusual for Russia; it is distinguished by both the shape of the iconostasis and the temple itself, far from “Byzantine”.

Origin of the city

The Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg belongs to the first buildings Northern capital. The Peter and Paul Fortress, founded on May 15, 1703, was primarily a fortification structure. Located at the mouth of the Neva, where the river was clearly visible, and therefore enemies could be seen from afar, it rightfully became the “historical core” of the city. The core of St. Petersburg is located on Hare Island, separated from the land by the Kronver Strait. And everything here was the first and in many ways innovative. The first bridge of the Northern capital - Petrovsky - was built here, the first canal for supplying troops drinking water was dug here too, and the first church was also founded on Hare Island.

First wooden

On the day of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, the future pearl of the capital, the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, was laid on the territory of the fortress. Initially, as often happened during construction large temples, a small wooden church was erected, which was consecrated by Metropolitan Job of Novgorod already in 1704, on April 1. In May, a year after its founding, a festive service was held here in honor of another victory of the Russian troops - Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetyev defeated the Swedish fleet on Lake Peipsi. The church itself was very beautiful. There was active construction around stone city, for whom the wooden church served for 8 years. But even above it, they began to erect the stone walls of the future temple. The well-deserved church was carefully dismantled and placed on a stone foundation on Gorodov Island. Over time, all wooden buildings in St. Petersburg were rebuilt into stone ones. The former Peter and Paul Church was renamed the Church of the Apostle Matthew, and in this form it survived until the Great Patriotic War. There is an assumption that the first church of the future capital was built according to the design of Peter I himself, because he took part in the design of the fortress itself along with the French general engineer Joseph Gaspard Lambert de Guerin. The church had a bell tower with chimes and an observation deck, where the Tsar often visited. State flags flew over it on holidays.

The birth of a new style

Peter I invited outstanding architects from several countries to build a city on the Neva. Naturally, they brought their own vision of architecture into the overall picture. The result was a style called “Petrine Baroque,” ​​which differs greatly from the “pearl with a flaw” itself (literal translation of “Baroque”), as well as from the “Galitsyn” branch of this architectural movement, which gravitated towards the classicism of France and Italy.

The style of the Northern capital also differed from the “Naryshkin baroque”, which was closer to Byzantine architecture and according to which Moscow was built. The style, which originated in St. Petersburg, was not widely used throughout the country. A rare example of this outside the Northern capital is the Peter and Paul Church in Yaroslavl.

Wonderful architect

The Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built under the vigilant and meticulous leadership of the Italian architect Domenico Teresini, who delved into every detail. He was named the first architect of the Northern capital and the founder of the Peter the Great Baroque style. The personification of this architectural trend, a large spacious stone temple was founded on June 8, 1712. The uniqueness of the cathedral began to manifest itself already at the time of the foundation of the building. For the first time, hundreds of workers dug deep ditches into which a strip foundation 2 meters deep was laid, although before this, buildings were built only on stilts. And the order of construction was disrupted - they began to raise the cathedral from the bell tower. Which is quite understandable - Observation deck remained vital for St. Petersburg, since the Northern War ended only in 1721. The city must have known about the movement of the Swedish fleet.

Unique in everything

The Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg surprised everyone, including the chimes on the unfinished bell tower. The appearance of a striking clock on an unfinished building, which has a frame instead of a spire, is quite understandable. The idea of ​​the Great Tsar, that Russia would not yield to Europe in anything, permeated everything. Shocked by the chimes he saw in Holland, the Tsar-Engineer brought the best examples, three in number, to Russia. And he insisted on their rapid deployment. They sounded for the first time in August 1720. This event was preceded by eight years of leisurely work on the construction of the bell tower itself. And then it took another 3 years for the 25-meter frame of the spire to be covered with sheets of gilded copper.

Unique from the foundation to the top of the angel

It is very sad that in those days a “lightning rod” could not be provided. Lightning began to systematically strike the metal spire sticking into the sky, until in 1756 the last of them completely destroyed it. The interior of the temple was also damaged. The bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is original not only for its height, symbolizing the assertion of Russia in the Baltic, but it was also different in shape from what was built in Rus' before. It has the features of secular buildings. Three-tiered, it continues its flight into the sky with a tall spire, which is crowned by the famous angel of the Peter and Paul Cathedral with a wingspan of 3.8 m and a height of 3.2 m. The spire itself was designed and reproduced by the Dutchman Hermann von Boles.

Bright and festive

The building of the temple itself was added to the bell tower later, taking into account all the errors identified as a result of the construction of the bell tower. It is also unique. Its walls are much thinner than the ancient walls Orthodox churches. It also differs in the shape of the base - it is a rectangle. The temple is decorated with high windows, which has never happened before. A large number of the light pouring through them and the 16-meter height of the room give the building a solemn appearance. Rows of narrower but stronger pylons support the vault. Instead of the traditional five domes - one. And the painting of the temple walls became innovative. For the first time, biblical stories were supplemented with real, historical paintings. The temple was painted by famous Russian masters, the walls were painted by Vorobyov and Negrubov, the ceiling was painted by Pyotr Zybin.

Even the chandeliers, one of which, closest to the altar, has survived to this day, are unique. Much has been written about the iconostasis of the cathedral. Made in Moscow from linden and oak according to the drawings of Domenico Teresini, according to whose sketches the first statue of an angel on the spire was made, the iconostasis has the shape of a triumphal arch. This is another tribute to Russia's victory over Sweden in the Northern War. The unique structure was installed by 50 workers with the direct participation of workshop manager Ivan Zarudny. It was gilded in the cathedral itself after complete assembly. Dozens of works have been written about every centimeter of this temple. It is one of a kind, unique, like the city itself with a very complicated history, unique like the fortress itself.

Always in charge

Time passed, the collapsing foundations and columns were strengthened, the necessary premises were added, the spiers broken by lightning were restored, the figure and function of the angel on it changed, the very purpose of the historical heart of the city changed, which the Peter and Paul Cathedral has always been and remains, having endured all the hardships. In 1742 the St. Petersburg diocese was created, and the first church in the city became a cathedral. Later, in the 19th century, the metropolitan's chair was moved first to Kazan and then to St. Isaac's Cathedrals. But the oldest church in the Northern capital was never officially deprived of its “cathedral” status. Now the days when it was an ominous prison and museum are a thing of the past. Restored, beautiful, fulfilling its main role, it is the most recognizable calling card of the city. The oldest cathedral in the Northern capital has a different, official name - the Cathedral in the name of supreme apostles Peter and Paul. But nowhere is the phrase “St. Peter and Paul Cathedral” mentioned in relation to it. There are huge beautiful churches with this name in Minsk and Lugansk.

For reference

Peter and Paul Cathedral is open on weekdays from 10.00 to 19.00, on Saturday from 10.00 to 17.15, on Sundays and days of worship from 11.00 to 19.00.

And the architect Domenico Trezzini was born in Switzerland, studied in Italy, and worked in Denmark. However, he received recognition in Russia, where he became famous as the first and main architect of St. Petersburg and the founder of the early Russian Baroque.

“Agreement with Mr. Tretsin”: moving to Russia

Domenico Andrea (according to other sources - Domenico Giovanni) Trezzini was born in 1670 into a family of poor Italian nobles who lived in the Swiss city of Astano. ABOUT early years almost nothing is known about his life. He studied in Venice - at that time it was one of the centers of European art education, along with Rome. During his studies, Trezzini saw the flourishing of Venetian art, which was based on the traditions and values ​​of the Renaissance. This had a noticeable influence on the style of the young architect.

It is known that after studying Domenico Trezzini returned to hometown, where he married Giovanna di Vaitis. However, he soon had to leave: he needed to feed his family, and Trezzini went to Denmark in search of work. Trezzini managed to get a job as a fortifier and eventually become "architectonic chief in the construction of fortresses", but it did not bring him the desired income.

Fort Kronshlot. Architect Domenico Trezzini. 1704. Image: artcyclopedia.ru

Narva Castle. Founded by the Danes. 1256. Photo: Litvyak Igor / Photobank Lori

The Russian ambassador to the Danish court, Andrei Izmailov, drew attention to the works of Domenico Trezzini. On April 1, 1703, he entered into an agreement with “Mr. Trecin”, which contained the following conditions:

“For his art, perfect art, I promise him 20 ducats for every month in salary and then to pay him for the whole year, starting from the 1st day of April 1703, and then he will be able to pay him in full for each month, with appropriate and current money, according to that the same price as they go across the sea, that is, at a price of 6 Lyubskiy and every red piece is the same price that should be had in Danish land.
I also promise the named Trecin, as I have clearly shown my skill and artistry, to increase his salary.”

The proposed salary at that time looked absolutely fabulous. Trezzini agreed without hesitation and soon found himself in St. Petersburg.

One of the first Russian works of the architect was Fort Kronshlot. It has not survived to this day, but sketches remain that allow us to restore its appearance. The defensive structure was an octagonal tower and its outline resembled a traditional Russian bell tower, but squat and wider.

Just 2 months after the completion of construction, Kronshlot had to withstand the first “combat test”: the fort was attacked by a Swedish squadron. And the fortress withstood the assault without much damage.

“The first of the main works - St. Petersburg fortification”

In 1706, Peter I decided to rebuild the Peter and Paul Fortress: it should be turned from earthen into stone. The work was large-scale. It was necessary to promptly prepare and deliver to the fortress a huge amount of material for construction - timber, bricks, lime - and find enough workers. To manage construction, Peter founded the Office of City Affairs. Ulyan Senyavin became its head, and Domenico Trezzini (in Russian, his name was Andrei Yakimovich Trezin) was appointed his chief assistant.

Peter-Pavel's Fortress. Architect Domenico Trezzini. 1706-1740. Photo: Igor Litvyak / Lori Photobank

Peter and Paul Cathedral. Architect Domenico Trezzini. 1712-1733. Photo: Dmitry Yakovlev / Lori Photobank

Just 2 years later, the construction of the stone powder magazines of the renewed fortress was completed and the construction of soldiers’ barracks and bastions began. The fortress gates were originally wooden. However, later a special decree of the king was issued - “Do not build wooden structures along the Bolshaya Neva and large channels”- and the gates were replaced with stone ones.

By 1716 the fortress was completed. Domenico Trezzini began the construction of the Peter and Paul Cathedral on its territory. Most high point The Peter and Paul Bell Tower with its famous needle-like spire became an architectural ensemble.

Trezzini himself considered the construction of the fortress his main work and until the end of his life he began the list of his projects with the phrase “The first of the main works - St. Petersburg fortification”.

The first architect of St. Petersburg

The Peter and Paul Fortress was far from the only work of Domenico Trezzini in St. Petersburg. When it was completed, the general architectural appearance came under the jurisdiction of the Office of City Affairs new capital. So Trezzini became the chief architect of St. Petersburg.

From 1710 to 1714 he was involved in the design of the Summer Palace of Peter I. The residence turned out to be quite modest for those times - in strict accordance with the tastes of the first Russian emperor: it had only 14 rooms and 2 kitchens. The facade of the building was decorated with allegorical bas-reliefs on the theme of the events of the Northern War.

Summer Palace of Peter I. Architect Domenico Trezzini. 1710-1714. Photo: Igor Lijashkov / Lori Photobank

Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Architect Domenico Trezzini. 1713. Photo: Irina Ovchinnikova / Lori Photobank

In 1715, Trezzini created a design for the Alexander Nevsky Lavra - symmetrical architectural ensemble, located between the Neva and Chernaya Rechka. The monastery was built until 1723, and all this time it was “overgrown” with workers’ settlements, gardens and vegetable gardens.

In 1717, Peter I ordered Domenico Trezzini to build "model home for the wealthy"- city stone mansion. They were supposed to replace the unaesthetic buildings that were initially erected for the residents of the young city. The architect was going to settle in a new house - beautiful and comfortable - and set an example for others. The emperor himself chose the place for construction: the corner of the Twelfth Line of Vasilyevsky Island. Trezzini carried out the emperor's decree, but for unknown reasons he did not live in the mansion himself, and Peter transferred the building into the possession of Baron Osterman.

Another building in modern St. Petersburg is called the Trezzini House; it is located on Universitetskaya Embankment. The architect also designed this house himself, and then settled in it with his family, students, personal clerk and servants.

Another famous St. Petersburg building by Domenico Trezzini is the House of the Twelve Colleges. It was erected in 1722-1742. At that time, it housed the highest authorities government controlled. After the dissolution of the collegiums, the building was transferred to the ownership of the Main Pedagogical Institute, and today it belongs to St. Petersburg State University.

Trezzini House on Universitetskaya Embankment. Architect Domenico Trezzini. 1721-1723. Photo: Sergey Vasiliev / Lori Photobank

House of the Twelve Colleges. Architect Domenico Trezzini. 1722-1742. Photo: A.Savin / wikipedia

Among other things, Domenico Trezzini planned the architectural appearance of most of Vasilievsky Island in the form that has been preserved to this day: strict geometric lines in the layout of streets, restrained luxury in the design of facades. It was Trezzini who became the founder of the style called Peter the Great's Baroque.

Domenico Trezzini died in 1734 and was buried in the cemetery of Sampsonievsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg. His grave has not survived to this day. A square in the Vasileostrovsky district of St. Petersburg, on which a monument to the great architect is erected, is named after Trezzini.

The foundation of the new capital of Russia at the mouth of the Neva began with the foundation on Zayachiy Island Peter and Paul Fortress On May 16 (27), 1703, and Peter I “renewed the fortress for its state name with the nickname Petersburg.”

Almost simultaneously with the foundation of the fortress, on June 23, with a triple cannon salute from the ships of the Baltic Fleet, the first church of St. Petersburg, the cathedral, was founded in the name of the Supreme Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Apostle Peter is the heavenly patron of Peter I). According to legend, Peter himself determined the location for the future temple, placing crisscrossed pieces of turf in the center of the fortress.

The first church on this site was made of wood, like all the first St. Petersburg buildings. It had the shape of an equal-armed cross. A kind of dome with a spire was built over the church.

Peter imagined the new capital to be similar to Amsterdam, and he took the simple and convenient Dutch architecture as a model. The Tsar invited several foreign architects to build the city of St. Peter, among whom was the Italian Domenico Trezzini.

Domenico Trezzini was born around 1670 in Italian Switzerland, in the city of Astano. In 1703 he worked in Denmark, at the court of King Frederick IV. Here he received an invitation to Russia, where he arrived in 1705 and from 1706 began his activities in St. Petersburg. Despite the fact that Trezzini was an Italian, he worked for a long time at the court of the Danish king and may have studied at Northern Europe— there is very little Italian in his work, but a lot of Danish-Dutch. His buildings recreate the images of the cities of Northern Europe.

The largest building in St. Petersburg and the main building of Trezzini was the Cathedral of Peter and Paul in the Peter and Paul Fortress (1712-1733). It was founded on June 8, 1712. The first stone in the foundation of the cathedral was laid by Peter I himself, the second stone by Empress Catherine, and then the stones were laid one by one by all the highest dignitaries present at the ceremony.
The appearance of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is dominated by a monumental, expressive silhouette bell tower, topped with a giant gilded 34-meter spire and decorated with a clock. With amazing flair, Trezzini found the necessary scale and unique silhouette that turned the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral into an architectural symbol of St. Petersburg. It resembles the town halls of Baltic cities. In imitation of her, bell towers were built in Yaroslavl, Petrozavodsk and other cities.

Peter I wanted to build this bell tower, testifying to the greatness of the new Russian capital, to the establishment of Russia in the vast expanses of the sea, above the Moscow bell tower of Ivan the Great. He gave her special meaning and hurried the craftsmen with the construction. The construction of the bell tower was largely completed in 1718. By 1724, its spire was covered with gilded copper sheets, and in 1725 the spire was crowned with the figure of an angel with a cross in his hand. The height of the figure is 2 meters 13 centimeters.

The carved iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Cathedral was made in 1721 - 1725 by the famous architect of the Peter the Great era, Ivan Zarudny. It was assembled and installed in the cathedral in 1729. The icons for the iconostasis were painted by Andrey Merkuryev and Fyodor Artemyev.
The interior of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is richly decorated with marble. The temple was painted in the 1720s by masters F. Vorobyov, M. Negrubov and P. Zybin. All the “painting work” was supervised by the “painting master” Andrei Matveev.

Work on the construction and decoration of the cathedral was completed only by 1733. The “stone figures with various architectural features” decorating it were made by a team of Moscow carvers. The temple was consecrated on June 29, 1733 and from that time on it was the cathedral of St. Petersburg. The length of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is 59 meters, the width is 23 meters. The height of the bell tower is 88 meters.

In 1756, disaster struck: the cathedral caught fire due to a lightning strike. The spire burned down (its upper structures were made of wood), the bells fell, and the fire melted the clock mechanism. The building received serious damage, and only by 1777 the cathedral was restored. To avoid similar catastrophes in the future, they made a lightning rod - “an electrical outlet to avert the impact and burning of lightning events.”

In 1830, a uniquely daring ascent to the top of the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral took place. It was carried out by a 23-year-old peasant from the Yaroslavl province, Pyotr Telushkin. It was necessary to repair the damaged cross crowning the spire, but this required the construction of expensive scaffolding. Pyotr Telushkin volunteered to do this work using a rope loop. Having swept the loop around the base of the spire and tied it around himself, he, holding on to the ribs of the roofing sheets protruding only 5 centimeters, in front of a huge crowd of people, rose to the very base of the cross and, having made the necessary adjustments, safely descended back. For this, Pyotr Telushkin was awarded a silver medal “For Diligence.”

Since the time of Peter I, the Peter and Paul Cathedral has served as a “hall of glorious celebrations”, preserving the glory of Russian weapons. There are numerous military trophies here - banners, weapons, keys to captured fortresses and cities.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral contains the tombs of all Russian emperors, starting with Peter I, with the exception of Peter II and Ivan Antonovich. Numerous members of the royal family are buried here, including the son of Peter I, Tsarevich Alexei. But, as a “traitor to the sovereign’s affairs,” he was buried in a “low” place - under the stairs leading to the bell tower.
After the death of Peter I in 1725, the coffin with his embalmed body stood for 6 years among the walls of the unfinished cathedral. Later, a coffin with the body of his wife Catherine was placed nearby. In 1731, upon completion of the construction of the temple, Peter I and Catherine were buried near the southern wall in front of the altar. Initially, there were only marble slabs at the burial site, without tombstones. Tombstones appeared here in the 1760s. Almost all of them are the same, made of white marble slabs. The tombstones of crowned heads have coats of arms at the corners. Two tombstones are unique; the burials of Alexander II and his wife Maria Alexandrovna are made of jasper and orlets. They are monolithic, each weighing about 5-6 tons.

When there was no room left for burials in the cathedral itself, a tomb was built next to the temple by 1908 (designed by D.I. Grimm and L.N. Benois), and the buildings were connected by a corridor. In 1904-1906, a fence was installed in front of the western entrance, modeled on the fence of the Summer Garden. It was decided to bury only members of the imperial family, not the crowned heads themselves. Before the outbreak of the First World War, they managed to move 8 burials from the right nave of the cathedral. In addition, 5 more great princes were buried here. In total, the tomb had 30 crypts.

After the revolution of 1917, the Peter and Paul Cathedral was recognized as an architectural monument; its decoration was preserved. The Grand Duke's tomb was plundered, the marble tombstones were broken. For a long time there was a warehouse there. In the 1930s, on the initiative of workers, the question of replacing the angel of the bell tower spire with a ruby ​​star was considered. They managed to draw up documents for this project, but due to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, this work was never completed. During the siege of Leningrad, the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral was painted over, and the angel was covered with burlap.

In 1992, Vladimir Kirillovich, a member of the Romanov dynasty, was buried in the restored grand ducal tomb. The last burial in the Peter and Paul Cathedral took place in 1998, when the remains of Nicholas II and his family were transferred to the Catherine's Reach.

Currently, services are regularly held in the cathedral on holidays and Sundays.