This gold-domed, richly decorated 19th century cathedral is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg and its history is closely connected to the history of the city.
St. Isaac was a Byzantine monk who lived in 4th century AD. His feast day is May 30th. Russian Tsar Peter I was born on May 30th and decided to commemorate the Saint. In 1707, a small wooden church was founded in front of the Admiralty and was actually rebuilt from a warehouse.
In 1712, Peter I married to Catherine I in this church. Shortly after the wedding, St. Petersburg became the capital of Russia, the city began growing and soon the small church was lost among bigger stone houses. In 1717 it was rebuilt in stone with a wooden steeple but in a few years the church was badly damaged by a fire and finally began to sink, as it had been built on a swampy bank of the river.
In 1768 on the place of present cathedral, the third St. Isaac’s church was founded by the order of Catherine II. In this decision Catherine proved her respect to Peter the Great and displayed her wish to be his successor. The new project was a majestic construction crowned by five cupolas but the cathedral required great expense and by the 1796, when Catherine II died, it was built only to the cornice. The cathedral was finished in brick; the architect distorted the project by the order of Paul I. The church was opened in 1802. It was obvious that it did not correspond to the architecture of the capital.
In 1809 the competition for the best design of the new St. Isaac`s cathedral was announced. Many gifted architects participated but finally Alexander I entrusted the project to well-known engineer August Betankur, the Chairman of the Committee for building, who in turn commissioned a young French architect August Montferrand to manage the building project. The Tsar approved the cathedral in classical style. The construction started in 1818, lasted 40 years and the consecration ceremony took place on May 30, 1858, the day of Saint Isaac. Thus, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral became the main cathedral for the city.
In 1928 it was turned into a museum, and worships were only revived in 1990. During WWII, the interior of the cathedral was damaged, but has been completely restored. However, on some columns outside, you can see the traces of the bombardments that occurred during WWII. Today St. Isaac`s cathedral is one of the most visited museums in the city.
Open hours
Open daily 10:30 – 18:00.
Days-off: Wednesday.
Recommendations
First or return visit to St. Petersburg, Art and history tour.
Must-see place for cruise travellers.
