St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral
Encyclopedia
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral (official name—the Naval Cathedral of Saint Nicholas
and Epiphany) is a large Orthodox
church in the style of the Elizabeth Baroque, located in Saint Petersburg
, Russia. It belongs to the St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
. As of 2011 Fr Bogdan Soiko serves as its rector.
as a marine regimental church on the sea regimental court in place of a earlier wooden church. Freestanding four story bell tower with a tall gilded spire was built in in 1755–1758.
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral consists of two separate churches. The lower Saint Nicholas Church is located on the first floor, while the upper Epiphany Church is on the second floor. The altar of the upper church was consecrated in the presence of the Empress Catherine II, who told the newly built church to be called a cathedral. The main shrine of the cathedral—a Greek icon of St. Nicholas made in the XVII century with a portion of his relics—is located in the lower church.
In 1908 the Tsushima obelisk was erected in the garden in front of the church in memory of those killed at Battle of Tsushima
.
In the upper church there are memorial plaques for the crew of the nuclear submarine K-278 Komsomolets
and for other sunken Soviet submarines. Since 2000, the commemoration of submarine K-141 Kursk
sailors is performed in cathedral.
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
and Epiphany) is a large Orthodox
Orthodox
Orthodox may refer to:In music:* Orthodox , album by the Czech death metal band KrabathorIn science:* File manager#Orthodox file managers in computing* Orthodox seed, seed which may be preserved via drying or freezing...
church in the style of the Elizabeth Baroque, located in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia. It belongs to the St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
. As of 2011 Fr Bogdan Soiko serves as its rector.
History
The Cathedral was built in 1753–1762 by architect Savva ChevakinskySavva Chevakinsky
Savva Ivanovich Chevakinsky was a Russian architect of the Baroque school. He worked in St. Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo.Chevakinsky was born into a noble family in the village of Veshki in the Novotorzhsk district of Tver province....
as a marine regimental church on the sea regimental court in place of a earlier wooden church. Freestanding four story bell tower with a tall gilded spire was built in in 1755–1758.
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral consists of two separate churches. The lower Saint Nicholas Church is located on the first floor, while the upper Epiphany Church is on the second floor. The altar of the upper church was consecrated in the presence of the Empress Catherine II, who told the newly built church to be called a cathedral. The main shrine of the cathedral—a Greek icon of St. Nicholas made in the XVII century with a portion of his relics—is located in the lower church.
In 1908 the Tsushima obelisk was erected in the garden in front of the church in memory of those killed at Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
.
Architecture
St. Nicholas Cathedral belongs to the Elizabethan baroque architectural style. It has the shape of a cross and is decorated by Corinthian columns, stucco architraves, a wide entablement and is crowned by five gilded domes. The church can accommodate up to 5,000 people.Recent past
In 2000 a chapel was consecrated in the lower tier of the bell tower.In the upper church there are memorial plaques for the crew of the nuclear submarine K-278 Komsomolets
Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets
K-278 Komsomolets was the only Project 685 Плавник nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Soviet Navy. The boat sank in 1989 and is currently resting on the floor of the Barents Sea, one mile deep, with its nuclear reactor and two nuclear warheads still on board...
and for other sunken Soviet submarines. Since 2000, the commemoration of submarine K-141 Kursk
Russian submarine K-141 Kursk
K-141 Kursk was an Oscar-II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine of the Russian Navy, lost with all hands when it sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000...
sailors is performed in cathedral.