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St. Isaac's Cathedral
Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia
Travel Tips
Don't miss the panoramic city views from the dome. 1
Purchase a separate ticket to climb the dome for breathtaking views of St. Petersburg. 2
Climbing the colonnade is highly recommended for the best views. 3
Introduction
History
- ๐ Ordered by: Tsar Alexander I to replace an earlier structure by Vincenzo Brenna
- ๐๏ธ Construction: Took 40 years (1818-1858) under Montferrand's direction
- ๐ฐ Cost: 1,000,000 gold rubles
- ๐จ Soviet Era: Turned into a museum in 1931, stripped of religious trappings
- ๐๏ธ WWII: Dome painted gray to avoid attracting enemy aircraft
- ๐ Post-Soviet: Regular worship resumed in the 1990s, but only in the side chapel
- ๐ 2017: Proposal to transfer to the Russian Orthodox Church, met with public protests
- ๐ 2021: Hosted the first royal wedding in Russia since 1917
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Architecture
- ๐๏ธ Style: Late Neoclassical, Byzantine, and Greek cross
- ๐ฟ Materials: Granite and marble
- ๐๏ธ Columns: 112 red granite columns with Corinthian capitals
- ๐๏ธ Dome: Gilded, 101.5 meters high, supported by a cast iron structure
- ๐๏ธ Porticos: Four identical pedimented octastyle porticos
- ๐๏ธ Statues: 24 statues on the roof, 24 on the rotunda
- ๐๏ธ Influences: Design influenced the US Capitol dome and Wisconsin State Capitol
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Interior
- ๐จ Decorations: Bronze doors with reliefs by Ivan Vitali, patterned after Florence's Baptistery doors
- ๐๏ธ Holy Spirit: Sculpted white dove suspended under the dome
- ๐ผ๏ธ Paintings: Originally decorated with paintings by Karl Bryullov and other Russian masters
- ๐ผ๏ธ Mosaics: Paintings were later reproduced as mosaics due to deterioration
- ๐ช Iconostasis: Framed by columns of malachite and lazurite
- ๐ผ๏ธ Stained Glass: Large stained glass window of the 'Resurrected Christ' in the main altar
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Visiting Information
- ๐ Address: 4, Isaakievskaya Square, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- ๐ Metro: Admiralteyskaya
- ๐ Hours: Daily 10:30 am to 6 pm, last admission at 5:30 pm
- ๐ Summer Evenings: May 1 - September 30, 6 pm to 10:30 pm
- ๐ Night Openings: June 1 - August 20, 10:30 pm to 4:30 am
- ๐ต Admission: Adult - RUB 250, Children - RUB 50, Colonnade - RUB 150
- ๐ง Audio Guide: Available in multiple languages for RUB 100
- โฟ Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with lifts at entrance and exit
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Technologies
- ๐ง Innovations: Use of large wooden frameworks to raise portico columns
- ๐ณ Foundation: Resting on 10,000 tree trunks sunk into marshy banks
- ๐ ๏ธ Gilding: Dome gilded using a technique similar to spray painting with mercury
- โ๏ธ Galvanoplastic: First use in architecture for the twelve gilded statues of angels
- ๐ฐ๏ธ Construction: Took 40 years, leading to the Finnish expression 'to build like St. Isaac's Church'
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| Travel Information |
|---|
| ๐ย ย ย Phone: +7 812 315-97-32 |
| ๐ย ย ย Website: http://cathedral.ru/ |
| ๐ย ย ย Hours: See hours |
| ๐ย ย ย Address: St Isaac's Square, 4, St Petersburg, Russia, 190000 |
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