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Top 10 Fascinating facts about Smolny Cathedral

The Smolny Cathedral is a stunning building that gives tourists stunning views of the city and offers them a glimpse into Russian history. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful churches in Russia as it features elegant powder blue and white exterior which was featured in the era of the Romanov Dynasty.

Therefore, this article will explore some of the fascinating facts about the cathedral and the history behind its construction. The article will also be beneficial to the reader in providing additional knowledge to the reader and thus make them aware of the little-known tourist attractions that they can visit when in Russia.

1. Location of the cathedral

The Smolny Cathedral is removed from the city and therefore this means that the site is not crowded as many people do not go there. It is located on the northeast side of downtown St. Petersburg on the banks of the Neva River.

Since the cathedral is far from the city centre, this means that they are is poorly served by metro buses. However, one can access the attraction by taking a 20-minute walk to the Chernyshevskaya station and taking the electric buses, N. 5, 11,15 or 22.

2. Construction of the cathedral

The cathedral was initially built as part of a convent as Elizabeth who was the daughter of Peter the Great wanted to become a nun. However, her predecessor was overthrown by a coup carried out by the royal guards and she had to step up and take the throne.

The cathedral is the centrepiece of the buildings that were to make a convent and it was designed and built by Rastrelli between 1748 and 1764. The construction of the building stalled after the death of Elizabeth in 1762.

When Catherine II rose to the throne, she disapproved of the baroque style used to construct the building and the funds to continue with the construction ran out. Therefore, Rastrelli could not finish the interior. It was only in 1835 that the cathedral was finished by Vasily Stasov.

3. The cathedral features different architectural styles

Since the building was constructed by two different people, it was bound that they would be varying architectural styles employed. Rastrelli’s designs were from the 18^th century and when Vasily was finishing the construction of the cathedral, it was already the 19^th century which means that he had to change the designs to suit the architectural tastes of that time. Furthermore, Catherine II who was the empress at that time did not like the design and thus had to be changed.

4. The interior of the cathedral

The interior decorations of the cathedral are one of the stunning attractions that tourists can check out when they visit the attraction site. The decorations make use of wrought iron work, stucco capital columns and rich ornamentation of the dome which make the place elegant and eye-catching.

Furthermore, the cathedral is massive and it can hold 6000 worshippers in it thus the sheer scale of it is incredible. There are also richly decorated iconostasis and a crystal balustrade around the altar which make the interior of the cathedral majestic.

5. Guided tours

There are guided tours available to take the tourists through the cathedral. The tours are great in that one will get to see every important thing as the people who do the tours know the place well and therefore it is easy for them to ensure that all the sites are covered.

Furthermore, the tours are a great way of getting insightful information from the tour guides about the place in terms of its history and its significance. Most guided tours have tours that are done in English and therefore this means that one does not have to miss out because they do not understand Russian.

6. Accommodation near the cathedral

There are several accommodation options that one can consider when they want to visit the cathedral. There are hotels, apartments and B&Bs available that are near Smolny Cathedral. Therefore, this means that even people who are on a tight budget can find the ideal accommodation without going out of their budget and still have a good time.

7. The surrounding grounds

After completing the construction of the interior of the cathedral in 1835 Vassily started working on the beautification of the surrounding grounds. He ensured that there were new roads that led to the cathedral and that the square was laid out in front of the building.

The beautification of the grounds made the cathedral more appealing in that the general environment should complement the magnificence of the cathedral

8. It was consecrated in 1835

After the cathedral was finished, it was consecrated on 20^th June 1835 to be the cathedral of all educational institutions in the name of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over the years the Smolny institute which is located where the cathedral is became one of the most prestigious institutions for women.

9. The interior of the cathedral was damaged in Revolution

After the 1917 revolution, the cathedral’s interior was severely damaged. The crystal balustrade, the preaching pulpit and the iconostasis were plundered and broken leaving the place a desolate mess. It was then turned into a storehouse but in 1990, the exhibition and concert complex was opened in the Smolny Cathedral and it is still there to date. Restoring the cathedral was a good thing as the building is a magnificent architectural piece.

10. The Smolny Cathedral dome

Rastrelli who was the architect of the cathedral thought of putting a single dome in the cathedral like it was done in Europe, but Elizabeth ordered the construction of five domes. Four of the domes are bell towers and one belongs to the cathedral. Changing the number of domes made the cathedral unique in that it was not similar to other buildings which had one dome.