St. Isaac Cathedral

The history of St. Isaac Cathedral dates back to the construction of the small wooden church commissioned by Peter the Great. Its temple was consecrated in the memory of Saint Isaac Dalmatian, the saint patron of Peter the Great.

In 1809, Alexander I declared the contest for the best project of the new cathedral. The most well-known architects took part in the contest, but the winner was a young French architect and talented drawer August Montferrand. He offered 24 projects of the future cathedral in different styles - in Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, and even in the manner of Indian and Chinese architecture. Alexander I approved the project of a five-domed cathedral in classic style.

The construction works were started in 1818 and lasted for almost 40 years.The solemn opening and the consecration of St. Isaac Cathedral that was announced the cathedral of Russian Orthodox Church took place on the 30th of may 1858. The temple became the city’s main cathedral where the grand celebrations, impressive divine services and christenings of the members of the royal family were held.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the forth largest domed cathedral in the world, after the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rome, the Cathedral of St. Paul in London and the Cathedral of St. Maria in Florence. St. Isaac’s Cathedral, which is 101.5 meters high and has the area of 4 thousand square meters, can hold up to 12 thousand people. The interior decor of the cathedral features an abundant use of paintings, mosaic works and sculptures made by well-known Russian artists and sculptors, such as Bryullov, Klodt, Pimenov and others.

Today St. Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the best Russian cathedrals and one of the most popular museums in Saint Petersburg. The visitors are invited to climb the colonnade of the cathedral and enjoy the breathtaking view of the center of Saint Petersburg from the 43-meter height.