Two Very Different Churches

I take a lot of walks, and often end up in a church.  I thought it would be interesting to show 2 very different churches in St. Petersburg.  One is the Kazan Cathedral (or, Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan), one of the largest Russian Orthodox churches in the city.  The other is the Catholic church of St. Catherine, which we attend.  Both are located right in the center of the city, of Nevsky Prospekt.

Personally, I love visiting churches.  Whether it's to view the amazing art & architecture, better understand a country & culture, pray, or just to take a break in a cool spot, sit, and think.  It's always a great reminder that no matter our different views & beliefs, we are really all the same. 

Like I mentioned, Kazan Cathedral is one of the largest Russian Orthodox churches in the city.  There is another Kazan Cathedral in Moscow, and several smaller churches throughout Russia.  It is dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, a highly venerated icon within the church who represents the Virgin Mary as protector of the city of Kazan. 

According to the story, the icon was discovered in 1579 in the city of Kazan by a little girl, who was told about the location of the image by the Theotokos (Mary).  The original icon was kept in the Theotokos Monastery of Kazan, which was built to commemorate the spot where it was discovered.  It was believed that the icon provided Russia protection & victories against several invasions (including Poland in 1612, Sweden in 1709, Napoleon's army in 1812). 

In 1904, the icon was stolen from the monastery, which was later blown up by the communist authorities. 

There are various stories about where the original icon is today, and if it even still exists.  One story is that it was eventually found & relocated to this cathedral in St. Petersburg.  Another story is that it was seized by the Soviet government in 1918, and was sold by the Bolsheiviks somewhere overseas.  And other story is that it was acquired by the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, was enshrined in Fatima, Portugal in the 1970's, and given to Pope John Paul II in the early 1990's. 

 But what I find nteresting is how Russians view the disappearance (or unknown existence) of the original Lady of Kazan icon.  By some, it's viewed as a sign of the tragedies that plagued the country since it disappeared in 1904.   Interesting.

 

The Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built in 1801-1811, and was modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  Many of the church's leaders were against this design

After Napoleon's invasion of Russian in 1812, the church's purpose was altered to be a memorial to the victory against the French armies.  

  The bronze statues in front of the cathedral are of famous Russian field marshalls from that invasion

After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the cathedral was closed, as were most churches.  It was reopened as a pro-Marxist "Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism".  Services were resumed in 1992, and the cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1996. 

The inside of the cathedral is pretty spectacular.  A large open space, with enormous columns throughout.  The Russian Orthodox Church is by far the largest in Russia, with (depending on the information) 45-75% of the population identifying themselves as Orthodox.

The dome is 262 ft high

You'll notice that there are no seats or pews, which is very standard.  The people in line are waiting to offer prayers & blessings to the Lady of Kazan icon image 

The church is full of amazing art & icons

As a contrast, here are some images from St. Catherine's Catholic Church.  As I mentioned, it is also located right in the city center (practically across the street from Kazan's Cathedral).  There's an art market in the front plaza every day.

In 1705, Peter the Great signed a charter allowing for freedom of religion, and the contruction of non-Orthodox churches.  The Catholic Church was officially started in St. Petersburg in 1710.  This church was built in 1783, and named after the current Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great

It's very simple & austere as compared to Kazan, isn't it?.  The lights are only turned on at night during services.  I've read that only 0.5% of Russians consider themselves Catholic.  Due to it's location, this churches services many travelers & expats in the town.  

On the eve of the Russian Revolution, the church reports that it had over 30,000 parishoners.  Somehow, the church managed to remain open until 1938.  However, most of it's artifacts & icons were destroyed during the communist years.  The church was used for storage & office space for the government.  

This is my favorite spot in the church.  It's one of the original altars.  According to the church's records, in 1938 a 19 year old girl named Sofia Stepulkowska snuck into the church & pulled the altars out with the help of a few friends.  They were returned by her family in 2003

The church reopened in 1991, and was returned to the Catholic church in 1992.  They hold masses in Russian, Polish, French, Spanish, and English, and they are really interesting to attend.  It's such a mix of every culture imaginable.

On another note, I think I finally figured out how to post better-looking photos.  They were so grainy or blurry.  I moved to a different photo software.  Let me know if they look better!