Organ evenings in St. Catherine's Basilica. Temple of St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church of St. Catherine

I now call that day in St. Petersburg nothing other than the Day of the Three Churches. I still wonder how I was able to combine three different churches so successfully and not mix everything in my head into one big pile))) Probably because each of these churches is unique in its own way: very quiet and memorable for its beautiful, but with a completely unpretentious interior decoration, the Armenian Church of St. Catherine; a Catholic church, brutal on the outside and slightly ascetic on the inside, bearing the name of the same saint; and the stunning beauty of the Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kronstadt - huge, bright and very noisy from the abundance of tourists in it.
About , the story about the Kronstadt Cathedral is still ahead, and today I will show you the Catholic Church of St. Catherine.

To us on the noisy Nevsky Prospekt...

And more specifically, on the even side of Nevsky, where in the depths of the block between houses No. 32-34 the Catholic Church of St. Catherine is visible. Architectural style - early classicism:

In the center of the main facade there is a huge arched niche with two columns:

This is a Polish church, the history of which in St. Petersburg began in the time of Anna Ioannovna. It was the Empress who allocated a plot of land on Nevsky to Polish Catholics:

At first the church was wooden; in 1763, a stone church was built according to the design of Jean-Baptiste Vallin-Delamot. It was already completed by Antonio Rinaldi, the temple was consecrated in 1783:

Above the main entrance to the temple there was a marble tablet on which was written in Latin in bronze letters “My house is a house of prayer” (“Domus Mea, Domus orationis”)

For a long time I could not enter the temple because I was hovering in front of the front door. She caught my attention so much with her decor!

First of all, these crowns. How beautiful!

Secondly, door handles. The fact is that the handle is made in the shape of a human hand)))

In general, very soon I realized that I was preventing other visitors to the church from entering and leaving it and finally found myself inside:

Those of you who periodically read my reports already know that I go to churches solely for the sake of architecture, studying interiors and, of course, I am always interested in their historical past. Therefore, I quite calmly visit churches of various denominations, having previously studied the rules of behavior in them.
This Catholic church is unlikely to amaze anyone with its lush decoration and abundance of gilding, but I really liked it for its calm beauty and delicate pastel colors of the interior:

I also noted for myself that, despite the rather large size, there is no feeling as if the temple is pressing on you and you want to quickly go outside, as sometimes happens in churches with a gloomy gothic architecture. In this regard, the Church of St. Catherine turned out to be very light and bright:

Windows letting in daylight, with angels sitting on the sides:

Openwork lamps on the wall:

In 1998, the church hosted a solemn consecration of the chapel in honor of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Fatima. The chapel is located to the left of the main altar:

A sign near the entrance to the chapel explained that this room was intended only for worshiping parishioners.
Naturally, I didn’t break the rules, but took a couple of photos through the door. Buzzer helps me))

The church also has its own pride - an unusual large icon case with an image of St. Catherine placed in it:

It is located near the balustrade of the main altar and appeared in the temple relatively recently, in July 2014.
Just in case, I’ll explain that an icon case is a box with glass in which icons are placed to protect them from candle soot and dust.
The difference between this icon case and those usually found in Russian Orthodox churches is the narrow fields of red velvet around the icon. They are made as a place for dedicatory and thanksgiving gifts. In Europe, precious rosaries and crosses of the healed are often placed on the walls next to a revered icon or statue, and sometimes directly on it. In Russia, dedicatory gifts are most often hung in an icon case on the image itself or its setting.
And the unusualness of the icon case in the Church of St. Catherine is that it combines these two traditions. Signs of gratitude to St. Catherine are under the glass of the icon case for greater security, but do not cover the icon itself. This way the icon will be able to remain at a short distance from the worshipers.

I will tell you about several historical facts that I found about this temple.
The temple was famous for its magnificent decoration and excellent acoustics, as well as its huge library: at the beginning of the 19th century it contained 60,000 volumes in 30 languages.
In 1829, the architect Auguste Montferrand, builder of St. Isaac's Cathedral, was married in the Church of St. Catherine. And shortly before Pushkin’s death - Georges Dantes and Ekaterina Goncharova, the sister of Natalya Goncharova, Pushkin’s wife.

Various schools and gymnasiums operated at the temple. Since 1884, the Roman Catholic Charitable Society operated at the parish, which during the 35 years of its existence played a significant role in the life of the local Church.

The kings of Poland, Stanislaw August Poniatowski and Stanislaw Leszczynski, were buried in the dungeons of the temple. To this day, the French general Jean Victor Moreau, commander-in-chief of the Allied armies in the war with Napoleon, rests in the crypt of the temple.

In 1938, the temple was closed and destroyed.

X The frame of St. Catherine was consecrated by John Andrei Archetti, Archbishop of Chalcedon.
This happened during the reign of Catherine II on the 7th day of October in the year of the Lord, 1783. But a wooden church stood here during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, who in 1738 transferred this plot of land to Catholics.

At that time, there were less than 3,000 Catholics throughout the vast territory of Russia and this was the first Catholic church on Russian territory. The Church of St. Catherine was built according to the designs of architects J.B. Vallin-Delamotte and Antonio Rinaldi.

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It was made in a transitional style from Baroque to early classicism.

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The Basilica of St. Catherine is associated with the liturgical “birth” of the local Russian Catholic Church. Address: Nevsky pr., 32 - 34.

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At the beginning of the 19th century, the lower open galleries the buildings were occupied by “Nuremberg shops”, where German merchants traded books, toys and haberdashery. Nowadays there are always a lot of paintings in front of the church))) here everything is occupied by artists.

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Let's go inside.

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In 1798 he was buried in the church the last king Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Stanislav August Polyansky, who spent his recent years life.

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In 1829, Auguste Montferrand got married here, and in 1858, the funeral service of the brilliant architect took place. In 1837, the wedding of Georges Dantes and the sister of the wife of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Ekaterina Goncharova, took place in the Church of St. Catherine.

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After October Revolution In 1917, the temple was closed, and its premises began to be used as a warehouse. Later, a branch of the Leningrad Philharmonic was opened here.

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In 1938, the remains of Stanislav Polyansky were removed from the temple.

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In 1984, the church building was severely damaged by fire. The interiors of the building burned out, everything was destroyed interior decoration temple.

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The Church of St. Catherine was returned to the St. Petersburg Catholic community only in 1992. From that moment on, the church again became open to parishioners, services resumed there, and a Sunday school opened.

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By 2003, the temple building was almost completely restored from the consequences of the 1984 fire.

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Church doors.

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There are scantily clad girls everywhere))) even at the Catholic church. Although there are no prostitutes around and there is no monument to a prostitute, like in Amsterdam, and thank you for that))

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Now it is being restored.

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An old photo with the dome not closed by restorers.

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It often hosts free concerts.
Church website.

Organ evenings are held at St. Catherine's Basilica. Starts at 21:00.

The activities of the State Museum-Monument "St. Isaac's Cathedral" are expanding: cycles of organ concerts are being revived. An additional venue for concerts was the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Catherine, the oldest church of the Roman Catholic Church in St. Petersburg.

This is the only Catholic church in Russia that was given the honorary title of minor basilica (in 2013). This title is primarily given to historically significant and pilgrimage churches. The Basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria in St. Petersburg became the only basilica in Russia.

The building, which is an architectural monument of federal significance, was built between 1738 and 1783 according to the designs of P. A. Trezzini, J. B. Vallin-Delamot, I. Minciani and A. Rinaldi. The temple was closed in 1938, and the utensils, icons and books from the church library were thrown into the street. Further fate cathedral is equally dramatic: a fire in 1947 seriously damaged the interior, after which the church was used as a warehouse for a long time, and in 1977 it was decided to turn the building into the organ hall of the Philharmonic (the temple was once famous for one of the best organs in St. Petersburg), but the fire of 1984 destroyed old organ and stopped another reconstruction.

In the early 1990s, the revival of the temple began: large-scale restoration work, registration of the newly formed parish of St. Catherine. In 2000, the altar part of the temple was re-consecrated, and in 2003, the restoration of the main part of the temple was completed and the central gate was opened.

It is in the Basilica of St. Catherine that the cycles of organ concerts will continue, interrupted in January 2016, when the St. Isaac's Cathedral State Museum lost its main venue - the Smolny Cathedral Concert and Exhibition Hall, where organ concerts were especially loved by the public.

The unique organ “Monarke” by the Dutch company “Johannus”, created by the best Dutch craftsmen for the Smolny Cathedral, but dismantled and taken out of there in January 2016, will now sound under the arches of the Basilica of St. Catherine on Nevsky Prospekt. This organ is a digital instrument newest generation, combining the achievements of advanced technologies and the experience of the greatest European organ masters.

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in St. Petersburg. The current Catholic church, one of the oldest in Russia, with the status of a minor basilica, designed in the style of classicism, was built in 1738-1783 according to the design of P. A. Trezzini, J. B. Vallin-Delamot, I. Minciani and A. Rinaldi .

The Catholic parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria appeared in St. Petersburg in 1716, but it did not immediately acquire its own church. Only in 1738 did Empress Anna Ioannovna allow the construction of a Catholic church on Nevsky Prospekt, but even then construction dragged on for decades. The first design of the church was developed by the architect Trezzini; under his leadership, work continued until 1751, but after his departure to his homeland, construction stopped. In the 1760s, the architect J.B. Vallin-Delamot continued the construction of the unfinished temple, but he was not able to complete the church. And only in 1782, already under the leadership of the architects I. Minciani and A. Rinaldi, construction work began again. Finally, in 1783, the new cathedral was consecrated in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria, patroness of Empress Catherine II.

The structure of the building, built in a transitional style from Baroque to early classicism, is made in the form of a Latin cross and topped with a large dome. The main façade is designed in the form of a monumental arched portal supported by free-standing columns (similar to the New Holland arch). Above the facade there are figures of four evangelists and angels holding a cross. Above the entrance to the temple are written words from the Gospel of Matthew in Latin: “Domus mea domus orationis” (“My house will be called a house of prayer”).

The inside of the Catholic church was decorated with grace and beauty - a rich marble altar was brought from Italy, and the internal columns and walls of the temple were decorated with artificial marble. Unfortunately, much of the original decoration of the cathedral has not survived to this day - the large image “The Mystical Betrothal of St. Catherine” by Johann Mettenleiter, donated to the temple by Empress Catherine II, disappeared after the revolution of 1917; The organ, which had long been considered one of the best in St. Petersburg, was also lost. But the ancient altar cross, saved by one parishioner after the looting of the temple in 1938, is now in its original place.

At first, St. Catherine's Cathedral was under the jurisdiction of monastic orders. At first it belonged to the Franciscans, from 1800 to the Jesuits, and in 1815 the Dominicans settled here. In 1892, the temple ceased to be considered an order and began to be managed by Catholic diocesan priests.

In this church in 1837, the marriage of Georges Dantes and Ekaterina Goncharova, sister of the wife of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, took place. The architect Auguste Montferrand, the author of many buildings in St. Petersburg, also got married here.

The temple was closed and looted in 1938, and utensils, icons and books from the church library were thrown directly onto the street. The destruction of the cathedral was completed by a fire in 1947, during which the remaining interior was seriously damaged. For a long time, the church was used as a warehouse, and in 1977 it was decided to turn the building into the organ hall of the Philharmonic, but a fire in 1984 stopped this reconstruction as well.

In 1991, the Catholic parish of St. Catherine reappeared in St. Petersburg, in 1992 restoration work began in the church, and in 2000 the altar part of the temple was re-consecrated, and in 2003 the restoration of the main part of the temple was completed and the central gate was opened. In 2013, the Church of St. Catherine was granted the status of a minor basilica, it became the only basilica in Russia.

The dimensions of the temple are 44 meters long, 25 meters wide, 42 meters high. The basilica can accommodate about 2,000 people at a time.

The building of the Basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria is included in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects (historical and cultural monuments) of Russia.

Note to tourists:

A visit to the Basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria will be of interest to Catholic believers and other tourists interested in church architecture of the mid-18th century, and can also become one of the points of the excursion program while exploring neighboring attractions -

The Basilica of St. Catherine is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Russia, the only one that has been given the honorary title of minor basilica. The parish was founded in 1716; in 1738, Empress Anna Ioannovna allowed the construction of a Catholic church on Nevsky Prospekt (Nevsky Prospekt). The original project was designed by Pietro Antonio Trezzini, but was not completed. In the 60s of the 18th century, work was resumed by the architect J. B. Vallin-Delamot, but was not completed. Only in 1782 the construction of the temple was completed under the leadership of the architects Minciani and A. Rinaldi, the latter was the head of the community. On October 7, 1783, the temple, which received the status of a cathedral, was consecrated in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria, patroness of Empress Catherine II. The temple is associated with the names of many prominent personalities. In 1798, the last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was buried here (later reburied in Poland), and in 1813, the French commander Jean Victor Moreau. A parishioner of the temple was the famous architect Montferrand, builder of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Here he got married and baptized his son. Here his body was buried after death, after which his widow took the coffin with her husband’s body to France. The parishioners of the temple were a number of Russian nobles who converted to Catholicism: Princess Z. A. Volkonskaya, Decembrist M. S. Lunin, Prince I. S. Gagarin and others. Representatives of various monastic orders served in the church. Initially, the temple belonged to the Franciscans; in 1800, Paul I gave the temple to the Jesuits, and in 1815, after the latter were expelled from Russia, the Dominicans began to care for the parishioners of the temple. In 1859, the future architect F. O. Shekhtel was baptized in the church. In 1892, the church ceased to be an order church and began to be managed by diocesan priests. Before the 1917 revolution, the parish numbered more than thirty thousand parishioners. Under the Bolshevik regime, members of the parish were subjected to repression; the rector of the parish, Konstantin Budkevich, was shot in 1923. The temple remained open until 1938; French priests served there. Dominican Michel Florent served in the temple from 1935 to 1938 and remained at that time the only Catholic priest in Leningrad. In 1938, the temple was closed and looted; The destruction of the temple was completed by a fire in 1947, during which the interior and details of the interior decoration were damaged, and the metal pipes of the organ melted. O. Florent was arrested in 1941 and sentenced to death, but was deported. The temple building was used as a warehouse; In 1977, a decision was made to reconstruct and transform it into the Philharmonic Organ Hall. In February 1984, as a result of arson, a fire broke out in the building, which negated the work of restorers and completely destroyed the interior. All the sculpture, the remains of paintings, marble altars and the 12-meter body of the organ from the late 18th century were destroyed in the fire. After this, the temple remained closed. The monastery building housed offices for the Museum of Atheism and private apartments. In February 1992, city authorities decided to return the temple to the Church. In the same year, large-scale restoration work began. The building has the shape of a Latin cross. The length of the temple building is 44 meters, width - 25 meters, height - 42 meters. Holds approx. two thousand people. The main facade of the building is designed in the form of an arched portal, which is supported by free-standing columns. Above the façade is a parapet with figures of four evangelists and angels holding a cross. Above the main entrance are inscribed the words from the Gospel of Matthew (in Latin): “My house will be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21.13) and the date of completion of the cathedral. Above the main altar, a large image of “The Mystical Betrothal of St. Catherine”, painted by the artist Johann Mettenleiter and donated to the temple by Empress Catherine II, was previously placed, but the image did not survive the destruction of the temple after the revolution. An organ was installed in the temple no later than 1789. Then the Jesuits replaced it with a new one, which was famous as one of the best in St. Petersburg (the instrument was not preserved), in late XIX century, an organ made in Germany was installed in the church (also not preserved). The ancient altar cross was rescued in 1938 during the looting of the temple by one of the parishioners, Sofia Stepulkovskaya, and has now been returned to the temple. In 2013, restoration of the altar began, and the doors were restored using photographs. In 2014, based on photographs, the altar cross was restored and installed.