Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is located in Saint Petersburg. When it was first constructed it was the central and largest cathedral in Russia. It holds some of the most beautiful artwork, statues, and granite columns. It also offers an unparalleled view of the city. The cathedral was built in the honor of Peter the Great’s patron saint: Saint Isaac.
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral was turned into a museum around the 1930s, it was used as a Soviet Union tactic to disprove religion. The cathedral later reopened as a place of worship after the fall of communism in Russia. Our tour guide Sergei, described during the tour how he visited the cathedral when it was a museum. He showed us where the Foucault pendulum used to be held. The pendulum was used as a communist tactic to dispel religion. The Foucault pendulum proved that the earth was not the center of the universe. This pendulum was removed during the reopening of the cathedral.
When I first entered Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, I was blown away. Its use of vibrant colors to illustrate the heavens and story of the bible were breathtaking. I have never seen granites, marbles, and malachites used in a place of worship before. The tall pillars of malachite enhanced the overall beauty of the cathedral. Along with the viewing of the interior, my tour group and I were able to go on top of the cathedral. It was a long climb up, but extremely worth it. Walking alongside the dome of St. Issac one can see a 360 degree view of Saint Petersburg. Getting to see both the city and Moyka River was an incredible experience that I will never forget.
While in Moscow, we visited the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. It is a Russian Orthodox cathedral with an interesting past. The cathedral is actually a remake and was constructed in 2000. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was demolished in 1931 under the reign of communism. Its demolition was ordered by Joseph Stalin in 1931. Between 1931 and 2000 the ground the church used to stand on was planned to be made into a giant house for the Soviets and a place to do governmental/legislative work. Due to World War II this building was never finished. It was also at one time a public swimming pool named “Moskva Pool.” The most fascinating part of this cathedral is centered around how it received funding for its reconstruction. It was done with the help of donations for Russian citizens. The cathedral was thus able to be made anew. The amount of time and money that goes into the creation of these buildings is astounding. Seeing the Russian collectivist notion of coming together for a common good can be realized in the reestablishment of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
It was also very interesting to note the differences between Russian Orthodox religion to other forms of Christianity. In the religion they value suffering as a way to be close to God. For instance, none of the Russian Orthodox cathedrals have chairs to sit on. The cathedral attendees must stand for hours during the ceremony and preaching. The crosses were also different. For example, in Russian Orthodoxy there are three horizontal lines, instead of the usual one. The last line is slanted and according to Sergei it is supposed to represent how one of the two men crucified with Jesus were saved (the slanted line is pointing up in the direction of heaven) and the one who chose to not accept Christianity is slanted down pointing towards hell. The very top line has an inscription that usually translates to “King of the Jews.” Visiting these monumental and stunning cathedrals truly displayed how some Russians deeply value Russian Orthodoxy and show the differences with varying forms of Christianity.
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/st-isaacs-cathedral/
Sergei
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral Tour
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Tour
http://www.moscow.info/orthodox-moscow/cathedral-christ-saviour.aspx
I agree that the cathedrals we went to were so beautiful and breathtaking. Having the Orthodox priest come speak to us really showed a lot of the differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and other forms of Christianity in my opinion. I can’t imagine going to a church service and standing in one spot for hours on end! All of the cathedral tours and the talk with the Orthodox priest really opened my eyes into the world of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Though all the cathedrals we saw were beautiful, I am partial to St. Isaac’s. I think it was reminiscent of the churches in the Vatican and those of Western Europe, both in art and architecture. I loved hearing about Sergei’s (bless that man) experience in St. Isaac’s before the fall of the Soviet Union. While receiving a tour in school, the guide would tell them about the “myths” painted on the walls and made them sound preposterous. Honestly, I wish they still had the pendulum, it sounded really cool and I thought it was interesting how they thought this display of science would dissuade people from religion. I really liked your point about the Orthodox emphasis on suffering and how it is actually practiced. You’re totally right, there were no benches or chairs in any of the churches and I didn’t even realize that until now. I remember the priest telling us how he would stand for eight hour sermons which made him feel closer to his religion, and now this story makes a lot more sense.
I really enjoyed seeing all of the cathedrals as well. They were all so pretty in different ways and I loved the tour of Saint Issacs. Just so much attention to detail went in to building it. Going to the top and seeing the view was definitely a great experience and the view was incredible. I also loved the ceilings and the super detailed pictures on the walls.
This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. St Issacs allowed a beautiful view of the city but also gave me an example of an orthodox church. I knew nothing about orthodox religion or their churches- all I could compare them to are catholic churches and religion. Orthodoxy is an important part of Russian culture and I feel seeing them was not only a beautiful and breath taking expirence it was a culturally enlightening one as well.
Not to mention I too found learning more about the orthodox cross interesting- as I had always wondered what the slanted line was for.
Every church we had the pleasure of seeing was ornate and gorgeous and mind blowingly detailed.
Any religious structure outside of America never disappoints given the centuries of tradition and history that are inseparable from them. The artwork, gold trimming, and architecture were all beautiful, and it was really interesting to see and recognize that orthodox style that differs from any protestant or catholic church. What’s inconceivable is how the Soviet government was able to shut these places down given all the history and deep tie to Russian culture that they have. Perhaps it is the Russian concept of suffering and reverence to power that allowed the state to fill in the church’s role. This would suggest that it is a stronger force in Russian society than Christianity itself, and that maybe orthodox Christianity has done so well due to Jesus’s story and God’s omnipotence matching the Russian concept of suffering and power.