After the flood of 1824, the architect V.P. Stasov was asked to develop a project for a new stone church. At the same time, the old wooden church should remain the model.

The foundation stone for the new temple took place in May 1828. Empress Maria Feodorovna and Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich (future Emperor Alexander II) were present at the celebration. Construction was carried out with the personal funds of Emperor Nicholas I and government money. The cost of constructing the cathedral was 3 million rubles. Four years later, the building was roughly ready and interior decoration began. During the finishing process, it was necessary to restore the dome, which was torn down by a storm in February 1834, and rewrite some of the images.

The temple building was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War. Restoration was carried out in 1952-1953 and 1966-1967 appearance. There was a warehouse in the building itself. In 1990 it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Fire in Trinity Cathedral

In 2004, restoration was resumed. On August 25, 2006, during construction work, the scaffolding installed for the restoration of the cathedral dome caught fire, which grew into a strong fire. As a result of the fire, the external structures of the large dome of the cathedral collapsed onto the internal vault. Two small domes were also damaged by the fire.

At the end of 2007, work on the small northern dome and liquidation of the consequences of the fire were completed. In the main dome of the cathedral, preparatory work was carried out, installation of structures made of laminated veneer lumber, which became the basis of the main dome. In the spring of 2008, painting of the temple began. During 2008, the frame of the central dome of the cathedral was installed. On October 9, 2008, the rite of consecration of the cross and its installation on the central dome took place. By January 2009, the upper part of the iconostasis of the main chapel was restored in the cathedral.

In the summer of 2014, Trinity Cathedral is again surrounded by a construction fence, and something is being repaired inside again.

Cathedral architecture

The stone cathedral, cruciform in plan, is crowned with a powerful five-domed dome. At the time of its consecration, the cathedral was the largest in Russia. Accommodates more than 3000 people.

The facades of the cathedral are decorated with six-column porticoes of the Corinthian order with a sculptural frieze. In the niches of the porticos there are bronze figures of angels by the sculptor S.I. Galberg.

On the walls of the cathedral hung captured Turkish banners captured during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 - 1878, and the banners of the Izmailovsky regiment. In 1836, white marble plaques with the names of the regiment officers who died in the battles of Austerlitz, Friedland, Borodino and Kulm were mounted into the walls of the cathedral. The display cases contained keys to the fortresses of Kars, Bayazet, Lemotik, Nikopol and Adrianople.

Of course, all the native Leningraders perfectly remembered the blue domes of the cathedral, without any signs of stars on them. However, after the latest restoration, the color of the domes of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral became thicker and golden six-pointed stars appeared on them. We started receiving letters asking: where did the stars on the domes come from?

During the research, it turned out that initially the domes were painted with gold stars on a blue background according to the personal instructions of Nicholas I, given in 1826: “The domes should be painted like the domes of the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow and Tver Cathedral in Tver” (now there are stars on the domes of the Archangel Cathedral are absent, there are stars on the domes of the Tver Cathedral, but they are much less bright and look much more organic than the stars of the Izmailovsky Cathedral, which were the harbingers of the coming eclecticism).

Monument to architect V. P. Stasov

Monument to Stasov in 1970

In connection with the 200th anniversary of the birth of V.P. Stasov, the Leningrad City Executive Committee decided to build a monument to the architect in Leningrad. At the competition, Maria Litovchenko’s project was recognized as the best. In 1969 The monument cast at the Monumentsculpture factory was installed in front of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral.

Initially, the dates on the front side of the monument were: 1769-1969, which caused confusion among citizens who logically considered the inscription to be the dates of the architect’s life. March 10, 1973 a decision was made to change the dates and in September new dates were installed on the pedestal: 1769–1848.

In connection with the start of work on the restoration of the Column of Glory, built in front of the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral in 1886 and destroyed in 1929 - 1930, in 2000 the monument to Stasov was dismantled and transferred to the funds of the Museum of Urban Sculpture. This caused a storm of justified indignation among the townspeople, and on November 5, 2013, the monument again took its place in front of the cathedral (though now it stands not in the center, but at the north-eastern corner of the fence).

The Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment (Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral) is one of the largest monumental churches in St. Petersburg. Its bright blue domes, which are still decorated with stars, can be seen from a distance of 20 km from the city.

The cathedral was erected by the architect V. Stasov in 1828-1835 for soldiers and officers of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, one of the oldest in Russia. Founded by Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1730 and named after the village of Izmailovskoye near Moscow, the regiment took part in many battles that were decisive for the Russian Empire. The barracks of the Izmailovsky Regiment were located where Krasnoarmeyskie streets are today.

Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral is a large white temple, decorated with four porticoes of the Corinthian order and five blue domes. The cathedral, which served as the main garrison church of the city, housed military trophies obtained during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. In memory of the officers who fell in the war, their names were carved on marble plaques hung in the Izmailovsky Trinity Cathedral.

In 1886, a monument was erected in front of the temple, designed by the architect D. Grimm. It consisted of several rows lined up with Turkish cannons and topped with the figure of “Glory.” In 1930, the monument was demolished. The monument to military glory was recreated and inaugurated in 2005 on a historical site.

In the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral in 1867, the wedding ceremony of the Russian writer F. Dostoevsky took place. After the revolution of 1917, the Izmailovsky Trinity Cathedral was looted and in 1938 closed for worship. In the 30s of the 20th century, a plan was developed according to which it was planned to build a crematorium in the cathedral, but, fortunately, it was not implemented. For a long time, the cathedral premises were used as a warehouse, which caused architectural structure serious damage.

In 1990, the cathedral was returned to believers, services resumed there, but restoration work continues in the temple to this day. A huge amount of work was carried out to restore and restore the cathedral, as a result of which the appearance of the cathedral acquired its original beauty, the central chapel in honor of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, the chapel of St. John the Warrior and the chapel of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene were restored and consecrated by priests.

The cathedral is an architectural monument of federal significance and is protected by the state. Included in the UNESCO Protective Register.

In the Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral there is the oldest icon that is generally found in St. Petersburg Orthodox churches. This is an icon of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. The image is over 600 years old; it was painted in 1406.

Every day at 16:00 in the cathedral a prayer service is served before the relics of the great saints of God: the blessed Elder Matrona of Moscow, the patrons of the family of Peter and Fevronia of Murom and Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

On Tuesdays at 17:00 a prayer service with an akathist is served in front of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsarina of All", on Wednesdays at 17:00 a prayer service with an akathist in front of an icon with a particle of the Great Martyr George the Victorious.

The temple is open on weekdays: 9.00-19.00, on Sundays and holidays: 8.00-20.00.

Divine Liturgy is served daily, starting at 10.00.

Evening services are held on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on the eve of the holiday at 17.00

Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral (Trinity Cathedral) - orthodox cathedral on Troitskaya Square in the Admiralteysky district of St. Petersburg. The full historical name is the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment.

The parish of the church belongs to the St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and is part of the Admiralty deanery district. The rector is Mitred Archpriest Gennady Bartov.

Story

During the time of Peter I, there was a wooden chapel on this site.

The first temples

The first, marching, temple of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment was consecrated on July 12 (23), 1733, shortly after the regiment arrived in St. Petersburg. The camping tent-temple was erected in the summer closer to the mouth of the Fontanka, in the village of Kalinkina. In the church there were icons painted by the icon painter I. G. Adolsky (Odolsky). In winter, the ranks of the regiment prayed in parish churches. After the regiment moved higher up the river, in 1742 the temple was moved to a wooden barracks. After another transfer, it was re-consecrated on November 8 (20), 1813 and received a new iconostasis.

On July 1 (12), 1754, Bishop Sylvester (Kulyabka) laid the foundation for a new wooden five-domed church with a chapel of the martyr John the Warrior, consecrated on June 1 (12), 1756. The model for the construction of the temple was the church on the estate of the confessor of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Archpriest Theodore Dubyansky Kerstovo. The images for the temple were painted by M. L. Kolokolnikov. In the church there were gilded silver vessels donated by the empress, as well as coverlets embroidered by her.

Divine services in the church were held only in the summer, since the temple was cold. In winter, services were held in a church built in the barracks. The church was badly damaged during the flood in 1824: in the temple “the water stood at three arshins.”

Cathedral

After the flood, the architect V.P. Stasov was asked to develop a project for a new stone temple. At the same time, the old wooden church should remain the model.

The foundation stone for the new church was laid on May 13 (25), 1828 by Metropolitan Seraphim (Glagolevsky). Empress Maria Feodorovna and Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich were present at the celebration. Construction was carried out with the personal funds of Emperor Nicholas I and government money. The cost of constructing the cathedral was 3 million rubles. Four years later, the building was roughly ready and interior decoration began. During the construction process, it was necessary to restore the dome, which was torn down by a storm on February 23 (March 7), 1834, and to rewrite some of the images.

In the cathedral, on February 15 (27), 1867, the wedding of F. M. Dostoevsky and A. G. Snitkina took place, and on November 6 (18), 1894, the funeral service of A. G. Rubinstein took place.

A charitable society operated at the temple, which had at its disposal an almshouse, a shelter and free apartments. In 1912, the Brotherhood of Orthodox Education of Children was founded.

From July 1922 to 1924, the cathedral clergy joined the Renovationists.

In 1928-1938 there was cathedral Metropolitans of Leningrad (Seraphim (Chichagov) and Alexy Simansky).

The cathedral was closed on April 22, 1938. It was supposed to be demolished or rebuilt into a city crematorium. The temple building was damaged during the Great Patriotic War. In 1952-1953 and 1966-1967, restoration of the appearance was carried out. There was a warehouse in the building itself.

Returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990. In 2004, restoration was resumed.

Restoration of the cathedral after the fire of 2006

On August 25, 2006, the scaffolding installed for the restoration of the cathedral dome caught fire, which grew into a strong fire. As a result of the fire, at 17:10, the external structures of the large dome of the cathedral collapsed onto the internal vault. Two small domes, which had already been restored by June 2007, were also damaged by the fire. The evacuation of parishioners who were present at the service taking place at that time and church valuables was successful; there were no casualties; however, the cathedral itself suffered irreparable damage - it was completely destroyed wooden structure dome, which was in the temple for more than 170 years. Metropolitan Vladimir (Kotlyarov) hastened to declare that he was convinced that the church was deliberately set on fire and that the church supposedly even had proof of this. The investigation into the fire has not been completed for 7 years, but the version of arson has not been confirmed.

On July 9, 2007, the government of St. Petersburg allocated 58 million rubles for the restoration of the small domes of the cathedral (not touched by fire). On July 18, 2007, the governor was presented with the concept of restoring the burnt large dome of the cathedral using the “glued laminated timber” technology developed by the TVT Stroyinvest company: the frame was made of laminated pine wood and covered with fire-resistant material.

“The most successful option, since it is both fireproof and greatly facilitates all dome structures.
Vera Dementieva (KGIOP)"

It was assumed that the restoration of the dome would require 120 million rubles; restoration of the cathedral facades - at least 1 billion rubles; replacement of utilities, development of design documentation and installation of fire alarms - 356 million rubles. The general contractor for the reconstruction of the main dome is the Moscow company TVT Stroyinvest (president - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Honored Builder of Russia L. V. Shumilov), working together with the Central Research Institute of Building Structures named after V. A. Kucherenko, installation work was carried out by St. Petersburg builders, JSC "SSK-26", LLC "Comfort".

At the end of 2007, work on the small northern dome and liquidation of the consequences of the fire were completed. In the main dome of the cathedral, preparatory work was carried out, installation of structures made of laminated veneer lumber, which became the basis of the main dome.

In the spring of 2008, painting of the temple began. During 2008, the frame of the central dome of the cathedral was installed. On October 9, 2008, the rite of consecration of the cross and its installation on the central dome took place.

Architecture, decoration

The stone cathedral, cruciform in plan, is crowned with a powerful five-domed dome. The temple was built in the Empire style. At the time of its consecration, the cathedral was the largest in Russia. Accommodates more than 3000 people.

The domes are painted with gold stars on a blue background according to the personal instructions of Nicholas I, given in 1826: the domes should be painted like the domes of the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow and Tver Cathedral in Tver.

The facades of the cathedral are decorated with six-column porticoes of the Corinthian order with a sculptural frieze. In the niches of the porticos there are bronze figures of angels by the sculptor S.I. Galberg. Ivan Leppe also worked on the frieze.

The interior is decorated with 24 Corinthian columns. The pilasters are covered with white artificial marble. The cathedral was painted by artists A. I. Travin and T. A. Medvedev.

The semicircular iconostasis, made in the workshop of A. Tarasov, is decorated with Corinthian columns and compositionally forms a single whole with the altar canopy. The images were painted by V.K. Shebuev, A.I. Ivanov, A.E. Egorov, N.A. Maykov and V.K. Sazonov.

In 1872 from St. Isaac's Cathedral images of the work of T. A. Neff and D. Busato were transferred. The icon of the Dormition was venerated in the cathedral Holy Mother of God».

The icons for the side chapels were transferred from the previous church. The satin iconostasis of I. G. Adolsky, the icons “Christ the Great Bishop” and “The Resurrection of Christ” (1738) with a particle of relics were also transferred from the original church.

On the walls of the cathedral hung captured Turkish banners, captured during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, and the banners of the regiment. In 1836, white marble plaques with the names of the regiment officers who died in the battles of Austerlitz, Friedland, Borodino and Kulm were mounted into the walls of the cathedral. The display cases contained keys to the fortresses of Kars, Bayazet, Lemotik, Nikopol, Adrianople and other cities, as well as the uniforms of the august chiefs.

For the consecration of the cathedral, Nicholas I presented jasper vessels in a gold frame and a jasper tabernacle in the form of a temple with pink agate columns.

The temple contained a three-tiered bronze chandelier weighing about 5 tons, made in 1865 (“disposed of” when the cathedral was closed in 1938).

Izmailovsky Cathedral has utility rooms in the underground floor, which by 1990 were flooded with water. After a phased reconstruction, a hall was built, which was named “Slavic”. The hall was painted by artists from the creative workshop of Vladimir Kulikov. Its visual and semantic center is the image of the Lord Pantocrator, made in the mosaic workshop of Ekaterina Ogorodnikova.

Cathedral grounds

The cathedral is the compositional center of Trinity Square.

In memory of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, on October 12 (24), 1886, a Monument of Glory was opened near the cathedral building, created according to the design of D. I. Grimm from 108 captured Turkish cannons, arranged in five tiers. The column is crowned with the figure of Glory by P. I. Schwartz. Bronze plaques with a list of battles and regiments participating in the war were mounted on a granite pedestal. In 1925, it was planned to replace the monument with a monument to the Decembrists. In January 1930, it was sent for melting down; in 1969, a bust of V. P. Stasov by sculptor M. T. Litovchenko was installed in front of the cathedral. In 2005, the monument to the architect was dismantled, and the Column of Glory was restored.

In 1894-1895, opposite the temple, according to the design of S.P. Kondratyev, in memory of two miraculous deliverances from death: the rescue of the imperial family during the train crash in Borki in 1888 and the rescue of the future Emperor Nicholas II in Japan - it was built in the Empire style Chapel of St. Alexander Nevsky. The white gilded iconostasis of the chapel was carved by P. S. Abrosimov, the icons were painted by I. A. Tyurin. The chapel was closed in 1924. During the Great Patriotic War, the dome was hit by a shell, and then it housed a retail outlet and warehouse. Restoration work began in August 1998, and on November 26 it was consecrated by Metropolitan Vladimir (Kotlyarov). The stained glass window and restoration of the sculpture were carried out by the creative workshop of the artist Vladimir Kulikov.

Traditions

In pre-revolutionary times, parishioners followed the following traditions:

On the patronal feast day, a regimental parade took place on the cathedral square with the sprinkling of banners with holy water;
On the Feast of the Savior, the Icon Not Made by Hands, a procession of the cross was sent to the Fontanka for the blessing of water;
On the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a procession of the cross went through the surrounding streets
On October 12 (old style) a funeral liturgy was served, in which the entire regiment participated, in memory of the battle of Gorny Dubnyak.

Shrines

Cross with a particle of the Cross of the Lord and Golgotha.
Icon with a particle of the relics of the healer Panteleimon,
part of the epitrachelion of St. right John of Kronstadt;
relic particles:
Matrona of Moscow,
Peter and Fevronia of Murom,
three saints: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom,
the icon of the Holy Trinity from 1406, returned to Russia with the personal assistance of V.V. Putin and transferred to the cathedral on his behalf.

Every St. Petersburg resident knows the majestic snow-white cathedral with blue domes, which is located right behind the Fontanka, on Izmailovsky Prospekt. During the years of the Bolshevik regime, desecrated and today being revived and decorated, this cathedral is truly a symbol of the Russian state.

Facade of the stone cathedral of the L.-Gv. Izmailovsky Regiment. V. P. Stasov. 1831

Model of the dome of the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral.

G

Trinity Cathedral of the Izmailovsky Regiment. K. P. Beggrov. 1836. Fragment

Izmailovtsy at the Cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity of the Lieutenant-Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment. Unknown artist 1840s. Fragment Chapel in the name of St. blgv. led book Alexander Nevsky

On a sunny, warm day on May 13, 1828, the ringing of the city's bells announced that there was to be a new cathedral in St. Petersburg. Metropolitan Seraphim of St. Petersburg and Novgorod, in the presence of Empress Maria Feodorovna, heir to Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich (future Emperor Alexander II), solemnly laid the foundation for a new temple. The largest Orthodox church in Russia, one of the most majestic and beautiful cathedrals of the Orthodox Church.

The cathedral was erected in honor of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, and it was built for the imperial regiment, which did not know defeat on the battlefield - the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment.

The regiment itself was formed by the Highest Decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna on September 22, 1730 and was the third after the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments. The regiment was named after the Empress's place of residence - the village of Izmailovsky, not far from Moscow.

The regiment did not have its own church, so soldiers and officers had to visit other parishes. In September 1732, a camp church was brought to St. Petersburg, assembled and consecrated in a meadow near the Fontanka River. But even now the church stood only in the summer. For the winter, with frosts, it was dismantled.

In 1743, a wooden church was assembled in the newly built Izmailovskaya Sloboda. However, the church turned out to be not spacious enough.

At the end of 1752, the regiment submitted an all-submissive request to Empress Elisabeth Petrovna to begin construction of a new church, which was built on the very spot where the Cathedral now stands. Construction lasted two years, and on June 1, 1756, the temple was consecrated. However, on November 7, 1824, the Church of St. Trinity Church was irreversibly damaged by the flood - the water, reaching half the height of the Altar, broke all the windows, broke the fence, the pulpit, the floor of the temple, and soaked the sacristy.

The decision to build a stone cathedral for the Izmailovsky regiment instead of a dilapidated wooden church was made by Emperor Nicholas I. In the highest rescript given on October 2, 1827, the sovereign noted: in memory of the time when he commanded the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment, he wants to build a new church on money from the Cabinet of His Imperial Highness. Nicholas I wanted the new temple, like the wooden Trinity Church, to have three chapels: the main one in honor of the Holy Trinity, the southern one - St. Mary Magdalene, northern - St. martyr John the Warrior. The cathedral was supposed to accommodate 3000 people.

The construction was supervised by three people: the Emperor himself, the architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov, the author of the project, and the engineer Petr Petrovich Bazen, head of the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works in St. Petersburg. Nicholas I personally controlled the entire process, approved the projects, which sometimes seriously complicated the work - ready-made solutions had to be remade in accordance with the artistic taste of the sovereign. However, sometimes the architects managed to defend their point of view.

The solemn ceremony of laying the foundation of the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral took place on the day of the regimental holiday of Pentecost, May 13, 1828. Neither the emperor nor his wife were present - due to the war with Turkey, Nicholas I had to accompany the troops. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna traveled around the south of the country. Only the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and her grandson, the future Emperor Alexander II, attended the celebration. The military command was represented by Commander-in-Chief Count P.A. Tolstoy, military governor general P.V. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, former regiment commander adjutant general M.E. Khrapovitsky. Metropolitan Seraphim (Glagolevsky) of St. Petersburg performed a prayer service. The first stone in the foundation of the new temple was laid by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Those present placed “platinum coins prepared for this occasion of a new minting” at the base of the temple. Only the 3rd battalion from the Izmailovsky regiment was present. The other two met this day on the Turkish campaign. Seven years of difficult work lay ahead.

When developing the project for the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral, Vasily Stasov was guided by the idea of ​​the triumph of Russia and the Russian army. The majestic temple in its enormous size was second only to St. Isaac's Cathedral, which was already under construction at that time in St. Petersburg.

According to the plan, the cathedral was an equilateral cross with an unconventional arrangement of the chapters - along the axes of the cross. The building was crowned by a massive central drum, dominating the entire building.

The construction of the foundation continued throughout 1828 - the soils at the construction site turned out to be difficult. Instead of the expected 5,500, 9,000 four-fat piles were driven. The foundation was laid out of Tosno slab with lime mortar, the base was entirely made of granite. The walls and columns were erected from bricks with metal connections from strip and bar iron. By the fall of 1829, the building was erected up to the gables of the porticoes. The following year, the construction of the central drum with a dome began, which presented the greatest difficulty. Due to an error in calculations, in August 1830, 16 columns that bore the load from the dome cracked. Because of this emergency, Vasily Petrovich Stasov, by decision of Nicholas I, was removed from work and put in a guardhouse for a day. Peter Bazin had to solve the engineering problem of strengthening the columns and stability of the main dome. Correction of the defects continued for more than a year.

But the problems with the central chapter did not end there. In April 1832, the lining of the dome was completed, and in May the gilded dome and cross were installed. The central dome was decorated with 280 gilded stars, the small ones - 208 each. By the end of November, the dome was freed from the scaffolding and appeared in all its glory, but three months later - on the night of February 23, 1833 - the main dome was torn off by a storm. One of the small chapters was damaged. It was only by luck that no one was hurt.

When Nicholas I arrived at the scene at two o’clock in the afternoon, parts of the cross broken into small pieces were still lying around the cathedral, sheets of copper sheathing scattered by the wind, fragments of rafters and bricks, the crumpled and damaged frame of the dome thrown from the drum was barely holding on, having fallen on the eastern chapter. The fall of the dome partially damaged the brickwork.

The investigation began. A commission of famous engineers, mathematicians, and architects found a number of design errors made by Stasov when designing the dome and which caused the disaster. The architect was again punished - five days in the guardhouse and making a note of the incident in his personal file.

The emperor entrusted the development of a new dome project to Bazin. Four months after the disaster, he presented a design for a dome on rafters made of dry wood, as well as a design for constructing a bell tower in the western dome.

In the fall of 1834, the new dome was already covered with copper and primed, and in the spring, the master of painting Fyodor Ivanovich Brandukov covered it with cobalt with gold stars. The domes of the former wooden church were green. Historically, green was the color of the Izmailovsky Regiment. In January 1830, Stasov proposed covering the domes with copper with acid backing the surface, which would give the color a green patina. The idea was approved, but already on August 26, 1831, Nicholas I wished to replace the green color with blue with gold stars “like in Moscow on the Arkhangelsk and in Tver on the Tver Cathedral.” Stasov made several versions of the project. In September, he received the sovereign’s resolution to cover the domes “with a light blue color, like on the collars of the Semenovsky regiment’s uniforms, and to make stars throughout the entire dome much more, as indicated in pencil.” On October 24, the new painting project was approved.

The bells for the cathedral were cast by the famous Yaroslavl master Ivan Olovyanishnikov. There were four large bells, and several more medium and small ones.
During 1835, the façades were being decorated, moldings and sculptures were being made and installed. The figures for the niches in the porticos were commissioned from the sculptor Samuil Galberg. The figures of angels and the outer frieze between the garlands were cast by the sculptors according to two models made by the sculptor Ivan Leppe. Stylized antique altars on cast iron and pressed iron tripods for the balustrades around the four snare drums were made by manufacturer Carl Grayson and installed by May 1, 1836.
To decorate the interior of the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral, serf painter Timofey Medvedev, known for his works in churches in the Volga region, was invited from Yaroslavl. Together with his son Peter, he painted the domes. The arches were also painted, but Nicholas I ordered them to be whitewashed.

To paint the icons, Vasily Stasov invited venerable artists: the rector of the Academy of Arts Vasily Shebuev, professor Alexei Egorov, former professor Andrei Ivanov (father of the famous artist Alexander Ivanov), academician Vasily Sazonov, etc. The order was very honorable and profitable.

The solemn consecration of the cathedral took place on the eve of the Holy Trinity, on May 25, 1835. All three altars were consecrated on the same day. Consecration of the northern aisle in honor of St. martyr John the Warrior was performed by Archimandrite Neil (Isakovich) in the concelebration of the clergy. Consecration of the southern aisle in honor of St. equal Mary Magdalene was committed by archimandrite. Theodotius (Ozerov) also in co-serving the clergy. The consecration of the main altar and the first Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow and Kolomna, co-served by the vicar of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Archimandrite Palladius (Belevtsov), the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Archimandrite Platon (Gorodetsky), and the capital’s clergy.

The entire Izmailovsky regiment gathered for the celebration, and parishioners came. The Emperor was not present: he only returned from Moscow in the evening and visited the cathedral with his wife and Tsarevich Alexander. Having examined the temple, Nicholas I was dissatisfied with the icons painted by the academicians. He ordered that these works be abandoned and demand a deposit from the authors.

According to experts, the reason for the failure of the venerable artists was that they did not take into account the specifics of the place where the icons were located, as well as the shape of the iconostasis.

The emperor entrusted the creation of the new icons to the artist Nikolai Maikov, a self-taught person who had no artistic education. However, his works did not always satisfy the sovereign. Therefore, some of the images painted by academics remained. Thus, the following icons appeared in the main iconostasis: in the Royal Doors - the Annunciation by Maykov and the Evangelists by Egorov; above the iconostasis in a round frame and carved gilded radiance is an image of the Lord of Hosts by Maykov; Maikov's works replaced the central icons in the first tier - the Savior and the Mother of God and in the second tier - Sts. Nicholas of Novgorod and Princess Olga, St. equal to app. Konstantin and Elena. Also in the iconostasis were: icons of the Old Testament Holy Trinity (the appearance of God to Abraham in the form of three angels), St. Queen Alexandra, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Apostles Peter and Paul, Mary Magdalene, Sts. Archangel Michael and Anna the Prophetess, Great Martyr Catherine, St. Andrew the First-Called and Righteous Elizabeth. On the High Place there was an image of Maykov’s work - the Assumption of the Mother of God into heaven with the image of the apostles.

Above the altar, the cathedral organizers tripled the canopy, which was crowned with the inscription “Victory with this banner,” a huge gilded cross and a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The famous phrase “Victory with this banner,” which predicted victory for the Byzantine Emperor Constantine, was personally written by Emperor Nicholas on the design of the iconostasis.

In 1859, huge icons by Timofey Neff, intended for St. Isaac's Cathedral, but then replaced with mosaic copies, were transferred to the Izmailovsky Holy Trinity Cathedral. The images of the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Isaac of Dalmatia, the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the Great Martyr Catherine finally formed the internal appearance of the temple.

At all, interior decoration Trinity Cathedral was extremely concise and orderly. Ancient regimental images were grouped into special icon cases; there was no chaotic accumulation of small and medium-sized icons, which is typical for small churches. Most icons were gifts from sovereigns or contributions from military personnel.

The temple itself seemed very bright due to the abundance of white, five light drums and huge semi-circular windows.

Among the especially revered shrines was an ancient image of the Resurrection of Christ in a silver robe with the relics of saints John Chrysostom, the first martyr Archdeacon Stephen, the Great Martyr Barbara, as well as a piece of the wood of the Holy Cross. The parishioners also especially revered the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”

Chapel

In 1893, at the Trinity Cathedral, they decided to build a chapel in memory of miraculous salvation the royal family in a train crash on October 17, 1888 and the heir to the throne on April 29, 1891.

The train crash, on which Emperor Alexander III and his entire family were, occurred in the village of Borki, now South railway due to overspeeding of the train. The royal family, although at the epicenter of the disaster, was not harmed. The assassination attempt on the future Emperor Nicholas II was made during his trip around the world in the Japanese city of Otsu. A Japanese fanatic who was among the police hit the Tsarevich on the head with a saber. Fortunately, the blow was light, and Nikolai Alexandrovich was not seriously injured.

After much negotiation, it was decided to build the chapel on the corner of Izmailovsky Prospekt and 1st Rota (now 1st Krasnoarmeyskaya Street).

The chapel project was completed free of charge by civil engineer Sergei Kondratyev, a parishioner of the cathedral. The construction contractor was also a parishioner and the initiator of the construction - personal honorary citizen Alexey Goryachev.

The chapel was founded on May 17, 1894. The solemn ceremony was attended by Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich, who then served in the Izmailovsky regiment, eminent parishioners and the entire regiment. The chapel was erected within a year and consecrated on May 19, 1895.

The chapel building was built according to the model and style of the Trinity Cathedral: it is also an equilateral cross with small porticoes on two columns of the Corinthian order, with triangular pediments. The tall dome is painted blue and decorated with gold stars. The eastern window contains a unique stained glass image of Christ the Savior.

Izmailovtsy - parishioners of Trinity Cathedral

Everyone who entered the Trinity Cathedral was amazed at the number of war trophies located here. In the most honorable place, near the choirs, the current regimental banners were placed. Here, behind the right choir, in 1850, the St. George Banner received by the regiment in 1813 was installed with the inscription “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812.” It was reminiscent of the exploits of the Izmailovites in the Battle of Borodino.
New trophies appeared in the temple during Crimean War 1853-1856 Turkish banners, guns, badges, flags of enemy ships captured in battles...

In the most prominent and honorable places in the cathedral were the trophies of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, in which the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment not only took part, but also accomplished many feats and earned many awards. The war for the liberation of the Balkan Orthodox Slavic peoples aroused enormous sympathy and support throughout Russia. The names of the battle sites and the names of the heroes were on everyone’s lips. The trophies of this war greeted those entering already in the vestibule, at the main entrance to the temple. There were banners and badges taken in major battles of this campaign, abandoned banners collected by our troops and badges of fleeing Turkish units found in cities and fortresses abandoned by the Turks.
This company was the last in which the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment took part. During the Russo-Japanese War, the guard remained in the capital.

Transfer of Turkish banners to Trinity Cathedral Izmailovsky shelf July 22, 1877.

From the moment of its consecration, marble plaques with the names of officers who died in battles and died from wounds appeared on the walls of the regimental church. The boards were placed in the eastern part of the temple, near the choirs of the main chapel. Holy Trinity Cathedral is one of the first regimental churches with memorial plaques. On the anniversaries of major battles, in which the Izmailovites suffered heavy losses, memorial services were always held.

Cannons also became decorations of the cathedral. The first four Turkish cannons were granted to the Trinity Cathedral after the battle of Gorny Dubnyak, where the Izmailovsky regiment secured victory with its courage.

The guns were transported to St. Petersburg. The idea to build a monument from cannons belonged to Emperor Alexander II, but it was already realized by Emperor Alexander III, who personally supervised the project.

The design of the monument was carried out by military engineer-captain G. M. Zhitkov, after which it was finalized by David Grimm, a member of the Cabinet of Architects. The monument, called the “Military Glory” column, is a structure of five tiers with more than 100 captured guns of various calibers. It is crowned with the figure of Victory. The cast-iron base of the column is decorated with four Turkish mortars, and on the corners are the names of the places of the most important battles of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. On a massive granite pedestal, bronze memorial plaques were installed with the names of members of the imperial family, a list of all units of the troops that took part in the liberation war in the Balkans, and a chronological summary of the course of military operations. The names of those who participated in the creation of the monument are indicated on the lower belt of the column.

The grand opening of the column took place on October 12, 1886 - the anniversary of the battle of Gorny Dubnyak and became an all-Russian holiday. Representatives of military districts and all branches of the military that participated in that war arrived in St. Petersburg. Regimental priests who participated in the war and had pectoral crosses on the St. George Ribbon were invited to perform a prayer service at the monument.

"Civil" parishioners of the Holy Trinity Cathedral

Despite the fact that the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral was a regimental church, it was also popular among the civilian population: the capital Russian Empire grew rapidly, and the number of parishioners expanded. It is known that by the end of the 19th century. Up to 7-8 thousand people a year confessed in the cathedral.

In 1867, the wedding of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky and Anna Grigorievna Snitkina took place in the Trinity Cathedral. The writer’s second marriage turned out to be a happy one; they lived together until the classic’s death.

In the fall of 1894, the Izmailovsky Cathedral witnessed farewell to the outstanding composer and pianist, the first director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Anton Rubinstein. The funeral service and funeral took place on November 16, the composer’s 65th birthday.

The clergy and parishioners of the cathedral were active in charitable activities. In 1845, a shelter for military orphans with an infirmary was opened. Since 1870, charitable activities extended not only to the soldiers of the Izmailovsky regiment, but also to the civilian population of the parish. At the cathedral, a Society for Relief of the Poor was created, which included the clergy of the cathedral, the commander and officers of the regiment and wealthy parishioners. Number of society members in different years ranged from 120 to 140 people. Everyone donated as best they could: some contributed free labor, wealthy benefactors contributed more than 100 rubles at a time. Many donors gave a ruble monthly... Saint John of Kronstadt became a charitable member of the Society since 1893. He contributed significantly to a charitable foundation. Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich also actively helped the Society.

In 1897 the Society found its own home. Officially, it had the name “House of Emperor Alexander III for the charity of the poor of the parish of the Trinity Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment of the Church.” And in everyday life they called it that - Izmailovsky House. The building, with minor modifications, has survived to this day at the address: 10th Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, 7.
The Society's charitable activities were expressed in the maintenance of shelters for girls and boys and in the issuance of benefits to the poor, and after the construction of the Izmailovsky House - also in religious and moral readings and in providing parishioners with rooms to rent at relatively inexpensive prices.

By the beginning of the 20th century. The Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral was the largest spiritual, educational and social center in St. Petersburg.

History of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment. XX century
20s

The life of the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral changed dramatically in February 1918. The well-known decree of the Soviet government on the separation of Church and state turned the cathedral from a regimental church into an ordinary parish church. The regimental clergy was abolished, and the regiment itself was gone: its barracks on numerous Rota streets were occupied by the Red Army.

The “expropriators” came to the Trinity Cathedral on March 15, 1922. The district authorities appeared on the threshold of the church just at the moment when the Divine Liturgy was going on, and the cathedral was a large number of parishioners To the demand to hand over the valuables, the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Cheltsov, the future martyr, refused, citing the fact that he did not have permission from the highest church authorities and parishioners. The priest asked permission from the latter directly from the pulpit, and the parishioners unanimously refused. Not wanting to come into direct conflict with a large number of believers, the Bolsheviks left.

But a month later, the district executive committee forced Father Mikhail to sign an agreement on the transfer of church valuables. A complete set of golden sacred vessels from the 1830s was taken to the provincial department. - gift for the consecration of the temple; 86 silver vestments, 2 wreaths, 2 lamps and 2 crowns with precious stones. The parishioners managed to buy back a significant part of the temple's valuables: over the course of a month, believers collected hundreds of silver objects - knives, forks, spoons, jugs, etc. and brought them in as ransom. Thus, they saved 29 vestments, all 14 Gospels, all 9 crosses and 40 items of church utensils from destruction. In total, about 2 kg of gold and 300 kg of silver were taken from the Trinity Cathedral, taking into account the ransom.

However, it was precisely in resisting the decree on the confiscation of church valuables that the Bolsheviks accused Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov Veniamin (Kazansky), who was arrested on May 31, 1922. Together with him, the clergy and laity closest to him were arrested, including the head of the metropolitan chancellery, rector of the Trinity Cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Cheltsov. The process was formed in haste. There were 86 people in the dock. Father Mikhail, who shared a prison fate with his son Pavel, categorically denied any guilt.
On July 5, 1922, the verdict was announced: 10 people, including Father Mikhail, were sentenced to death, most to imprisonment or forced labor. Only 22 people were acquitted.

In 1924, the chapel in the name of St. blgv. led book Alexander Nevsky. Since 1930, the chapel building housed a cafe, in 1937 - a beer stall, and after the Great Patriotic War - a warehouse.

In 1925, the banners of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment, captured Turkish flags and keys to captured Turkish fortresses and cities - Kars, Bayazet, Lemotik, etc. - were taken from the cathedral. Later, the marble plaques mounted in the walls with the names of the dead Izmailov officers were also lost.

In 1928, by decision of the district authorities, the “Military Glory” column was dismantled - as a “symbol of Russian militarism” and an obstacle to tram traffic. The barbaric action outraged even the workers (“Future generations will call us barbarians for breaking monuments, that’s a fact,” Ivan Petrov, a worker at the Bolshevik plant, wrote in Smolny). But no protests helped. In January 1930, the column was sent for melting down (there is evidence that it was sent to Germany), and all the captured guns surrounding it were destroyed.

The Bolsheviks decided to destroy the cathedral itself. In 1932, the Presidium of the Leningrad City Council decided to wipe the temple off the face of the Earth. In its place they wanted to build a theater for the workers of the area - from materials left over from the destroyed building. The city authorities were determined, but desperate parishioners turned to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. After many months of proceedings, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee still left the cathedral in force. True, not for long.

Having defended the cathedral from the authorities, the community began repairing the temple - by this time the building already required replacement of wiring, roofing work, restoration of icons, etc. The work lasted about five years. Having made the final decision to close the cathedral, the authorities, hiding it, energetically forced the community to carry out expensive repairs. The Bolsheviks had their own views on the ancient building.

During this tragic time, the Holy Trinity Cathedral was a cathedral for the only time in its history. This decision was made in December 1933 by Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky), the future Patriarch Alexy I. That year he headed the Leningrad diocese, and since the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was already closed by that time, the Metropolitan found a replacement for him in the form of Izmailovsky cathedral Vladyka often served here. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, as it was then called, had the status of a cathedral until its closure in 1938.

In March 1938, the temple was officially closed. All clergy were transferred to other churches in Leningrad. The parishioners made a last desperate attempt to save the cathedral: knowing that not a single priest remained, on the morning of April 8, they nevertheless opened the building and declared their readiness to fight. In the evening the same thing happened again. And two days later, the “ringleader,” the chairman of the parish council, Grigory Tolokontsev, was arrested on charges of participation in a counter-revolutionary organization and shot.

In the spring of 1939, the empty building was transferred to the theater. Lensovet for organizing a decorative workshop.

40-80s

A year before the Great Patriotic War, they decided to make a crematorium in the Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral. Such a project of one of the city engineers came to the table of the city authorities. However, this was categorically opposed by scientists who convinced the party leadership that it was inappropriate to set up a crematorium in the city center, and especially in a building that is an architectural monument.

However, the cathedral had to come into close contact with the theme of death: during the years of the siege, the building was used to store the corpses of Leningraders who died of starvation. According to the recollections of the siege survivors, the temple was almost entirely filled with the bodies of the dead. A bomb shelter was built in the basements, and for some time soldiers from a nearby anti-aircraft battery lived there.

The building of the Trinity Cathedral itself was damaged by bombing. Serious damage was caused to the domes and the western façade. In general, by the end of the 40s, the temple was a sad sight - and this despite the fact that on the eve of its closure in 1938, the community carried out large-scale repairs. Not only fascist shells contributed to the horrific state of the monument: due to improper use of the building, the molded and carved parts of the iconostasis were damaged, the remaining images were torn and stained, and the painting in the dome crumbled in places.

The damage caused during the war was repaired only in 1952-1956, during the restoration of the temple building: at that time the facades and domes were restored, including the rafter system and dome structures. In 1966-1967 New work was carried out to restore the facades of the cathedral.

Although the Holy Trinity Cathedral was under state protection, there were unheated warehouses for a long time, and the building gradually fell into disrepair.

This situation continued until the 90s. Publications periodically appeared in the press about thefts, destruction, and fires that were started in the cathedral by teenagers and homeless people.

1958

1990-2000. Revival of the cathedral

On July 5, 1990, more than twenty representatives of the intelligentsia of the Northern capital turned to the vicar bishop of Ladoga Arseny with a request to bless the formation of the Orthodox community at the cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment.

The city authorities transferred the cathedral to the Leningrad diocese and the Parish Council began restoration work. The work ahead was colossal: in fact, the community was given only bare, damp walls - there was no heating, the basements were flooded with water (so that it was possible to move around in boats). At first, in winter, the Liturgy was celebrated at subzero temperatures. The clergy's hands froze to the liturgical vessels.

Repair and restoration work began with pumping out water in the basements, draining the premises and glazing the windows in the temple.

At the end of 1990-1991, a temporary iconostasis was created (mainly by the works of the artist Konstantin Ivanov) and fully installed. Icons and church utensils were donated to the temple from the Museum of the History of Religion. Many icons were donated by parishioners.
In 1991, on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the cathedral was given a chapel in the name of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.
In 1993, services were held in the cathedral for four days already (the rector at that time was Archpriest Sergei Chevyaga). The previous tradition of patriotic activities of the community began to be resumed: the Society of the Holy Martyr John the Warrior was created, which included officers of the Russian army.In 1994, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga John became the rector of the Holy Trinity Izmailovo Cathedral.

After the death of Metropolitan John, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of December 26, 1995, Metropolitan Vladimir (Kotlyarov) was appointed to the St. Petersburg See. With his arrival, a new stage in the revival of the Trinity Cathedral began. Metropolitan Vladimir paid great attention to the liturgical life and restoration work in the Izmailovsky Cathedral. On April 6, 1996, Metropolitan Vladimir appointed Archpriest Gennady Bartov as rector and chairman of the Parish Council of the cathedral.
In 1997, on the patronal feast of the Most Holy Trinity, an all-night vigil was held in the cathedral from the moment of its closure, led by His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga. This is how the tradition of bishop's services on the day of the patronal feast was established.

In 1996-1997 the roofing in three aisles was replaced, the plaster sculpture of Archangel Michael in the niche with west side of the cathedral, the balustrades were repaired, and the temporary iconostasis in the main chapel was reconstructed. In 2000, large-scale work was carried out to equip part of the basement of the cathedral; as a result of this reconstruction, the cathedral received a vaulted “Slavic Hall” for meetings with soldiers and holding ceremonial events, and an art workshop was created.

History of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment. XXI Century

The Holy Trinity Cathedral entered the 21st century with intense, but still joyful efforts to revive the shrine: the temple was replenished with icons, the number of parishioners grew... In 2003, on the day of its patronal feast of Pentecost, the cathedral received a gift from the president Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin icon of the Holy Trinity made by masters of North-West Rus' of the 15th century. The ancient image was bought abroad, where it ended up after the revolution. The icon became the most revered shrine of the temple.

On October 1, 2005, a significant event took place in the life of not only the cathedral, but also the whole of St. Petersburg. The recreated triumphal column “Military Glory” was solemnly opened and consecrated. The consecration of the column was performed by His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.
On the same memorable day, a parade of units of the military garrison, cadets and cadets of the military schools of St. Petersburg took place. The organizers tried to reproduce the protocol of the original parade in 1886 as accurately as possible. The painstaking, systematic work to restore the cathedral was interrupted by a terrible fire on August 25, 2006. At 17.15, during the service, a fire occurred on the scaffolding of the central dome (the second largest wooden dome in Europe). Almost simultaneously, the scaffolding on the northern dome caught fire, and soon the fire spread to the attic. The service was not interrupted, but completed according to the regulations with allowable reductions. An operation to save holy icons and liturgical utensils has begun.
The fire grew rapidly, and soon it could be observed from a distance of 20-25 kilometers.
The fire was difficult to control due to the height of the dome: no fire escape could reach the main source of the fire. We had to use two Mi-8 helicopters from the North-Western regional center Ministry of Emergency Situations, but it took time... The fire was localized only by 11 p.m., but the pouring and dismantling of the smoking structures continued until the morning.
The fire caused enormous damage to the cathedral. The fire inside the building was prevented, but the wooden central dome designed by the engineer Bazin, which had served for 170 years, completely burned down. Four small domes were also damaged. The interior of the temple and its structures were damaged by water: columns, floors, vaults, etc.
As eyewitnesses reported, the scaffolding of the main dome caught fire simultaneously in three different places, and at different heights. However, an analysis of photographs and videos taken by parishioners during the emergency did not clarify the picture of the events.

Immediately after the emergency, a collection of money was announced for the restoration of the shrine. A month after the fire, Trinity Cathedral was visited by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. He donated 3 million rubles for the restoration of the temple. Funds were transferred from the Diocesan Administration. The rectors of St. Petersburg churches also responded to the misfortune. The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, donated 10 thousand euros for the restoration of the cathedral. Residents of St. Petersburg also made their contribution. Already in the first two months after the fire, more than 6 million rubles in donations were collected from individuals and organizations.

On May 27, 2008 - the day the Northern capital was founded - the restored and restored small domes of the Holy Trinity Cathedral were opened. And on a sunny day, October 9, 2008, a cross was installed on the main dome of the cathedral. This event became a symbol of the revival of the temple. This 9-meter cross became an exact copy of its predecessor, which had crowned the temple since 1835 and died in a fire.

In 2010, large-scale work was carried out to decorate the facades of the cathedral. By this time, the four-year restoration of the main altar had been completed. The altar, consecrated in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, appeared in its full splendor when, on the day of the patronal feast of Pentecost, the Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.
In 2011, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, a shrine was brought to our cathedral forever - a particle of the relics of St. blzh. Matrona of Moscow. From now on, the flow of those wishing to venerate the holy relics does not dry out. Later, next to the relics of the blessed Matrona, reliquaries were placed with particles of the relics of the holy saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom and the holy Ecumenical Teachers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

In 2012, restoration of the chapel in honor of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene began. August 4, 2013 on the day of remembrance of St. Equal Apostles. Mary Magdalene was consecrated by the priestly rite of the restored chapel in honor of St. Equal to the Apostles. Mary Magdalene. The consecration was performed by the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Gennady Bartov, co-served by the cathedral clergy.

In 2015, the cathedral celebrated the 180th anniversary of its consecration and in 2016 - the 130th anniversary of the grand opening and consecration of the monument" Military glory", which together with the cathedral formed a single military-church ensemble of the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment.

T The Holy Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral stands majestically on Trinity Square
in the Admiralteysky district of St. Petersburg. Its full name is the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment. This is where Dostoevsky got married)))

Under Emperor Peter I, a wooden chapel stood on this site. Then the marching temple of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment appeared. The camping tent-temple was erected in the summer closer to the mouth of the Fontanka, in the village of Kalinkina. In the church there were icons painted by the icon painter I. G. Adolsky (Odolsky). In winter, the ranks of the regiment prayed in parish churches. After the regiment moved higher up the river, in 1742 the temple was moved to a wooden barracks.

On July 1 (12), 1754, a new wooden five-domed church with a chapel of the martyr John the Warrior was laid. In the church there were gilded silver vessels donated by the empress, as well as coverlets embroidered by her.

After the flood, the architect V.P. Stasov was asked to develop a project for a new stone temple. At the same time, the old wooden church should remain the model.

The foundation stone for the new church was laid on May 13 (25), 1828 by Metropolitan Seraphim (Glagolevsky). Empress Maria Feodorovna and Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich were present at the celebration. Construction was carried out with the personal funds of Emperor Nicholas I and government money. The cost of constructing the cathedral was 3 million rubles.

On the walls of the cathedral hung captured Turkish banners, captured during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, and the banners of the regiment. In 1836, white marble plaques with the names of the regiment officers who died in the battles of Austerlitz, Friedland, Borodino and Kulm were mounted into the walls of the cathedral. The display cases contained keys to the fortresses of Kars, Bayazet, Lemotik, Nikopol, Adrianople and other cities, as well as the uniforms of the august chiefs.

For the consecration of the cathedral, Nicholas I presented jasper vessels in a gold frame and a jasper tabernacle in the form of a temple with pink agate columns. A three-tier bronze chandelier weighing 5 tons (it was disposed of in the 1930s).

In the cathedral, on February 15 (27), 1867, the wedding of F. M. Dostoevsky and A. G. Snitkina took place, and on November 6 (18), 1894, the funeral service of A. G. Rubinstein took place.

In 1928-1938 it was the cathedral of the Metropolitans of Leningrad (Seraphim (Chichagov) and Alexy Simansky).

The cathedral was closed on April 22, 1938. It was supposed to be demolished or rebuilt into a city crematorium. The temple building was damaged during the Great Patriotic War. In 1952-1953 and 1966-1967, restoration of the appearance was carried out. There was a warehouse in the building itself.

The interior is decorated with 24 Corinthian columns. The pilasters are covered with white artificial marble.

Returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990. In 2004, restoration was resumed.

On August 25, 2006, a strong fire occurred. Scaffolding installed for the restoration of the cathedral dome caught fire. As a result of the fire, the external structures of the large dome of the cathedral collapsed onto the internal vault. Two small domes, which had already been restored by June 2007, were also damaged by the fire.
Metropolitan Vladimir (Kotlyarov) stated that the church was deliberately set on fire and that the church supposedly even has proof of this. The investigation into the fire has not been completed for 7 years, and the version of arson has not been confirmed.

It took only 2 years to restore the domes. The domes took on a historical appearance and were painted with gold stars on a blue background (once this appearance was given according to the personal instructions of Nicholas I, given in 1826: the domes should be painted like the domes of the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow and Tver Cathedral in Tver).

The facades of the cathedral are decorated with six-column porticoes of the Corinthian order with a sculptural frieze. In the niches of the porticos there are bronze figures of angels by the sculptor S.I. Galberg. Ivan Leppe also worked on the frieze.

The cathedral was painted by artists A. I. Travin and T. A. Medvedev.

At the end of the 20th century, the cathedral was burning... burning badly. The fire began on the dome during restoration.

But then it was restored.