82. Stavropegial Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt
The Stavropegial Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas was built in Kronstadt during the earliest years of the 20th century to honor the 200th anniversary of the Russian Navy. Renovations were completed in 2013 and the church - a UNESCO World Heritage site - is now in pristine condition. It's the main tourist attraction on Kotlin island.
Although of much more recent construction, the architecture and decorations are spectacular and this ranks among the most impressive churches in the vicinity of St. Petersburg (along with with St. Isaac's and Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood). The main difference between the three is that this is the only one still used for worship. And unlike most other active churches in town, photography is permitted and visitors are welcome to explore the main part of the church in its entirety (some other churches are roped off to prevent tourists from disturbing the worshipers).
Several monuments were in the main square in front of the cathedral: an eternal flame in honor of the Bolshevik troops who died in the process of suppressing the 1921 Kronstadt rebellion, and a statue of vice-admiral Stepan Makarov.
Not directly related to the church, but an interesting story: at one point during our hike from Fort Konstantin to see the cathedral in the central area of Kronstatdt on Navy Day, we were passed by a convoy of 10-15 vehicles with flashing lights and sirens. It was clearly a VIP delegation on their way from the cathedral to (most likely) the helipad, and my best guess is that the convoy needed to quickly get from Kronstadt to central St. Petersburg so that Vladimir Putin could make it to the Admiralty for his afternoon speech. The Kremlin confirmed in a press release that "on Navy Day, Vladimir Putin visited the Stavropegial Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas in Kronstadt" for a quick speech, so although this was technically an unconfirmed sighting, I am reasonably certain that Putin drove right past me on Kronstadt!
Although of much more recent construction, the architecture and decorations are spectacular and this ranks among the most impressive churches in the vicinity of St. Petersburg (along with with St. Isaac's and Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood). The main difference between the three is that this is the only one still used for worship. And unlike most other active churches in town, photography is permitted and visitors are welcome to explore the main part of the church in its entirety (some other churches are roped off to prevent tourists from disturbing the worshipers).
Several monuments were in the main square in front of the cathedral: an eternal flame in honor of the Bolshevik troops who died in the process of suppressing the 1921 Kronstadt rebellion, and a statue of vice-admiral Stepan Makarov.
Not directly related to the church, but an interesting story: at one point during our hike from Fort Konstantin to see the cathedral in the central area of Kronstatdt on Navy Day, we were passed by a convoy of 10-15 vehicles with flashing lights and sirens. It was clearly a VIP delegation on their way from the cathedral to (most likely) the helipad, and my best guess is that the convoy needed to quickly get from Kronstadt to central St. Petersburg so that Vladimir Putin could make it to the Admiralty for his afternoon speech. The Kremlin confirmed in a press release that "on Navy Day, Vladimir Putin visited the Stavropegial Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas in Kronstadt" for a quick speech, so although this was technically an unconfirmed sighting, I am reasonably certain that Putin drove right past me on Kronstadt!
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