162. Church of the Assumption of Mary
The Church of the Assumption of Mary is located on the north bank of the Neva River, further west on Vasilyevsky Island than I've walked before. It's visible in the distance from the south bank of the Neva River on the Admiralty embankment west of the Bronze Horseman, or when crossing Blagoveshchensky Most (Annunciation Bridge).
This church is definitely far off the tourist path - I don't recall seeing this highlighted in guidebooks, web sites, or hearing about it from any of my colleagues or friends here. There were certainly no other tourists visiting when I was there (but there were a fair number of worshipers). That's a shame because it's spectacular and one of my top five favorite churches in St. Petersburg. The beautiful interior is covered in colorful frescoes and gilded designs. The large church complex includes a monastery next door.
The church was established in this spot in 1730 and the current building dates to 1895. Like most other churches in Russia, the Soviet government closed it down in 1935. Amazingly, between 1956 and its re-consecration in the early 1990s, all of the frescoes were painted over and the building was used as the first indoor ice rink in St. Petersburg! Two generations of residents know this building from their childhood as their favorite spot for ice skating in the city. The church restoration work began in the late 1990s and no signs remain of this unusual period in the church's history.
This church is definitely far off the tourist path - I don't recall seeing this highlighted in guidebooks, web sites, or hearing about it from any of my colleagues or friends here. There were certainly no other tourists visiting when I was there (but there were a fair number of worshipers). That's a shame because it's spectacular and one of my top five favorite churches in St. Petersburg. The beautiful interior is covered in colorful frescoes and gilded designs. The large church complex includes a monastery next door.
The church was established in this spot in 1730 and the current building dates to 1895. Like most other churches in Russia, the Soviet government closed it down in 1935. Amazingly, between 1956 and its re-consecration in the early 1990s, all of the frescoes were painted over and the building was used as the first indoor ice rink in St. Petersburg! Two generations of residents know this building from their childhood as their favorite spot for ice skating in the city. The church restoration work began in the late 1990s and no signs remain of this unusual period in the church's history.
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