Church of the Holy Martyr Tsarina Alexandra description and photos - Russia - St. Petersburg: Peterhof (Topic)

Church of the Holy Martyr Tsarina Alexandra description and photos - Russia - St. Petersburg: Peterhof. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

The Church of the Holy Martyr Queen Alexandra stands on a hill in the middle of a small grove to the southeast of the Belvedere. This temple was built by order of Nicholas I in 1854 by A.I. Stackenschneider. The Church of Tsarina Alexandra is the last building in Peterhof during the life of Nicholas I.

The foundation of the church took place on August 11, 1851 - silver and gold coins were laid in a slab bowl. A stone specially brought from the banks of the Jordan River was used to lay the foundation for the future temple. At the end of the ceremony of laying the stone at the foundation of the future church, Nicholas I said with tears that he thanked the Lord for allowing him to complete the laying of the foundation stone of the temple and expressed doubt that he could see it finished.

According to legend, having heard from the peasants, The outstanding architect did not blindly copy the architectural works of the past centuries, but created his own elegant and elegant architectural fantasy, which combines original constructive solutions, and the motives of Moscow temple architecture, and elements of the order system.

The church is five-domed, stone, made in the Russian-Byzantine style and is distinguished by its special beauty. Old Russian "kokoshniki" decorate the base of the drums. The same motif is used in the outer decoration of the bell tower: a tall tent, in silhouette reminiscent of ancient Russian churches, is degraded by three rows of kokoshniks.

The temple accommodated about five hundred parishioners. The perimeter of the base of the building was 44 sazhens, and the height of its middle dome was 13 sazhens plus one arshin.

The original decoration of the church was a carved wooden iconostasis, covered with gilding and white paint. The iconostasis, which previously belonged to the church of the former Dudorov Palace of Peter the Great, was presented as a gift by Emperor Nicholas I. The great architect managed to achieve the unity of the interior decoration of the temple with the decoration of the iconostasis characteristic of Russian architecture of the late 17th century. Perhaps, the decoration of the iconostasis suggested to the architect some of the motives he used in decorating the church.

Despite its small size, the construction of the Babigon church cost almost 66 thousand rubles in silver. A lot of gold and silver utensils, objects decorated with precious stones were used in the church. In the church there was a tabernacle with an ark in the shape of a socle with columns of red jasper, a sacristy made of things used in the burial of Nicholas I, a sacristy made of belongings of Alexandra Feodorovna, etc.

This church has become the only place of prayer for the peasants of the nearby villages. There was an emergency room next to the church, where first aid was provided to sick peasants.

Babigon Church was a favorite place of prayers for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, she visited it every summer during her stay in Peterhof and before leaving for St. Petersburg in the fall. p>

During the Great Patriotic War, the church found itself in the very center of hostilities. The building suffered significant damage due to bomb attacks. In the post-war period, the building of the church housed a state farm workshop for a long time, and the basement was used as a vegetable store.

May 6, 1998 On the patronal feast in the Alexander Church, on the initiative of the Christians of the Babigon Volost, after a long break, a divine service was performed. And since April 7, 1999, services have been regularly held on Sundays and the days of Great and Twelve Feasts. Currently, restoration is underway, after which the church will regain its original appearance.

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Topic: Church of the Holy Martyr Tsarina Alexandra description and photos - Russia - St. Petersburg: Peterhof.