Transfiguration Cathedral, Dnipropetrovsk
Encyclopedia
The Saviour's Transfiguration Cathedral is the main Orthodox
church of Dnipropetrovsk
, Ukraine
.
The foundation stone was laid in 1786 by Catherine II of Russia
and Emperor Joseph II. The event is described in the memoirs of comte de Ségur
. Prince Grigory Potemkin envisioned the church as one of the spiritual centres of New Russia. Ivan Starov
submitted to Potemkin his designs for a Roman-style basilica
, but construction was postponed until the end of the Russo-Turkish War.
In the early 19th century, Potemkin's plans were revived and updated by Duc de Richelieu, but construction did not start until 1830. The cathedral was built on a smaller scale than originally planned and was consecrated in 1835. The design is attributed to Andreyan Zakharov
, chiefly on the ground of its similarity to Zakharov's cathedral
in Kronstadt
.
The church was closed to worshippers in 1930 and housed a museum of atheism
between 1975 and 1988. The building was damaged by an earthquake
in 1888 and by bombs during the Second World War.
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
church of Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
The foundation stone was laid in 1786 by Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
and Emperor Joseph II. The event is described in the memoirs of comte de Ségur
Louis Philippe, comte de Ségur
Louis Philippe, comte de Ségur was a French diplomat and historian.-Life:He was born in Paris, the son of Philippe Henri, marquis de Ségur and Louise Anne Madeleine de Vernon....
. Prince Grigory Potemkin envisioned the church as one of the spiritual centres of New Russia. Ivan Starov
Ivan Starov
Ivan Yegorovich Starov was a Russian architect from St. Petersburg who devised the master plans for Yaroslavl, Voronezh, Pskov, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and many other towns in Russia and Ukraine...
submitted to Potemkin his designs for a Roman-style basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
, but construction was postponed until the end of the Russo-Turkish War.
In the early 19th century, Potemkin's plans were revived and updated by Duc de Richelieu, but construction did not start until 1830. The cathedral was built on a smaller scale than originally planned and was consecrated in 1835. The design is attributed to Andreyan Zakharov
Andreyan Zakharov
Andreyan Zakharov was a Russian architect and representative of the Empire style. His designs also alternated neoclassicism with eclecticism. He was born to a family that was employed by the Admiralty board, and his greatest work was his renovation and expansion of the Admiralty building...
, chiefly on the ground of its similarity to Zakharov's cathedral
Saint Andrew's Cathedral, Kronstadt
St. Andrew's Cathedral of Saint Andrew Apostle in Kronstadt is a Russian Orthodox cathedral built in 1805–1817, dedicated to the patron saint of the Russian Navy. It was designed by three well known architects, Charles Cameron, Andreyan Zakharov and A.N. Akutin. St. Andrew's Cathedral was destroyed...
in Kronstadt
Kronstadt
Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
.
The church was closed to worshippers in 1930 and housed a museum of atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
between 1975 and 1988. The building was damaged by an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1888 and by bombs during the Second World War.