Vladimirskaya Church
Encyclopedia
Vladimirskaya Church is a Russian Orthodox
church, dedicated to Our Lady of Vladimir and located at 20 Vladimirsky Prospect, St. Petersburg, Russia.
The current five-domed church was built next to Vladimirsky Market between 1761 and 1769. The church's design, frequently ascribed to Pietro Antonio Trezzini
, straddles the line between Baroque
and Neoclassicism
. The building has two stories, with the lower church dedicated to Saint John Damascene. The detached belfry is a fine work of mature Neoclassicism, built to Quarenghi
's design in 1791. The portico, chapel, fence, and outbuildings were added in the 19th century.
The interior of the church features an elaborate Baroque iconostasis
, transferred from the Anichkov Palace
chapel in 1808. When the 900th anniversary of the Christianisation of Russia was celebrated in 1888, the church underwent restoration. The most famous of its parishioners was Fyodor Dostoevsky
. The church was closed in 1932, restored to the church in 1989 and named a cathedral in 2000. It gives its name to the Vladimirsky Prospekt and Vladimirskaya Square. The Church is accessible by the station Vladimirskaya of the Line 1 of Saint Petersburg Metro and the station Dostoïevskaïa of the Line 4.
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
church, dedicated to Our Lady of Vladimir and located at 20 Vladimirsky Prospect, St. Petersburg, Russia.
The current five-domed church was built next to Vladimirsky Market between 1761 and 1769. The church's design, frequently ascribed to Pietro Antonio Trezzini
Pietro Antonio Trezzini
Pietro Antonio Trezzini was a Swiss architect from the Trezzini family who worked primarily in St. Petersburg. After several years of training in Milan, Trezzini arrived in St...
, straddles the line between Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
and Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
. The building has two stories, with the lower church dedicated to Saint John Damascene. The detached belfry is a fine work of mature Neoclassicism, built to Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of Palladian architecture in Imperial Russia, particularly in Saint Petersburg.- Career in Italy :...
's design in 1791. The portico, chapel, fence, and outbuildings were added in the 19th century.
The interior of the church features an elaborate Baroque iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
, transferred from the Anichkov Palace
Anichkov Palace
Anichkov Palace is a former imperial palace in Saint Petersburg, at the intersection of Nevsky Avenue and the Fontanka.-History:The palace, situated on the plot formerly owned by Antonio de Vieira, takes its name from the nearby Anichkov Bridge across the Fontanka...
chapel in 1808. When the 900th anniversary of the Christianisation of Russia was celebrated in 1888, the church underwent restoration. The most famous of its parishioners was Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer of novels, short stories and essays. He is best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov....
. The church was closed in 1932, restored to the church in 1989 and named a cathedral in 2000. It gives its name to the Vladimirsky Prospekt and Vladimirskaya Square. The Church is accessible by the station Vladimirskaya of the Line 1 of Saint Petersburg Metro and the station Dostoïevskaïa of the Line 4.
Further reading
- Viroslavsky N.M. Описание церкви во имя Божией Матери Владимирской иконы (что в придворных слободах). SPb, 1876.