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KAZANSKY CATHEDRAL
There is the majestic and beautiful building of the Kazansky Cathedral at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt (Avenue) and the Griboedov Canal. It was built on the project by the outstanding Russian architect Voronihin, the former serf Count Stroganov. The Kazansky Cathedral was founded in place of a small church named the Blessed Virgin’s Birth Church where the miracle-working icon of God’s Mother of Kazan was kept. The foundation of the Kazansky Cathedral took place on the 27th of August, 1801.
The construction of the cathedral was considered to be realized for three years, but it was dragged out for more than ten years. After the victory over Napoleon, the Kazansky Cathedral became an original memorial-pantheon of the Patriotic War of the year 1812. Banners of the Napoleon’s Army, keys to fortresses and cities occupied by Russian troops, and other trophies were brought to the cathedral. In 1813 Kutuzov was buried on the territory of the cathedral, and in 1837 memorials to Kutuzov and Barklay de Tolli were installed in front of the building.
For decoration of the Kazansky Cathedral they used bas-reliefs and round sculpture. The sculpture was made mainly to religious plots. The northern portico of the cathedral facing Nevsky Prospekt (Avenue) is decorated with four bronze statues placed in bays: Prince Vladimir, Andrei Pervozvanny, John the Baptist, and Alexander Nevsky. For casting these four statues they equipped special foundries attached to the Arts Academy.
Massive, beautifully wrought, cast in bronze folds of the northern doors are of great art value. They reproduce (with a slight digression from the original) gates of the baptistery in France made by famous Italian master Lorenzo Ghiberti in the middle of the XVth century.
There are also stone bas-reliefs in the decorations of the Kazansky Cathedral: from the eastern side - "recession of water in a desert by Moses", and from the western side - "exaltation of copper dragon". There are square bas-reliefs depicting twelve different scenes from Holy Writ in the northern, western and southern porticos of the cathedral.
The inauguration of the cathedral came about in 1811. After the revolution, the Religion and Atheism History Museum was opened in the cathedral. The second birthday of the Kazansky Cathedral is considered to be the 4th of November, 1990, when Divine Liturgy was recited there.
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