St Petersburg Part 8 - St Isaac's Cathedral

Our last visit for our first day in St Petersburg was to St Isaac’s Cathedral, a great, gold-domed, imposing cathedral. We had driven past it on our way to the Youssupov Palace for a five-minute photo stop, so were very curious about what it was like inside. 

Inside it was a very stately cathedral, even more ornate and colourful than the Church On Spilled Blood which it administers, as mentioned in my last post. Its mosaics, frescoes and many columns were just beautiful. 

As I have mentioned before, the biblical images that decorated the walls and ceilings of earlier churches were very important because most people could not read or write. This was a very effective way to tell them the stories of the Bible. But to those of us who see and admire these images now, they are incredible works of art, often by famous artists of the day. I shall never forget seeing Michelangelo’s superb frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, for example. But then I guess they still could serve as an educational tool for those visitors who are not familiar with the stories, if they are curious enough to want to know the stories behind the images. Unfortunately, however, tourists usually are pushed through churches so quickly by their guides, most would not have time to even wonder about the meaning of the images they see.    

One unique feature of this cathedral that really intrigued and interested me was that there were models on display at different spots inside the cathedral. One set of very detailed models built to scale showed how the design of the cathedral evolved from an earlier simple concept to the final grand design. Another model showed how they raised the very tall, heavy columns using vertical ‘cages’ and pulleys. Yet another model showed how the dome was constructed - a dome within a dome - so that that not only was it stable and strong but also it reduced the problem of echoes. 

When you remember they did not have accoustic engineers, cranes, and all the materials and devices the architects and builders of modern edifices have at their disposal, the construction of this lofty, beautifully-designed cathedral is a tribute to the incredible skills of all who worked on it. It’s a masterpiece, something you cannot say of most tall buildings constructed today. They are just ugly boxes with no character at all, in my opinion. I would add that although I find rooms decorated in the baroque style over the top, the minimalist design that prevails today does not appeal to me at all. I like rooms with personality and character and grace. I think they very much influence how you feel. (As you may guess, decorating is one of my hobbies.) 

St Isaac's Cathedral.

Zooming in on the dome. I think the very top of the dome was being re-gilded.

A model of the ingenious wooden scaffolding, bases and ropes and pulleys that were used to raise the many columns inside the cathedral into their position.

Some of the ceiling, which was very high up.

The model of how the dome was constructed. I did my best to reduce the amount of reflection from the glass case, but could not completely eliminate it. 

The model of the final accepted design for the cathedral. It was beautifully made.

Looking up inside the dome.

Isn't the dome stunning?

At one of the altars.

A very powerful image in glass, behind a small altar.

Two of the special columns. People were standing watching a small service taking place in part of the cathedral.

More of the columns.