What appears to be a golden needle piercing the sky? That’s the spire of the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. It defines the skyline. We are standing before the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. It is not just another church. This cathedral holds the remains of almost all Russian emperors and empresses. They range from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.
The Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is located inside the Peter and Paul Fortress. The fortress itself is on Hare Island along the Neva River. Peter the Great founded both the fortress and the city. This makes the cathedral the first and oldest landmark in St. Petersburg. Construction spanned from 1712 to 1733. Domenico Trezzini designed the cathedral.
Consider the bell tower. It is the world’s tallest Orthodox bell tower. Its gold-painted spire reaches 123 meters. That is 404 feet. An angel holding a cross sits at the very top. This angel is a key symbol of St. Petersburg.
Inside, the iconostasis is unique. Instead of a flat screen, it rises into a tower above the sanctuary. The cathedral also features a Flemish carillon. It was a gift from Mechelen in Flanders.
The Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. Saint Peter is the city’s patron saint. The first church on this site was consecrated in 1704. Archbishop Iov of Novgorod the Great led the ceremony. The Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral served as the city’s cathedral until 1859. Then, St. Isaac’s became the main cathedral.
The Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral closed in 1919. It became a museum in 1925. Religious services resumed in 2000.
Almost all Russian emperors and empresses are buried here. Peter II and Ivan VI are the exceptions. Peter II rests in Moscow. Ivan VI is buried elsewhere. Nicholas II and his family were reburied here in July 1998. In 2006, Maria Feodorovna was reinterred here. She was the wife of Tsar Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II. She had died in exile in Denmark.
The bell tower has several functions. It is an architectural symbol and part of the imperial tomb. It serves as a lightning rod. It is a viewing platform and houses a carillon.
In 1997, renovators found a note in a bottle. It was left by 1953 renovators. They apologized for their rushed work. Another message was left in 1997. Its contents remain secret.
Peter the Great was impressed by carillons during his visits to the Netherlands and Flanders. He ordered one for this cathedral in 1720. The first carillon was lost in a fire in 1756. A new carillon was ordered in 1757. The current carillon has 51 bells. It was installed in 2001. It was a gift from Flanders and other sponsors.
The Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is more than a building. It is a symbol of St. Petersburg’s history and imperial past. Take a moment to appreciate its grandeur and significance.