In the cultural capital of Russia there are a lot of temples and cathedrals, but among them there are those that are known not only in St. Petersburg , but throughout Russia and even Europe. First of all, we are talking about the main temple - St. Isaac's Cathedral, without which it is difficult to imagine this city. Foreign tourists are attracted by the Indian temple in St. Petersburg, which is the most luxurious in Europe. And also you can not ignore the Temple of Matrona, in which people come with their grief in the hope that Matronushka will help them.
Excursions to famous churches in St. Petersburg are among the most interesting, as they are not only religious, but also cultural. Their history and architecture perfectly reflect the essence of the era in which they were erected.
Buddha Temple
The Buddha Temple in St. Petersburg has the official name - St. Petersburg Buddhist temple "Datsan Gunzehoyney". "Gunzehoyney" in translation from Tibetan means "The source of the holy teaching of the All-empowering Arch-hermit". Such a loud name is very justified. Religious construction is not only the northernmost Buddhist temple in the world, its second feature is the record amount spent on construction.
The Buddhist community in the northern capital of Russia began to form at the end of the 19th century. In 1897 there were 75 Buddhists, and in 1910 this number increased by 2.5 times - 184 people, among whom were 20 women.
In 1900 Agvan Dorzhiev, representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia, received permission to build a Tibetan temple in St. Petersburg. Money for the project was donated by the Dalai Lama XIII, which was Agvan Dorzhiev himself, and Buddhists of the Russian Empire also helped. For the role of the architect of the temple was selected G. V. Baranovsky, who built the structure in accordance with all the canons of Tibetan architecture.
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Temple of Matrona
One of the most visited temples in St. Petersburg is the Matrona Temple. The history of this building is quite interesting. In 1814 a girl was born in the family of the Sherbinin peasants, the name of Matron was given to her. She was the fourth child in the family and the only daughter. Unfortunately, nothing is known about the girl's childhood and youth.
During the Turkish war, the husband of the Matron was summoned to the army, and she went with him to the front, where she began to work as a nurse of mercy. The woman was very compassionate and kind. She spared no effort and time to help all those in need. Even her small content she gave to the hungry soldiers. But there was a disaster - the husband of Matrona died, after which she decided to dedicate her entire life to God. When the war ended, the woman returned to her homeland and sold all her property, giving away the money to the poor. Having imposed a vow of foolishness for Christ's sake, Matrona went to wander. The next 33 years, until her death, she walked barefoot only. Many were amazed at how coldly she froze in light summer clothes and without shoes.
Three years later Matronuska stayed in St. Petersburg: she lived for 14 years on the Petersburg side and 16 - at the chapel in the name of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow". Matronushka in winter and summer in light white clothes with a staff in her hands prayed at the Sorrowful Chapel. Every year thousands of people came to her and asked her to pray about their needs. People talked about her as a bright, sympathetic and benevolent woman, who also had great strength, because the prayer from her mouth was effective and God responded to her faster and stronger. In addition, Matronushka warned people about any life dangers that awaited them in the future. Many people listened to her, and then confirmed her words. So fame went about her, as a prophetess.
In 1911, in the burial mourning church, Matronushka the Barefooted. It was decided to bury her in the church. In the Soviet years, the temple was destroyed, and the grave of Matrona was lost. After the collapse of the USSR, in the 90s, the preserved chapel was turned into a church, the grave of a poor woman was found and restored. For almost two decades, memorial services have been held around her. People in need of help still come to her and ask to pray for them.
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Saint Isaac's Cathedral
St. Isaac's Cathedral can rightly be called the most important church in St. Petersburg. It is the most luxurious and majestic among all religious buildings built during the reign of Nicholas I. The temple was built thirty years. There is a legend that the architect of Montferrano was predicted: he will die as soon as the construction of the cathedral is over. Thus, many explain why the temple was built for so long. By the way, the prediction was fulfilled, the architect died two months after the opening of the cathedral, but then he turned 72 years old.
After the construction itself is over, internal and external finishing works were carried out for about 10 years, during which the following was spent:
- 400 kg of gold;
- 1000 tons of bronze;
- 16 tons of malachite;
- 500 kg of Afghan lapis lazuli.
Such luxury was amazing even for that time. The best artists, sculptors and designers worked with the materials. The cathedral was painted with beautiful frescoes and decorated with mosaics. His beauty was conquered by the temple even by hardened atheists.
In 1922, the excess of precious material in the temple was not ignored, it was robbed, as well as other spiritual buildings. In 1931 an anti-religious museum was opened in the building of the cathedral. But 30 years later, on June 17, 1990, a solemn divine service took place in St. Isaac's Cathedral, which gave birth to a new life to the church.
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Visiting the temples described above, boldly go on excursions to other, equally interesting holy places of the northern capital - Smolny Cathedral , Novodevichy Convent, etc.