Saint Isaac's Cathedral

Brief Information

The present-day Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is already the fourth church with this dedication in Saint Petersburg, and its appearance turned out to be not simply a continuation of the earlier churches, but almost a new engineering challenge. Montferrand was commissioned to create the empire’s main Orthodox shrine, but the design had to be revised because of doubts about the foundations, the dome, and the old supports. That is why the cathedral is interesting not only for its size: it shows how late Classicism was pushed to its limit while new construction methods were being tested at the same time.

Since 1928, the cathedral has had museum status, while church services have been resumed and are held daily. This dual mode changes the way one sees the building: the marble, dome, porticoes, stained glass, and mosaics function both as parts of a church and as museum exhibits, where one can examine not only the subject matter but also the method of making them.

What to Notice Right Away

You can compare the four porticoes: the northern and southern ones each have sixteen columns and look more ceremonial, while the eastern and western ones have eight each. Because of them, the rectangular body reads almost like an equal-armed cross, although the main entrance is arranged in the western portico, and the eastern one has no entrance. The five domes connect the building with Orthodox tradition, but the facades with Corinthian columns speak the language of Classicism.

It is worth noticing the materials and technique. On the outside, the walls are faced with light-gray Ruskeala marble, and the building is supported by 112 monolithic granite columns of different sizes. The central dome is not brick: Montferrand made it metal, with cast-iron ribs and copper gilding. Inside, the altar stained-glass window with the Risen Savior is unusual: an element Catholic in origin was incorporated into the space of an Orthodox cathedral and became an important model for Russian church stained glass.