Trinity Cathedral

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The Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg is an architectural monument of late classicism. The Cathedral, consecrated May 25, 1835, is a jewel of St. Petersburg, a unique military and ecclesiastical ensemble, a monument of federal significance. The cathedral was built in 1828-1835 by architect Vasily Stasov on a wooden church of the same name, damaged in flood in 1824. The cathedral was restored twice after the Second World War — in 1952-1956 and 1966-1967. The Full name of the cathedral is the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Life-Guards of the Izmailovo Regiment. It got its name by the name of Izmailovo Regiment, one of the oldest in Russia. The Construction of the cathedral for the Izmailovo Regiment was the largest construction project of St. Petersburg in the second quarter of the XIX century. In the 40 years of the XVIII century, the settlements of the Life-Guards Regiments — Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, and Izmailovo — were located on the banks of the Fontanka River. Each regiment had its own church, in which soldiers prayed, and military relics and trophies were kept. 

The Trinity Cathedral is a tall white church with five blue domes in the shape of a hemisphere, studded with bronze stars and golden crosses. According to a legend, the color of the domes was chosen by the Izmailovo Regiment's uniforms. The main dome of the cathedral can be seen at a distance of nearly 20 kilometers. Small domes are located above the columns of the porticoes. The facades are decorated with four six-column porticoes of the Corinthian Order. There are placed bronze figures of angels by sculptor S. Galberg in the niches of the western portal. Since the cathedral was the main garrison church of the city, its walls were decorated with Turkish flags — the trophies obtained during the battles in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 — 1878. In memory of the fallen soldiers, their names were carved on the marble slabs. The interior of the church is decorated with Corinthian columns and pilasters, covered with white artificial marble. The walls and ceilings are painted by artists T. Medvedev and A. Travin. The icon of the Holy Trinity, written in the 15th century, is one of the most revered shrines of the Trinity Cathedral.  In the church, there are new icons, including mosaic images of Saints Peter and Paul and Saint Nicholas. The Trinity Cathedral is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a part of the historical center of St. Petersburg.

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