Sobornaya Square is a small square located in the center of the Pushkin city of St. Petersburg (formerly Tsarskoye Selo).
The dominant feature of the square, located in its center, is the current Orthodox Cathedral of St. Catherine the Great Martyr with a museum. The cathedral is surrounded by the Cathedral Square, and the Cathedral Square itself is surrounded by iconic historical buildings.
The history of the formation of the square dates back to 1808, when the current city of Pushkin was Tsarskoye Selo. According to the city plans drawn up by architects Vasily Ivanovich Geste and Vasily Petrovich Stasov, the square was to become the Central Square of the newly established city of Tsarskoye Selo.
According to the plan, there was to be a cathedral in the center of the square. Since 1818, wooden fairground shops appeared on the square, and in 1822, the first stone building near the square was built on the western side of the square-the police building with a fire tower above it. In 1825, a wooden one-story building of Gostiny Dvor was built (Gostiny Dvor still exists today).
Over time, the ensemble around the square grew (new buildings were erected), and the square was planned to be called Large, Police, Shopping and Church.
The current Cathedral Square has an area of 3.4 hectares, on which there are lawns, places for recreation and paths for pedestrians.
The dominant feature of the square is the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, located in the center of the square.
The construction of the cathedral called the Tsarskoye Selo City Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine began in 1835 by decree of Emperor Nicholas I. The construction was carried out according to the plan and under the supervision of the architect K. A. Ton. The consecration of the cathedral took place on November 24 (December 6), 1840, by the emperor's confessor, Protopresbyter Nikolai Muzovsky, in the presence of Emperor Nicholas I and Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich.
In 1862, the cathedral suffered from a fire that started in the nearby wooden Gostiny Dvor. After that, it was restored, as was the Gostiny Dvor.
By the decree of the Presidium of the Leningrad Executive Committee of July 11, 1938, the Catherine Cathedral was closed, and in May 1939 it was surrounded by a blind board fence. Workers removed the roof, church furniture, iconostases and paintings were removed. The icons were chopped with axes and piled in a pile, and then burned in the basement, in the temple furnaces. On June 10, 1939, at 5: 30 a.m., St. Catherine's Cathedral was blown up.
On April 22, 1960, a monument to V.I. Lenin was opened on the site of the cathedral.
On February 5, 1995, a seven-meter wooden memorial cross was unofficially erected near the place where the Catherine Cathedral was located. Law enforcement agencies opened a case on an administrative offense and imposed a fine. On the night of April 6-7, 2004, the monument to V. I. Lenin was thrown off its pedestal by unknown persons.
On June 3, 2006, an expedition of the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences began large-scale archaeological excavations of the foundation of the former cathedral, during which elements of engineering communications, remnants of architectural details and church utensils were also discovered.
On July 20, 2006, the Charitable Foundation "Reconstruction of the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Tsarskoye Selo"was established. The laying of the temple took place on December 7, 2006.
On June 27, 2010 (during the celebrations dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the founding of Tsarskoye Selo), the rite of the great consecration of the temple was performed.
Today, the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is one of the dominants of the Pushkin city of St. Petersburg and is among the attractions.
View of the domes of the Catherine Cathedral from the observation deck on the roof The Singing Tower
Divine services are held in the cathedral.
In the basement halls of the Catherine Cathedral there is a museumdedicated to the temples of the Tsarskoye Selo deanery , as well as telling about the construction of the Catherine Cathedral by the architect Ton, the destruction and reconstruction of the shrine.
In the center of the hall there is a large artistic model of Tsarskoye Selo, as it was in the pre-revolutionary years.
The museum also has interactive exhibitions. A separate showcase is dedicated to John Kochurov , the first martyr among the clergy who suffered for his faith during the post-revolutionary events.
The Hall of Fame with portraits of priests and mayors who influenced the fate of Tsarskoye Selo completes the museum exposition.
Near the Catherine Cathedral, on the side of Leontievskaya Street, there is a monument to the Great War "1914", made by sculptor Vladimir Emilevich Gerov.
The sculptural composition of the monument is an image of a regimental priest blessing Russian soldiers for a feat of arms- "For the faith" of the Tsar! And the Fatherland!".
The granite pedestal on which the monument is placed contains the inscription "MSMXIV" - 1914 in Roman numerals and two bronze bas-reliefs in niches depicting St. George the Victorious-the patron saint of the Russian army and a double-headed eagle-the symbol of the Russian state.
The surrounding ensemble of the Cathedral Square in Pushkin
Sobornaya Square is bounded by Leontievskaya, Pushkinskaya, Orangereynaya and Moskovskaya streets.
Along the streets, surrounded by the Cathedral Square, there are historical buildings, the history of which is closely connected with the formation of the square itself and its surrounding ensemble.
On Moskovskaya Street is locatedThe shopping center "Gostiny Dvor", which was originally made of wood and was formed in 1818 according to the plans of V. I. Geste.
In 1862, most of the wooden complex was destroyed by fire. The restoration of the Gostiny Dvor was carried out in stone. The building was opened for trade in 1866.
Today, as many years ago, the Gostiny Dvor complex continues to be used for trade.
The building has one floor. Its facades are decorated with an arched gallery. In the central part of the building, on the axis of the Cathedral Square, there is a travel arch-portal. The corners and passageways are decorated with pavilions with attic mezzanines and bundles of paired columns of the Tuscan order. There are many dormer windows above the roof slope.
The general decor of the main building is complex, which brings it closer to the Baroque style.
From the courtyard side, the complex includes the so-called "Meat Rows" building (originally built in 1843-1844 by the architect N. S. Nikitin in stone), which has a semicircular shape and is decorated in the style of late classicism. The concave facade is decorated with a gallery with pillars, cross-shaped in cross-section, with blades and pilasters of the Tuscan order. The ends of the building, intended for fish shops, are decorated with triangular pediments.
The address of Gostiny Dvoris 25 Moskovskaya Street.
Coordinates of Gostiny Dvor: 59°43'10.0"N 30°24'21.0" E (59.719444, 30.405833).
Gostiny Dvor website: bc-gostiniydvor.
From the side of Leontievskaya Street, the main facade of the former city administration building, which was intended to accommodate the police with a fire tower, faces the Cathedral Square.
The building was built in 1820-1822 according to the project of V. Geste, revised by V. P. Stasov, and was the first stone building of the square.
In 1908, the architect Silvio Amvrosievich Danini rebuilt the city administration building: the third half-floor was added, a large thermal window was added above the columns, water supply and central heating system were designed, the tower was moved due to two more buildings facing the square, and several courtyard buildings.
In 1920, the buildings were transferred to the Detskoselsky (Pushkin) City Council of Workers 'and Peasants' Deputies and executive authorities.
During the Great Patriotic War, the buildings were damaged, then restored.
Now the military commissariat of the Pushkin district is located in the former house of the police chief's office, the fire station is still working next door (the building inside the courtyard), and the Historical and Literary Museum of the city of Pushkin is open in the building of the former city administration.
The address of the museum: Leontievskaya Street, 28.
The museum's website: ilmp.ru.
Photo of the museum building
Photo of the fire station building (26 Leontievskaya Street)
On the corner of Pushkinskaya and Leontievskaya streets is the building of the former Mariinsky Girls ' Gymnasium, which appeared in the early 20th century.
Today, the House of Creativity of Young People is located in the walls of the building.
The address of the House of Creativity of youngpeople : Pushkinskaya Street, 28/21.
Website of the House of Creativity of youngpeople: pushkindt.spb.
Across Pushkinskaya Street from the Cathedral Square is a monument to Catherine II, mounted on a high granite pedestal.
The bronze sculpture was created by V. E. Gorev. It has a height of 2 meters and depicts the Empress.
The sculpture is an exact copy of the sculpture installed in 2002 in the city of Novorzhev.
Practical information
Sobornaya Square is located in the center of the city of Pushkin, St. Petersburg.
Coordinates of the Cathedral Square: 59°43'13.0"N 30°24'25.0"E (59.720278, 30.406944).
Website of the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine: soborekaterina.
The Museum of the Temples of the Tsarskoye Selo Deanery in the cathedral: vk.com/pushkin_museum.
You can visit Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) with one of the excursions
You can find out about all the ways to get to Pushkin from St. Petersburg (the airport and the city center) here →
In Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) you can stay
The 5-star Pevcheskaya Tower Hotel offers restaurants, a bar, a rooftop observation deck, free Wi-Fi and parking.
Breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
The 5-star luxury spa hotel "Tsar Palace Luxury Hotel & SPA"is located in a historic building.
The hotelhas a spa center with a swimming pool, a hammam, a salt sauna, a snow fountain, steam baths and a gym; free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour front desk, 2 restaurants, a lobby bar, private parking and meeting and conference rooms.
The rooms are equipped with climate control, a mini-bar, a safe and a private bathroom.
A buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
3-star hotel Ekaterina, located on the territory of the Catherine Palace and Park Ensemble.
At the hotel: 24-hour front desk, cafe, free Wi-Fi and parking.
The rooms are equipped with: air conditioning, TV, work desk and free toiletries.
Breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
All accommodation facilities in St. Petersburg, including in the city center and in Pushkin, can be viewed and booked here
