Znamenskaya Church - a small church located in the city of Pushkin in St. Petersburg (formerly Tsarskoye Selo), between the wing Catherine's Palace, which now houses the memorial museum-Lyceum, Alexander Park with the palace and the Lyceum Garden with a monument to A.S. Pushkin-Lyceumstudent .
This is the first church of Tsarskoye Selo; the current church, where Services are held.
The church was built in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign in 1734-1747 by the architect Mikhail Grigoryevich Zemtsov and his closest assistant Ivan Yakovlevich Blank, at the behest of Tsarevna Elizabeth Petrovna.
The shrine was built on the site of the first wooden church on a stone foundation in Tsarskoye Selo, consecrated in the name of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and burned down in 1728.
Initially, the church had four limits: the main one - in the name of the icon of the Mother of God the Sign, the right one - of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, the left one - of the holy saints Zachary and Elizabeth, and the upper one, located in the choir, - of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
In 1772-1773, according to the project of the architect V. I. Neelov, a marble portico with a balcony was added to the entrance to the temple. In 1892, the architect S. Danini rebuilt the church: he removed the side walls, cutting through the walls with wide arches, and expanded the church at the entrance.
Before the Great Patriotic War, the Znamenskaya Church remained the only one operating in Tsarskoye Selo, and even during the occupation, services continued to be held there. Before the retreat, the German invaders stole most of the remaining icons and church utensils from the church, but the building itself was not damaged, even the iconostasis was preserved inside, but without icons.
In 1960-1962, the church was restored. Until the early 1990s, the office of the 2nd workshop of the Restorer Association was located in the walls of the Znamenskaya Church. In 1991, the Znamenskaya Church was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and on December 10, 1991 (the day of the patronal feast), it was opened for Worship.
Today, the Znamenskaya Church is assigned to the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine of the St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Services are held in the church.
The temple is also included in the list of objects of historical and cultural heritage, as an architectural monument of federal significance.
Architecturally, the Znamenskaya Church is a striking example of the Peter the Great Baroque style. It is a single-domed stone basilica with a wooden bell tower with a spire. The walls are painted ochre, with white pilasters on the facade. From the west, the central portal (entrance) has a four-column portico with a balcony, on the fence of which is the monogram of Catherine I (coat of arms of Tsarskoye Selo).
Interior decoration of the Znamenskaya Church
Inside, the church has three naves separated by large arches. The middle-central (main) nave is two stories high, while the two side aisles are one story high.
The walls are painted turquoise with white edging. The floor is parquet.
In the vestibule, to the left of the main entrance, there is a cast-iron circular staircase leading to the choir. Between the narthex and the temple itself, there are 2 stoves that heat the temple, along with central heating.
On the second floor, on the site of the altar of the former St. Nicholas chapel, there are choirs, from there a staircase leads to the bell tower.
In the main nave there is a panicadilo (large chandelier), and the Baroque iconostasis is a restored copy of the original iconostasis. The royal gates are gilded.
Main Nave
Right side nave
Left side nave
Practical information
Znamenskaya Church is located in the center of the city of Pushkin, St. Petersburg, at the address: Sadovaya Street, 2a.
Coordinates of the church: 59°43'04.0"N 30°23'49.0"E (59.717778, 30.396944).
Entrance to the Znamenskaya Church is free (free of charge) for everyone.
The opening hours of the church and the time of Worship can be found on the official website: soborekaterina.
You can visit Tsarskoye Selo with one of the excursions
All the ways to get to Pushkin from St. Petersburg (the airport and the city center) can be found here →
In Pushkin, near the Catherine Palace with a park and a church, you can stay
The 5-star Pevcheskaya Tower Hotel features 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 hotelfeatures a spa area 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 minibar, 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.
Each room here will provide you with air conditioning, a TV, a 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
