In the mid-1900s, Tsarskoye Selo became the main imperial residence. At the same time, it was suggested to build a regimental church for the Imperial Escort Guard and Mounted Regiment.
In the late 1908, it was decided to start construction. Emperor Nicholas I pointed the place where to build the church himself. It was a wide glade near the north-east boarder of Alexandrovsky Park.
An original project was designed by architect Alexander Pomerantsev. On 20 August 1909, the foundation stone of the new church was laid. However, the Pomerantsev's design was criticized soon, and architect Vladimir Pokrovsky was chosen to create a new project taking into account the existing foundation. In the short run, the project was ready.
It is commonly thought that Pokrovsky took the original appearance of the Kremlin's Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow before it was reconstructed and enlarged as a basis. Nevertheless, the Pokrovsky's design was an independent and original work proving his "deep knowledge of Russian national architecture heritage".
The new design was approved on 1 August 1910. Emperor donated 150,000 roubles for construction. Moreover, Nicholas I and his wife oversaw the building process and were present in person at the most crucial events.
A pond near the Cathedral was connected with a pond near Alexandrovsky Palace with a special water line. Both ponds had very clear water. It is thought that it was supplied there from Taitsi water sources through a passage built by Catherine the Great. The Cathedral was situated at the highest point, but its rooms were still damp.
The original design by Vladimir Pokrovsky did not include the Cave Church in Fyodorovsky Cathedral. The place it occupies today was intended for a heating system and a changing room for low ranks. Utensils and icons of the temporary St. Seraphim's Church were supposed to be moved to the upper church. However it was finally decided to move it as a whole as the Cave Church into the Cathedral. It was called the Cave Church, because the basement had to be deepened specially for it.
On 20 August 1912, the new Cathedral was consecrated and dedicated to Our Lady of St. Theodore, which was a patroness of the Romanov family. All members of the imperial family attended the ceremony in Tsarskoye Selo.
After all construction works were finished in 1913, a question of wall paintings specified by the Pokrovsky's design was arisen. By order of Nicholas II, the Fyodorovsky Cathedral had to be painted as St. John the Baptist's Church in Yaroslavl and the Resurrection Church in Rostov Kremlin. The Cave Church was painted by artists I. Shcherbakov and N. Pashkov with the assistance of Viktor Vasnetsov. Artist Yemelianov started painting the Cathedral's upper church, but the works were stopped because of the walls which were too damp and the war which broke out in 1914.
In 1913, the Cathedral was awarded a title "Fyodorovsky Imperial Cathedral" The Cathedral was a regimental church of the Mounted Infantry Regiment and Imperial Escort Guard. It was also the Imperial family's parish. Common people were admitted by invitation only, in other words they had to get a special permission to enter the Cathedral.
In 1917, the Russian Revolution broke out, the church was disestablished, and churches were closed and looted. The Fyodorovsky Cathedral was lucky though. It was not destroyed as many other churches. Nevertheless, the Cathedral was shut down in 1934. Ancient icons were handed over to the Russian Museum. It was found out then, that many icons considered to be ancient were false.
During the Great Patriotic War (World War II) and fascist occupation of Pushkin Town the Fyodorovsky Cathedral, as many other surrounding buildings, was severely damaged but fortunately was not completely destroyed.
In 1991, the Fyodorovsky Cathedral was returned to the Church.
Constructed in 1905, the Cathedral of Saint Pre-Eminent Apostles Peter and Paul is Peterhof's most significant church that has survived. Created to a design by the architect Nikolay Sultanov, this church can be seen from a long distance, beyond the city limits. A perfect view of the Cathedral is provided both from the Gulf of Finland and from the s...
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