Smolensk Church, Church of Theotokos of Smolensk (Saint Petersburg)
24 Kamskaya Street, Saint Petersburg, (tel.: +7 812 321-14-83, +7 812 323-54-14), Metro station: "Primorskaya".
According to the legend, working people were among the first who were buried on the banks of the Chornaya River (eng.: Black River), the Smolenka River now. Construction of a huge city demanded many hands. Those, who were called upon to St. Petersburg by the Monarch, settled in Vasilievsky Island. However, there were no houses for them to live in. At first, people slept in the open air. Moreover, they were short of food because of high prices. New way of life and hard work drove many people to their graves. The place where the builders of St. Petersburg were buried was called Smolenskoye Field. On 23 October 1738, a cemetery was officially founded. The Holy Synod decreed: "The St. Petersburg cemetery will be situated in Vasilievsky Island, near the Chornaya River, between the 18th and 23rd lines. A road to this place must be cleared of newly grown bushes and new channels must be made."
In 1756, the spontaneously enlarging cemetery was improved and fenced. The first wooden church was built there by Empress Elizabeth I and consecrated on 30 September 1760, two years after construction. The church was dedicated to Our Lady of Smolensk. Later, a heated St. Michael's side chapel was added and consecrated on 6 November 1772.
On 2 June 1786, Metropolitan Gabriel of Novgorod and St. Petersburg arrived to the Smolensk Cemetery and chose a place to build a new temple. Many merchants supplied sand, bricks, and wood free of charge. All materials were delivered by the Smolenskay River directly to the construction site. It took four years to build the church. The stone church was constructed in 1786 to 1790 by architect Professor Alexey Ivanov.
A side chapel dedicated to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist was consecrated first, on 26 September (October 9) 1790. An icon stand from an abolished church of St. John in the Vyborg Side was moved there. Five days later, on 1 October 1790, the main side chapel was consecrated and dedicated to Our Lady of Smolensk. Its icon stand was carved by Okhta craftsmen leaded by Yakov Dunayev. Icons were painted by Ivan Akimov and Gabriel Kozlov.
Principles of mature classicism influenced the Church's appearance. The rectangular building was crowned with one big drum, which smoothly transformed into a low and wide Byzantine dome. The main volume had a refectory and a low two-tiered bell tower with a spire from the west. The building featured simple shapes, poor elements, and humble architectural appearance, which corresponded to the surroundings.
The old wooden church was rebuilt in 1792 and dedicated to St. Michael. Day by day, the stone Smolensk Church became more and more beautiful. Its composition upgraded as well. For example, architect of the Admiralty Board Andreyan Zakharov added a northern side chapel to the Church.
Smolensk Church was improved in the 19th century too. In 1831, at the expense of church warden Iliya Antonov, St. Ilya's side chapel was attached from the south and consecrated on 24 June 1833. And that was also when one more tier was added to the bell tower and a new spacious porch adjoined the western side.
In the other annexe, designed by Academician K. Verbitsky, the side chapel of St. John the Baptist was consecrated on 1 October 1892. It was decorated with a Byzantine icon stand painted by M. Vasiliev. The northern and southern side chapels were adorned with six-column Dorian galleries. Toll of the church bells was "suitable for the capital's cemetery". A church library was established.
In 1932, the greatest national sacred icon of Our Lady of Kazan was handed over to the Church from the closed Kazan Cathedral.
After Smolensk Church was shut down in September of 1940, the icon was turned over to St. Vladimir's Cathedral.
After World War II, the Soviet government warmed up to the Church, and the Smolensk Temple was handed back to the believers. On 8 February 1947, it was consecrated again. And that was also when its interior looked as it does now. In the postwar years, it was the only functioning church in Vasilievsky Island and attracted a zillion believers. Not without reason is it called the most prayerful church in St. Petersburg.
In 1987 and 1988, Smolensk Church was completely repaired. Carvings of icon stands and cases began to shine with gilding. Wall paintings were washed properly. Paintings of many icons were cleaned. The Church changed from the outside too. In 1990, the Church of Vasilievsky Island met the 200th Anniversary in all its glory.
Today, the Church has three altars. The high altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Smolensk. The northern one — to Our Lady the Merciful. And the southern altar is consecrated in dedication to Saint Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg. The Nativity side chapel is situated in the northern part of the Church and does not have an individual altar.
Emperor Alexander III and his family's miraculous escape from the Borki train accident, which happened near Kharkov on 17 October 1888 (Old Style), gave rise to construction of a great number of churches dedicated to this event. Custom officers, exchange contractors, and port officials, who lived in Gutuevsky Island and in the mouth of the Neva Riv...
In the first half of the 19th century, the monumental dome of a church dominated the architecture of St. Petersburg's riverside; that church was the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in S'ezdovskaya (then Kadetskaya) Liniya Street, on Vasilievsky Island.
On religious holidays, the Church's high bell tower used to sent the loud chime of it...
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