For five months in 2011, I called St. Petersburg home. It was a hell of an experience – sometimes I look back and can scarcely believe how lucky I was to live in such an amazing city.
Of course one thing Russia is famed for is its churches. And despite St. Petersburg being the most European of Russia’s cities (which means its Orthodox churches are generally less prominent than in other Russian cities), there are still plenty of beautiful examples to be found. Here are my favourite five.
For more hidden gems in St. Petersburg, check out my hipster guide to the city.
Beautiful churches in St. Petersburg: the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral
Никольский морской собор
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral
I stumbled upon this cathedral shortly after moving into my flat in St. Petersburg. It was late February and I decided to go for a walk around the neighbourhood. When I got to the church, it started snowing and I managed to get capture some of my favourite photos from my whole time in the city.
Known as a naval cathedral, the church has always had strong links to the Russian navy and there are numerous memorials to crews of sunken submarines inside.
St. Petersburg’s best hidden churches: Chesme Church
Чесменская церковь
Chesme Church in the snow
I absolutely love this church, purely for its unique exterior (though the interior is a bit lacking). According to Wikipedia, the church was built in an early Gothic Revival style and is a bit of a rare specimen, which I can definitely believe – I certainly haven’t seen anything similar in Russia.
The church’s location is also quite interesting: found in the south of the city near the Moskovskaya metro station, the church is located in the middle of a housing estate. It really is hidden away and you’d have no idea it was there if you didn’t make the effort to find it. I love the way it looks in the snow.
Churches in St. Petersburg: The Church on Spilled Blood
Церковь Спаса на Крови
Church on Spilled Blood
Probably the most recognised landmark of St. Petersburg, the Church on Spilled Blood is probably one of the most interesting Orthodox Churches I’ve seen: the exterior is ridiculously ornate and the detail goes beyond that of even St. Basil’s. I also like the fact that it juts out into the Griboyedov canal, as it was built on the spot where Alexander II was assassinated.
Despite its impressive façade, I have to be honest and say I just don’t like it very much. It’s impressive definitely, but I’m just not sure if it looks nice. I think I’m more of a St. Basil’s man…
St. Petersburg’s churches: Kazan Cathedral
Каза́нский кафедра́льный собо́р
Kazan Cathedral winter
Located opposite the Church on Spilled Blood, Kazan Cathedral is a giant. It is huge. Modelled on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Kazan Cathedral is the ‘mother cathedral’ of St. Petersburg. Inside, you’ll find queues of believers waiting to pray at the altar and kiss the icons.
I don’t often enter Orthodox Churches (mostly they are deeply religious places and I’m not very religious myself) but the interior of the Kazan Cathedral is jaw-dropping. The scale of it is incredible. Definitely not one to miss.
Beautiful churches in St. Petersburg: Smolny Cathedral
Смольный собор
Smolny Cathedral
Smolny was originally a convent and as such is an entire complex of buildings, with the cathedral at its centre. Today, the cathedral is used primarily as a concert hall and some of the surrounding buildings are occupied by the Saint Petersburg State University.
Now I have to admit, I haven’t been inside Smolny Cathedral. In fact, these photos are the closest I ever came to it – and I only did that once (in my defence, it’s really far from the closest metro stop). Nevertheless, I decided to include the cathedral because it really is beautiful and I have fond memories of the afternoon I visited – on a gloriously sunny afternoon when my friend came to visit me from the UK.
There are more photos of the churches below. You can check out more photos from St. Petersburg here.
Have you visited St. Petersburg before? Would you like to?
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