Address: Russia, Saint Petersburg, Kronverkskiy prospect, 7
Building: 1909 - 1920
Project author: N.V. Vasiliev, S.S. Krichinsky
Coordinates: 59 ° 57'18.4 "N 30 ° 19'25.8" E
Object of cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation of regional significance
Content:
In the cultural capital, at all times, they were tolerant of any faith. Among the cathedrals and temples of St. Petersburg there are Orthodox churches, Catholic churches, synagogues, a Buddhist datsan and several prayer rooms and mosques for Muslims. The largest Cathedral Mosque was built over 100 years ago. Today, a Muslim shrine and a masterpiece of oriental architecture attracts not only believers, but also tourists.
Cathedral Mosque from a bird's eye view
History of the mosque
Not only Christians, but also adherents of Islam took part in the construction of the city on the Neva, therefore, from the very foundation of St. Petersburg, a Tatar settlement arose in it. By the end of the 18th century, there were already three Muslim communities here. It is quite natural that the believers wanted to build a prayer house in St. Petersburg.
In 1881, representatives of Muslim communities submitted a petition to the authorities. However, official permission was issued only a quarter of a century later. All these years Muslims have been collecting money for the future temple. Before the start of construction, the Tatar community of St. Petersburg already had 53,300 rubles.
General view of the Cathedral Mosque
In 1906, the Construction Committee began work. For 10 years he was allowed to collect donations throughout Russia. A design competition was held among the best architects of St. Petersburg and a plot of land was purchased on the right bank of the Neva. Soon, the talented architect Nikolai Vasilievich Vasiliev began to embody his plans. According to the original plan, it was assumed that the temple would have a madrasah and a small hospital.
The ceremonial foundation stone of the building took place in 1910. The construction proceeded quickly, so the first divine service was held in 1913, when the facing of the mosque was not completed. Then the First World War began, followed by the Revolution and the Civil War. There was not enough money for the most urgent needs. To collect the required amount, the Cathedral Mosque was opened for a paid inspection. Finishing work, mosaic decoration and the manufacture of a cast-iron fence around the territory were completed only after 7 years.
In April 1920, a large-scale building with a high dome and two corner minarets appeared before the residents of the city in all its glory. The temple was built of reinforced concrete, had electric lighting, steam heating, ventilation and a unique majolica decoration, progressive for those times.
View of the Cathedral Mosque from Horse Lane
During the Soviet era, the Muslim mosque experienced the same pressure as the Orthodox churches. In Leningrad, the "Union of Militant Atheists" operated, which actively campaigned against religion. Although the temple remained operational, in the 1930s its basement was taken over as a potato storage facility. In 1941, the mosque was closed to believers and turned into a warehouse for medicines.
Valuable liturgical items ended up in the Museum of the History of Religion of the Academy of Sciences. The believers continued to pray at the Muslim site of the Novo-Volkovsky cemetery, performing namaz right between the graves. On ordinary days, they gathered up to 500 people, and on holidays 5,000 Muslims came to the cemetery.
The Tatar religious community of Leningrad has repeatedly appealed to the city authorities, the Council of Ministers and the Central Committee of the CPSU with a request to return the dilapidated building. Finally, in 1955, services were allowed in the Cathedral Mosque. In the late 1960s, the temple received the status of an architectural monument and was taken under state protection. Over its long history, it has gone through more than one large-scale reconstruction. The last restoration work was completed in 2015.
View of the Cathedral Mosque from Kronverksky Avenue
Architectural features
The cathedral mosque has laconic forms and is so beautiful that it is considered one of the most colorful architectural monuments of St. Petersburg. The Muslim temple harmoniously combines the traditions of Northern Art Nouveau and traditional Eastern style. The local facing stone is perfectly complemented by refined ceramic tiles and intricate ligature.
The monumental building can be seen from afar. The cathedral mosque is 45 m long and 32 m wide. The main dome rises by 39 m, and the spiers of two minarets - by 48 m. The temple is divided into three floors. A wide marble staircase leads to the very top. The interior can accommodate up to 5,000 believers.
The facades were decorated by L. Maksimov. As a prototype, he used the decor of the famous Muslim mosques - Shakhi-Zinda and the mausoleum of Tamerlane Gur-Emir. For this, the artist specially traveled to Samarkand and made the necessary measurements and sketches.
Rear view of the Cathedral Mosque
The high dome is crowned with a large gilded crescent. On rainy gray days, he colors the discreet St. Petersburg landscape with rich blue colors. The dates of the foundation stone of the building and the complete completion of construction work are laid out near the doors at the entrance.
The walls of the Cathedral Mosque are finished with textured gray granite. The entrance portal and dome are lined with graceful blue-turquoise ceramics. Bright tiles make them look like the sky. The facades are decorated with picturesque plant motives. On the medallions, above the entrances and in the openings between the doors, there are suras from the Koran. Quotes from the holy book of Muslims are laid out in ornate Arabic script.
Unfortunately, during the years of Soviet power, the mosque was not monitored, so many decorative majolica plates were lost. During the reconstruction, they were replaced by tiles made of more durable and lightweight porcelain. Today the large porcelain dome of the Cathedral Mosque is the only one of its kind in Russia.
Cathedral Mosque portal
What can be seen inside
The interiors of the temple are made in compliance with the strict traditions of Islamic architecture. The first floor is intended for namaz for men. The high domed drum of the main hall leaves a very strong impression. In St. Petersburg, there has always been a lack of natural sunlight, so the builders made many small openings on the dome. Thanks to this decision, the lighting of the mosque has benefited greatly.
Green marble columns support curved domed arches, and a large, soft, colorful carpet covers the floor. Visitors are amazed by the huge chandelier on which you can see the texts from the Koran. A concave niche in the wall is decorated with azure-blue ceramics, which points the believers in the direction of Mecca.
On the left side, at the end of the main hall, there is a place where women pray on weekdays. The room is separated from the main space by an openwork decorative lattice.
Dome of the Cathedral Mosque
You can get to the second floor in two ways - from the street and from the main hall. This part of the mosque was created for women and represents a mezzanine built into the volume of the first floor.
The third mezzanine is used on Fridays and Holidays for the prayer of men. At other times, classes are held there in an elementary school, where they study the basics of Islam, Arabic and Tatar languages.
Useful information for visitors
The temple building is open any day from 10:00 to 17:00. Due to restoration work, the schedule is sometimes changed.
The entrance to the temple is from the courtyard. People of any religion are welcome in the mosque. Visitors are asked to respect Muslim traditions and rules and wear closed clothing. Women must always cover their heads with a scarf. In the mosque, it is customary to take off your shoes in front of the entrance, turn off mobile phones in advance, do not speak loudly and do not take pictures of ministers and believers.
Painting on the dome of the Cathedral Mosque
Namaz is carried out five times a day. The exact timetable is on the official website of the mosque. During prayers, only Muslims can be inside.
Interesting one-hour excursions around the mosque are organized for tourists. You can get on them on any day except Friday. During a walk through the building, the guide tells tourists about the history of construction, architectural features, the canons of Islam and the traditions of Muslims. To participate in the excursion, you must leave a request in advance by e-mail of the mosque.
Photographing and filming inside the temple is allowed at any time, except during prayer hours. You don't take money for a private visit to the mosque, but it is considered good form to leave a small donation.
View of the Cathedral Mosque from the Trinity Bridge
How to get there
The cathedral mosque is located on the Petrogradskaya side, not far from the Peter and Paul Fortress. The corner of Kronverksky prospect and Konniy lane can be reached on foot from the Gorkovskaya metro station in 5-7 minutes.
