Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

The restoration of Nicholas II’s favourite church at Tsarskoye Selo

PHOTO: aerial view of the beautifully restored Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo – the restoration took 20 years to complete. The buildings of the Feodorovsky Gorodok can be seen to the right of the cathedral’s cupola.

One of the greatest restoration projects carried out during the post-Soviet years has got to be that of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo. The recreation of the Cathedral’s façade and interiors of both the Upper and Lower Churches, are nothing short of a miracle.

Situated a short walk from the Alexander Palace, I recall visiting the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral for the first time in the early 1990s. I was shocked by the appalling state of neglect and disrepair this once beautiful house of worship had endured during the Soviet years. I returned to Tsarskoye Selo many times since, and have been witness to its slow, but magnificent restoration. Glory to God, for all things!

PHOTO: Watercolour of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral (1914). Artist: Gavriil Nikitich Gorelov (1880-1966)

Nicholas II’s favourite church

When Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra took up residence in the Alexander Palace in 1895[1], they were surprised that unlike other Imperial palaces, it did not contain a chapel. Therefore, in 1897, they had the Crimson Drawing Room converted into the home church of St. Alexander Nevsky. But this temporary church was clearly not enough, so the Emperor issued a decree for the construction of a new church in the vicinity of the palace.

Between 1908-1912, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was built in the old Russian style – much favoured by the Tsar. It’s construction was financed by Nicholas II, who contributed 150,000 gold rubles from his own personal funds. The foundation of the Cathedral was laid on 2nd September (O.S. 20th August) 1909 in the presence of the Imperial family, each member beginning with the Tsar himself, placing a brick in the building’s foundation.

The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral served as the regimental church of both His Imperial Majesty’s Own Infantry Regiment and His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy. In addition, the cathedral served as the house church for the Imperial family, while they were in residence in the Alexander Palace.

Externally, the cathedral was simple, austere and majestic, with bright reflections of mosaics on the snow-white walls, crowned with a gilded cupola. The interior was striking in its height and magnificent decoration in the style of ancient Russian church architecture.

The Cathedral consisted of two churches – the Upper Church, with a capacity of up to 1000 people, with the main altar in the name of the Fedorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the patron icon of the Romanov family. The Upper Church included a side chapel in the name of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow (the completion and consecration of which by 1917 was never realized); and the Lower Church [aka the Cave Church] in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

PHOTO: Early 20th century Russian postcard depicting Emperor Nicholas II entering the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral via the Tsar’s Porch.

PHOTO: the restored Tsar’s Porch is located at the southeastern corner of the cathedral. It was through this entrance, that Emperor Nicholas II and his family, accessed the Cave Church, consecrated in memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

The solemn consecration of the Cathedral took place on 2nd September (O.S. 20th August) 1912 in the presence of the Imperial Family. The ceremony was performed by the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy Georgy Shavelsky (1871-1951), who from 15th (O.S. 2nd) June 1913, served as honorary rector of the Cathedral.

A solemn Divine Liturgy was performed by His Grace Theophan, Bishop of Yamburg (1872-1940), attended by the Emperor and members of his family.

While the Imperial Family were in residence in the Alexander Palace, the Emperor and his family visited the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral on holidays and Sundays. They entered the Cathedral via the Tsar’s Porch, which was located at the southeastern corner of the cathedral.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna often came to pray in the Cave Church, of which she was particularly fond. A special room was arranged for her, which allowed her to retire in prayer privately. The chapel, a small room less than a meter wide, was installed to the right of the altar. It contained a mosaic icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

When in residence, Nicholas II did not miss a single Sunday and holiday service in the Feodorovsky Sovereign’s Cathedral. “The service was solemn and remarkably beautiful in our lovely church,” he wrote in his diary. Many laity wanted to pray with the sovereign, however, they were allowed only with tickets, which could be obtained from the palace commandant or the churchwarden.

PHOTO: the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, as it looked in the 1970s

The Soviet years

Shortly after the Tsar’s abdication in March 1917, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was turned into an ordinary parish church. After the Bolsheviks nationalized churches and monasteries, they wasted little time in looting and pillaging the Cathedral. Between 1911 to 1934, members of the Cathedral’s clergy – including six abbots – were arrested and sent to concentration camps, never to be seen again.

In December 1933, the Cathedral was closed by the local Soviet, who argued that the town had too many churches – a total of five. The Cathedral’s property – including the icons – were transferred to the Russian Museum Fund, and later distributed among several museums in Leningrad. To this day, they remain in the collections of the State Russian Museum, the Kazan Cathedral, in the Catherine Palace, Pavlovsk Palace and elsewhere. Much, however, was lost, sold abroad for foreign currency or intentionally destroyed by the Soviets.

If that wasnt’ enough, the Upper Church was adapted for a cinema hall, the screen was placed in the altar space. The Lower Cave Church was turned into a warehouse and an archive of film and photo documents for the “Lenfilm” studios.

During the Nazi occupation of Pushkin (1941-44), the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was badly damaged. Given that the Cathedral was the tallest point in the town, it became an easy target for Nazi bombers. The walls of the northern façade and the right wing of the western side were partly destroyed. The vaults were also damaged, and the main dome was shattered by a shell.

During the post-war years, the Cathedral was left in a terrible state of ruin, until the 1980s.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Extensive reconstruction and restoration work carried out over a 20 year period has restored it to its historic original.

Post-Soviet restoration

In the spring of 1991, the Cathedral was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. In the same year, the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God was found buried in one of the parks at Tsarskoye Selo. It was returned to the Cathedral and has since become one of its most revered shrines. On 1st March 1992, the first Divine Liturgy was held in the Lower Church, and on 29th August 1996, in the Upper Church.

The restoration of both the façade and interiors of the Cathedral lasted 20 years. The dedication and painstaking efforts to restore Nicholas II’s favourite church by an army of artists, restorers and historians is much to be admired, as the photos below will attest:

PHOTO: partial view of the restored iconostasis in the Upper Church

PHOTO: view of the restored main dome of the Upper Church

PHOTO: view of the restored iconostasis in the Upper Church

PHOTO: partial view of the restored iconostasis in the Upper Church

PHOTO: Icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna in the Upper Church

PHOTO: views of the restored Lower Church, where the Imperial Family came to pray

PHOTO: winter view of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral. Note the gilded double-headed eagles perched on the pillars of the main gate

On a final note . . .

There are some Orthodox Christians who have suggested that once the Russian Orthodox Church recognize the Ekaterinburg Remains as those of the Imperial Family, that the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo should be considered as the final resting place for the Imperial Family and their four faithful retainers that perished with them in Ekaterinburg. According to one source, such a decision would thus fulfil the wish of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.

It seems only fitting that they should find eternal rest in a place which they held so near and dear to their hearts, one where they came to pray and find spiritual nourishment. Just a thought . . .

NOTES:

[1] Shortly after the events of Bloody Sunday in February 1905, Nicholas II made the Alexander Palace his permanent residence.

On this day in 1933 the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo was closed

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Early 20th century view of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo

On this day – 27th December 1933, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral[1] at Tsarskoye Selo was officially closed by a resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee[2].

The Cathedra’s Upper Church became a cinema hall, where a screen was placed right in the altar, while the Lower Cave Church[3] was turned into a warehouse and archive for film and film documents.

The Decree on the Separation of Church and State had been proclaimed by the Bolsheviks in January 1918. It declared all Church property to be the property of the state. Sanctioned by this license, squads of Bolshevik thugs went around the country desecrating and looting churches and monasteries, mocking religion and religious people unmercifully, even murdering priests, monks, nuns and other believers by the thousands.

The years between 1929-1939, the Russian Orthodox Church was subject to further rabid anti-church persecution. Thousands of cathedrals, churches and monasteries were desecrated and pillaged by the Bolsheviks, by order of Joseph Stalin.

PHOTO: watercolour of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral (1917) by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna

At first, during the collectivization process, many rural parishes were dissolved by local Soviet authorities, and on 9th August 1931, the Leningrad [St. Petersburg] City Council raised the question of closing all of the city’s churches.

The Bolsheviks anti-church campaign spread from parish to parish throughout the former Russian Empire. In Pushkin[4] the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral[4] was desecrated and pillaged before it was finally closed in 1933.

In 1934, the Bolsheviks conducted an Anti-Easter campaign, which included Detskoye Selo[4]: “… in an attempt to distract parishioners from the churches, a carnival with music and dancing was arranged on the streets of the city… Against the backdrop of the Catherine Cathedral a screen was arranged on the wall of the City Council on which a film was shown.”

Between 1934 to 1935, a total of 361 churches were closed in the diocese, and many more churches could not function due to the absence of the repressed clergy.

PHOTO: the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in 1945

The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was badly damaged during the Nazi occupation of Pushkin (1941-44). During the Soviet years, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was left in a terrible state of disrepair and neglect.

PHOTO: the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in 1977

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. The entire complex of buildings closely connected with the life of the last Russian Emperor was taken over by the Moscow Patriarchate, who allocated funds for the reconstruction and restoration work carried out over a 20 year period.

The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was reconsecrated on 29 February 1992. Regular liturgies are today carried out in the Upper Church, and the Lower Cave Church. In addition, Divine Liturgies are regularly conducted in memory of the murdered Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia Nikolaevna, and Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich.

The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral has become a popular pilgrimage site for Orthodox Christians from across Russia and around the world. In addition are monarchists, modern-day Cossacks and adherents of the Holy Royal Martyrs.

On 17th July 1993, Russia’s first monument to Emperor Nicholas II by the Russian sculptor V.V. Zaiko was established in the garden located in behind the Cathedral.

On 4th May (O.S. 21st April) 1913, Emperor Nicholas II and his family planted a group of oak trees on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral. A total of seven trees were planted that day, with each member of the Imperial Family, beginning with the Tsar, planting a single oak tree. Of the seven trees planted, only four have survived to the present day, the other three were cut down during the Nazi occupation of Pushkin.

PHOTO: the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral as it looks today. The blue tent-roof of the Royal or Tsar’s Porch – used by the Emperor and his family – can be seen to the right

NOTES:

[1] The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral served as the regimental church of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy. In addition, the cathedral served as the house church for the Imperial family, while they were in residence in the Alexander Palace. Construction of the Cathedral was financed by Nicholas II, who contributed 150,000 gold rubles from his own personal funds.

[2] The All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) was the highest legislative, administrative and revising body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR) from 1917 until 1937. Although the All-Russian Congress of Soviets had supreme authority, in periods between its sessions its powers were passed to VTsIK.

[3] Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was particularly fond of the Cave Church. A special room was arranged for her, which allowed her to retire in prayer. The chapel, a small room less than a meter wide, was installed to the right of the altar. It contained a mosaic icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The Cave Church has been fully restored and open to worshippers.

[4] On 7th November 1918 Tsarskoye Selo was renamed Detskoye Selo (Children’s Village). On 10th February 1937, it was renamed Pushkin, in honour of the great Russian poet, playright and novelist Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). On 10th June 1939, the Catherine Cathedral was demolished by the Soviet authorities.

Nicholas II plants oak trees at the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, April 1913

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II, his family and retinue planting seven oak trees on the square, in front of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo, 1913

Construction of the house church of the Imperial Family at Tsarskoye Selo

The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was constructed between 1909 – 1912 by order of Emperor Nicholas II, to serve as the regimental church of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy. In addition, the cathedral served as the house church for the Imperial family, while they were in residence in the Alexander Palace.

Construction of the Cathedral began in 1908, financed by Emperor Nicholas II, who contributed 150,000 gold rubles, a considerable sum, from his own personal funds.

On 2nd September (O.S. 20th August) 1909, Nicholas II laid the first foundation stone. The solemn Divine Liturgy was performed by His Grace Theophan, Bishop of Yamburg, attended by the Emperor and members of his family. The Cathedral was built in the old Russian style. Three years later, on the same day in 1912, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was consecrated.

An alley lined with fragrant linden trees ran from the cathedral to the Imperial Railway Pavilion nearby. Sadly, in the 1950s, the largest lime trees were transported to the replanted on Nevsky Prospekt in Leningrad [St. Petersburg].

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II, his family and retinue planting seven oak trees on the square, of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo, 1913

The Imperial Family plant oak trees on the grounds of the Cathedral

On 4th May (O.S. 21st April) 1913, Emperor Nicholas II and his family planted a group of oak trees on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral. It was one of many events marking the 300th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty, held that year throughout the Russian Empire, in which the Tsar and his family took part. A total of seven trees were planted that day, with each member of the Imperial Family, beginning with the Tsar, planting a single oak tree each.

The trees were planted on the grounds of the square, which is situated on the southern facade of the Cathedral. It was through this square, that the Imperial Family arrived at the Cathedral, entering via the Royal Porch. During the winter months, when the days saw little daylight, the square was illuminated with lanterns, giving it a serene ambiance.

Of the seven trees planted, only four have survived to the present day, the other three were cut down during the Nazi German occupation of Pushkin [Tsarskoye Selo, 1941-44].

The four oaks can be seen behind a bust-monument to Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II – the first to be installed in post-Soviet Russia. A stone marker and plaque [see photo at the end of this article] mark the spot, where they were planted more than a century ago. It is nothing short of a miracle that they have survived.

PHOTO: Russia’s first monument to Nicholas II was consecrated on 17th July 1993, on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo

The first monument to Nicholas II in post-Soviet Russia

Situated in the garden [square] behind the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo, is a bust-monument to Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, the work of St. Petersburg sculptor Victor Vladimirovich Zaiko (born 1944).

Installed and consecrated on 17th July 1993, it was the first monument to Nicholas II to be erected in Post-Soviet Russia. Since its installation nearly 30 years ago, more than 100 monuments, busts and memorials to Russia’s last Tsar, have been installed across the Russian Federation.

As previously noted, the bust-monument stands in front of the four surviving oak trees, seen in the background, which were planted by Nicholas II and his family on 4th May (O.S. 21st April) 1913.

The monument was consecrated on 17th July 1993, the day marking the 75th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of Nicholas II and his family.

PHOTO: view of Russia’s first monument to Nicholas II and the remaining oak trees which he and his family planted in 1913, on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

PHOTO: a wider view of the four remaining oak trees, planted by Nicholas II and his family in 1913, on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

PHOTO: a stone marker reads [translation]: 21 April / 4 May 1913. On this spot the Holy Royal Martyrs Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, Sovereign Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsesarevich Alexei and Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia planted seven memorial oaks.

Night Liturgy at Tsarskoye Selo, 16/17 July 2022

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo

On the night of 16/17 July, a solemn Divine Liturgy was held in the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo, in memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs who were murdered that same date in 1918, in the Ural city of Ekaterinburg.

A large number of worshipers gathered for the Divine Litury, led by the rector of the cathedral, Father Herman Ranne, co-served by the clergy of the cathedral.

Every year on this day, people from Pushkin [Tsarskoye Selo], St. Petersburg and other towns, come to the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral to prayerfully honour the memory of the last Russian emperor and his family.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a Cross Procession was held around the cathedral.

A brief history of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

On 2nd September (O.S. 20th August) 1909, Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II laid the first foundation stone for the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo, which became the house church of the Imperial Family, while they were in residence in the nearby Alexander Palace.

A solemn Divine Liturgy was performed by His Grace Theophan, Bishop of Yamburg (1872-1940), attended by the Emperor and members of his family. The cathedral was built in the old Russian style. Three years later, on the same day in 1912, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was consecrated.

The Cave Church, situated in the Lower Church, where the Imperial Family came to pray, was consecrated in memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov (there was a special “royal room” in the church), and the upper church was consecrated in memory of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the patron icon of the Romanov family. During the days of Great Lent, the Emperor remained to pray in the church until late at night.

After the revolution, the cathedral was closed, it was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War. In 1991 the cathedral was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church, restoration of the Cathedral lasted nearly 20 years.. Russia’s first monument to Nicholas II was established on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in 1993.

Click HERE to view more colour photos of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, during a visit by a modern-day group of Cossacks in January 2020

PHOTO: worshipers gather at the monument to Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, located in the garden behind the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

First monument to Nicholas II in Post-Soviet Russia

Situated in the garden behind the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo, is the monument to Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, created by the St. Petersburg sculptor Victor Vladimirovich Zaiko (born 1944).

Erected and consecrated on 17th July 1993, it was the first monument to Nicholas II to be erected in Post-Soviet Russia.

The monument stands in front of a small group of oak trees, seen in the background, which were planted by Nicholas II and his family on 4 May (O.S. 21 April) 1913. Of the seven trees planted, only four have survived to the present day.

Feodorovsky Gorodok (Town) in Tsarskoye Selo

Posted on April 4, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

Pre-revolutionary view of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo

For most visitors to Russia, a visit to Tsarskoye Selo (today known as Pushkin), includes the Catherine Palace and the nearby Alexander Palace. Sadly, they overlook some of the other buildings which reflect the era of Tsar Nicholas II. Among these are the Feodorovsky Gorodok (Town), which also includes the magnificent Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, the Martial Chamber, the former barracks of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy, and the ruins of the Tsar’s Railway Pavilion.

In the course of two centuries every Russian monarch, beginning with Peter I, strove to make his or her contribution to the improvement of the royal summer residence in Tsarskoye Selo (Tsar’s Village) near St. Petersburg. The last Russian emperor Nicholas II, who chose the Alexander Palace for his permanent residence in 1905, decided to embellish the town with buildings reflecting the Russian national style. The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral and the adjacent residential area called Feodorovsky Gorodok (Town), complete with tent roofs and towers were built between 1909-1917, with Nicholas II, his wife and their children directly involved in the project. The construction was nearing completion when the First World War began, followed by the revolutionary cataclysms which engulfed the Russian Empire. Following the October 1917 Revolution the Cathedral was closed down in 1933, while the adjacent gorodok was turned into an educational branch of the Agrarian Institute.

Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral. Artist: Gavriil Nikitich Gorelov (1880-1966)

Upper Church of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral 1913. Artist: L. A. Syrnev

Chapel of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in the Lower Church of the Fodorovsky Cathedral. Artist: L.A. Syrnev

Feodorovsky Gorodok

The history of these buildings, which resemble the fairytale Kitezh-town, is closely associated with the last tsar, whose tragic death, along with his wife and children in Ekaterinburg, continues to stir the interest and curiosity of people in Russia and around the world to this day. This short essay tells the story of a “little spot of the Russian land” created in Tsarskoye Selo. It is illustrated with vintage photographs and reproductions of paintings by artists who worked on them at the time of the construction of the complex.

Feodorovsky Gosudorov Sobor, published in 1915

During the 1910s the artists G. Gorelov, L. Syrnev and M. Kirsanov painted a series of colour pictures depicting views of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral and the Feodorovsky Gorodok. They reproduced the entire architectural ensemble the way it was perceived by the last Russian emperor. Some of the paintings were published in the book Feodorovsky Gosudorov Sobor, published in 1915. The views of the Feodorovsky Gorodok reflect events of the First World War, when an infirmary for the wounded soldiers was opened in the gorodok. Pictures on canvas are wounded soldiers with bandaged legs and arms who were undergoing medical treatment in the infirmary and the nurses who cared for them. The artists strove to render the image of Old Russia, too. The artists captured the beauty of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, particularly the interiors, each of which evoke a deep religious feeling. [These paintings are today part of the collection of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum – PG]

Nicholas II laying the foundation stone for the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna inspect the progress of the Feodorovsky Cathedral

The foundation of the Cathedral was laid on 20 August 1909, in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. The design was commissioned by V.A. Pokrovsky, a great connoisseur of the Russian national tradition. The construction was financed by the tsar’s family.

The Feodorovskaya icon of Our Lady, patroness of the Romanov dynasty

The Cave Church, situated in the Lower Church

The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral became the house church for Emperor Nicholas II and his family. The Cathedral consisted of two churches, the upper which included the main altar dedicated to the Feodorovsky Icon of Our Lady and a side-chapel consecrated in honour of the Moscow Metropolitan Alexis, the all-Russia Miracle-Worker. The lower part of the Cathedral housed a Cave Church with the altar consecrated in the name of Saint Serafim of Sarov the Miracle-Worker, and the private chapel of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The Feodorovskaya icon of Our Lady, the main icon of the Cathedral, is the patroness of the Romanov dynasty. The icon was kept in the upper church. The Cathedral interiors impressed everyone with their decor executed in the style of 17th century church architecture – the favourite style of Nicholas II. The Cave Church decoration was supervised by the architect V. N. Maksimov.

The Cathedral walls are decorated on the outside with large mosaic panels made in St. Petersburg in the studio of the well known mosaic artist V.A. Frlov.

View of the Feodorovsky Gorodok. 1917

View of the Refectory Chamber, Feodorovsky Gorodok. 1917

The Feodorovsky Gorodok – a group of buildings erected for the servants of the church – was built during 1913-1917 to the design of S.S. Krichinsky, approved personally by Nicholas II. It is situated on the shore of a small island and surrounded by a fortress wall. One of the towers is decorated by a gilt figure of St. George. The buildings, varying in height and shape and joined by covered passages, occupy an area of 1.7 hectares (4.2 acres). Participating in the design of the gorodok were the architects A. Pomerantsev, V. Maksimov, and L. Shchusev.

Interior of the Refectory, Feodorovsky Gorodok

The entire complex consisted of several buildings, the most notable among them being the White Chamber (the priests’ house), the Pink Chamber (the deacons’ house), the Yellow Chamber (the junior deacons’ house), and the Refectory building, which housed the churchwarden’s flat and office.

The Officer’s Assembly dated 1911 (demolished after the war)

Tsar’s Railway Pavilion, Tsarskoye Selo

Nearby in Kuzminskaya Street were the barracks of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy (designed by V.N. Maksimov, 1906) and the brick building of the Officer’s Assembly dated 1911 (demolished after the war). There were a number of military barracks and stables designed and built in the Russian Style. The year 1915 marked the construction of wooden barracks for the Special Aviation Detachment. In December the same year, barracks were built for His Majesty’s Own Railway Regiment. Designed by the architect V.N. Maksimov, these barracks were situated close to the Tsar’s Railway Pavilion which was built to the design of design of V.A. Pokrovsky in 1912 in the Neo-Russian Style. The station building completed the new architectural ensemble.

Former barracks of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy

The Tsar was insistent that the newly erected buildings should resemble Old Russia by their appearance. Had all the projects conceived been realized and all the buildings survived intact, they would have formed a unique single ensemble in Tsarskoye Selo which would fill the environment of the Alexander Palace with a historic atmosphere Nicholas II desired following the whims of his fantasy.

Of all the numerous buildings in traditional Russian style erected in Tsarskoye Selo at the will of Nicholas II those surviving unchanged are the Feodorovsky Gorodok (currently under restoration) and the Martial Chamber (now the Museum of the History of the First World War).

The Martial Chamber, restored between 2011-2014

The architectural complex of buildings near the Feodorovsky Cathedral, which came into being as a result of the Sovereign’s artistic fantasies, reflected both the artistic search of Russian architects in the early 20th century and search for spiritual ideals of the time.

Artist concept of the Feodorovsky Gorodok after restoration

In 1913-1917 the Martial Chamber complex was built to the design of the architect S. Yu. Sidorchuk. At the start of the war against Germany in 1914 it was decided to open a portrait gallery of the holders of the St. George Cross in the Chamber building. In 1918 the Martial Chamber and the Feodorovsky Gorodok fell under the jurisdiction of the Agronomical (later Petersburg Agrarian) University. The art collections were divided among various museums in Leningrad. The buildings, damaged during World War II, are now under restoration (with the exception of the Tsar’s Railway Pavilion, which is currently in a terrible state of neglect and disrepair). Although this will work will take some years, several newly restored buildings of the Feodorovsky Gorodok have already become part of the Patriarchal residence of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral as it looks today. Russia’s first monument to
Nicholas II by the sculptor V.V. Zaiko, was established in the garden in 1993

The reconstructed iconostasis in the Upper Church of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

In 1991 the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral opened its doors to believers again. The entire complex of buildings closely connected with the Russian Orthodox Church and with the life of the last Russian Emperor has been taken in tutelage by the Moscow Patriarchate. It allocates funds for the restoration work. The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was reconsecrated on 29 February 1992. Regular liturgies are carried out in the Cave Church. Divine Liturgies are conducted in memory of the murdered Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia Nikolaevna, and Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. The last tsar is commemorated with a bronze bust established on the grounds of the Cathedral in 1993, by the Russian scukptor V.V. Zaiko.

Cossacks visit the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

Members of the Cossack Convoy of the Holy Tsar Passion-bearer Nicholas II at the
Monument to Nicholas II on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral
© Духовно-просветительский центр

On 8th October 2019, members of the Cossack Convoy of the Holy Tsar Passion-bearer Nicholas II organized a tour of St. Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo.

View of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral

Among the places visited by the Convoy was the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, which is situated near the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. The cathedral was constructed between 1909 – 1912 by order of Emperor Nicholas II to serve as the regimental church of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy.

The Cossacks also visited Russia’s first monument to Nicholas II, which was established on the grounds of the Cathedral on 19th May 1993, and consecrated on 16th July 1993. The bronze bust was created by the sculptor Victor Vladimirovich Zaiko (born 1944).

The bust was installed near a group of trees, planted by the Emperor and his family in 1909. Of the seven trees planted, only four have survived to the present day.

View of the dome and iconostasis of the Upper Church © Духовно-просветительский центр

View of the iconostasis of the Upper Church © Духовно-просветительский центр

View of the Upper Church © Духовно-просветительский центр

The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was closed from 1933 to 1991. When the building was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church in the spring of 1991, it was in a terrible state of neglect and disrepair. It took more than 20 years to restore the Cathedral to its historic original, including the magnificent iconostasis in the Upper Church, and the Lower Church, where the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna came to pray.

Seven Letters from the Past

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

Emperor Nicholas II. 2018 by Alexander Kondurov

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. 2018 by Alexander Kondurov

Back in July 2018, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo hosted a unique exhibition Seven Letters from the Past timed to the 100th anniversary of the murders of Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

The highlight of the exhibit were seven portraits of the Imperial family by the St. Petersburg artist Alexander Kondurov.

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna. 2018 by Alexander Kondurov

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna. 2018 by Alexander Kondurov

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. 2018 by Alexander Kondurov

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. 2018 by Alexander Kondurov

Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. 2018 by Alexander Kondurov

The artist depicted the faces and figures of members of the Imperial Family through the mutilated walls of the shooting room of the Ipatiev House, where they were all brutally murdered on 17th July 1918.

Each composition includes a facsimile passage from a letter written by the family member during their captivity in the “House of Special Purpose’ and the outline of a black window frame in which a cross is clearly seen.

Exhibitions showcasing Alexander Kondurovs’ paintings have been held in Russia, USA, Germany, Finland. The artist’s works are in museums and private collections.

The Murder of the Imperial Family. 2018
by Alexander Kondurov. Private collection