Writes about St. Petersburg, its history, sights, museums and routes.
Historian and guide, specializing in St. Petersburg, Pavlovsk, and Tsarskoye Selo.
The Znamenskaya Church (Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign") is a temple and the oldest stone structure of the city that has survived to this day. Located at the very entrance to Catherine Park, it greets every tourist with its austere and elegant architecture in the Petrine Baroque style.
The history of the city's "first stone"
The history of the church began in 1734 by decree of the Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna. Before that, wooden churches stood on this site, which perished in fires and from lightning strikes. The project of the new stone shrine was developed by the architect Ivan Blank with the participation of Mikhail Zemtsov.
Interestingly, under Catherine II a formal porch with a balcony on four marble columns was added to the church. It was on this balcony, under a special canopy, that the empress listened to the liturgy during her summer holidays in Tsarskoye Selo.
The Znamenskaya Church and the miracle-working icon
For two centuries, the main treasure of the church was the Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" — the ancestral relic of the Romanovs.
Interesting facts about the icon:
On foot. When the icon was being moved from St. Petersburg in 1747, Elizabeth Petrovna walked the entire three-day journey, and for part of the way she carried the image in her own hands.
Saved from fire. In 1812 and 1863, when terrible fires broke out in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, the icon was carried out to meet the flames, and the wind instantly changed direction, saving the buildings.
Victory over cholera. In 1831, when an epidemic was raging in Russia, residents made a religious procession with the icon around the city, and the disease receded.
Today the church houses a copy of the famous image, created in the 20th century, while the historical original is kept in St. Petersburg.
Famous parishioners and what to see nearby
The Znamenskaya Church was a favorite place of prayer for many great people. Its parishioners included the historian Nikolai Karamzin and the poet Alexander Pushkin, who came here during his lyceum years. Later, Anna Akhmatova often visited and prayed here.
Location and surroundings: The church is located at: Pushkin, Dvortsovaya St., 5. Just a few steps away are: The Catherine Palace — a masterpiece of world Baroque. The Lyceum Garden with a monument to A.S. Pushkin. The Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.
To Pushkin for an excursion
You can feel the spirit of old Tsarskoye Selo and experience the history where eras changed only by visiting this beautiful town. It is best to do so on a tour from St. Petersburg in a comfortable bus with an experienced guide. You will also learn many interesting things about the surroundings of St. Petersburg.
Excursion to Pushkin from Saint Petersburg
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