Petersburg Places of Worship

Description

This subcollection from the William C. Brumfield Collection -- Photographs of Russian Architecture contains photographs of places of worship in St. Petersburg. As the former capital and one of the country’s most populous cities and religious centers, is dotted with houses of worship, including syangogues, mosques, and Buddhist temples as well as Catholic and Protestant churches. The Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, on the other hand, is a celebration of Neoclassicism in its purest form, with a facade and layout resembling the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. The Cathedral of St. Isaac is notable for its combination of Neoclassical style with eclectic and neo-Byzantine elements, producing a grand cathedral which unites a variety of traditionally Russian and Western styles in its facade. Despite their distinct approach to religious architecture, both cathedrals showcase Russian architectural principles of the 18th and 19th centuries.