The most popular churches of Petrozavodsk.

Before the Revolution Petrozavodsk could show 20 churches and more than 10 chapels. 3 magnificent churches stood in Sobornaya square in the center of the city. Two cathedrals were lost in the fire of 1924. The Svyatodukhovsky (Holy Ghost) temple was blown up by communists in 1936. Almost all of the city temples and chapels perished in the years of oppression. Only two small cemetary churches have survived – the Krestovozdvizhenskaya (Exaltation of the Cross) and the Yekaterininskaya (St. Catherine’s). The current spiritual rise in the society is reflected in the process of restoration of the former Petrozavodsk temple culture, of a small part of its churches and chapels.

Learn more about Petrozavodsk

Alexandro-Nevsky Cathedral of Petrozavodsk

Since its foundation the history of Petrozavodsk has been connected with the name of St. Alexander Nevsky. In 1774 a new factory has been built and named after great prince Alexander Nevsky by Ekaterina the Second's decree. Idea of building a new church for the foundry workers appeared. Preparation for the construction was started in 1825. The main works were made by peasant's artels from different uyezds of Olonetsky province. They prepared building materials: stone, wood, lime. The works had been accomplished by September 8, 1831. The iconostasis works were made under the leadership of Kegsholm master Alexei Bobrov, the icons for a new temple were painted by an artist Alexander Chizhov. The temple, built in a style of Russian classicism, added the charm to the town and was one of the largest stone edifices in Petrozavodsk in the first half of XIX century

During the Soviet times the temple was closed down. In 1929 it was rendered to the museum of folklore. The museum had been located here till the decision of Minister Council of Karelian ASSR accepted in 1990. Fortunately for all orthodox believers this temple, though a bit reconstructed, was kept till present days. On July 30, 1996 the orthodox crosses were blessed by bishop of Petrozavodsk and Karelia Right Reverend Manuil. Alexandro- Nevsky church became a cathedral of Petrozavodsk and Karelian eparchy, and bishop's cathedral is also located here.

The monument of the architecture of the first half of XIX century has been restored, and now it's the main sacred place of orthodox Karelia and a decoration of our city.

Exaltation of the Lord’s Cross Cathedral 

The church was founded on July 16, 1848 at the place where the old wooden Krestovozdvizhenskaya church had been disassembled in 1847. The new construction was financed by a Petrozavodsk merchant Yefim Grigorievitch Pimenov and other philanthropists.

The church was consecrated on December 29, 1852 by archbishop of Olonets and Petrozavodsk Arcady. In the Soviet times, part of the property of Svyatodukhovsky (Holy Spirit) cathedral, which was blown up in the 30th, was transferred to the Exaltation of the Cross church. The temple was open until the beginning of the war and again was handed over to believers on October 31, 1944. The main holies of the temple are: honored icons of the Mother of God: "The Quickhearing", of Kazan’, and of Tikhvin – patronesses of Russian Northwest, an icon of St. Anthony the Roman with a particle of his relics.

The temple is now home for the sacred relics of St. Elisei of Sumy, the Solovets wonder-worker, withdrawn from St Nicholas church in Sumposad in July, 1929. Long time they had been stored in the Karelian state local lore museum funds and were handed over to the cathedral on June 26, 1990.About 30 meters from the temple there is an ancient eight-final cross. It was erected in 1725, the year of Peter I’s death, by the entrance gate of Petrovsky factory.

Church in the name of St. Katherine the Great Martyr

This small wooden temple was founded during the reign of Emperor Alexander II on 22 of May 1877 on Neglinskoye cemetery and constructed to honor the hundred-year anniversary of the renaming of Petrozavodskaya sloboda (settlement) into the town of Petrozavodsk by Empress Katherine II. Yegor Sofushkin, a Petrozavodsk merchant, offered a considerable sum of money for the construction. The temple was built according to the plans and under the supervision of the engineer and technologist, courts counsellor Michael Markov. The church was consecrated by bishop of Olonets and Petrozavodsk Palladium on January 8, 1878. In 1880 it was boarded and acquired the appearance, as we know it today.

In April 1922, more than 36 pounds of silver which icon lamps, censers, icon frameworks etc. contained were confiscated from the church under an order of the local authorities. Between 1938 and 1945 the church was occupied by a youth sports school. On July 5, 1945 the church of St. Katherine was returned to believers.

Meeting of the Lord Church (Purification of the Mother of God)

It was erected on a rocky cape in 1781 in place of the ancient Solomenskaya hermitage abolished in 1764. The church 1867 annals mention a leather belt with silk brushes, presented by czarevna (princess) Sofia Alekseevna. The tradition claims that it had been preserved in the church since the times of the hermitage.

During soviet times the temples were repeatedly closed, and the church property requisitioned. There is an inventory of the silver things belonging to Solomennoe churches in archive documents dating back to 1918. The Meeting church of the Zaozerie village soviet (council) of Prionezhsky district was closed on August 19, 1931 and reconstructed into a school.

In 1996, after a long break, the temple in the name of Meeting of God was again returned to the parish. November 24 the same year bishop of Petrozavodsk and Karelia Manuil conducted a water concecrating service to sanctify the beginning of reparatory works, and a Christmas Divine liturgy was served here on January 7, 1997.

Church of St. Panteleimon

That is one of the Petrozavodsk churches built nowadays. It is located in Drevlyanka area. The building was started in 2005 and finished in 2010. It has a brick construction that combines late Moscow style and elements of Northern architecture. There are ten bells in the church. Iconostasis was created by masters from famous center of Russian culture of Palekh.