Church of St. Catherine in Saint Petersburg
The Catholic Church of Saint Catherine is the oldest Catholic church in the Russian Federation and the only church with the title of basilica. It is located on the Nevsky Prospekt and is a part of the Archdiocese of Moscow headed by Msgr. Paolo Pezzi.
In 1738 Empress Anna granted permission for the church to erect a structure on Nevsky Prospekt, the main street of St. Petersburg.
The Catholic Church of St. Catherine is connected with many important personalities of Imperial Russia and other countries. In 1798, Stanisław II Augustus, the last king of Poland, was buried at the church, as was, in 1813, the French general Jean Victor Marie Moreau. One parishioner of the church was Auguste de Montferrand, who would go on to build the Saint Isaac's Cathedral. Auguste de Montferrand married in the church and later had a wake here before his wife took his coffin back to France. Even in Imperial Russia, several well-known aristocrats had accepted Catholicism.
The church was run by different monastic orders in its history. Originally run by Franciscans in 1800 Emperor Paul I turned the church over to the Jesuits. In 1815, the church was run by Dominicans, and finally, in 1892, the church ceased to be governed by an order and fell under the auspices of Diocesan priests, though a Dominican community remained at the church. On the eve of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the church membership numbered more than thirty thousand parishioners.
Under the Soviets, the activities of the church were repressed. The rector of St. Catherine's Church, Monsignor Konstantin Budkevich, was shot in the Lubyanka Prison on Easter Sunday, 1923. The church, however, remained open until 1938. In 1938 the church was closed and ransacked. Artifacts, icons, and books from the church's splendid library were thrown out to the street. The church was further damaged by a fire in 1947, that destroyed the internal decorations of the church and its organ.
For 30 years, the building was used only as storage space for the nearby Museum of History of Religion and of Atheism located in the former Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. In late 1970s plans were made to rebuild the church as an organ hall for the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. These plans were never completed, however, as the building was again ravaged by fire in 1984. Instead, the government used the building as offices and apartments.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Catholic Church in Russia began to operate once more in the early 1990s. In February 1992, city authorities decided to return the building to the Catholic Church. That same year, the church began rebuilding. According to the church, after being closed by the Soviets in 1938, a 20-year-old woman went into the ransacked temple and retrieved the crucifix out of the sanctuary. When the building was returned to the Catholic Church, she returned the crucifix. The first stage of restoration was finished by October 1992, with a temporary altar in place for worship. In October 1998 a Chapel of the Annunciation was opened. The main altar was completed and blessed in 2000. The restoration of most of the church was completed in 2003, and the central gates were opened. Restoration of the interior of the church is ongoing.
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Sony Action Cam FDR-X3000 -
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Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO HSM -
Russia and the Faith
– Most Catholics know about Our Lady of Fatima’s request that Russia be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart and about Her promise that Russia will be converted.
Nevertheless, very few Catholics know anything about this country that is supposed to play such a prominent role in future events. And this issue of The Angelus aims at filling that void.
The various articles talk about Russia’s religious history, treat of her prominent literary figures, and give an idea of the current religious and political climate. Also, the issue includes an overview of the Society of St. Pius X’s work in Russia – in the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. As Catholics we need to stay connected to our Faith, and a great way to do that is The Angelus.
To read The Angelus magazine, visit
Четвърти лекционен тур с Лъчезар Бояджиев - 22.10.2016
ВЪВЕДЕНИЕ В СЪВРЕМЕННОТО ИЗКУСТВО - СОФИЯ, 2016
ЛЕКЦИОННИ ТУРОВЕ С ЛЪЧЕЗАР БОЯДЖИЕВ
Четвърти лекционен тур - 22.10.2016
Тема на маршрута: Музея през „прозореца“ на града
На 22 октомври, се състоя последният четвърти лекционен тур от „Въведение в съвременното изкуство“, 2016 в София. Този път „обиколката“ на града бе на закрито – а именно в музея - Квадрат 500. Там участниците видяха колекцията през погледа на Лъчезар Бояджиев, който въз основа на конкретни произведения говори за града.
Лъчезар Бояджиев за последния четвърти лекционен тур:
Музеят през „прозореца” на града – ще ходим из Квадрата, но ще го гледаме през снимки от града!
Какво е съвремие и съ-временно? (Contemporaneity and con-temporary?)
Какво е „образ на времето”, който внушава един музей?
Какво е „експозиция” в града за разлика от експозицията в музея?
Защо градът и музеят не могат един без друг?
Защо София не е Скопие, и никога няма да бъде, въпреки че на онези, които „инвестират в идентичност” много им се иска?
Защо Квадрат 500 не е Лувъра и никога няма да бъде?
Защо въведението в съ-временното изкуство всъщност зависи изцяло от Вас?
Между другото ще стане дума и за:
- опакото на пространството;
- град и село;
- религия и бохема;
- идеология и форма;
- художници и бълдъзи;
- фотография и скулптура;
- живопис и днес.
Повече за Лекционните турове с Лъчезар Бояджиев и образователната платформа „Въведение в съвременното изкуство“:
„Въведение в съвременното изкуство“ е проект на фондация „Отворени изкуства“ и галерия SARIEV Contemporary.
Проектът „Въведение в съвременното изкуство“ 2016 – София е финансиран от Столична програма „Култура“ на Столична община за 2016 г.
С подкрепата на награда „Гауденц Б. Руф“
Партньор: Национална художествена галерия
Медийни партньори: @BG on Air, Виж София, егоист, Timeart.me, Stand.bg, Artnewscafe Bulletin
Камера и монтаж: Калин Серапионов
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„Въведение в съвременното изкуство” е проект на Фондация „Отворени изкуства” и Галерия SARIEV Contemporary.
Проектът „Въведение в съвременното изкуство” 2016 – София е финансиран от Столична програма „Култура” на Столична община за 2016 г.
С подкрепата на награда „Гауденц Б. Руф”.
Партньори: Национална художествена галерия
Медийни партньори: Виж! София, Timeart.me, Stand.bg, artnewscafé бюлетин, егоист.