The Museum community is asking the authorities “not to make the situation with Isaac in the end” – RIA Novosti

10:3713.01.2017

(updated: 10:45 13.01.2017)

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S.-PETERBURG, 13 Dec — RIA Novosti. the Creative Union of Museum workers of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region counts on the cooperation of the city authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church in the transmission of St. Isaac’s Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church, while, according to the Union, this decision may lead to the elimination of the Museum complex.

Previously, the press Secretary of the Governor of St. Petersburg Andrei Kibito said that this issue has been resolved in favor of the Church. According to Vice-Governor Mikhail Mokretsov, the legal status of the building of St. Isaac’s Cathedral will not change after its transfer to the gratuitous use of the Russian Orthodox Church, which can take less than three years. The Church, for her part, promises to expand Museum activities and to cancel the entrance fee to the Cathedral.

“in Spite of recent events, the Museum community of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region hopes that the administration of St. Petersburg and the Russian Orthodox Church will find opportunities in order to lead the situation to a deadlock. It seems to us that given the far from unambiguous assessment of the announced decisions resulting in elimination of one of the most successful museums of Russia, we will be able to continue to work together on finding the right path – the path of cooperation and collaboration, not confrontation,” reads the statement of the Presidium of the creative Union of Museum workers of the city and region.

As noted in the statement, the authors fear the destruction of the Isaac as a Museum-monument. “It is impossible not to ask the question, for what destroyed the Museum? That is destroyed, no doubt, as the work of any Museum is a work of his team, and it is clear that not all employees of public institutions of culture is ready to become employees of religious organizations”, — say representatives of the Museum community.

According to them, the state Museum “St. Isaac’s Cathedral” has, among other things, “the enduring sacred significance for several generations of Museum workers of Leningrad”, and its permanent exhibition “To remember” perceived as a monument to the heroism of the Museum in wartime.

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral was built in 1818-1858 years by architect Auguste Montferrand. Its height exceeds 100 meters, and the inner area — more than 4 thousand square meters. The Russian government handed over St. Isaac’s Cathedral property in St. Petersburg in October 2012. Three years later St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church appealed to the city authorities with the request to transfer the building of St. Isaac’s Cathedral for free use, but was refused. The city government then took the decision to maintain St. Isaac’s Cathedral in the operational management of the state Museum-monument “St. Isaac’s Cathedral”.

the Cathedral with a biblical name: the grandeur and opulence of Isaac

St. Isaac’s Cathedral in Saint-Petersburg – a unique monument of domestic architecture, one of the finest cathedrals in Europe.

the Grandeur of the temple define its dimensions: the height of 101.5 m; the length of 111.2 m; width of 97.6 meters. This is one of the architectural dominants of Saint-Petersburg and the second tallest building after the Cathedral.

the opening ceremony of the St. Isaac’s Cathedral took place in June 1858.

photo: view from the colonnade of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Mariinsky Palace (Legislative Assembly).

On the interior of the Cathedral they used 400 kg of gold and 16 tons of malachite, 500 kg lapis lazuli, and a thousand tons of bronze.

View from the colonnade of St. Isaac’s Cathedral the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Saint-Petersburg

the interior of the Cathedral presents all types of monumental-decorative art – painting, sculpture, mosaic, colored facing stone.

the Temple is decorated with statues of angels on the outer attic angels of light, of evangelists and apostles on the pediments of the porticoes. On the balustrade of the main dome there are 24 sculptures of angels and archangels.

the Temple has three altars: the Central – in the name of St. Isaac of Dalmatia; the left – hand side-chapel in the name of St. Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky; right – in the name of St. Catherine. A particularly venerated relic – the list of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God.

the Procession near St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

due To the fact that Isaac’s Cathedral was built unusually long, in St. Petersburg there were rumors about deliberate delay in the construction, as chief architect of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Auguste Montferrand, was allegedly predicted that he would be alive until the Cathedral is still under construction.

Multimedia 3D-mapping show “the Festival of Lights 2016″ on the facade of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

the Chairman of Department on interrelations of Church and society of St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Archpriest Alexander Pelin called the transfer of the Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church historical justice.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral in the use of the Russian Orthodox Church is the fulfillment not only of the wishes of the faithful, but also of provisions of Federal law, said the Chairman of legislative Assembly of Petersburg Vyacheslav Makarov.

Sending Isaac’s collection in the use of the ROC was supported by the film Director Vladimir Bortko. According to him, the historic structure was originally built as a Cathedral.

Press Secretary of the Governor of St. Petersburg Andrei Kibito promised that Isaac’s Cathedral, in any case will retain the Museum and educational functions.
In the communications sector St. Petersburg Archdiocese confirmed that the Cathedral after its transfer to ROC will be available for tours.

view of the Blagoveshchensky bridge and St. Isaac’s Cathedral at dawn in St. Petersburg.