London's Big Ben, the Prague Eagle, the Kremlin chimes and many of their equally famous counterparts in the "watch shop" in many cities around the world adorn towers, palaces, stations and squares. And they do not just decorate, but help the ever-hurrying residents of megacities to find out the most accurate (well, or almost exact) time. Of course, the Northern capital of Russia can rightfully be proud of the masterpieces of watchmaking masters - both ancient and quite modern. Let's name the most famous chimes of present-day St. Petersburg.

Clock of the Peter and Paul Cathedral

It was here, in the Peter and Paul Fortress, on the now non-existent wooden church in 1704 that the first outdoor mechanical clock in Russia appeared, the mechanism for which was made by the Russian master Nikifor Arkhipov. These were “still those” chimes - their main bell beat the time every hour, and weighed more than two hundred pounds. But Peter, who prefers everything European, replaced this clock in 1720 with a clock brought from Holland, with 35 bells. But, alas, they died in a fire in 1756, along with the bell tower on which they were installed.

However, the Peter and Paul Fortress did not remain without chimes. In 1760, in Holland, a new watch was bought from master Bernard Oort Krase, which was delivered to St. Petersburg. True, they were installed only in 1776. And since that time, the inhabitants of St. Petersburg began to hear (and still hear) their famous chimes.

I must say that the clock worked properly, being repaired only in 1858 and 1906. But after the October Revolution, they stopped, not submitting to the "revolutionary will", which tried to impose on them the execution of the "Internationale". This had to be done in 1937. In 1947, the chimes, which had suffered during the war, were repaired, the steeplejacks carried out work to automate their "factory", which until that time was carried out manually once a day. And from 1952 to 1989, the clock played the anthem of the USSR: at 6, 12, 18 hours and at midnight. Then they were silent for more than a dozen years, beating only time and quarter chimes.

And in 2002, over the Peter and Paul Fortress, the melodies originally intended for watches sounded again: “How glorious is our Lord in Zion” and the anthem of the Russian Empire (1833-1917) “God save the Tsar, strong, sovereign, reign for glory ...”.

Where are: Peter and Paul Fortress, Cathedral Square, 1

Clock on the tower of the Main Admiralty

In 1711, a clock appeared on the tower of the Main Admiralty, which served the city faithfully for more than a century. And the clock we know today, made by the well-known St. Petersburg firm Friedrich Winter, was installed only in 1869. Then the mechanism in the clock was connected to the bells that chimed. So it was in the full sense of the word chimes. Their mechanism worked until 1907, the time when it was stopped in order to connect the dial to new electrical devices.

During the blockade, the clock on the tower of the Main Admiralty did not work. But already in 1944, their shooters "ran" again. It should be noted that these clocks are perceived rather than as a means of telling the residents of the city the exact time, but as a wonderful element of decor, just like the clock on the pediment of the Winter Palace.

Where are: Admiralteisky pr., 1.

Clock on the tower of the City Council

According to some reports, the tower erected by Giacomo Ferrari already initially had a clock. Which ones are unknown. It is only known that when F. Trepov, who held the position of mayor in the 70s of the 19th century, suddenly decided to organize night lighting of these clocks, they were examined and found out that the clock had fallen into absolute disrepair. And this means that they urgently needed to be replaced with new ones.

New chimes in June 1883 and ordered the master Friedrich Winter. The contract was such that if the clock made by the watchmaker began to fall behind by more than two minutes per month, he was to be fined. Winter himself wound up the watch mechanism - for 50 rubles a year. The chimes "celebrated" not only every hour, but also "quarter", that is, 15 minutes. The clock was distinguished by its precise movement and melodic chime of bells.

It is known that the clock was repaired several times, but already in Soviet time. The state of emergency was also connected with them, which the newspapers of that time dubbed "the clinical death of the main Leningrad avenue." This is when one drunken comrade entered the clock tower and for some reason unscrewed the nut from the clock mechanism. The nut was put back in place.

But today the clock on the tower is still running, and with a rate deviation of no more than 30 seconds per week. And this is despite the fact that the current mechanism basically retained the old design. The clock is still driven by a chain structure with weights located in a 20-meter-deep shaft. One "factory" watch is enough for a week. Moreover, even today you can hear the sound of these chimes. True, at a very close distance. After all, today's Nevsky is far from the quietest place.

Where are: Nevsky prospect, 33/Dumskaya street, 1-3

Clock on the arch of the General Staff Building

It is impossible to ignore the city clock under the arch of the General Staff building due to their history and uniqueness. They were installed in 1890 as mechanical by the same firm "F. Winter. But with the advent of the new century, their fate changed dramatically. In 1900, Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev, who was the custodian scientist for the Main Chamber of Measures and Weights, proposed to install an electric mechanism in this clock, synchronized with the reference clock of the Main Chamber of Weights and Measures. This project has been implemented. The synchronizing electrical signal was transmitted over a specially laid cable several kilometers long.

It should be noted that the modern clock on the arch of the General Staff building has a Swiss mechanism, donated to the city for the 300th anniversary. Two huge dials, 2 meters in diameter each, are today an adornment of the Northern capital and another opportunity for St. Petersburg residents and guests of the city to “check their watches”.

Where are: Palace Square, 6-10.

Clock on the tower of the Moscow railway station

Where else is a watch always urgently needed? That's right - at the station. And when in 1851 the construction of the Nikolayevsky (later Moskovsky) Station, erected for the needs of the railway connecting St. Petersburg and Moscow, was completed, it became obvious that a very important architectural accent in the appearance of the new building is the quadrangular tower above the entrance. Of course, with a watch on it. By the way, the clockwork with the bell was made by the same notorious firm “F. Winter. To all those who were late for the train, the clock tower not only indicated exact time but also the direction of the main entrance.

Where are: Nevsky prospect, 85.

Clock on the tower of Vitebsk railway station

When in 1904, according to the project of the academician of architecture S.A. Brzhozovsky, a modern building of the Vitebsk railway station was built in the “modern” style, then the “clock tower” was also not forgotten, and, of course, the clock on it. It adorns the left side of the main, northern, facade of the building overlooking Zagorodny Prospekt. In the niches of the tower, owls comfortably “settled down”, spreading their wings over the clock faces.

Where are: Zagorodny avenue, 52.

Electronic clock-barometer on Malaya Konyushennaya

This miracle mechanism appeared quite recently - only at the end of the 90s of the last century - at the time when Malaya Konyushennaya Street was being equipped, turning it into a pedestrian zone. This modern watch is so charming that it certainly deserves attention. In addition, they are also unique, as their elegant cabinet contains a barometer, thermometer and clock at the same time.

Where are: st. Malaya Konyushennaya.

Clock-fountain "Flood"

As a matter of fact, this is not a city clock in its purest form, since it is not located on a building, street or square, but in the atrium of the Petrovsky Fort business center. But this is a unique clock of our city! Therefore, we simply cannot pass by them.

So, the fountain clock "Flood", having a dial diameter of 6 m, was made by the company "Chronotron" for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg and installed in 2003 in the newly opened business center "Petrovsky Fort". The design of the “Flood” watch was developed by the honored architect of Russia V. Struzman, the chief artist of St. Petersburg I. Uralov, as well as architects V. Shprits, A. Mikhalev, artists S. Repin, V. Sukhov, N. Fomin.

In fact, we have a fountain in front of us: the clock itself is installed in its bowl at an angle of 13 degrees to the horizon in such a way that part of the rotating map of St. It is believed that this is the largest clock in the world. Until now, the clock in Maruyama Park (Kasai, Japan) was considered the largest.

Where are: business center "Petrovsky Fort", the intersection of Pirogovskaya embankment and Finlyandsky prospect.

St. Petersburg as an unsurpassed city in the world with an interesting history, an abundance of cultural values ​​and attractions, including the Peter and Paul Cathedral with its famous chimes.

St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Thousands of tourists from different countries rush to get acquainted with its history, cultural property, sights, unique monuments of architecture. The abundance of theaters, art exhibitions, galleries, museums impresses to the core and delights.

During a trip to St. Petersburg, tourists admire the Peter and Paul Cathedral - the tomb of Russian emperors. The famous cathedral has a fascinating history, no less interesting is the chimes that adorn its tower.

* In 1704, Nikifor Arkhipov's chimes, installed on the village bell tower of the Peter and Paul Church in the Peter and Paul Fortress, became the first mechanical clock in the city. Chimes today

The first chimes were created by the Russian master Nikifor Arkhipov for a temporary bell tower made of wood, installed in 1704 in its upper part. Until that time, there was no tradition to equip towers with clocks. Peter I introduces an innovation borrowed from Europe.

When the majestic stone Peter and Paul Cathedral was erected in 1733 on the site of a wooden turret, designed by the architect D. Trezzini, Peter I in Holland purchased unique chimes for crazy money and installed them according to his decree. At the beginning of the 18th century, the original clock was considered a real miracle, it was the largest in St. Petersburg. But they soon burned down in a fire. The new clock, made in Holland by master Oort Krase, was put in place of the old one only 13 years later, when the tower was completely restored after a fire in 1773. The clock mechanism of the chimes of the Dutch master Oort Kras (the watch itself was bought for 45,000 rubles - just a huge amount for those times)

* photo: dedmaxopka.livejournal.com

Those who travel around the most beautiful Russian city are happy to accommodate numerous hotels in their cozy rooms, among them the atrium hotel st. petersburg is considered a city with a high culture of service, the hotel staff is professional and friendly. The hotel equipment is modern, made according to the latest hospitality industry, there is everything you need for a good rest. Rooms can be booked online.

It offers a variety of hotels in any area of ​​the city, they offer elite rooms, economy and middle class. Tourists who prefer mini hotels in st. petersburg pay inexpensively for high level service and comfortable accommodation.

The famous chimes were modernized several times, they were supplemented with minute hands, pendulums, and musical devices. In the second half of the 19th century, the chimes played the 3rd Russian anthem, written by D. Bortnyansky. Until now, this immortal melody sounds every hour, bells strike every quarter of an hour, at noon and at 18 o’clock the anthem of the Russian Empire (1833-1917) is heard: “God save the Tsar, strong, sovereign, reign for glory ...”

Twice in its history, the clock has stopped at long time. This happened during the periods of the 1917 revolution and the Great Patriotic War.

Charitable wall newspaper for schoolchildren, parents and teachers of St. Petersburg "Briefly and clearly about the most interesting". Issue No. 72 (Curious Petersburg, part 5), February 2015

Peter and Paul Cathedral

Wall newspapers of the charitable educational project "Briefly and clearly about the most interesting" (site site) are intended for schoolchildren, parents and teachers of St. Petersburg. They ship for free to most educational institutions, as well as to a number of hospitals, orphanages and other institutions of the city. The publications of the project do not contain any advertising (only logos of the founders), politically and religiously neutral, written in easy language, well illustrated. They are conceived as an information "slowdown" of students, the awakening of cognitive activity and the desire to read. Authors and publishers, without claiming to be academically complete in the presentation of the material, publish Interesting Facts, illustrations, interviews with well-known figures of science and culture and hope thereby to increase the interest of schoolchildren in educational process. Please send comments and suggestions to: [email protected] We thank the Department of Education of the Administration of the Kirovsky District of St. Petersburg and everyone who selflessly helps in distributing our wall newspapers. Special thanks to Olga Vladimirovna Skorobogataya, Head of the Public Relations Department of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, for her invaluable help in creating this issue.

Dear friends! We dedicated the fifth issue of the Curious Petersburg series to the “heart” of our city – the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The staff of one of the largest historical museums in Russia, the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, helped us to prepare this newspaper (as well as the previous issue of the series dedicated to Hare Island). Its main "exhibit" is a unique monument of history, architecture and fortification art of the 18th-20th centuries - the Peter and Paul Fortress.

18th century

The fortress "Saint Petersburg" (as the Peter and Paul Fortress was originally called) was founded on May 27 (May 16, according to the old style), 1703, on the small Hare Island in the Neva delta. The fortress was built "with great haste" to defend Russian lands captured by Sweden in the 17th century and recaptured during the Great Northern War of 1700-1721.
The legend set forth in the manuscript “On the conception and building of the reigning city of St. Petersburg” (the name of our city was then written in one word) describes this significant event as follows: the island to the building of the city (this island was then empty and overgrown with forest, and was called Luistrand, that is, the Merry Island). When he entered the middle of that island, he felt a noise in the air, saw an eagle soaring, and the noise from the soaring of its wings was heard. Taking a baguinet (bayonet) from a soldier and cutting out two sods, he laid the sod on the sod crosswise and, having made a cross out of wood, deigned to say: “In the name of Jesus Christ, in this place there will be a church in the name of the chief apostles Peter and Paul.”
It is further indicated that on May 16, the king, having dug a ditch, hoisted a stone box into it and “deigned to put a golden ark in that ditch, in it the relics of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and cover it with a stone lid, on which it was carved: “After the incarnation of Jesus Christ 1703, May 16, the reigning city of St. Petersburg was founded by the great Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, autocrat of all Russia. Peter I dreamed that under the auspices of the Apostle Andrew, the new Russian capital would receive the same glory as Rome, the city of the Apostle Peter, brother of Andrew.

One of the first images of the fortress on Zayachy Island (from the educational tables of the Navigation School in Moscow; compiled by Vasily Kipriyanov, 1705). “In the middle of the fortress, right next to the canal, stands a small but beautiful wooden Russian church.”

On June 29, the day of Saints Peter and Paul, Peter I founded a wooden church in the center of the fortress. On April 1, 1704, Metropolitan Job of Novgorod and Velikolutsk consecrated it in the name of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (their memory is celebrated on the same day, and for their special merits in the work of Christian preaching, only they received the title of “first supreme”). Thus, like the new city itself, the temple received the name of the Holy Apostle Peter - the heavenly patron of the king.
One of the first descriptions of the church dates back to 1710: “In the middle of the fortress, close to the canal, there is a small but beautiful wooden Russian church with one graceful pointed tower in the Dutch style. Upstairs in the tower hang several bells, which, touched by a human hand, every hour perform a harmonious bell ringing ... A person, in the absence of a clockwork, manually strikes a certain bell in accordance with the number of hours, indicates the time.
In 1709-1710, after the victory in the Battle of Poltava (1709), the decisive battle of the Northern War, which ended in the complete defeat of the Swedish army, the temple was expanded by adding two chapels topped with spiers. The temple was painted "under the stone appearance of yellow marble."

The Peter and Paul Cathedral (center) and two of several of its prototypes - the Church of St. Nicholas in Copenhagen (left) and the Church of St. Peter in Riga (right).

On June 8, 1712, on the Trinity Day (on the same holiday that the foundation of the fortress was timed to coincide with), next to the wooden fortress, Peter laid the stone Peter and Paul Cathedral. Since St. Petersburg became the capital of the Russian state in 1712, the cathedral from the very beginning of its construction was perceived as one of the main temples of Russia. The cathedral was built according to the project of the outstanding St. Petersburg architect, Swiss Domenico Trezzini. This building is one of the most significant monuments of the Petrine era, a symbol of the establishment of a new capital on the shores of the Baltic. The cathedral is the most expressive example of the early Russian baroque, which is also called "Peter's". This style was formed together with St. Petersburg, absorbing European architectural traditions. Before Peter the Great, such Orthodox churches were not built in Russia. Interestingly, the construction was carried out in such a way that the original wooden church remained inside the new building. It was dismantled only in 1719 and moved to the St. Petersburg side in the soldier's settlement, where it stood until 1806.

Facade of the wooden church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul 1703”, unknown artist. Illustration from the book: Novoselov S.K. Description of the Cathedral in the name of the Holy Primate Apostles Peter and Paul. St. Petersburg, 1857

Peter I attached particular importance to the construction of the bell tower. The bell tower in the church tradition is a tower attached to the temple (or located nearby) and specially designed for bells. AT ancient Russia instead of bell towers, stone belfry walls were built, later they were replaced by free-standing tiered bell towers. Only in the 18th century in Russia did the bell towers become part of the temple. Peter strove to erect a building of unprecedented height and solemnity in the young capital as soon as possible. It was from the bell tower crowned with a high pointed spire that the construction of the Peter and Paul Cathedral began. “The bell tower,” Peter hurried the builders, “finish it as soon as possible, so that next year it will be possible to put a clock on it, and gradually build the church.”

One of the first images of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Fragment of the Panorama of St. Petersburg. Engraving by Alexei Zubov, 1716.

By 1719, the wooden spire of the bell tower had soared to a height of 106 meters, significantly surpassing the most significant structure of this type in Russia (and in everything Orthodox world) - the bell tower of Ivan the Great in the Moscow Kremlin. It is known that Peter I even thought about creating an elevator in the bell tower. By 1724, the supporting structures of the spire were completely sheathed on the outside. “The fortress church,” wrote an eyewitness, “has a bell tower in a new style, covered with copper, brightly gilded sheets, which are unusually good in sunlight.” The wooden structures of the spire were installed by Harman van Bolos, a craftsman invited by Peter I from Holland. The word "spire" itself is of Dutch origin. At the very top, a ball of gilded copper, similar to a large apple, was strengthened. This decorative detail that completes the spire or dome of a building is usually called an apple. According to the drawing and model of Trezzini, a copper cross with the figure of an Angel was made and installed on the spire, which became one of the most important symbols northern capital.

Angel on the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Drawing by Domenico Trezzini, 1722. This was the first angel hovering over St. Petersburg from 1724 to 1756.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral was created in one of the most important periods of Russian history of modern times. In 1721, the Northern War ended, the Treaty of Nystadt, victorious for Russia, was signed, and Peter I was solemnly presented with the title of father of the Fatherland and the great emperor. These historical events determined the special splendor and grandeur interior decoration temple, which is as unusual for traditional Russian church architecture as its external appearance. For a long time, the Peter and Paul Cathedral was a kind of monument to the glory of Russian weapons: trophy banners, keys to cities and fortresses taken by Russian troops were kept here (at the beginning of the 20th century, these relics were transferred to the Hermitage, and copies of Swedish and Turkish banners remained in the cathedral, which can be seen and today).
In 1720, a chiming clock and a carillon with 35 bells purchased by Peter I in Amsterdam for a fabulous sum (45 thousand rubles) appeared on the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Chimes - a clock with a musical mechanism that plays a simple melody. The word "chimes" arose from the name of the French dance "danse kurat", very popular in the old days. This melody sounded from the tower clocks of the town halls of European cities. In Russia, chimes first appeared in the 15th century on the towers of the Moscow Kremlin, and in St. Petersburg - on the bell tower of the Trinity Church (destroyed in 1933). “Greenly clever” chimes “played by themselves every half an hour, set in motion by a large iron machine with a copper shaft,” and issued a chime unheard of in Russia.
Carillon (from the French word for "chime") is a musical instrument consisting of a set of bells and a keyboard resembling that of an organ, "a colossus that is controlled by hands and feet." Each key (more like a handle) is connected to the tongue of "its own" bell with a long wire. AT Western Europe"bell music" was most widespread in the Middle Ages. The first carillon in Russia was placed on the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. A specially trained "bell player" performed musical pieces on the carillon every morning.
In 1725, on the second tier of the bell tower (at a height of 42 meters), in addition to the carillon, a Russian belfry was installed. This open area with bells is a must for an Orthodox church. The ringing of the bell calls the faithful to prayer. Such a ringing is called "blagovest" - they proclaim the good, good news about the beginning of worship. Under Peter I, when the Peter and Paul Cathedral was the main temple of St. Petersburg, the bells heard from its bell tower served as a signal for the beginning of the bell ringing in all St. Petersburg churches. Bells also express grief for the deceased on the day of the funeral. Since the Peter and Paul Cathedral became the tomb of the Romanov dynasty during the life of Peter I, the ringing of bells always sounded during the burial of Russian emperors and members of the reigning dynasty.

Iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In 1729, a gilded wooden iconostasis was installed in the cathedral, giving its interior decoration a particularly solemn character. It is rightfully considered an unsurpassed example of Russian baroque carving (the sketch of the iconostasis was presumably made by Domenico Trezzini himself). Under the guidance of the outstanding Russian artist and architect Ivan Zarudny, it was made in Moscow by the masters of the Kremlin Armory, transported in parts to St. Petersburg and installed in the cathedral in 1729. The iconostasis is a special partition with icons (“wall for icons” in Greek), which separates the altar from the rest of the Orthodox church and symbolizes the border between the earthly world and the heavenly world. Tall multi-tiered iconostases, consisting of five or more rows of icons, became widespread in Russian church architecture of the 16th-17th centuries. However, the iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is not similar to the iconostasis of the pre-Petrine time. In its composition, it is close to the triumphal buildings erected under Peter I in honor of the victories of Russian weapons. There are no horizontal rows of icons here, and the central part is designed in the form of a majestic triumphal arch, which is thrown over the central doors of the iconostasis - the Royal Doors - and rises into the domed space to a height of almost 20 meters.
Above the royal doors, located in the very center of the iconostasis, are crossed keys. These attributes of the Apostle Peter - the keys to paradise, as well as an element of the coat of arms of Rome (the city of St. Peter) - remind us that St. Petersburg is the "third Rome". In the Petrine era, such an image could be interpreted as symbolic keys to the Baltic and the new capital of Russia, which became its sea gates.
Icon cases (special cabinets) contain 43 icons painted in 1727-1729 by Moscow masters. The icons constitute a single art cycle, the thematic program of which was most likely developed by Archbishop Feofan (Prokopovich). Among the main themes of this program is the glorification of the deeds of Peter I and the idea of ​​the triumph of Russian statehood.

The figure of the Holy Apostle Peter on the iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Shortly before the consecration of the cathedral, a pulpit was installed at one of the pylons (a pillar that serves as a support for the vaulted ceilings). It should be noted that in Orthodox churches the practice of reading sermons from special pulpits did not exist before Peter I. The pulpit is decorated with paintings from the Old and New Testaments, wooden gilded sculptures of the apostles Peter and Paul.
At the opposite pylon is royal place- a low platform, upholstered in crimson velvet, where the emperor prayed during the service. Above the platform are images of imperial regalia - a crown, a sword and a scepter. By tradition, Russian emperors came to the Peter and Paul Cathedral after the coronation - to ask for blessings for the kingdom, and when leaving the capital - to say goodbye to the graves of their parents.

The burial place of Peter I. On the tombstone there are commemorative medals, on the wall is the sculptural group “Lamentation of Christ”, donated to the cathedral by the wife of Emperor Catherine I as a token of grief for her deceased husband. Her grave is in the foreground.

Peter I did not see the Peter and Paul Cathedral in all its splendor - on January 28, 1725, the emperor died suddenly, having caught a cold during a flood. The coffin with his embalmed body was placed in a temporary wooden chapel built by Domenico Trezzini inside the temple under construction, where, surrounded by candles, coats of arms and banners, he stood for six years. Later, a coffin with the body of his wife Catherine was placed nearby. In 1731, upon completion of the construction of the temple, Peter I and Catherine were buried near the southern wall in front of the altar. Even during the life of Peter I, his children, who died in infancy, were buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and his wife (Princess Charlotte-Christina-Sophia), the sister of Peter I (Maria Alekseevna) and his daughter-in-law (Tsarina Marfa Matveevna, wife of Peter's half-brother I - Tsar Fedor Alekseevich). Thus, even before the completion of construction, the cathedral became a necropolis. Necropolis in Greek means "city of the dead". So in ancient times a large burial complex, a large cemetery was called. Over time, this word acquired another meaning - the place where famous people. The ashes of many representatives of the Romanov dynasty, primarily Russian emperors and empresses, are buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, with the exception of Peter II (buried in Moscow) and John VI (burial place unknown).
At the eastern wall of the cathedral there is another necropolis - the Commandant's cemetery. Here they buried the commandants of St. Petersburg and the Peter and Paul Fortress (until 1796 it was a single position), who died at their post.

"The Great Fire in the City of Petersburg in 1737". German engraving. On the left side of the engraving is the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

No less a threat than floods for St. Petersburg has always been a fiery element. The fire destroyed palaces and temples, residential quarters and gostiny yards, factories and barges, carried away human lives. So, in 1737, a fire broke out on the Admiralty side, turning into ashes more than a thousand residential buildings from the source of the Moika to the Green Bridge. In 1756, during a night thunderstorm, the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral caught fire. The tallest building in St. Petersburg was built at a time when lightning rods had not yet been invented, and more than once suffered from lightning strikes. The summer thunderstorm of 1756 turned out to be fatal, not only the wooden spire with the figure of an Angel and the clock burned down, but also the roof of the cathedral. The bells melted. Unable to withstand the heat, the upper tiers of the bell tower and the dome collapsed. The iconostasis, thanks to its collapsible design, was able to be taken out in parts.
Restoration work dragged on for several decades. In 1757, instead of the original wooden dome, a new brick dome was erected over the altar, topped with an onion dome. The new gable roof was made from iron rafters laid on brick arches.

In 1764, by decree of Empress Catherine II, a competition was announced for the project of restoring the bell tower. In particular, prominent Russian architects Yuri Felten and Savva Chevakinsky took part in it. However, having considered the projects they proposed, the empress ordered the construction of the bell tower "exactly as it was, because all other plans are not so beautiful." The work was carried out under the guidance of engineer Harman van Bolos. A new wooden spire, sheathed with gilded copper sheets, was recreated by 1773, and the figure of the second Angel, recreated in its former form, was installed on its top.

View of the city through the dial of the clock tower.

The new clock mechanism and carillon, instead of the burnt ones, were made and delivered to St. Petersburg by the famous Dutch master Ortho Crass. Their assembly at a height of 62 meters was carried out only in 1776 by the watchmaker I. Rediger. At the same time, beautiful round dials with Roman numerals were installed on the four cardinal points. The diameter of each such dial is two meters! The word dial is German and means any panel with numbers. The dial can be not only in watches, but also in other devices, for example, in scales. In the old days, the accuracy of time was not monitored as much as it is now, so the clock faces on the bell tower had only one - hour - hand. The new carillon chimes already had 38 bells, which made it possible to perform more complex melodies.
By 1777, the first lightning rod appeared on the bell tower. Back in the 1750s, it became known in Russia about the experiments of the American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin to create lightning protection. In 1772, Catherine II ordered the device of "an electric tap to avert a blow and burning, from what is happening lightning." How to install it was decided by scientists from the Academy of Sciences under the guidance of academician Leonhard Euler. Finally, in the summer of 1775, the plumbing and blacksmithing craftsmen set to work. Along the spire and wall of the cathedral, from the cross to the ground, an iron rod was laid, the end of which was lowered into the water of the canal.
In 1777 there was a "great storm". From the onslaught of a hurricane wind, the figure of the Angel bent, and the wings came off. To avoid such troubles in the future, we decided to reduce the weight of the Angel and arrange it so that the center of gravity of the figure coincided with the axis of the spire. The new sketch was developed by the architect Antonio Rinaldi according to the principles of classicism. This, the third in a row, Angel - of our usual form - was installed on a spire in 1778 and hovered over the city for forty years.

19th century

Ascent of Peter Telushkin to the spire of the bell tower. From an engraving from the early 1830s.

In 1829, the storm again badly damaged the cross, and the wing of the Angel broke off (which almost fell on the commandant of the fortress). In order to make repairs, it was necessary to build expensive scaffolding around the bell tower. The talented Yaroslavl roofer Pyotr Telushkin decided to undertake the repair. He managed to climb the spire without erecting scaffolding, but only "by the ingenious use of complex rope loops and resorting to very resourceful tricks." In 1830, for six weeks, to the enthusiastic exclamations of onlookers, he climbed the rope ladder every day to the top of the spire and single-handedly returned the figure of the Angel to its correct position and attached the wing. This repair went down in history as an example of Russian ingenuity and courage.

View of the Neva and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Watercolor by Vasily Sadovnikov, 1847.
The spiral staircase inside the spire, gradually narrowing, rises to 2/3 of the height of the spire and ends with a small door "to the street". Further to the Angel you can only climb the outer ladder.

In 1834 the cross tilted again. It turned out that the wooden structures of the spire began to rot. Restoration work has been delayed for a long time. Finally, in 1856, Emperor Alexander II expressed his consent to the construction of a new spire. Engineer Dmitry Zhuravsky was appointed its chief builder. He designed an unusually light metal frame for such a massive structure in the form of an octagonal pyramid. The supporting structures were erected in 1858. The supports of eight ribs of the frame were reinforced in the brickwork of the bell tower. Outside, the spire was covered with copper sheets, gilded by the mercury-galvanic method under the guidance of the famous St. Petersburg chemist, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences, Heinrich Struve. A spiral staircase was arranged inside the spire. A six-meter cross with a new figure of an Angel (height - 3.2 meters, wingspan - 3.8 meters) rose above the apple (its diameter is 1.6 meters). This fourth figure of the Angel has survived to this day. After the installation of a new spire, the total height of the bell tower increased to 122.5 meters. The Peter and Paul Cathedral acquired its modern look.

Figurines of cherubs on the bell tower.

At the very top of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, under the dome with a clock, you can see interesting decorations in the form of heads of chubby babies with wings. These are cherubs - a decorative motif that appeared in Western European architecture in the 15th century and later became widespread. Cherubim can also be seen inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral. According to Christian beliefs, cherubs are guardian angels. According to popular beliefs, cherubs are the souls of dead children. In the form of cherubs, they sometimes make decorations for Christmas trees or for Easter willows.
Simultaneously with the alteration of the spire in 1858, the tower clock was restored. Moscow craftsmen, brothers Nikolai and Ivan Butenop, repaired the tower clock and modernized the mechanism by adding minute hands to the dials (there were none before). The carillon, which was worn out and fell silent by 1840, was not restored. The chimes tuned in to the performance of the church hymn by Dmitry Bortnyansky "How glorious is our Lord in Zion." >

20th century

This is how the "playing mechanism" of the chimes looks like.

In 1906, the repertoire of the tower clock of the Peter and Paul Cathedral was replenished with the national anthem Russian Empire"God Save the Tsar", written by composer Alexei Lvov. The chimes called the anthem twice - at noon and at midnight, and every quarter of an hour they sang "Kol is glorious ...". At the same time, 27 new bells cast at the Gatchina factory were installed on the Russian belfry (the third tier of the bell tower, 42 meters high from the base of the cathedral). The largest of them weighed 4.8 tons, 400 soldiers of the Peter and Paul Fortress garrison took part in its lifting.

Bronze clock bell before climbing the belfry of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Photo of Karl Bulla - "the father of Russian photo reporting", 1905.

In 1897-1908, the Grand Duke's tomb was built next to the cathedral (since there was no more room for burials in the cathedral itself). The word "tomb" is associated with the attitude to death as a dream and a transition to another world. In the Christian world, the custom was widespread to bury representatives of the ruling dynasties in temples. Until the 18th century, when Moscow was the capital of Russia, the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin served as the tomb of the Grand Dukes of Moscow, and later of Russian tsars. With the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg, the Peter and Paul Cathedral became the imperial tomb. It was decided to bury only uncrowned members of the imperial family - brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren of the emperor in the Grand Duke's burial vault. Before the outbreak of the First World War, eight graves from the cathedral were moved there and five more grand dukes were buried there. In total, there are 60 crypts in the tomb. The traditional Orthodox burial rite was supplemented by secular mourning ceremonies, mostly borrowed from the Protestant German states. In the new ritual, a special role was assigned to the solemn funeral procession, which accompanied the coffin with the body of the deceased to the Peter and Paul Cathedral to the sound of the bells of all the churches of the city and the incessant cannon fire from the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Grand Duke's tomb.

In 1900-1907, a separate entrance was arranged to the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Grand Duke's tomb, intended for the imperial family. It was arranged during the construction of a gallery connecting the cathedral and the tomb, designed by Leonty Benois. He was also the author of the metal fence installed in front of the Tsar's entrance from the Cathedral Square. As a model, on the personal instructions of Emperor Nicholas II, the famous lattice of the Summer Garden was chosen. The artist Nikolai Kharlamov created four mosaics that adorned the facades of the Grand Duke's Tomb - the images of the Iveron, Kazan and Feodorovskaya Mother of God, as well as the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the entrance to the gallery of the Grand Duke's Tomb. According to the drawing of the artist Nikolai Bruni, the stained-glass window "The Resurrection of Christ" was made.

Lithograph "Peter and Paul Fortress" from the album "Petersburg in 1921". Artist Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, 1923.

In September 1917, even under the Provisional Government, 31 boxes with the property of the cathedral were taken from Petrograd to Moscow: utensils, icons, church vestments, gold and silver wreaths, books. Many values ​​irretrievably disappeared after the Bolsheviks came to power. Nowadays, only a few items that were kept in the Peter and Paul Cathedral are in the museum collections of Moscow (the armory) and St. Petersburg (the Hermitage, the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg). The interior decoration of the Grand Duke's tomb was destroyed, the marble tombstones were broken.
Divine services were stopped, in 1919 the cathedral was closed, in 1922 it was transferred to Glavnauka, and in 1926 to the Museum of the Revolution. The chimes and bells of the Peter and Paul Cathedral fell silent for a long time. An attempt made in 1937 to set them up for the performance of the "Internationale" failed, some of the bells were machined and damaged. In the 1930s, even consideration was given to replacing the belfry's spire angel with a ruby ​​star. They managed to draw up documents for this project, but because of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, they did not manage to complete this work.
Although back in 1918 the cathedral was taken under state protection as a monument of history and culture, the building was not heated or repaired, and by 1939 its condition had become “threatening to be visited by workers”.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Peter and Paul Cathedral was badly damaged. Despite the fact that the spire was painted over with gray ship paint by climbers, and the Angel was covered with burlap, the bell tower was a noticeable landmark for Nazi artillery and aviation. One of the bombs that exploded on the territory of the fortress damaged the spire of the cathedral with fragments, and the dials were carried out of the nests by the blast wave. The altar stained-glass window of Nikolai Bruni was knocked out by the blast.

The bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, marked in the photograph as a target for Nazi cannons.

The restoration of the destruction caused by the Great Patriotic War dragged on for decades. In 1954, the Peter and Paul Cathedral was transferred to the State Museum of the History of Leningrad (now the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg) in a deplorable state. Since then, a huge amount of work has been done to restore the original decoration of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
In 1957, the chimes played again - this time the first bars of the anthem Soviet Union. The clock had to be almost completely restored. Their factory was automated, and mechanics no longer had to lift lead weights up to 30 meters every day. The Russian belfry was restored in 1988. At present, it includes 22 bells, which perform Easter bells, concerts of bell music and evangelism before services in the cathedral.
The interrupted tradition of burials in the Grand Duke's tomb was resumed: in 1992, the great-grandson of Alexander II, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, was buried. In 1998, the remains of Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra and the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatyana and Anastasia, as well as life physician Yevgeny Botkin and three servants who were shot by the Bolsheviks along with the royal family, were buried in the Catherine's aisle of the cathedral.

XXI Century

Only in 2002, after an 85-year break from the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the melodies “God save the Tsar” and “How glorious is our Lord in Zion” sounded again. The angel underwent several major repairs, including a major one in 2002-2003, during which it was removed from its place and taken to the restoration workshop. Like a weather vane, the Petersburg Angel rotates on the inner rod, benevolently obeying the direction of the wind. Until 2012, the Peter and Paul Cathedral remained the tallest building in St. Petersburg, yielding to the skyscrapers "Prince Alexander Nevsky" (124 meters) and "Leader Tower" (140 meters). Not counting, of course, the 326-meter TV tower. But it is not a "building", but a "construction".
In 2006, according to the project preserved in the funds of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, the altar stained-glass window "The Resurrection of Christ" was recreated. Now it is in its old place - in the eastern window of the Grand Duke's tomb. In the same year, the remains of Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II. Since 1992, for the first time in the post-revolutionary period, divine services began to be held in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. And in 2009, an agreement was signed between the St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the museum on holding regular services on weekends and holidays.

The current carillon on the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Bells and keyboard.

In 2001, a carillon was installed on the first tier of the bell tower - a gift to St. Petersburg from the government of Flanders (a historical region in northwestern Europe) and 350 donors. It consists of 51 bells with a range of four octaves (total weight 15,160 kg). Playing the carillon in the Peter and Paul Fortress has resumed thanks to the professor of the Royal Carillon School Jo Haazen from the Belgian city of Mechelen. The famous carillon of St. Rombald's Cathedral is located in this city. You may have heard the expression "raspberry ring". The legend says that Peter I called the roll call of the Mechelen bells (the French name for the city of Mechelen is Malin). Every summer, the Peter and Paul Fortress hosts a traditional carillon festival that brings together performers from different countries.
Thus, a unique complex of 103 Dutch and Russian bells was formed on the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The oldest of them date back to 1757 - this is the surviving part of the second Dutch carillon.

Peter and Paul Cathedral today.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral is a unique historical and architectural monument of the 18th century, one of the most important symbols of the northern capital. The world-famous gilded spire of Petropavlovka, crowned with the figure of an Angel, dominates the panorama of the central embankments of the city. According to an old legend, while the Angel proudly soars over the Neva, Petersburg is not afraid of any troubles.

What to read about the history of the Peter and Paul Cathedral?>

History of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Booklet. - St. Petersburg: GMI St. Petersburg, 2014, - 20 p.: ill.
Peter and Paul Fortress from A to Z. - St. Petersburg: GMI St. Petersburg, 2011, - 72 p.: ill.
Peter and Paul Cathedral and Grand Duke's Tomb. Album. - St. Petersburg: GMI St. Petersburg, 2007, - 160 p.: ill.
Symbols of St. Petersburg. Booklet. - St. Petersburg: GMI St. Petersburg, 2004, - 20 p.: ill.

No, I won't tell you about Peter and Paul Fortress or myself Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. To do this, you need to deeply understand history. I, as an ordinary tourist, had an amazing opportunity to climb observation deck Belfry of the Peter and Paul Cathedral and I got up. In this article, I would like to, so to speak, lend you my eyes for a while. Just look, admire those amazing views that open from a height. Perhaps, when you yourself find yourself in St. Petersburg, you will also want to climb the bell tower, because not a single photograph conveys the fullness of the atmosphere of soaring "above the city". In the meantime... are you ready to climb? Then follow me!

Spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral hard not to notice. It can be seen from almost anywhere in the historical part of the city. Of course, it does not shine through the walls of houses, but you will go out onto the banks of the Neva and - here it is! Height - 122 meters!

Being in St. Petersburg for the first time after a forty-year absence, without knowing the rules, I did not even imagine that you could even enter the Peter and Paul Fortress, let alone climb the bell tower. No wonder I thought so. It was enough to stumble upon two closed doors:

to understand that the entrance there is either completely closed to mere mortals, or it is available only to some special people, or for a lot of money. Over time, it became clear that the gates at that particular moment were closed only because I rushed to the Peter and Paul Fortress at 6 o'clock in the morning.

In fact, the entrance to the territory is completely free. Detailed overview territory of the complex will be presented in separate article now let's move on to the topic observation deck on the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

When, wandering not far from the mint, I suddenly noticed a man upstairs, I had the idea that if he could somehow find himself there, next to the bells, then maybe I could somehow succeed?

Here, on the square in front of the bell tower, I made this unexpected discovery. By the way, pay attention to the benches - this is a place where you can listen to the sound of a very special musical instrument - carillon. A little later we will see him and listen to the music, but for now, just so you know. A carillon is a musical instrument with a keyboard whose sounding parts are bells.

And then in the window under the clock I suddenly saw a man. Yes, look, he is looming there now!

Overwhelmed by a timid hope for the seemingly unattainable, I walked across the square straight to the entrance to the cathedral. They immediately made me happy: Yes, you can go up, but for this you must first buy a ticket to the cathedral itself (450 rubles), and then, after going inside, buy another ticket to the bell tower (150 rubles).

In vain, foaming at the mouth, I exhorted the aunt at the turnstile that the cathedral itself did not interest me very much, but I needed to "go there, upstairs." The attendant was as impregnable as the Trubetskoy Bastion and sent me for a ticket.

No matter how sorry it was to part with the money that was prepared for a snack in the canteen, I had to choose - either daily food, or spiritual food. Based on the fact that you are reading this report, it is not difficult to guess what exactly outweighed that wonderful autumn evening.

Tickets were sold in a separate building, which has a strange name " Botny house".

Yes Yes. This is a yellow building with columns (entrance from the back). Thinking about the origin of such a strange name, at first I thought that everyone was "booted" there, or at least "bottomed" used to be. In practice, it turned out that inside, oddly enough, there is a real boat, albeit a small one. It's nothing but Boat of Peter I. After the end of the Northern War in 1721, Peter I decided to transfer his small boat to St. Petersburg. First, a simple shed was built for him, and then a whole building was built.

Moreover, the building was first built, and then they began to think, "how can we now drag this boat inside?" Naturally, she did not pass through doors and windows. I had to dismantle a part of the wall and drag the "grandfather of the Russian fleet" - that was the name of the Botik of Peter I - into the room through the resulting opening. In a word, they did everything right :). And it's still a common thing to this day. First we do, then we think.

And here he is - Botik:

In fact, this fragile little ship has a very interesting story. Unfortunately, within the framework of this article it is impossible to cover it completely. Therefore, if you are interested, ask Wikipedia. Everything is written there briefly, but clearly.

In addition to the bot itself, the building has an extensive trade in souvenirs. And what is not here:

It's nice that you can pay by card. An unpleasant moment - the prices here are simply indecent. There is also a ticket office here. Here are the prices valid until the end of October 2016:

I immediately realized how important have information. The fact is that up to this point I had already visited the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocketry, paying 150 rubles for admission. Now, to visit the cathedral, I had to pay another 450 rudders. That is, together it already turns out - 600.

For the same price, one could buy a so-called "complex ticket" and visit several more interesting expositions. A combined ticket does not have to be used on the same day. It is valid for two days and allows you to visit all these museums once. Alas, I did not know about this, therefore, without knowing it, I limited my possibilities. And to myself and to you, because I can not show reports on other exhibitions. I'll be smarter next time. And you also keep in mind.

The same applies to excursions in St. Petersburg. It is important to know where to buy them so as not to overpay intermediaries.

Ascent to the observation deck of the Peter and Paul Cathedral

But now, finally, all the formalities have been settled, the ticket to the Peter and Paul Cathedral is in hand. It's time to go. Unfortunately, my ascent took place in the late afternoon, so the pictures that you will see from a height will be more evening.

Here let me give you one important piece of advice. If one of the goals of your ascent to the bell tower is photography, then it is better for you to climb from morning to afternoon. At this time, the sun illuminates the part of the panorama that you can photograph. After lunch, the sun will shine in your eyes and you may not get good photos. In any case, the lighting will no longer be so interesting.

Let's go! It all starts with the fact that you pass through the turnstile. There your ticket will be redeemed, and you yourself will have two plans further development events.

1. You immediately go straight to the Peter and Paul Cathedral
2. You buy another ticket to the bell tower, first go there, and then to the cathedral.

A ticket to the bell tower is bought on the spot and costs an additional 150 rubles.

After buying a ticket (attention! cards are not accepted here!) You can start climbing on your own. It's comfortable. The fact is that you can still climb to the observation deck on the bell tower as part of an organized tour. I already felt what a crowd of people in a confined space is on the example of climbing the bell tower of the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral. Therefore, the perspective self climbing more than satisfied me.

First, the ascent goes along a narrow corridor:

Of course, here the passage is wider than, say, in Pereslavl-Zalessky. There certainly two people can not disperse! The Peter and Paul Bell Tower is a little more spacious, but in any case, a group of people will have to move in single file.

In total, we have to overcome about 270 steps to the observation deck. I won’t say more precisely, while I was counting, I got lost a couple of times, but the total number is about the same. To imagine such a staircase, try walking up to the 13th floor of a high-rise building. For some people, this is not an easy task. It's good that you can climb in several stages. The first room that we will meet on the way is the "attic" of the bell tower. Here is an exposition on the history of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Here, for example, you can find out that initially the statue of an angel on the spire of the bell tower was conceived quite differently than the one we are used to seeing. You can see the frame of the statue in full size:

Just here, in the attic, I was met by a young man who checked and tore up my ticket. Further, for some reason, he followed me until the moment when I left the tower. Probably we, tourists, still need to be looked after. And then we are! Suddenly, God forbid, we touch the bell, but this cannot be done in any way. Appropriate strict declarations are found here at every turn.

In principle, he did not interfere with me, he did not sniff over my ear, he simply stood aside and "was present." However, to survey the panorama of the city under the supervision of an attendant, who is only waiting, "until this idiot has seen enough and taken pictures" was somehow uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I completed the filming program completely. I shot everything that I was going to, with all the lenses that are in this case were appropriate. You'll see for yourself soon.

Pay attention to the steps of the stairs. Each of them has an overlay made of natural stone. On the one hand, this is good - they are more durable. On the other hand, they are polished with the soles of more than one million feet. Therefore, be careful and try to hold on to the handrails. Under adverse conditions, you can slip.

During the ascent at this stage in the middle of the room we will be accompanied by a massive wooden frame. It stretches in the middle of the tower and goes somewhere up:

After passing a few more spans, we can consider a musical curiosity. This is Carillon. A musical instrument made from bells connected to a keyboard mechanism. By the way, what do you think is the name of the musician who plays the carillon? The trumpeter plays the trumpet, the drummer plays the drum. We also know guitarists, harpists, violinists, etc. Who plays the carillon? I give you a few paragraphs to think about.

This is what this rarest musical instrument looks like (I could not resist taking a kind of selfie with a carillon :):

51 bells with a total weight of 15 tons are installed on a massive frame. However, you can read more about this tool on the plate:

From myself I can add the following amusing information. When this carillon was installed in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, it suddenly became clear that there was no one to play it. And even send no one to study. The Peter and Paul Fortress "does not have a full-time carilloner." By the way, here is the answer: a carillonaire is a musician who plays the carillon.

I'm afraid to assume the worst, but it is not there now. Therefore, concerts of carillon music are performed by an ordinary "boy" who simply selects the next melody on a smartphone. So, the music that you will hear in the next video is not played by a person, but by Samsung smartphone according to a predetermined program. I have seen it happen myself.

Video. Concert of carillon music (to tear off your hands)

The quality of performance, of course, does not stand up to criticism. I'm not going to claim. Maybe this is not always the case. Maybe in the season the maestro in a tailcoat really rises here and captivates the onlookers gathered below with his art. Alas, I saw a slightly different approach to business.

To prevent visitors from falling down and being killed by the bells of the carillon, in addition to the railing, a net is additionally stretched along the stairs. Higher and higher we rise inside the tower. Looking out the windows we are in a state of pleasant excitement. After all, very soon we will be on the observation deck and see this !!!

That is the end goal of our journey. I confess at first, when I saw the closed staircase, I was a little confused:

It turned out that we were on the platform, which is on the left. This is where the fun began.

The first thing that surprised me very much, and not to say pleasantly, is the grid. She covered the entire opening through which one could admire the city:

It is clear that the height is large - 43 meters. Probably theoretically possible to fall. But... it was so unexpected! To be honest, I was not prepared for this turn of events. During my travel history, I have repeatedly climbed the high bell towers (Previous in Suzdal, Bogoyavlenskaya in Pereslavl-Zalessky), there also existed a theoretical possibility to fall down.

But nowhere did you have to look at the landscape through the Rabitz grid. What is there to see. And how do you order to take pictures through it?

The second ambush - of the four "windows" facing in different directions of the horizon, you can only approach one. For the rest, unfortunately, the passage is closed.

I thought, now I’ll shoot a full 360-degree panorama of St. Petersburg, as I once did in Suzdal. And here, not only is only one window available, they also pulled the grid! In a word, on the observation deck of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, I had to, pardon the banality, descend from heaven to earth.

Stumbling in indecision, I decided at least something, at least somehow to photograph. Just to show that I really was here. First, I clicked a little on the inside of the bell tower:

Out of frustration, he decided to break the ban and touched the tongue of the bell. It was at this point that I noticed that there was a gap in the reticle where I could fit my 77mm lens. By the way, it - this gap - is a little visible in the previous photo. See, on the background of the river on the left? True, the hole was clearly made by some midget. It was at my waist level. But... you know, sometimes to do good photos people go to more serious hardships. I had to shoot in a "G" shape.

What to say: art requires sacrifice (and destruction). I attached the correct lens to the camera and the work began to boil. Next you will see a number of photos taken from the observation deck. In fact, there are many more. The best ones have just been selected.

This is the famous St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Admiralty and the Palace Bridge across the Neva. On the right side, you can barely see the monument to Peter I on horseback:

This is Birzhevoy Bridge, Makarov Embankment, in the foreground is a horseshoe-shaped building - the Archives Building (on the site of the Secret House):

This is the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island - the place where the Neva is divided into two large branches. It turns out the Neva (goes to the left) and Malaya Neva (to the right, from where the Meteor floats):

Saint Isaac's Cathedral. Alas, the top is under restoration. In the foreground - the Admiralty and the Palace Bridge:

Here is the same view, but already taken with a telephoto lens. Here you can see the stairs, along which the tourists climb to the observation deck of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Alas, this time I didn’t get to it (but I promise to improve):

One of the famous Rostral columns. It is interesting that at the very top there are gas burners that are lit on holidays. In one of the following articles, I will show you the burner up close, but for now, look at the Rostral Column from a distance:

Ships sail along the Neva every now and then, bringing variety to the landscape:

This photo shows the stadium on Krestovsky Island. It will not be completed by the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On the right is the future skyscraper - the Lakhta Center. When it is built to the end, you will get the tallest building in Europe with a height of about 460 meters:

Here are some more photos of St. Petersburg in the evening:

And here are the guns from which the famous midday shot is fired. This tradition is very old. In 1865, exactly at noon on February 6 (18), the first midday shot was fired in St. Petersburg. Moreover, at first, a signal gun was installed in the courtyard of the Admiralty. In 1872 it was transferred to the Peter and Paul Fortress.

In general, the very first midday shots were fired in Sevastopol and Nikolaev as early as 1819. Their goal was not to scare the crows at all, as it might seem, but to give a clear signal, according to which clocks on ships and in the admiralty were compared.

The right to fire a midday shot is sometimes granted to especially honored guests of the city. Since I am still very far from such a status, I have to limit myself to a simple contemplation of two guns.

Descent from the observation deck of the Peter and Paul Cathedral

You can stay here for a very long time. In general, it would be interesting to climb here several times - at night, in the morning, in the afternoon, in different weather. For all the immutability of the landscape, the pictures will be interesting in their own way every time. But then the moment came when it was necessary to think about the way back. After all, I still had to have time to visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral itself (in vain did I buy a ticket).

Having put my ammunition in my backpack, I begin a careful descent. Why careful? It's simple. Remember, I wrote about stone overlays on every step? These slabs polished with many soles are very insidious:

It is worth gaping and slipping ... at best, a pair of broken hands. At worst - a magical flight, a fateful meeting with a carillon and a farewell BOMMM! But it’s really interesting around, I want to take a look around during the descent. So it's better to hold on to the handrail, like in the subway. And in general, they say that the height "tightens". Although there is a railing, a grid, but still a large space under the feet gives rise to an amazing and hitherto unknown desire. Desire to fly :)

On the way, you still manage to get to the windows on the lower floors and, albeit through the grid, take interesting photos. This is the dome of the Peter and Paul Cathedral itself. In the background is Kuibyshev Street.

Alas, it was not possible to come close to the grid - the passage was closed. Just in case, keep in mind a simple rule: the closer the lens is to the reticle, the less visible it is. The camera focuses on the background, and the grid on the front is blurred and becomes almost invisible.

Then - a small exhibition of bells (which are forbidden to touch with hands):

Gradually descending, we find ourselves in the attic of the bell tower, where the museum exposition is located. Alas, there was simply no time to look at it for a long time:

The last flight of stairs, and we get to the entrance to the Peter and Paul Cathedral:

Here you can immediately go outside or proceed to the cathedral. Naturally, I chose the second option. I had a ticket!

However, I would like to give a description of the Peter and Paul Cathedral and photographs from it in a separate article.

And now, it's time to say goodbye and sum up some results.

Conclusion

Climbing to the observation deck of the Peter and Paul Cathedral for me personally was the brightest and most interesting event when visiting the Peter and Paul Fortress. Of course, it is worth going up only in good weather. AT strong wind and rain, I think the pleasure will be somewhat dampened.

If you go there yourself, take a good camera. Maybe binoculars. The view from above is excellent.

It is very important to choose the right time to visit. The sun beating directly into the eyes in the afternoon can spoil the impression of the ascent no worse than a heavy rain.

If you are a big fan of excursions, you should buy a ticket and go up with a guide. Such organized ascents occur four times a day (alas, I did not specify the time). Hiking has its pros and cons.

The advantage is that you do not have to pay 450 rubles for visiting the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The tour is much cheaper. In addition, you will listen to the speech of the guide, learn a lot of new and interesting things.

Minus - you will crowd, stand in line for a hole in the grid to take good photos. You will have to work in a hurry, so the result may be far from expected.

If photography is the main thing for which you climb the observation deck, then it is better to go on your own. It will turn out a little more expensive, but you can stay at the top as long as you want and calmly do whatever you have in mind.

I wish you successful ascents and pleasant memories.

It seemed to me that nothing could surprise me from climbing high-rise buildings. That summer was busy, almost all the most significant landmarks of the historical center of St. Petersburg were visited (St.

As you understand, we still climbed Petropavlovka, I want to tell you how we did it.

1. View towards Vasilyevsky Island

Walking around the fortress with Olya and tankizt "Oh, we decided to go to the museum of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, but we were refused, they said that the museum was closed, they offered to come another time. Then it was decided to look for other methods of getting into the Peter and Paul Tower. What would happen inside, we did not know what the road to the spire would be too.

Quite simply and imperceptibly, Olya and I found ourselves first on the roof of the cathedral, and then went into the open window in the tower of the cathedral. Then there was a series of spiral staircases and not very, several doors, which, to our surprise, were open! A bunch of bells, a clock mechanism and other interesting things we passed by in the hope that the final door to the insides of the spire would not be closed. We were lucky, and we got to the last spiral staircase, which was already part of the spire. First thoughts - now there will be a hatch, we will get out into it, and then along the outer stairs to the Angel! But our hopes were dashed when we heard voices just above us.

It turned out that the watchmaker arranged an excursion for his acquaintances to the spire. People, two by two, climbed to the very top to the hatch, admired from it for several minutes and were replaced by others. Everyone went down satisfied, told about their impressions. We decided that we would not lose anything if we went up too. Having waited for our turn, we were the last to go up to the watchmaker, said hello and immediately began to photograph the views from the hatch. The watchmaker was surprised at us, asked who we were and how we got here. We said briefly - "We are photographers!". It was enough to hear the answer "I don't know who you are and how you got here, but you only have five minutes, then I have to leave, I'm already late."

There was little time, and there was only one lens - 10-20mm, so I managed to shoot a little, which I regret - they open from there beautiful views, which can be photographed for a long time on a telephoto.

2. frame down

After the spire, we went down with everyone, filmed everything that was on the way down. Below is a historical note.

3. towards Trinity Bridge

May 16, 1703 on the island of Lust-Eland (Yenisaari, Hare) in the Neva delta, the fortress of St. Peter - St. Peter-Burkh was laid. It was intended to protect the lands reclaimed during the Great Northern War with Sweden. The fortress was built according to a plan drawn up with the participation of Peter himself. According to the rules of fortification art, bastions were erected at its corners. Kronverk became the defense from land. By the end of 1703 the earthen walls of the fortress were erected, and in the spring in stone. They got their names from the names of the dignitaries who oversaw the construction. In the reign of Catherine II, the walls facing the Neva were lined with granite.

In 1712 on the site of the wooden church of the Apostles Peter and Paul, Trezzini laid a stone Cathedral in the name of the chief apostles Peter and Paul (Peter and Paul), which became the burial place of the Russian Emperors. All the emperors and empresses from Peter I to Alexander III, inclusive, were buried in the tomb, with the exception of Peter II, who died in Moscow in 1730, and Ivan VI, who was killed in Shlisselburg in 1764. According to the name of the cathedral, the fortress began to be called Peter and Paul, and its first name, which sounded in German St. Petersburg, was transferred to the city.

5. Golovkin Bastion and across the river the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps.

In the entire history of the fortress, not a single combat shot was fired from its bastions (although this statement is controversial ... during the Great Patriotic War, anti-aircraft guns, machine guns and searchlights were placed on the territory of the fortress and they repelled enemy air raids). But the fortress was always ready to repulse enemies.

The main political prison of tsarist Russia was located on the territory of the fortress in the Trubetskoy bastion, it functioned from 1872 to 1921. Even in Petropavlovka there is one of the oldest industrial productions in the city - the Mint.

If we talk about the cathedral itself in modern times: the height of the cathedral is 122.5 m, the spire is 40 m, the hatch from which we shot is at a height of just over a hundred meters. The cathedral was consecrated on June 28, 1733, services are held according to a special schedule Russian emperors, since 2000 - services, since Christmas 2008 services have been held regularly), the rest of the time it functions as a museum.

7. We start going down

The spire was damaged several times by a storm, the first time in 1777, the second in 1829. For the first time, the correction was carried out according to the drawings of arch. P. Yu. Paton. The new figure of an angel with a cross according to the drawing by A. Rinaldi was made by master K. Forshman. The second roofer Petr Telushkin made repairs without erecting scaffolding. Repairs carried out in October-November 1830 went down in history domestic technology as an example of Russian ingenuity and courage.

In 1856-1858. according to the project of engineer D. I. Zhuravsky, instead of a wooden one, a metal spire was built. Inside the spire, a spiral iron staircase leads to a hatch in the casing, arranged at a height of 100 m above the apple, a six-meter cross with an angel (sculptor R.K. Zaleman). The weather vane angel rotates around a rod installed in the plane of the figure itself. The volumetric parts of the angel are made by electroforming, the rest of the parts are stamped from forged copper. Gilding was carried out under the guidance of the chemist G. Struve by the gang of merchants Korotkovs. The height of the angel is 3.2 m, the wingspan is 3.8 m.

9. Outside the windows dial with arrows

10. Clockwork

At a height of 16 m, the shaft of the clock mechanism begins, going up to 30 m. Until the 20th century, weights were raised and lowered inside the shaft, providing a winding watch. The chiming clock for the cathedral was made by the Dutch master B. Oort Krass in 1760. With the help of bells, the clock played various melodies.

Now in the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral there is a set of bells unique in quantity and variety; authentic Dutch bells of the 19th-20th centuries, modern Flemish bells. In total, there are about 130 bells in the bell tower.

12. Hours - chimes. Performing 2 melodies, every hour (Kohl our Lord is glorious in Zion) and a melody (God save the Tsar) at 6 and 12 o'clock. The drum in the photo sets the melody.

During the Great Patriotic War, the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral was painted over with gray paint. The camouflage of the spire deprived the fascist artillery of a reference point for conducting aimed fire at the most strategically important objects.

According to the memoirs of M.M. Bobrov, a participant in camouflage work in the winter of 1941-1942, a "Corner of Besieged Leningrad" was made in the museum, which shows the conditions in which climbers lived in the cathedral under the stairs to the bell tower.

14. We go even lower

17. I don't know where the museum starts and ends, but these and the following photos were probably taken on its territory.

18. Tower structure

19. On the left is shown how the ascent to the angel was realized in 1830

20. When we went down to the first floor, we were met by a policewoman who told us at the very beginning that the museum was closed. This time she said smiling "Well, are you done yet?" We answered "That's it!" and went out to meet the upset Tankman (on the left in the photo). Upset because he didn't climb with us. (But today I saw photos in contact that he also climbed the other day, with which I congratulate him.)

21. That's all. Last photo for those who do not know how the Peter and Paul Cathedral looks from the outside.

Thank you for your attention!