Description of the attraction
Historically, since the founding of St. Petersburg, many Protestant Germans (Lutherans) have settled on Vasilievsky Island, therefore, for the needs of a rather large community of believers in 1729, a prayer hall was consecrated in a wooden house. Over time, a wooden church was built on this site, which was consecrated in 1744 in honor of St. Peter. The stone church, which has survived to our time, was built in 1771 according to the project of the architect Felten, in the style of early classicism characteristic of him, and was consecrated in honor of St. Catherine. Empress Catherine II made a substantial donation for its construction - about 2,000 rubles.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Catherine is two-tier, three-nave, divided by columns of the Corinthian order. The main facade is decorated with a high dome with a cross, installed on the southern part of the building. The altar is decorated with reproductions of The Last Supper from the original by Rubens and the Resurrection from the original by Wanloo. By the way, the altar in the Lutheran church, unlike the Orthodox church, is not closed from the parishioners by the iconostasis, which symbolically shows the absence of a barrier between God and people, thanks to the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Lutherans do not worship icons, statues and images of the Lord, the Mother of God, saints and angels, but decorate their churches with them, believing that they serve the edification and instruction of believers. Therefore, on the walls of the church you can see the originals of Grimmel "The Crucifixion" and "The Temptation of Adam", and in the room itself there are marble statues of the Savior, Sts. Peter and Paul.
The church was rebuilt with the aim of expanding by 200 seats in 1902-1903. The work was supervised by the architect Mashner. It was decided to add additional rooms and stairs to the sides of the building in the direction from the portico, which slightly changed and decorated the building. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Lutheran community numbered about 8000 people; the parish included a nursing home, an orphanage, male and female gymnasiums, and elementary schools.
In the 1930s, the Lutheran parish was disbanded, the church was closed to believers in 1935 (it alternately housed the Miners' Club, the branch of the Hydroproject Research Institute, and the House of Children and Youth Creativity) and only in 1990 was returned to the community of believers. In 1991, the facade of the church was painted with beige paint, returning the look conceived by the architect. Lutheran worship is accompanied by Protestant chants and organ music. Moreover, the music for the accompaniment of Lutheran services was written by the most famous German composers: from Michael Pretorius and Heinrich Schützado to Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Church of St. Catherine is interesting not only for its architecture, but also for its unique organ, which is the largest mechanical organ in St. Petersburg. The history of the organ of the parish of St. Catherine is not easy - in 1852, during one of the repairs (when the choirs were made), an organ of the Metzel company (Regensburg) was installed, in 1903 an organ of the Walker company was installed in its place, which in 1953 was moved to Mariinskii Opera House. In 1998, a 17-register organ and 2 manuals from the well-known German company Sauer were installed in the church. The uniqueness of the premises and the wonderful acoustics of the Church of St. Catherine give a truly unique and rich sound - it is not for nothing that since 1972 the Melody recording studio has been located in the church building.
Organ concerts are traditionally held in St. Catherine's Church on Wednesdays and Sundays, to which everyone who wishes to listen to this "King of Musical Instruments" is invited. On Sunday, along with the organ, you can hear other musical instruments. Divine services, accompanied by an organ, are held according to the Lutheran order accepted in Europe (in the middle of the concert, the pastor delivers a short sermon).
