Description of the attraction
The Church of the Holy Martyr Queen Alexandra stands on a hill in the middle of a small grove southeast of the Belvedere. This temple was built by order of Nicholas I in 1854 by A. I. Stackenschneider. The Church of Tsarina Alexandra is the last building in Peterhof during the life of Nicholas I.
The foundation stone of the church took place on August 11, 1851 - silver and gold coins were laid in a slab bowl. For the foundation stone of the future temple, a stone specially brought for this purpose from the banks of the Jordan River was used. At the end of the ceremony of laying the stone at the foundation of the future church, Nicholas I said with tears that he thanked the Lord for allowing him to complete the foundation of the temple and expressed doubt that he could see it finished.
According to legend, having heard from the peasants that this area used to be called Papingondo (from the Swedish "pastor parish"), hence the current Russified - "Babigon", the emperor said that such a name simply requires that there should be a temple in this place and ringing bells.
The construction of the temple was completed on August 22, 1854. The temple was consecrated in the presence of persons of the imperial family, including Nicholas I. At the end of the service, the sovereign publicly thanked General Likhardov, the manager of Peterhof, the architect Stakenschneider, the merchant Tarasov, as well as all those who took part in the construction.
By erecting the Alexander Church, Stackenschneider once again confirmed his reputation as an architect who is fluent in all styles. The outstanding architect did not blindly copy architectural works of the past centuries, but created his own elegant and elegant architectural fantasy, which combines original design solutions, and motives of Moscow temple architecture, and elements of the order system.
The church is five-domed, stone, made in the Russian-Byzantine style and is notable for its special beauty. Old Russian "kokoshniki" decorate the base of the drums. The same motif is also used in the outer decoration of the bell tower: a high tent, reminiscent of ancient Russian temples in silhouette, is lowered by three rows of kokoshniks.
The temple accommodated about five hundred parishioners. The perimeter of the base of the building was 44 fathoms, and the height of its middle dome was 13 fathoms plus one arshin.
A carved wooden iconostasis covered with gilding and white paint was the true decoration of the church. The iconostasis, which formerly belonged to the church of the former Dudorov Palace of Peter the Great, was presented as a gift by Emperor Nicholas I. The great architect managed to achieve the unity of the interior decoration of the temple with the decoration of the iconostasis characteristic of Russian architecture of the late 17th century. Perhaps the decoration of the iconostasis suggested to the architect some of the motives he used in the design of the church.
Despite its small size, the construction of the Babigon church cost almost 66 thousand rubles in silver. A lot of gold and silver utensils, objects decorated with precious stones were used in the church. In the church there was a tabernacle with an ark in the shape of a socle with columns of red jasper, a sacristy made of things used in the burial of Nicholas I, a sacristy made of belongings of Alexandra Feodorovna, etc.
This church became the only place of prayer for the peasants of nearby villages. Next to the church there was an emergency room, where first aid was provided to sick peasants.
The Babigon Church was a favorite place of prayers for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna; she visited it every summer during her stay in Peterhof and before leaving for St. Petersburg in the fall.
During the Great Patriotic War, the church found itself in the very center of hostilities. The building suffered significant damage due to bomb attacks. In the post-war period, the building of the church housed a state farm workshop for a long time, and the basement was used as a vegetable store.
On May 6, 1998, on the patronal feast in the Alexander Church, on the initiative of the Christians of the Babigon Volost, after a long break, a divine service was held. And since April 7, 1999, services have been regularly held on Sundays and the days of Great and Twelve Feasts. Currently, restoration is underway, after which the church will regain its original appearance.
