The Cathedral of the Birth of John the Precursor (Schlusselburg)

Subject / Religion. Church/Orthodox churches
The Cathedral of the Birth of John the Precursor (Schlusselburg, Oreshek Island). The Nikolayevsky Lyalikin Monastery worked in the Oreshek Fortress (see: the Schlusselburg Fortress) in the 15th century. The monastery was lost in the years of the Swedish empire. The wooden church of St. John the Precursor was built until 1568 at the Korelian side (the area on the right bank of the Neve River in the district of the Railway Station of Petrokepost). After 1599 the church was not mentioned, probably it was destroyed by Swedes. The cathedral of the Saviour, been in the fortress, was probably transformed into the Lutheran church in the early 17th century after the surrender the Oreshek Fortress to Swedes. After taking the fortress by the Russian troops in October 1702 the cathedral was converted into the Orthodox temple. At the same time the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was found, it became the main relic of the cathedral. Peter I attended some times in Schlusselburg at the celebration of the day of taking the fortress and presented the Cross with parts of holy relics of St. Andrew, the ""Firstcalled"" and other Saints to the cathedral. The stone cathedral (the architect A.F. Vist) was built from 1776 to 1779 on the place of the former one. From 1802 the cathedral did not work, in 1822 it was demolished. The new stone cathedral was constructed in the Classicism style from 1826 to 1831 by the architect A.E. Shtaubert. A four-tier bell tower with the high spire was built up to the general building with the saucer dome. Until 1917 the Cathedral was used as the garrison and prison church. It was closed in 1917 then it was used as a store. From 1941 to 1943 the Soviet troops, which defended the fortress from Nazis, were placed in its premises. The cathedral building was strongly damaged by the artillery fire and bombs. The ruins of the cathedral are preserved as the monument of WWII. Shkarovsky, Mikhail Vitalyevich
Bertash, Aleksandr Vitalyevich
Peter I, Emperor
Staubert, Aleksandr Yegorovich
Vist, Aleksandr Frantsevich
Topographical landmarks/Neva River, the
Topographical landmarks/Oreshek Island
Leningrad Oblast, the/Vsevolozhsk District/Petrokrepost Railway Station
Leningrad Oblast, the/Shlisselburg Town
Земля Невская Православная: Краткий церковно-исторический справочник / Науч. ред. В.В. Антонов. СПб., 2006.
Shlisselburg Fortress "Oreshek", a museum