Kronstadt. Naval Cathedral

Overview

Meeting with tour guide at hotel lobby. Departure to Kronstadt.

Kronstadt, a XVIII-century fortress-city situated on an island of Kotlin in the Baltic Sea, is the most distant and unusual suburb of St. Petersburg. Kronstadt began as a fortress and a naval base meant to shield Saint Petersburg from sea attacks, so there aren’t that many palaces and parks here, like in Imperial residences. It serves its purpose well – not one enemy has ever occupied the fortress to this day. As the monument of fortification, Kronstadt included into the UNESCO’s list the world’s cultural heritage.
Kronstadt used to be a "closed town" for many years and not only foreign visitors but also even locals had no chance to come and see the place. To visit Kronstadt, we needed a very special permission that was possible to get only if you had close relatives or a professional reason to go there. Only in 1996, Kronstadt was opened for visitors.
The most famous attraction in the city is the Naval Cathedral built in 1903–1913 by V. Kosyakov as the main church of the Russian Navy and dedicated to all fallen seamen. In 2013, the reconstruction of the Naval Cathedral was finished and now we can see it in its original form. You will see the unique interior of the temple – unusual choros chandeliers, murals, mosaic floors depicting scenes from the lives of ancient Christians and naval symbols.

Returning to hotel.