452 - Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary, Minsk

Card no 452 - Mish 

Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary, Minsk 

Country Card Sent From: Belarus 

Place that Card Sender Lives: Minsk 

Date Received: 21st March 2013 

Distance Travelled: 1,154 miles 

Time Taken: 12 days 

The Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary, (The Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary) is a Roman Catholic baroque cathedral in Minsk. It was built in 1710 as a church of the Jesuit monastery. In 1793, after Russia took over Belarus, the Jesuit order was banned and the church became the local cathedral. The Cathedral was heavily damaged in a fire in 1797, but was later fully renewed.

The Soviet authorities closed the cathedral down in 1934.   During the Second World War, the Germans allowed the cathedral to function again, but after the war it was again closed down by the Soviets. In 1951, the cathedral's bell towers were intentionally destroyed by Soviet artillery and the building itself was given to the Spartak sports society.

 In the beginning of the 1990s, religious services started again. In 1993, the building was given back to the Roman Catholics; by 1997 it was renewed. During 2000s, the frescoes created in 18th century were also restored. An in 2005, the church was gifted a new organ manufactured in Austria.

Mish mentions Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Polotsk has an organ as well and its sound is amazing.

The Gooseberry stamp is lovely - 

St Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg

Card no 343 - Ksenia

 

Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city. It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great, who had been born on the feast day of that saint.   According to Ksenia, from its colonnade there is a beautiful view of the city.  In the foreground is a monument to Nicholas I.  On the right is the Hotel Astoria.

The church on St Isaac's Square was ordered by Tsar Alexander I, to replace an earlier structure, and was the fourth consecutive church standing at this place. The design of the French-born architect Auguste de Montferrand (1786–1858), was chosen and

the cathedral took 40 years to construct, under Montferrand's direction, from 1818 to 1858. Under the Soviet government, the building was stripped of religious trappings. In 1931, it was turned into the Antireligious Museum. In 1937, the museum was transformed into the museum of the Cathedral, and former collections were transferred to the Museum of the History of Religion (located in the Kazan Cathedral).

With the fall of communism regular worship resumed in the cathedral, but only in the left-hand side chapel. The main body of the cathedral is used for services on feast days only and the church is still a museum.