Memory of Russia: The St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt to be reconstructed

Renovation works of the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, located in Kronstadt, are expected to be completed by the end of 2012. 

In October 2011 reconstruction of the iconostasis will be finished. Marble, bronze and silver have been already bought for it. The Mayor of Moscow city Yuri Luzhkov, is going to put “a large number of silver coins” up for auction to collect money for the cathedral’s renovation.

The Minister of Culture of Russia Alexander Avdeev announced that in 2010 within the framework of the federal target program “Culture of Russia” for the restoration of the cathedral was allocated 300 million roubles, in 2011 it is planned to allocate 1 billion roubles. The Minister mentioned that in 2009 within the framework of the same program there was allocated 431 million roubles.

The Head of the St. Andrew Foundation, Vladimir Yakunin, expressed readiness “to render support and pay contribution to this historical work". He claimed that the restoration of the cathedral would become “a major step for revival of the Naval Glory of Russia and spiritual revival of our society".

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who presided over the Board of Trustees session, expressed gratitude to sponsors for their efforts concentrated for the cathedral’s reconstruction, and emphasized that "this all gives strength to carry on the work".

The St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt is a memorial to all the ranks of the Russian Navy, which was founded here by Emperor Peter the Great. The Cathedral was consecrated in 1913 in the presence of the family of Nicholas II. In Soviet time here was located a cinema, later – a concert hall and a branch of the Central Navy Museum. Renovation works were launched in 2002.

The cathedral remains an object of the Navy listed in the fixed assets of the Ministry of Defence, however divine services are conducted here in one of its side chapels to mark church holidays.