the naval cathedral of saint nicholas in kronstadt

Natko

this cathedral is very special - very light, pure, bright, not heavy at all (many cathedrals look a kind of "heavy", monumental)...a lot of air & light...when i was there, there was service & they were singing there, it sounded so pure & beautiful...

G7669FUalexm

This church is so different from all cathedrals and churches of St-Petersburg. It is so atmospheric. And we were so lucky to see the real orthodox service.

Y8579KVanneb

We were lucky enough to visit just as a service was ending and the Church was full of Worshipers of all ages. One little boy was delighted to speak English to us and introduced himself as Vanya.A lovely building inside and out and well worth putting on any itinerary.

city222

It is a real church. The outer design and colors are really alive and stand against years. There is no entrance fee, and you are not allowed to take photos because there are religious practices going on like baptizing.

ermes73

I had heard that this Cathedral would be very beautiful, but the interior surprised me with its beauty, with the perfection of the design of its round center and I was fascinated by all tables of the names of all people whose lives were lost in the sea.The entrance is free. Approximately 200 meters from the Cathedral there is the Historical Museum of Kronstadt, the ticket is very cheap and the museum extremely interesting (being Kronstadt a very meaningful town for Russian history). On the main road in front of the Cathedral there is a small bakery with all kinds of coffee, tea and pastries and guess what (!!!) free wi-fi!!!. Yes, it is true: in a small bakery of a small town roughly on 60 N, 30 E in Russia there is FREE wi-fi, which is still so rare to be found in cafes in German towns (except Starbucks and McDonalds, which don't count).

UltimateAdvisor

OK, 5 stars without even having visited the cathedral? Isn't that outrageous? Well, we arrived here late in the evening, after a visit to Lomonosov. The cathedral was closed, it was late, snow was falling. Very few people around. And it was simply a magical moment which pictures cannot do justice. I have visited Peterhof often, but I cannot tell whether it was really "better" than this enchanted moments in Kronstadt.Maybe I'm getting old and soft.

niagarariverfatman

I had some time during a recent business trip to St. Petersburg, so I decided to see the cathedral in Kronstadt. I am not sure that a trip, just to see this cathedral, is warranted. But adding it to a trip to Peterhof would certainly be a good idea. The church is completely rebuilt, but done in the style of the original. The walls are lined with large plaques which name the sailors from Kronstadt that were killed in different military campaigns.

Stardawntravel

Our visit to the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was unhurried, well organised and a sheer pleasure. Every aspect of the building carries beauty and majesty. You do not have to be a Religious person to appreciate this landmark of St Petersburg. If you can, hire a private Russian guide, there is so much to see and miss if the smaller details are not pointed out and explained as to their significance and resonance.A Must see for visitors to this City.

BernardoG56

It's not your typical tourist destination as it is a fully functional cathedral with no exhibits of any kind. If you don't speak Russian or are not very well-versed in architecture there's few you an learn. However, if you go during mass, you'll get to hear a very professional choir performing Orthodox liturgical pieces (something my gf found mesmerising).

Carolinakemi

It’s a little far from the city, but I really enjoyed the visit. Although the Cathedral is new, the architecture is impressive from the outside and the inside!Just one tip, we went with a private tour and I asked them to include this attraction to the original program, but I didn’t specify it very well. The Naval Cathedral is located on the island of Krondstadt and what they understood is that we wanted to visit the whole island…the only thing I actually found interesting was the Cathedral. I mean, if you have a lot of time in St. Petersburg than maybe you can do the whole tour, but if you have limited time, just go straight to the Cathedral. Besides this little detail, that costed us two more hours, the attraction was really good!

Gregory1960

This is the Cathedral in Kronstadt Russian naval fortress. Now it is an open city where you can go on a tour. Cathedral in Kronstadt is one of the largest cathedrals in Russia. Built with money from the sailors in the memory of all the dead sailors Russia. The sample is taken Cathedral. Sophia in Istanbul.Very nice!

839julianal

It was a bit of a drive from downtown St. Petersburg, I had local friends who took me there. I have never been in an orthodox service, so It was very interesting to be able to participate and observe how they follow their traditions. It has been recently renovated and reopened. The mosaics inside are really impressive. Very beautiful!

DidierS266

After the restauration , this church dedicated to teh Russian Navy and the sailors died for the country is really beautiful . You don't have the charm of the old church in the city but definitely you should see it and spend some time in Kronstadt

881ivand

Well...what a difference. Naval Cathedral after reconstruction looks great on the outside. It is monumental, gorgeous and absolutely attention grabbing. And you are looking at it from the Anchor Square and you have been in some big Cathedrals before... I recommend you to keep it like that. Because if you decide to go in you probably would be disappointed. YES, it looks nice. But NO, it looks so cheap and mainstream. The floors are covered with primitively designed pictures somehow associated with the sea and water(e.g. Fish, seagulls) and just random figures. Parts of the walls that start a little over your head are painted cheap and look mostly like a wallpaper. Windows are made of painted glass pieces, not even a mosaics. Only thing I loved was the ceiling. It looks awesome compared to any other part. And well... Just a little hint for ladies: be sure to wear a piece of headwear because otherwise you attract too much attention and risk being stared at ;)

Elprincipal

I have a bone to pick with Trip Advisor on this one as Kronstadt doesn't really even count as St. Petersburg and if you go to the city, especially for a weekend, your time is far better spent in other locations than taking time out to go here and see the Naval Cathedral. It's a pretty sight, sure, but would max spend one hour here and only when I've seen about 10 other things ahead of it.