Saint Petersburg, Moscow

The delegation’s first stop on Friday morning (the last day in St. Petersburg) was perhaps the most moving: Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral and Fortress. The cathedral sits inside the fortress next to what are now a mint, the Trubetskoy bastion, the City Museum and other official buildings. Peter the Great built this citadel in 1703, and it did not see combat until 1917 in the period leading up to the Revolution. It too was bombarded by the Nazis, but faithfully restored after World War II.

All that the group needed to see was the cathedral. Even though it exemplifies classic Russian Orthodox design with its elaborate iconography, polished marble and gold gilding, it houses all of the internments of the great Russian nobility. The delegation stood next to the graves of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and all the Russian czars, czarinas and their families through the end of the Romanov dynasty. The tombs were crafted out of white, black and red marble and stood above ground inside the cathedral, as thousands of people weaved their way through them, reminded especially of the tribulations and deaths of the latter generations of royals immediately before the Bolshevik Revolution.

Next stop was the Church of the Resurrection, known also as the “Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.” Built in 1883 by Alexander III, it got its nickname in commemoration of the exact site where his father, Alexander II, was assassinated. That is marked with a black marble shrine. An anarchist bombed Alexander II’s entourage as it traveled by, killing several people. Alexander got out to help them just as another bomb was thrown, which ended his life.

“Ornate” does not begin to describe this cathedral, inside and out. The cupolas (“onion domes”) are gilded with gold and multi-colored tiles. Inside, 7,500 square meters of mosaic icons cover the walls, depicting dozens of saints and practically all of the most important events of Gospels and New Testament, from the Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, to His healing of the demoniac in Matthew (12:22-37).

The delegation moved on to St. Panteleimon Church, which is experiencing tremendous renovation and rebirth. It was one of many churches left to destruction and decay during the Communist era. Scaffoldings fill this church as a precursor to the glory that will eventually return. The church boasts an icon with a relic of St. Panteleimon, as well as an active life of worship. This time, instead of a baptism, the delegation walked in to a wedding held in a side chapel.

The last stop before lunch and departure from St. Petersburg was Holy Transfiguration Cathedral. It opened in 1837, and saw renovations throughout the 20th century. It was also the church our tour guide, Julia, attended as a teenager. The delegation felt extremely welcome here by two of the seven priests that serve 3,000 people in the community. Fr. Sergei and Fr. Michael opened the massive gold-gilded royal doors for His Grace, Bishop JOSEPH to enter through so that he could venerate the altar table and gospel. The two priests even invited Sayidna to serve with them on Sunday; he thanked them, but had to decline because of the delegation’s plans to be in Moscow on the Sunday of Pentecost (June 15). Like many other cathedrals, Holy Transfiguration also boasts three altars so that several Divine Liturgies and other liturgical services can be offered on the same day to accommodate the multitudes of faithful returning to the Church.

Our lunch at a local restaurant was a sad one, as we had to say goodbye to our tour guide, Julia. She provided such loving, informative descriptions of her city that it felt like our home, and we did not want to leave. (We would take her with us to Moscow if we could!) She gave us farewell gifts to remember St. Petersburg: coffee table books of the “Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood” and icons of a famed local holy woman, St. Xenia the Holy Wanderer. Julia’s 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, left Sayidna with a small gift of a hand-stitched flower inside a small picture frame. The group told Julia that she must call us if she is ever in California.

We boarded a train to Moscow that afternoon, and arrived later that evening at the Danilovskaya Hotel right on the grounds of the St. Daniel Monastery and the Russian Orthodox Patriarchal Complex and Residence. The delegation’s planned excursions for Saturday include a trip to the Russian countryside, Sergiev Posad (known as the “Russian Vatican”) and Trinity Monastery in time for Pentecost Vespers.

By Subdeacon Peter Samore