The Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas: a Church That Still Holds Services for Lost Sailors

In the Kolomna district, away from the main tourist routes, stands a cathedral that locals have considered a naval church for two and a half centuries — prayers were held here before ships set out to sea, and memorial services for fallen sailors are still held here today. The Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas is one of the city's most coherent examples of Elizabethan baroque, and also one of its most underrated.

⚓ From a wooden church to an imperial cathedral

The first chapel in the Naval Quarter appeared here back in 1714. By 1743, a large wooden church dedicated to St. Nicholas had been built on the site, but the building deteriorated — so in 1752 Empress Elizabeth Petrovna ordered a stone regimental cathedral built in its place. Construction, designed by architect Savva Chevakinsky, took ten years, from 1753 to 1762.

🔔 Two churches in one building, and a belfry over the Seven Bridges

The cathedral is arranged unusually: the lower church is consecrated to St. Nicholas, patron of travelers and sailors, while the upper church is consecrated to the Epiphany — hence the full name, the Nicholas-Epiphany Naval Cathedral. The freestanding belfry became the architectural anchor of Kolomna's low-rise streets, and it looks especially striking from the famous St. Petersburg "Seven Bridges" spot, where seven of the city's bridges come into view from a single point.

🌊 A church that remembers every tragedy at sea

By order of Catherine the Great, the cathedral was given ten icons commemorating Russian naval victories over the Swedes and the Ottomans — its connection to the sea has never been merely symbolic. Today the cathedral holds memorial plaques for the crews of lost submarines, including the Komsomolets, and annual services are held in memory of the sailors of the Kursk. The cathedral remained active even through the Soviet era, and it's where Anna Akhmatova's funeral service was held in 1966.

📌 In short

✅ The Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas was built in 1753–1762, designed by architect Savva Chevakinsky — a landmark of Elizabethan baroque.

✅ Its full name is the Nicholas-Epiphany Naval Cathedral: a lower church dedicated to St. Nicholas, an upper church to the Epiphany.

✅ The freestanding belfry is visible from the famous St. Petersburg "Seven Bridges" viewpoint.

✅ The cathedral holds memorial plaques for the crews of lost submarines and annual services honoring the sailors of the Kursk.

✅ It remained open even during the Soviet era; Anna Akhmatova's funeral service was held here in 1966.

If you want to see baroque architecture without the crowds, head to Kolomna. Visit both the cathedral and the nearby Seven Bridges spot — it's one of the most atmospheric corners of the historic center that tourists still largely overlook.