Maltese chapel - Catholic Church of the Order of the Knights of Malta, built by Giacomo Quarenghi at the end of the 18th century. The chapel is included in architectural complex Vorontsov Palace in St. Petersburg (attached to the main building of the palace from the garden side).
History
The Vorontsov Palace was erected by the architect B.F.Rastrelli in -1757 for the chancellor, Count M.I.Vorontsov. The construction and decoration of the palace required such large investments that in 1763 Count Vorontsov was forced to cede it to the Russian treasury for debts. Until 1770, the building was empty, and later it was used as a guest house. At various times, the palace was occupied by Prince Henry of Prussia, Prince of Nassau-Siegen and Count I.A.Osterman. After Paul I ascended the throne and assumed the title of Protector, and then Grand Master of the Order of Malta, the Vorontsov Palace was granted to the Knights of Malta, who were forced to seek refuge after Napoleon Bonaparte seized the island of Malta in 1798.
Chapel in the XX and XXI centuries
Architecture and decoration
The temple has the shape of a rectangle with a cylindrical vault. Two rows of reconstituted marble columns divide the interior of the chapel into three naves. Choirs are located above the side naves. The planes of the walls are enriched with decorative arches, sculptures of angels, Maltese crosses and plaster garlands. The plafond of the church consists of semicircular box vaults, covered with painting, consisting of floral ornaments and rosettes, and plaster garlands.
The altar part is an apse with columns located close to the walls. In the center is a marble altar, behind which was the altarpiece of John the Baptist (patron saint of the Order of Malta) by A.I. Charlemagne, created by the artist in 1861. To the right of the altar, under a canopy, was the crimson velvet armchair of the Grand Master of the Order. On the left, under a marble plaque with an inscription on the foundation and solemn consecration of the church, is a bishop's chair and several stools. Here, in front of the altar barrier, there were benches for the embassy with velvet cushions. In the middle of the hall there were 14 wooden benches with cushions covered with red cloth.
The altarpiece was in the Maltese Chapel until 1928, then it was transferred to the Museum of Religion and Atheism, and from there in 1932 it ended up in the State Russian Museum. The canvas was kept in the funds of the Russian Museum without a stretcher and frame, wound on a drum, as a result of which it received numerous damages. In February 2006, the management of the Russian Museum decided to transfer the altarpiece to the Maltese Chapel for temporary storage. The restoration of the canvas was carried out in the workshops of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps. In September 2007, the image was returned to its historical place.
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Excerpt from the Maltese Chapel
- Everyone has their own secrets. Berg and I don't bother you, ”Natasha said, getting excited.“I don't think you touch it,” Vera said, “because there can never be anything bad in my actions. But I'll tell my mama how you treat Boris.
“Natalya Ilinishna treats me very well,” said Boris. “I can't complain,” he said.
- Leave it, Boris, you are such a diplomat (the word diplomat was in great use among children in the special meaning that they attached to this word); even boring, ”Natasha said in an offended, trembling voice. - Why is she sticking to me? You will never understand this, ”she said, turning to Vera,“ because you have never loved anyone; you have no heart, you are only madame de Genlis [Madame Janlis] (this nickname, considered very offensive, was given to Vera by Nikolai), and your first pleasure is to make trouble for others. You flirt with Berg as much as you want, ”she said soon.
- Yes, I surely will not run in front of the guests after the young man ...
- Well, I got my way, - Nikolai intervened, - she said all the troubles, upset everyone. Let's go to the nursery.
All four, like a frightened flock of birds, got up and left the room.
“They told me trouble, but I’m nothing to anyone,” Vera said.
- Madame de Genlis! Madame de Genlis! - said laughing voices from behind the door.
The beautiful Vera, who had such an annoying, unpleasant effect on everyone, smiled and, apparently unaffected by what was said to her, went to the mirror and straightened her scarf and her hair. Looking at her beautiful face, she apparently became even colder and calmer.
The conversation continued in the living room.
- Ah! chere, - said the countess, - and in my life tout n "est pas rose. Can't I see that du train, que nous allons, [not all roses. - with our way of life,] our state will not last long! And all this is a club, and its kindness. In the village we live, do we rest? Theaters, hunting and God knows what. But what to say about me! Well, how did you arrange all this? I often wonder at you, Annette, how is it You, at your age, ride in a carriage alone, to Moscow, to Petersburg, to all the ministers, to all the nobility, you know how to get along with everyone, I am surprised! Well, how did this work out? I can’t do any of this.
- Oh, my soul! - answered Princess Anna Mikhailovna. - God forbid you learn how hard it is to remain a widow without support and with your son, whom you love to adoration. You will learn everything, ”she continued with some pride. - My process taught me. If I need to see any of these aces, I write a note: "princesse une telle [princesse une telle] wishes to see such and such" and I drive myself in a cab at least two, at least three times, at least four, until I achieve what I need. I don't care what they think of me.
- Well, how did you ask about Borenka? The countess asked. - After all, now yours is already an officer of the guard, and Nikolushka is going as a cadet. There is no one to bother. Whom did you ask?
- Prince Vasily. He was very nice. Now he agreed to everything, reported to the sovereign, - said Princess Anna Mikhailovna with delight, completely forgetting all the humiliation she went through to achieve her goal.
- That he has grown old, Prince Vasily? The countess asked. - I have not seen him from our theaters at the Rumyantsevs. And I think he forgot about me. Il me faisait la cour, [He dragged after me,] - the countess remembered with a smile.
- All the same, - answered Anna Mikhailovna, - amiable, disintegrates. Les grandeurs ne lui ont pas touriene la tete du tout. [His high position did not turn his head in the least.] "I regret that I can do too little for you, dear princess," he tells me, "give orders." No, he is a glorious person and wonderful dear. But you know, Nathalieie, my love for my son. I don’t know what I wouldn’t do for his happiness. And my circumstances are so bad, - continued Anna Mikhailovna with sadness and lowering her voice, - so bad that I am now in the most terrible situation. My unhappy process eats up everything I have and does not progress. I don’t, you can imagine, a la lettre [literally] I don’t have a dime of money, and I don’t know what to outfit Boris with. She took out a handkerchief and began to cry. - I need five hundred rubles, and I have one twenty-five-ruble note. I am in this position ... My only hope is now on Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov. If he does not want to support his godson - after all, he baptized Boris - and assign him something for maintenance, then all my worries will be lost: I will have nothing to outfit him with.
The Countess burst into tears and silently pondered something.
“I often think, maybe it’s a sin,” said the princess, “but I often think: Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhoi lives alone… this is a huge fortune… and why does he live? Life is a burden for him, and Bora is just starting to live.
"He'll probably leave something for Boris," said the Countess.
- God knows, chere amie! [dear friend!] These rich men and nobles are so selfish. But I will still go to him with Boris and tell him frankly what the matter is. Let them think what they want about me, I really don't care when the fate of my son depends on it. The princess got up. “Now it’s two o’clock, and at four o’clock you have lunch. I'll have time to go.
And with the receptions of a Petersburg business lady who knew how to use time, Anna Mikhailovna sent for her son and went out into the hall with him.
“Farewell, my soul,” she said to the countess who accompanied her to the door, “wish me success,” she added in a whisper from her son.
- Are you going to Count Kirill Vladimirovich, ma chere? - said the count from the dining room, going out into the hall too. - If it's better for him, invite Pierre to dine with me. After all, he visited me, danced with the children. Call me by all means, ma chere. Well, let's see how Taras will differ today. He says that Count Orlov never had such a dinner as we will have.
“Mon cher Boris, [Dear Boris,]” Princess Anna Mikhailovna said to her son when Countess Rostova's carriage, in which they were sitting, drove along the straw-strewn street and drove into the wide courtyard of Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhoi. “Mon cher Boris,” said the mother, stretching her hand out from under the old cloak and putting it on her son’s arm with a timid and gentle movement, “be gentle, be attentive. Count Kirill Vladimirovich is still your godfather, and your future fate depends on him. Remember this, mon cher, be nice, how can you be ...
- If only I knew that something would come of it, except humiliation ... - answered the son coldly. “But I promised you and I am doing it for you.
Despite the fact that someone's carriage was standing at the entrance, the doorman, looking around the mother and son (who, without ordering to report about themselves, entered the glass passage between two rows of statues in niches), significantly looked at the old cloak, asked whom they whatever, princess or count, and, having learned that the count, said that their excellency is worse today and their excellency does not accept anyone.
“We can leave,” the son said in French.
- Mon ami! [My friend!] - said the mother in a pleading voice, again touching her son's hand, as if this touch could calm or excite him.
Boris fell silent and, without taking off his greatcoat, looked inquiringly at his mother.
“Darling,” Anna Mikhailovna said in a gentle voice, addressing the doorman, “I know that Count Kirill Vladimirovich is very ill ... then I came… I’m a relative… I won’t bother you, my dear… I only need to see Prince Vasily Sergeevich: because he stands here. Please report.
The doorman sullenly pulled the cord upward and turned away.
“Princess Drubetskaya to Prince Vasily Sergeevich,” he shouted to a waiter in stockings, shoes and a tailcoat who had escaped from above and from under the ledge of the stairs.
Mother smoothed the folds of her dyed silk dress, looked into the solid Venetian mirror in the wall, and cheerfully walked up the carpet of the stairs in her worn-out shoes.
- Mon cher, voue m "avez promis, [My friend, you promised me,] - she turned to her Son again, exciting him with a touch of her hand.
The son, lowering his eyes, calmly followed her.
They entered the hall, from which one door led to the chambers assigned to Prince Vasily.
While the mother and son, going out into the middle of the room, intended to ask for directions from the old waiter who jumped up at their entrance, a bronze handle turned at one of the doors and Prince Vasily in a velvet fur coat, with one star, like home, went out, seeing off the handsome black-haired a man. This man was the famous St. Petersburg doctor Lorrain.
And we continue the quiz Golden Fleece 2017, and now we have a question - The architectural complex of this palace includes a Catholic chapel.
Answer options:
A) Stroganovsky
B) Tauride
C) Vorontsovsky
D) Anichkov
The correct answer to the question is C) Vorontsovsky
The Catholic chapel is part of the complex Vorontsov Palace St. Petersburg. Built according to the project of the famous Rastrelli, it is distinguished by exquisite architecture.
Vorontsov Palace for debts went to the treasury in the second half of the 18th century. Paul took over the patronage of the Order of Malta and handed it over to the knights. The Order included both Catholics and Orthodox. A separate Catholic Chapel was built for Catholics. For the Orthodox knights, the house church served as the Temple. And the Maltese Cross as a symbol of the Order.
Although, in fact, the types of the cross are already a human fantasy. Orthodox, Catholic, Maltese - not the essence. Christians worship not the form of the Cross, or even the Cross itself, but the power of Christ crucified on the cross.
The address: Russia, Republic of Crimea, Alupka, sh. Dvortsovoe, 18
Build date: 1840 year
Architect: Furasov P.I.
Coordinates: 57 ° 19 "07.5" N 43 ° 06 "40.4" E
Short story
The luxurious palace, named by Vorontsovsky in honor of Count M.S. Vorontsov, is a unique building that has become the embodiment of the era of Romanticism. It is located on the Crimea peninsula in the city of Alupka.
The beginning of its construction dates back to 1828, when the governor-general Vorontsov, responsible for the Novorossiysk Territory, chose the site of the future main building and drove pegs on it. However, the palace did not appear quickly - it took 20 years to build it.
Initially, the project of the future Vorontsov Palace was developed in the style of strict classics, and the famous Italian architect Francesco Boffo and his colleague from England Thomas Harrison worked on it.
The year 1829 was the beginning of the implementation of their joint project, and as all the preparatory work was completed, the foundation was immediately laid and the first masonry was made. However, an unpleasant surprise soon happened - in the midst of preparing the working drawings, the architect Harrison died.
For construction to go on as usual, Boffo needed a new partner. It was Edouard Blore, a young architect working in the romantic direction of English architecture.
Stone staircase with white marble sculptures of lions
Why did Count Vorontsov choose him and decided to make changes to the project of the future palace in the Crimean Alupka? The fact is that in those years he was in England, and he was impressed by the local architecture and new fashion trends in the construction of buildings. Therefore, the count revised the already developed project and entrusted the new architect to adjust it so that the result of the work was a real castle, combining the severity of English architecture and the luxury inherent in Indian palaces.
And since 1832 construction works for the construction of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea are already underway according to the updated project, but without distorting the previously passed stages. The execution of all the work was entrusted to the best craftsmen - masons, molders, stone and wood carvers, artists, furniture makers and other workers who responsibly approached the orders entrusted to them. As a result, the construction of the palace cost Vorontsov 9 million rubles.
From left to right: front dining room, winter garden
Vorontsov Palace layout
The whole palace complex, erected by order of Vorontsov, is represented by several solid buildings, designated as:
- central;
- dining room;
- guest;
- library;
- economic.
The building, intended for receiving guests, was later named Shuvalovsky, since in its right part there was a room of Vorontsov's daughter, who became Countess Shuvalova after marriage.
North facade of the main building
Oddly enough, the construction of the palace began with the erection of the dining building, and this work took 4 years (from 1830 to 1834). It took 6 years to build the central building - 1831 - 1837. From 1841 to 1842, work was carried out on the construction of a billiard room, which supplemented the building of the dining room. It also took a lot of time to erect the guest building, all the towers, outbuildings, outbuildings and the decoration of the Main Courtyard (these were 1838 - 1844). And finally, the library building, built from 1842 to 1846, joined the palace complex.
The central staircase is decorated with sculptures of lions, the production of which was entrusted to the Italian master Giovanni Bonnani. And the entire luxurious palace ensemble ended with a lion's terrace, that is, with many figures of lions.
Right - Clock Tower
Features of the architecture of the Vorontsov Palace
The Vorontsov Palace, which in the middle of the 19th century became an adornment of Alupka in Crimea, was a kind of innovation that violated some architectural and construction principles. In those days it was customary to arrange the buildings of palace ensembles in a strict geometric grouping, but the architect Blore deviated from this rule and distributed all the structures that make up the Vorontsov Palace on the terrain so that they stood in the direction from west to east, as if in accordance with with the movement of the mountains. This approach allowed all buildings to harmoniously fit into the local landscape - the Vorontsov palace complex found its place in the Crimean expanses.
Moving from case to case, you can visually trace the stages of development of medieval architecture, from its earliest forms to the traditions of the 16th century.
Shuvalov building
However, the emphasis in the development of projects for all structures was still placed on the English style. What is so attractive about the Vorontsov Castle in Crimea? Its feature is appearance, reminiscent of a castle-fortress from the ancient VIII-XI centuries... Getting into the courtyard of utility buildings, you involuntarily bump into blank walls and find yourself in confined spaces, and when you try to get to the central building, you find yourself surrounded watchtowers round shape. Further general impression inaccessibility is complemented by narrow loopholes and high rough masonry walls. But suddenly an openwork suspension bridge made of cast iron appears and brings a festive touch to this austere composition. And so, with the distance from the arch of the western entrance, the signs of architecture of the following eras are more and more manifested.
West Entrance Towers
Having climbed over the openwork bridge and getting rid of the feeling of isolation, you can find yourself in the Front courtyard, from which you can see the Ai-Petri mountain. But this is not just a view - it is a kind of picture, because the landscape is, as it were, limited by an architectural frame, represented by a clock tower, an eastern wing and a retaining wall with a fountain.
The architecture of the main building of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea is also interesting. Its walls are pushed out of the plane at different levels, as required by the English Tudor style. central part decorated with a front entrance and decorated with bay window ledges and side projections. The onion domes serve as the roofs of the towers. The northern facade of the building is decorated with narrow polyhedron semi-columns, the crowns of which are pinnacles (decorative tops).
Chapel
Graceful pinnacles and battlements, domes and chimneys, decorated with flower-shaped tops, smooth out the roughness of the stone texture of the walls and their massive luggage.
Considering the carved stone decorations that decorate the Vorontsov Palace, it is worth noting their pronounced similarity with some elements of Western and Eastern architecture. Thus, true connoisseurs of architecture immediately notice the Gothic chimneys and minarets of the mosque, and it is precisely this compatible incompatibility that makes the palace complex special. This similarity is especially acute as one moves to the southern façade of the building named as the main one. In the rays of the sun, its outlines seem unusual, bizarre.
From left to right: front dining room, winter garden, main building
But the main motive for the design of the palace is the arches of the most varied forms - they are gentle, and keeled, and horseshoe-shaped, and lancet. And you can see them everywhere, from the balustrade of balconies to the decoration of the portal of the southern entrance to the Vorontsov Palace. Besides, architectural ensemble, erected by the order of the Governor-General, has its own "zest" - these are 6 identical lines in Arabic, indicating that only Allah is the winner. The inscription can be seen in a niche decorated with a Tudor flower and Indian lotus.
Description of the park surrounding the Vorontsov Palace
During the years of construction of the palace, work was also carried out to lay the adjacent park. But if the construction of the Vorontsov Palace took two decades, the work on the creation of the park does not stop to this day. A wide variety of plants brought from all over the world harmoniously coexist on an area of \u200b\u200b40 hectares.
Shuvalovsky passage with a view of the openwork bridge
In general, the palace park is subdivided into Upper and Lower. The upper park is decorated with several glades - Kashtanova, Kontrastnaya, Solnechnaya. And each of them is remarkable for its trees (Italian pine, oriental plane tree, berry yew, Himalayan cedar, Chilean araucaria, or monkey tree, etc.). In addition, on the territory of the Upper Park there is Swan Lake, on which these beautiful birds really live, the Upper and Zerkalnoye lakes and a waterfall.
In the Lower Park, surrounded by the most beautiful and rare representatives of flora, there is a small tea house, which the Vorontsov family once used for celebrations on the seashore. Then this place was often illuminated with salutes and fireworks.
Shuvalovsky passage overlooking the western gate
Being here, you can really feel the festive atmosphere, because it is not without reason that the architect chose the place for the construction of the house here. Surrounded by many unique plants, it creates the feeling of being in a fairy tale, since the entire territory of the Lower Park is conducive to creating an enchanting mood. And the lower part is framed Vorontsovsky Park in the Crimea in the Italian style of a regular park.
The use of the Vorontsov Palace complex in different years
Since 1990, the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka has become a palace and park museum-reserve... Several interesting exhibitions are located in nine state rooms. Thanks to their content, everyone can get acquainted with the way of life of the count's family, who lived in the palace before the October Revolution, and the nature of the palace's interiors.
Exit from the yard
But in 1990, the opening of the Vorontsov Palace as a museum was secondary - for the first time its building was used as a museum in 1921.
But with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, valuable museum exhibits could not be saved, and the building itself was repeatedly threatened with destruction. However, thanks to the efforts of one of the employees of the museum Shchekoldin S.G. The Vorontsov Palace Museum still survived. Of course, many art treasures were lost during the war years, but after its end, some paintings were still found and returned to the museum.
Vorontsov Palace is one of the main attractions of St. Petersburg. The palace is located on the territory of the estate owned by Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov. The palace coup of 1741 (in which Vorontsov took an active part) elevates Empress Elizabeth to the Russian throne. Elizaveta Petrovna did not fail to thank Mikhail Illarionovich for his merits, assigning him the rank of general.
The design and construction of the palace was carried out by F.B. Rastrelli is a Russian architect, Italian by origin. The estate is located between Fontanka and Sadovaya street in the southwest direction and occupies a significant area. The facade of the palace is separated from the street by a fence, which is an example of artistic casting. Behind the fence there is a vast palace with the main building and symmetrical two-storey wings brought forward. In the back of the courtyard there is a three-story main building, far from the city noise. To decorate the main facade, Rastrelli uses double rusticated columns, above which there is a balcony. Arched windows on the ground floor are framed with decorative frames. The ceremonial hall is located on the second floor.
The impression of solemnity and splendor of the palace, inherent in the Baroque style, is created at the first moment, as soon as one enters the estate. According to the testimony of contemporaries, the inner content of the fifty state rooms, located along the main facade, was distinguished by dazzling luxury. Unfortunately, the interior of the buildings has not survived to this day. The garden, which was located behind the main building, was decorated with numerous fountains, well-groomed alleys, swimming pools and other "whims". In the garden, stretching to the Fontanka, one could observe fireworks, which certainly accompanied the festivities in the Anichkov Garden.
The garden was shortened in 1817 according to the project of Karl Rossi. An open terrace, located above the one-story building, opened up a beautiful view of the river. In the central part of the palace there was a large double-height hall. One of the halls housed the library of M.I. Vorontsov, who was rightfully considered the best in St. Petersburg. The construction of the palace required no small investment. And holding regular balls and receptions led to the fact that the financial situation of M.I. Vorontsov was no longer allowed to spend money on its maintenance.
In 1763 the palace was transferred to the treasury for debts. During the reign of Paul I, the palace was renamed the castle of the Knights of Malta and was transferred to the Order of Malta. This is due to the fact that in 1798 Emperor Paul was elected Master of the Order of Malta, and the former Vorontsov Palace became his residence. The coat of arms of the order - a white Maltese cross - was installed above the gate. According to the project of D. Quarenghi, in 1798 the construction of the Catholic chapel of the order began, in which the meetings of the Order of the Knights of Malta were held. An Orthodox church was built in the left wing.
Under Alexander I, the estate with all its property was transferred to the disposal of the state and soon the Corps of Pages was located in it. The Corps of Pages trained the officers of the Guard; on the second floor there were cadets' bedrooms.
The October Revolution led to the closure of the Corps of Pages. In the early 1920s, military educational institutions were located on the territory of the Vorontsov Palace. In 1928, some of the items were donated to the museums of Leningrad. Since 1958, the building has been given to the Suvorov School.
In 2003, in honor of the anniversary of St. Petersburg, the interior of the Maltese Chapel was restored. Today, excursions, organ music evenings are held in the chapel, and a museum on the history of cadets is open.
One of the most interesting buildings in St. Petersburg is the Maltese Catholic Chapel, hidden from the eyes of townspeople and tourists behind the facade of the Suvorov Military School.
How the Maltese Chapel appeared in St. Petersburg
By the end of the eighteenth century, the Russian navy had become the main threat to the Ottoman navy. This led to the rapprochement of the Order of Malta with the Russian tsar. In 1797, Paul I organized a new main priority of the order on the territory of the Russian Empire. The Hospitallers needed a patron since Napoleon had driven them from Malta.
Emperor Paul was very kind to the Maltese. On the territory of Russia, he provided the members of the Order with "all those distinctions, advantages and honors that the famous Order enjoys in other places." Three commanders were organized, the head of the Main Priory in Russia was introduced to the State Council. The entry of Russian nobles into it was encouraged in every possible way.
In 1799, Emperor Pavel granted the commander's cross to the commander Alexander Suvorov. Hospitallers open the Corps of Pages in St. Petersburg, which has graduated many military leaders. The Corps of Pages later became the Suvorov School. It was then that the Catholic (Maltese) chapel appeared on the territory of the military school.
However, Paul's flirtation with the Catholic Church, his rapprochement with Rome did not like the ROC (Russian orthodox Church) and the entire policy of the emperor in relation to a foreign religious order was another, among many others, the reason for his murder in the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg on the night of March 13, 1801.
The new emperor Alexander I in the very first months of his reign (August 1, 1801) renounced the title of Grand Master of the Order and ordered the removal of the Maltese cross from the state emblem.
However, the Corps of Pages (now the Suvorov School is based with the building) and the Maltese Chapel remained in St. Petersburg. She has recently served as concert hall... So in order to look at this building, unusual for our latitudes, you need to buy a concert ticket.
p.s. Unfortunately, the chapel is currently being renovated and no concerts are being held. But there are excursions. The official website of the chapel:
