Trying to fit in at Smolny (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Upside down in front of the convent...
When I showed up for the first day of a program with St. Petersburg State University, and found out that our Advanced Russian classes would be taking place in the cells of the convent (below) next to this bewildering blue and white Baroque cathedral, I was thrilled–and could hardly believe it.
Wandering through the neighborhood, I discovered Bolshoy Dom–the KGB headquarters—as well as the Museum of Erotica (quite a combination). I also found out that before he was all grown up, Vladimir Putin lived in the same neighborhood too.
The cathedral–designed by the Italian architect Francesco Rastrelli (who also designed the Winter Palace)–is a jewel of baroque architecture. It is said that when architect Giacomo Quarenghi, who harbored intense hostility towards Rastrelli, would walk by the cathedral, he would stop, remove his hat, and say: “Ecco una chiesa!” (“Now that’s a church!”). That’s pretty much how I felt every day when I passed by it on my way to study Chekhov and Russian film in the convent next door.
Catherine the Great, however, thought that cathedrals in this style resembled whipped-cream. So she focused on funding other projects–like the establishment of an early school for women on the same grounds of the cathedral.
Smolny Cathedral and convent have a rich architectural and educational history–in large part because their construction extended through several decades of imperial rule. Under the Soviets, however, Smolny Cathedral was closed in 1923, and–like so many other cathedrals–turned into a storehouse.
If you have the chance to visit Russia–definitely see Smolny Cathedral and convent–it’s well worth the visit…
