Vyborg Old Cathedral

Vyborg, Russia

Vyborg Old Cathedral is the oldest building in Vyborg, but today only some parts of its walls and the tower remain. The parish of Vyborg was established during the third crusade around the year 1293. There were several wooden churches the last one was destroyed by Novgorodians in 1411.

The construction of stone-made cathedral was began in 1430s and in was completed around 1445. The medieval appearance is unknown, because parts of the cathedral have been changed and demolished several times. The original nave was probably about 37m long and 20m wide. In addition to the main altar there were also few side altars. Unfortunately the interior is completely disappeared or destroyed in wars and reconstructions.

Some notable persons has been buried to the church like nobleman Erik Axelsson Tott and probably Mikael Agricola, the founder of written Finish language.

During the centuries the Vyborg cathedral was first Catholic, then Lutheran and during the Russian order also an Orthodox church. Peter the Great ordered to renovate it for Orthodox worships in 1720. In 1805 it was remodified as a magazine. In 1913 the cathedral was again restored and after the Independence of Finland it was moved once again Lutheran church. In the Winter War (1940) the aerial bomb hit the church and only walls survived.

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Address

A127, Vyborg, Russia
See all sites in Vyborg

Details

Founded: 1430-1445
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Russia

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Valentin Orlov (3 years ago)
It is difficult to evaluate what cannot be evaluated. At least for the reason that I do not know how it looked before. And I see only the restored bell tower of the Cathedral - the current Clock Tower. Well, the Cathedral itself is now in such a state that it is unlikely that anyone will ever undertake to restore it. It would be more honest to "clean up" this site, removing the rather dangerous ruins open to everyone, and put some kind of memorial chapel on this site, reminiscent of the former grandeur of this place.
Лена (3 years ago)
Vyborg, in general, lacks cleanliness and care. Yes, this is a ruined building, but this building is one of the main attractions. The information stand is difficult to read, I wonder how much it costs there and why it is not being updated
Елена Сова (3 years ago)
Мощная старина. Вызывает чувство уважения и к себе и к тем, кто так умел строить. Внешних изысков здание не имело, как и многие католические церкви, только стены под двускатной крышей. Кроме главного входа в соборе с каждой из боковых сторон было по крыльцу.
Maxim Passatiji (3 years ago)
I liked it, even very much In principle, the whole STARYGOROD of Vyborg looks great It's definitely worth going for it, there are a lot of cool places
Дмитрий Вахитов (3 years ago)
The Vyborg Catholic parish was first mentioned in 1351-1352, but it existed earlier. The church was originally wooden and burned down during the Novgorod siege in 1411. The restoration of the church in stone began in 1413, and in 1418 it was consecrated in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Olaf. Until the Reformation, there were many altars in the church (St. Eric, St. Olaf, St. Brigit, St. Lawrence, St. Mary Magdalene). During the Reformation in 1554, the Vyborg diocese was founded, and the temple became a cathedral. There have been speculations about a possible burial in the temple of Michael Agricola. The last time the temple was destroyed during the Soviet-Finnish war in 1939. Currently, only the walls of the cathedral and the former bell tower, known as the Clock Tower, have survived. At the southern wall of the church, a monument is erected on the site of the burial place of the church parishioners who died in the wars of the 20th century.
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