View of the Kazan Cathedral — engraving

Вид на Казанский собор со стороны канала Грибоедова.

"DIE KASAN - KIRCHE", "Aus d. kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Instit. in Hildbh.", "Eigentum d. Verleger".

Technique, Material: Steel engraving / Paper
Artist:,  Engraver: 
Date, Publisher: "Meyers Universum",  "Aus d. kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Instit. in Hildbh", Joseph Meyer, Gotha, Germany, 1833–1861.
Size: sheet 26x18, image 14x10 cm.

The engraving depicts a view of the Kazan Cathedral from the Yekaterininsky Canal (now the Griboyedov Canal)—one of the most picturesque corners of St. Petersburg. The cathedral was built between 1801 and 1811 by architect Andrey Voronikhin by order of Emperor Paul I, who wished to create a temple in the Russian capital resembling St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The majestic semicircular colonnade of 96 Corinthian columns facing Nevsky Prospekt was a unique architectural solution: due to the canonical requirement to orient the altar to the east, the cathedral ended up positioned sideways to the main thoroughfare, and the colonnade visually transformed this side into a ceremonial facade.

The Griboyedov Canal, on whose bank the cathedral stands, was originally called the Krivusha River and later the Yekaterinsky Canal; it received its current name in 1923 in honor of the writer Alexander Griboyedov. This canal, with its granite embankments and ornate bridges, creates that unique atmosphere of the "Northern Venice" that has attracted artists and travelers for centuries.

Kazan Cathedral holds special significance in Russian history as a monument to military glory. In 1813, the renowned commander Mikhail Kutuzov was buried here, and the cathedral houses captured banners and keys to cities taken by the Russian army during the War of 1812 . The main shrine of the cathedral is the venerated copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, one of the most revered images in Russia.

The canal water reflecting the majestic colonnade and the bridge connecting the banks create a classic St. Petersburg landscape, where architecture and the water surface exist in inseparable unity.