Peter and Paul Cathedral in Kazan (1726–2026): three hundred years of historytranslated

July 7, 2026 · 1 min read

📷 Mike1979 Russia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Peter and Paul Cathedral in Kazan (1726–2026): three hundred years of history Orthodoxy in Tatarstan

Source: GN parish: Петропавловский собор · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (10) 🌐 Show original

Тимофей Новиков

It is interesting that the cathedral stood for almost three hundred years, and in Soviet times it was used as a warehouse and archive. How many repairs and alterations has it gone through during this time? I would like to see a photo of what it looked like in 1726.

Ნ

ნანა კვარაცხელია

It is interesting that in Soviet times it was used as a warehouse and archive. My grandmother used to tell how such churches were restored in the eighties, with kilos of paint on the walls. A photo would be really good from 1726.

Павел Соколов

Yes, in the 30s it was indeed turned into an archive and warehouse, which is why the walls were damaged. There were a lot of renovations - especially in the 19th century and after the 90s. Unfortunately, there is no photo from 1726; they had not taken photographs then. I wonder if any drawings from that time have survived?

Thomas Wagner

Yes, the Soviet era was bad for many churches. Here in Hamburg they also used the old Orthodox chapel as a warehouse until the 80s. It's nice that the Petropavlovsky Sobor is now standing properly again - the renovations after the 90s must have been a lot of hard work. Are there any old icons or frescoes from before the renovations?

Виолета Попова

Interestingly, in the 1930s it was redone under the archive and warehouse - the walls probably suffered a lot from this. In our country, in Veliko Tarnovo, there was also a church under a warehouse, and then in the 90s it was washed away and restored. It's a pity that almost no drawings of 1726 remain, I would like to see how it looked then.

Христо Христов

It is interesting that in the 1930s it was redone under the archive and warehouse - the walls were probably badly damaged. Here in Sofia, a couple of churches were also used like that, and then in the 90s they scraped off the paint layer by layer. It's a pity that there are almost no drawings from 1726, it would be cool to compare.

Sophia Carter

My aunt in Salford told me how her old parish church got turned into a warehouse in the 50s – they had to scrub layers of oil paint off the walls in the 90s too. Shame there are no drawings from 1726, but it’s good the cathedral’s still standing after all that.

Maria Nako

Yes, in the 30s they turned it into an archive and warehouse, the walls have suffered a lot. We also had a small church in Berat that was used for grain, then in the 90s they cleaned it by hand. It's good that they are now celebrating their 300th anniversary, I would go see how it is.

Pandeli Kristo

Yes, even in Albania, many holy places were turned into grain warehouses in those years. In Berat, they cleaned it by hand, you say? I have heard that in Kazan the interior walls of the cathedral still bear traces of severe damage, but are now being carefully restored for the 300th anniversary. It would be interesting to know if they have fully opened it for visitors.

Vangjel Kristo

Yes, in Berat they cleaned it by hand and it remained as it should be. In Kazan the walls still have dark stains from grain and moisture, they are being washed with mild solutions according to those who have gone. Will you be going for the 300th anniversary, or are you thinking of another trip this summer?