Iconostasis of the Petersburg Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral in the light of Dominico Trezzini’s religious life

Abstract

For the first time this article examines the iconostasis of the Petersburg Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral
through the Dominico Trezzini’s Catholic religious life and analyzes the iconostasis as to the
potential confessional influence. The article found that the iconostasis carries the baroque aesthetics
of European Catholic countries, which is contrary to many traditions of Russian Orthodox architecture.
The iconostasis incorporates a number of ideas generated by the Roman Church religious
culture. Namely this iconostasis includes the elements of Catholic Sacramentology (the doctrine of
the Eucharist), Mariology and the doctrine of the Apostle Peter as the invisible head of the Christian
world. The author develops a hypothesis about the implantation by architect Trezzini some Catholic
ideas into Russian art due to the active religious position of the famous craftsman.