Chesma Church (Chesmenskaya Tserkov)

Chesma Church (Chesmenskaya Tserkov)

Chesma Church (Chesmenskaya Tserkov)
4.5
About
The Chesma Church was built in 1777-1780 and is one of the rare neo-gothic buildings in St. Petersburg.
Duration: < 1 hour
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles122 reviews
Excellent
81
Very good
29
Average
9
Poor
3
Terrible
0

svegor
St Petersburg797 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
If you have an extra 15 minutes to spare on the way to or from the Catherine Palace or on the way to the airport, make a short detour to visit this impressive church, which is quite unlike any other structure in St Petersburg.

The official name of the church is the Church of St John the Precursor, but everyone calls it the Chesma Church because it was built by Catherine the Great to commemorate the victory that Russian fleet won over Turkish fleet in the Chesma Bay of the Aegean Sea in 1770.

The bright red building of the church, designed by architect Yuri Veldten in Neo-Gothic style, might remind you of medieval castles with their high-cogged walls. There are five small domes with miniature spires crowned by crosses.

Inside, the church looks quite austere and seems to be bigger than its real size because of the plain white walls and a lot of light from the big windows. Photography is not allowed inside Russian Orthodox churches, but the outside is so impressive that it is definitely worth a picture or two.

The graveyard near the church was the burial place of Russian 18th- and 19th-century war heroes, and of the defenders the city of Leningrad (the Soviet-era name of St Petersburg) during WWII. The memorial cross that you will find there is a recent monument, installed to honor the memory of all those who perished in the various wars that Russia waged in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Written July 17, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mikaela
Fairfax County, VA78 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Solo
The church is very easy to access, as it is only a 10 minute walk from a metro station. It is so pretty that I definitely recommend going to see it. If you don’t have a lot of time in St. Petersburg and the church is far out of your way, you don’t have to inconvenience yourself to go see it. But if you have the chance, definitely go!
Written July 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SunnyC3
Melbourne, Australia74 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Solo
This church got a very unique look. It a somewhat far away from other attractions, but I think it is worth a visit.
Written July 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Miriahm D
Boulder, CO1,075 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2014 • Solo
When I saw a photo of this church, I thought, oh I want to see that with my own eyes! Little did Iknow it would cost me close to $40. I took the metro which was the closest to it, and then arranged a taxi for the remainder, as I had already walked too far that day, and I knew if I got lost, I'd have to find my way back. I thought we agreed on the cost to go and return, and although high was not totally unreasonable. Well, the driver didn't know where it was either, although I showed him a photo, and so we drove and drove. Finally I said I don't think you are going in the right direction, and besides it's supposed to be only 10 or15 minutes walk from the metro. He called his support who sent us on the correct direction, and we soon arrived. The church was as I thought took a photo or 2, looked inside, not much in there, and returned to the station where I discovered I had mistaken thousands with hundreds. I didn't like handing over such an amount, but figured even though the fault was not mine, I had received a very long ride and did see parts of St. Petersburg I would never had seen. I think I would have been even angrier if I had paid that amount for a 3 min. ride. How come none of these guys have GPS '?
Written January 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John M
Trumbull, Connecticut197 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Couples
On the way to Peterhoff, my wife and I were taken to this pretty, little historic church. Reminded us of a decorated cake. An active church contains interesting icons. Nice picture opportunity.
Written July 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dranujkiran
New Delhi, India1,004 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2015 • Family
This fully functional Russian Orthodox Church is unusually attractive with its candy stripes . In any other city this would have been a frontline attraction but this is St Petersburg . Built from 1774 to 1780 in honor of Russia's victory over the Turks at the Battle of Cesme [ 1770 ] . Its relatively remote location is due to the fact that Catherine the Great was on this spot when news arrived of the victory , so that's where she ordered the church to be built .
Open 1000 - 1900 hrs , admission free , metro Moskovskaya .
Best taken on the way to Pushkin / Peterhof , not much of a detour for a delightful experience .
Written October 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

princecharming37
St. Petersburg, Russia246 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Couples
This is a nice church to see because of the pink color to it. There isn't much inside to actually see so it is basically just good for a picture or two. The problem is it out of the way. It isn't close too much. It is within walking distance of the Monument to the Herotic Defenders of Leningrad. So if you are going to see this or the monument, you can see the other.
Written March 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

m2347m
Conroe, TX433 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Couples
This church is far from everything. It's on the blue metro line at the Moskovskaya stop. It's about 6 blocks from the metro stop. The only reason I went to check it out is because it's very unique and I will never ever see anything like this again. There were a few local people inside the church.
Written August 11, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JohnnyOxnard
Willis, TX1,165 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Couples
This small church is fairly far out on the blue metro line at the Moskovskaya stop. There is not much else for tourist to see down there but this church is a great photograph for your album. The church inside is extremely small but well kept. If you are like us, you have to get a picture of all Thea great looking sites around St Petersburg. This one clearly does not have all the tourist busses parked around it like all the other big name sites. For that reason I rate this church 4 stars.
Written July 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mjt1111
Lincoln, NE59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2012 • Couples
This little church is worth the trip. If you're a woman, make sure you bring a scarf to cover your head. It's an orthodox church. There is no signage to guide you here if you take the subway, so use your map.
Written July 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Chesma Church (Chesmenskaya Tserkov), St. Petersburg

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