Church of St. Nicholas - Cathedral of the capital of Sweden. Stockholm cathedrals Stockholm cathedral Storchurkan

The Church of St. Nicholas, popularly known as the Great Church, is the oldest in Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town. Its building is an important example of Gothic Swedish brick construction. The church is located next to the Royal Palace, and to the south of it is the Stock Exchange building, facing Stortorget Square, which in turn houses the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Library and the Nobel Museum.

The Church of St. Nicholas was first mentioned in written sources in 1279 and was originally built by Jarl Birger, the founder of the city itself. For almost four centuries it was the only parish church in the city, and after the Reformation in 1527, the cathedral was made Lutheran.

Thanks in large part to its convenient location and proximity to the former royal castle and the current royal palace, St. Nicholas Church has often been the setting for major events in Swedish history, such as coronations, royal weddings and royal funerals. The last coronation that took place here was the coronation of Oscar II in 1873. Crown Princess Victoria, eldest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Sylvia, married Daniel Westling on 19 June 2010 at St. Nicholas Church. This happened in the same place and on the same day as the marriage of her parents in 1976.

The most famous of the church's treasures is the wooden statue of St. George and the dragon by Bernto Notke (1489). The statue, commemorating the Battle of Brunckeberg in 1471, also serves as a relic of the relics of St. George and two other saints. The church houses a copy of one of the oldest and most famous images of Stockholm, the painting Vadersolstavlan (False Sun); this copy dates from 1632, and the lost original dates from 1535. The painting was commissioned by the scientist and reformer Olaf Petri. It depicts a halo - a false sun, which gave the painting its name, and in the 16th century it was interpreted as a harbinger of terrible future events.

The historic center of Stockholm is rich in ancient monuments. One of them is the Church of St. Nicholas, which has now received the status of a cathedral. It is impossible to name the exact date of the construction of the church, but already in 1279 it was mentioned in the will of a certain Johan Karlsson, who wished to donate a certain amount of silver to the church upon his death. It is believed that the church of St. Nicholas was founded with the founding of Stockholm.

Of course, its original appearance has not survived to this day. The church was rebuilt several times, and the building turned out to be of different styles: baroque, gothic, neo-gothic. However, many old elements have survived, dating back to 7 centuries. Conceived as a Catholic church, the church became Lutheran in 1527. The reformer Olaus Petri chose her for his sermon in Stockholm. The church of St. Nicholas received a slightly different look after the final reconstruction in the 18th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the cathedral was restored in the Gothic style, making it the way it was 500 years ago.

The cathedral houses many masterpieces of painting and sculpture. The main one is a wooden image of St. George slaying a dragon. The sculpture was commissioned by the king as a symbol of success in the military battle against the Danes in 1471 near Brunckeberg. Since then, the flesh until the end of the 19th century, this sculpture was taken out of the church every year on October 10 (the day of the battle). Saint George was removed from his horse and solemnly carried along the streets of Stockholm. The sculptor's decision was very original. The statue of George is made of oak wood, and the dragon's thorns are made of ... moose horns!

Another of the attractions is the painting "False Sun". This is a copy of the lost original, written in the 17th century. The painting depicts old Stockholm. Nearby hangs a painting by the artist Urban "The Miracle of Stockholm". It tells about a real astronomical event that Stockholmans observed in 1535: six rings began to be visible around the sun, diverging in different directions. Theologians interpreted this phenomenon as a sign of a change in the world. The altar in the church of St. Nicholas is made of pure silver and noble ebony. Statues of Jesus Christ and saints are placed around in silver columns

The Church of St. Nicholas played a leading role among the religious buildings in Stockholm. Swedish kings were crowned here until 1873. And already in our time, in 1976, the Swedish king Karl XVI married here with his future wife. Perhaps this role was played by the church due to its proximity to the Royal Palace, which is located in the next block. Also, Nobel laureates deliver their speeches here. Every day the church is visited by crowds of tourists from different countries.

This interest in the cathedral certainly flatters the people of Stockholm. However, vanity interferes with the celebration of Mass. Therefore, the so-called "time corridors" were introduced - time free from excursions. Then everyone can attend the service if they agree to adhere to the rules of worship.

After enjoying the changing of the guard show, I dropped into Storkyrkan - Stockholm's cathedral, which is located next to the royal palace. This is the oldest building in the Old Town. Here the coronations and marriages of Swedish monarchs take place.
The cathedral was consecrated in 1306 and dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, St. Nicholas. In the 1730s, during the restoration, the architect Karlberg gave the cathedral elements of the Baroque style.
Much of the early interior decoration has been lost. However, the oak sculpture of St. George with a serpent in the northeast aisle, studded with precious stones, has survived. The sculptor and painter Bernt Notke from Lübeck carved it in 1489 to commemorate the victory of the Swedish ruler Wall Sture the Elder over the Danes in the Battle of Brunckeberg (1471), which predetermined the end of the Kalmar Union with Denmark. The sculpture was commissioned by Sten Sture himself. He is associated with George, and in the image of the princess he is saving is depicted the wife of Wall Sture Ingeborg. The sculpture is collapsible. October 10, the day of victory, George was removed from his horse and carried through the streets.
Next to the sculpture, on the wall, there is a painting by David Klöcker von Ehrenstral “The Last Judgment” (1696). It was located in the chapel of the royal castle of Tre Krunur and was saved during a fire.
The oldest image of Stockholm can be seen in the painting to the right of the entrance. It depicts the "Stockholm Miracle", an atmospheric phenomenon of parhelia, a false sun that could be observed over Stockholm from 7 am to 9 am on April 20, 1535. These are several concentric rings radiating around the sun. Strictly speaking, this is a common phenomenon, but it happened when King Gustav Vasa was determined to take control of the property of the Church. Then a prominent figure of the Reformation, priest, preacher Olaus Petri opposed the king, who had previously been his ally. He announces that the Stockholm Miracle was a sign warning those who want to destroy churches, and he orders this painting. Now on the wall in the cathedral hangs a copy of it, made in 1618. In the early 17th century, the role of the church was again the subject of debate and a Swedish artist was commissioned to restore a picture of the sign from heaven.
In the painting you can see the brick towers and pipes of Tre-Krunur, the tower of Birger Jarl, the tower of Vasa, and the not surviving monastery on the island of the Gray Brothers (today's Riddarholmen).
There are many graves in Sturchyurkan. Of course, not so much as in Riddarholm Church, but still.

Slottsbacken Square.

Cathedral, Sturchyurkan.
The obelisk next to the cathedral, one of the alleged five, which Gustav III ordered to be installed - in honor of the soldiers and sailors who participated in the Russian-Swedish war in 1788-1790.

Inside the cathedral.

Altar decorated with silver casting.

Stained glass above the altar.

A beautiful organ that I didn't get to hear.

Lodges for the royal family and the pulpit.

Sculpture of St. George.

Painting by David Klöcker von Ehrenstral "The Last Judgment".

Stockholm miracle.

This church was first mentioned in 1279 by the knight Johan Karlsson, who in his will bestowed one mark of silver on the "Stockholm Great Church".

St. Nicholas Church was the site of the coronation of Swedish kings. The last was the coronation of Oscar II, which took place here in 1873.

The building of the cathedral is an example of Swedish neo-Gothic architecture. Elements of brick Gothic are used in the internal architecture. The cathedral houses a large number of artistic masterpieces. One of them is a medieval wooden statue of St. George and the Dragon. There is also a copy of the painting "False Sun" made in 1632. The original painting, created in 1535 and which is the oldest image of Stockholm, has been lost.

Stockholm Cathedral Storchurkan

Stockholm Cathedral, also known as Storchurkan, or St. Nicholas Cathedral, is rightfully called the most significant temple in Stockholm. It is located in Gamla Stan - Stockholm's Old Town.

The history of the temple begins in the 13th century - on this place there was a small church built by the founder of the city, Jarl Birger. A little later, the Basilica of St. Nicholas was built in its place.

The Storchurkan Cathedral was rebuilt many times until it acquired its present appearance. Previously, the temple had a Gothic facade, later it was demolished and a new one was built in the Baroque style. In the 18th century, a 66-meter bell tower was added to the Storchurkan church. The temple houses famous works of art - the painting "The Last Judgment", the sculpture of 1489 "St. George with the Serpent".

St. Nicholas Cathedral is the site of coronations and weddings of Swedish monarchs. Services are still held here every Sunday, the temple is open to everyone.

• The address: Trångsund 1, 111 29 Stockholm, Sweden
• Telephone: +46 8 723 30 00
• Diocese: Diocese of Stockholm
• Denomination: Church of Sweden
• Working hours: daily 9: 00-16: 00

One of the oldest temples is the Church of St. Nicholas (Sankt Nikolai kyrka or Storkyrkan). This is the Cathedral, which is a majestic structure built of red bricks. It is made in the Baroque style with Gothic elements and attracts the attention of all guests of the city.

History reference

The Church of St. Nicholas in Stockholm was first mentioned in 1279 in the will of a Swedish knight named Johan Karlsson. He donated one silver mark to Stockholms Stora Kyrka. During the reformation period (from 1527) the shrine became Lutheran.

Initially, the building was used as a parish church, but over time it has gained significant influence. It began to be considered the main temple on the island, and later - the entire historical district.

In 1942, the shrine received the status of Stockholm Cathedral. Coronations, weddings, christenings and funerals of Swedish monarchs took place here. The last such procession took place in 1873, when the throne passed to Oscar II.

Currently, the Church of St. Nicholas in Stockholm is located in the city center near and. The eastern facade of the building overlooks the main square of the capital and at the same time closes Slottsbakken Street on the west side.

Description of the Cathedral

The bell tower of the temple was built of bricks, and the walls were plastered and painted in white and yellow. The appearance of the Church of St. Nicholas was significantly changed in 1740. The restoration was carried out by the architect Johan Eberhard Karlberg.

The interior of the Cathedral is very rich and decorated with world masterpieces. The most famous of them are:

Features of the visit

Services, religious ceremonies and organ concerts are held at Stockholm Cathedral. For visitors, the temple is open from 09:00 to 16:00 every day.

Free Russian speakers are held every Wednesday at the church, starting at 10:15. True, you still have to buy an entrance ticket. Its cost is $ 4.5 - for adults, $ 3.5 - for pensioners, for children under 18 years old - free.

How to get there?

You can get to the Cathedral by buses No. 76, 55, 43 and 2. The stop is called Slottsbacken. From Stockholm city center, you can easily walk along Norrbro, Slottsbacken and Strömgatan streets. The distance is about 1 km.