Immanuel Kant Cathedral. Cathedral in Kaliningrad. Concert hall of the Kaliningrad Cathedral

How to get to the Kaliningrad Cathedral on your own. Museum opening hours and organ hall, Kant's grave in the Cathedral.

On the territory of this city there are many ancient monuments, annually attracting antique lovers from all over the world. An honorable place in popularity among the attractions of Kaliningrad is occupied by the Cathedral (Kreuzkirche), erected at the beginning of the 14th century under the leadership of Bishop John.

Cathedral from the time of Königsberg

The Kaliningrad Cathedral was the central temple Kneiphof district, where services were regularly held with the presence of top officials of the city and state.

Cathedral former Koenigsberg Today you can admire it in its original form!

The remains of nobles and clergy are buried in the crypts of the cathedral. The first grave belongs to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, Lutger von Braunschweig, and has been here since 1335. The last burial was made in 1809 - it belongs to the stillborn son of Princess Marianne and Prince William. Among the legendary personalities who found last refuge within the walls of the Königsberg Cathedral, there is more than one master Teutonic Order, some Zemland bishops, professors of the local university and other equally significant persons.

But the most outstanding person, whose grave is also located within the walls of the cathedral, was the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. His burial stands out from the rest: relatively recently (in relation to the age of the cathedral, of course), namely in 1924, in honor of Kant’s 200th anniversary, a portico was built over his grave.

Before the Second World War, the Cathedral was a model of splendor; its walls housed one of the largest libraries in Prussia, founded by Martin von Wallendorff in the 50s of the 17th century. In addition, the temple boasted one of the largest organs in Europe.

But as a result of Allied air raids at the end of the Second World War, the cathedral was destroyed and the interior decoration was lost. However, by some miracle the tombstones and epitaphs managed to survive.

Kaliningrad Cathedral

Decades later, researchers and historians who studied the ruins of the cathedral managed to find funds and obtain an order to begin restoration Kaliningrad Cathedral. This happened only in 1992. Thanks to a decision unexpected in those troubled times, today everyone can enjoy not only the façade of the cathedral that has risen from the ruins, but also the exhibition of the museum opened at its base. Immanuel Kant.

Map of Königsberg and souvenirs on the territory of the Kaliningrad Cathedral

The tour route around the Cathedral includes a visit to the Kant Institute, an Orthodox chapel, a library restored “from the ashes,” etc.

But the main achievement of the restorers is the opening of a concert hall designed for 700 visitors. The organ complex located here has no equal in Russia. It consists of a large and small organ and allows you to achieve surprisingly rich sounds. In addition, the acoustic capabilities of the Cathedral itself are said to be limitless!

One conclusion can be drawn: the architects managed to restore not only the “body” of the cathedral with precision down to the smallest detail, but also to resurrect the spirit that hovered within these walls throughout the long centuries of the cathedral’s life.

Cathedral - how to get there

The Kaliningrad Cathedral is located in the heart of Kneiphof Island (or Kant Island, as it is called), at the address: st. Kanta, 1.

You can get to the island from Victory Square by tram No. 3, 5. Stop “Fish Village”, from which you will have to walk 300 meters. If Leninsky Prospekt is closer to you, choose any minibus and get off near. Then cross the road and through road bridge move towards Kneiphof - you will notice the Gothic spire from afar.

Opening hours of the museum and organ hall

Currently, Orthodox and Protestant chapels are open on the premises of the Cathedral. The following museum exhibitions are open: “The History of the Island of Kneiphof”, “Immanuel Kant and Königsberg”, “The Cathedral. Revival from Ruins", "Wallenrodt Library".

In the altar part, at the stage of restoration, there is the tombstone of Duke Albrecht, whose monument can be seen on the territory of the temple, opposite Kant’s grave.

Opening hours of the Cathedral: from 09-00 to 17-00, seven days a week.

Information can be checked on the official website - www.sobor-kaliningrad.ru. There you can also find out the schedule of organ music concerts in the Kaliningrad Cathedral.

Excursions around Kaliningrad and the region

Unusual routes organized local residents. Excursions are created by creative people who have something to tell about the city and its surroundings. They will also tell you where to spend your time and where you can save money.

Hotels in the Kreuzkirche area

If you liked the location of the Cathedral, then your intuition did not let you down - if there is anywhere worth living in Kaliningrad, it is in the area of ​​Kant Island. On the map below you will find all the hotels located in the area around Kreuzkirche.

Let's sum it up

It doesn’t matter whether you are interested in the history of the building, whether you want to admire the restored library or whether you like organ music. If you have arrived in Kaliningrad for the first time, know that you will not be able to avoid visiting the Cathedral, because it is the soul of the city.

The Master of the Teutonic Order considered the new cathedral too similar to a fortress and stopped construction until the church authorities promised to give the future temple an exclusively cult appearance. On the north side of the cathedral you can see a ledge in the place where the masonry changes from a thickness of 3 meters to a smaller thickness - up to 1.28 meters. The foundation also had to be lightened. The image of the cathedral corresponds to the layout of order churches with a three-nave church for the laity and a one-nave choir for knighthood, but without an underground chapel. The towers, which burned down in the 16th century, were rebuilt in the Renaissance style. On a square base south tower a superstructure with 12 corners appeared, later topped with a spire.

The clock on the cathedral tower, despite its medieval appearance, is the most accurate in Kaliningrad, with a modern mechanism and satellite communication.

The weakness of the foundation did not allow the towers to be raised to the intended height, and the building began to sag dangerously. The northern tower deviated 45 centimeters from its axis and is a bit reminiscent of the famous Pisa Tower. By 1400, the interior of the naves was decorated with frescoes with scenes from the Holy Scriptures. The main impression that the cathedral still makes is its endless space, and this distinguishes it from the soaring late Gothic cathedrals. The length of the building is 88.5 meters, the height of the tower with spire is 50.75 meters, and the width is 30.2 meters. “The local cathedral church is huge,” Russian historian N.M. wrote in his diary. Karamzin. - With great note I looked there at the ancient weapons, armor and cone of the most pious of the Margraves of Brandenburg and the bravest of the knights of his time. Where are you, I thought, where are you, dark ages, centuries of barbarism and heroism? Your pale shadows terrify the timid enlightenment of our days..."

In 1511, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Albrecht of Brandenburg, liberated Prussia from the power of the Pope and adopted Lutheranism. The Cathedral also expected changes. It was transferred to the city of Kneiphof, and in 1560 to the Albertina University. Duke Albrecht is buried in the Cathedral, almost the entire eastern wall was occupied by a luxurious epitaph modeled on the Italian tombstones of the heyday of the Renaissance. Now only the architectural frame has been preserved from the monumental monument. In 1588, in the northern part of the altar, a burial place for professors of the University of Königsberg was founded. Most of the hundred tombstones and epitaphs have not survived, but the remaining ones are being carefully restored. In 1804, the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant found his final resting place at the north-eastern corner of the cathedral.

Cathedral in wartime

In August 1944, after raids by 600 British bombers, Kneiphof Island was practically destroyed. The walls of the cathedral survived, but the entire interior was destroyed in the fire. It is known that the Nazis forbade firefighters to extinguish the fire. For many years after the war, the cathedral was a majestic ruin, standing alone among the deserted island. It was saved from final destruction by the grave of Kant, who was considered in the USSR the herald of communist ideology.

The only statue from the Cathedral that survived the raid in 1944 - the image of Countess Dorothea, wife of Duke Albrecht - was found during the search for the Amber Room and is now kept in the Museum fine arts them. Pushkin in Moscow.

The Cathedral in Kaliningrad received the status of a monument of republican significance in 1960. In 1992, the tragic ruins were mothballed and work began on historical reconstruction. Despite the damage and losses, the cathedral deservedly belongs to the federal category of architectural monuments.

Kant's grave

The great philosopher Immanuel Kant was buried last in 1804 in the professor's tomb near the northern choir of the Königsberg Cathedral. In 1880, a chapel in the neo-Gothic style was erected over the grave. For Kant's bicentenary, the architect Friedrich Lars received an order to rebuild the tombstone. Visits to Kant's grave were allowed twice a year: on February 12 and April 22 - on the philosopher's birthday and death.

In addition to philosophy, Immanuel Kant taught such unusual disciplines as fortification and pyrotechnics at the Albertina University.

Wallenrodt Library

Two rooms with Baroque paintings, decorated with amazing wooden carvings, on the second floor of the south tower, have housed the famous Wallenrodt Library since 1650. Founded by Chancellor Martin von Wallenrod and his son, by the 20th century it consisted of 10,000 unique books collected throughout the world. Only some of the rare volumes survived in the university library; the rest of the priceless books were lost in the cathedral fire.

Organ

In the Cathedral you can attend organ concerts. The Council regained its voice in 2008. The system of the Large and Small organs was restored by German craftsmen according to pre-war drawings using modern fiber-optic and computer technologies. The decorative part of the largest organ in Europe is decorated by Kaliningrad craftsmen with filigree carvings and moving figures.

Euler problem

The Cathedral Bridge between Alstadt and Kneiphof stood only 50 years after the construction of the Cathedral began. There are seven bridges left in the city, spanning the river that washes the island and diverges into two branches. Is it possible to walk around Königsberg, crossing all the bridges without crossing any of them twice? Mathematician Leonid Euler's problem about the bridges of Königsberg underlies graph theory, which still helps in the study of transport systems, optimization of cargo delivery and data routing on the Internet.

Belfry tower

During the construction of the roof of the longitudinal nave at the end of the 16th century, an error was discovered in the layout of the building: the tower part turned out to be displaced relative to the central part. To correct it, medieval builders found an elegant solution - at the place where the roof curved, they erected a camouflaging small belfry tower.

The Nazis dug up Kant's grave in an attempt to measure his skull to prove he belonged to the Aryan race.

Peter I, while studying the Wallenrodt Library, discovered an ancient Radziwill Chronicle telling about Ancient Rus'.

The ruins of the Cathedral can be seen in the films “Zhenya, Zhenechka and Katyusha” and “The Kerosene Man’s Wife.”

Kaliningrad Cathedral, Kant Island, Kant Museum and Tomb and a magnificent organ we visit the sights of Kaliningrad on our own. Kant Island is very popular place Kaliningrad. On Kant Island there is a Cathedral, where the grave of the great philosopher Immanuel Kant and a monument to Duke Albrecht are located. People also come here to listen to the organ. A visit to Kant Island, the Cathedral, the Kant Museum and a mini concert of organ music requires at least 3-4 hours, provided that you have planned a visit to the island, taking into account the mini concert of organ music that will take place that day. We didn’t succeed and we visited Kant Island three times, but we don’t regret it, but it’s noticeable from the photographs.

• Kanta Island Kaliningrad
• Kaliningrad Cathedral is located: Kaliningrad, st. Kanta, house 1, website http://sobor-kaliningrad.ru
• Monument to Duke Albrecht Kaliningrad
• Kant Museum Kaliningrad

Kanta Island Kaliningrad how to get there

You can independently get to Kant Island in Kaliningrad along two roads along Leninsky Prospekt or Oktyabrskaya Street, since Kant Island is really an island and two bridges lead to it, which are marked on the map with numbers 2 and 3. The next attraction of Kaliningrad is indicated at number four “ Fish Village,” but that’s for next time.

Getting to Kanta Island is easy. If you travel by car, you need to dial the address Oktyabrskaya street, building 2.
On public transport you need to go to the stop Fishing village(on the map at number 5)
Bus: 45
Minibus taxi: t72, t80, t92
or another route

to the stop SK Yunost(number 7 on the map) on Moskovsky Prospekt

Bus: 45, 49
Trolleybus: 2, 7
Minibus taxi: t65, t72, t75, t77, t80, t87, t93

to the stop Sailors' House of Culture(number 6 on the map) on Leninsky Prospekt
Bus: 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 27, 30, 36, 37, 44, 49, 159, 106, 108
Trolleybus: 1, 5
Minibus taxi: t62, t63, t64, t66, t67, t69, t70, t71, t77, t83, t84, t85, t87, t88, t89, t90, t93, t86
Tram: 3, 5

We chose to enter the island through the Honey Bridge (number 3 on the map) from Oktyabrskaya Street, since we were traveling by car. Type the address Oktyabrskaya Street, building 2 or 3 on your navigator and the navigator will definitely lead you to the island.

Kanta Island is really an island with two bridges

Approaching the indicated address, the Cathedral and the Honey Bridge are immediately visible.

Before the entrance to the bridge there is a gate for the passage of pedestrians and cars, and next to the bridge there is a small free parking, there are 10-15 cars, but we were always lucky with free parking spaces near Kant Island.

You can drive onto the island by car, as you can see from the signs (in the next photo) that there is no entry ban, but we didn’t drive. Although, when walking around the island and especially before the mini-concert, ten cars parked at the cathedral.

As is fashionable now, there are a lot of locks on the bridge from newlyweds and not only.

Kaliningrad Cathedral

The cathedral is beautiful, and the area is well-groomed and landscaped. The founding day of the Cathedral is considered to be September 13, 1333. Founder Bishop Johannes Claret. Initially, the Cathedral was conceived as a church that performed defensive and fortress functions.

The first thing that greets us is a memorial sign with a bas-relief of public figure Julius Rupp.

As you approach the Cathedral, you notice some bas-reliefs on the walls.

It immediately becomes clear that it is a burial, but how could it have been otherwise, this is a spiritual temple.

If you walk around the cathedral counterclockwise, you can see the grave of the great philosopher Immanuel Kant from the end of the building.

Opposite Kant’s grave there is a monument to Duke Albrecht (the founder of Albertina), that is, the founder of the new state, and of everything else, including the university. The monument was erected near the Cathedral on the island of I. Kant, where the first building of the Albertina was located.

Moving further, you can see more bas-reliefs on the walls of the cathedral building. In the front of the cathedral, on the side, you can see a strange structure made of plastic and metal, and on the opposite side is a toilet. We concluded that when concerts are held in the cathedral, this structure moves apart and connects the cathedral to the toilet.

Along the way, not far from the entrance, we came across a sign that said that today there would be a mini organ concert. This is luck for travelers like us, since the concert schedule did not fit with our schedule for visiting the city of Kaliningrad, and we really wanted to listen to the organ, so it was very convenient to arrive today at two o’clock and listen to 30 minutes of organ music. In the meantime, there was time, it was decided to visit the Kant Museum in the Cathedral.

Also near the entrance to the cathedral there is a model of the main attractions.

Kant Museum Kaliningrad

In front of the very doors of the cathedral, a shield was displayed with prices for the museum’s services.

Having bought a ticket and paid 50 rubles separately for a photo shoot, we quickly examined the Orthodox chapel on the first floor, its entrance was next to the entrance to the museum, and we went to the museum.

Well, this is as it should be for ancient castles. A small narrow door and a narrow spiral staircase to the second floor.

And now you are on the second floor where the exhibition begins.

I would like to recommend taking a guide when purchasing a ticket, this is an additional 150 rubles to your tickets. We didn’t take a guide from the beginning and started exploring the exhibition without him, but take my word for it, without a guide it wouldn’t be interesting, but with the excursion, it was for the two of us, it became so interesting and we learned so much interesting facts that the presented exhibits became clear. Without a guide, you won’t learn anything about Kant’s life, but it was touching and a little sad and how the state of Albertina was created. Take a guide and 30 minutes will pass in one breath.

Along the entire route of visiting the Cathedral, stained glass windows attract attention.

One of the greatest thinkers of mankind, Immanuel Kant, was born on April 22, 1724 in the then capital of East Prussia - Konigsberg (now Kaliningrad). I. Kant's father was a simple saddler who made horse harness, his mother was a housewife.

The guides note Kant’s very correct life, his modesty and punctuality, but Kant was late for his wedding. His smooth and beautiful handwriting is also noted.

In 1650, the son of Chancellor von Wallenrodt, who donated his library to the city, purchased “a useless and abandoned room in the Kneiphof Church, at the top near the organ, near the bell tower,” in order to place a library there for the “benefit of the student youth.” Apparently this was the first time in Europe that a secular library was located in a church. At the entrance to the library there were rules for visiting. For example: “Whoever intends to enter, let him clean his shoes from dirt, shake off dust or rainwater from his clothes”; “Do not cut or stain books with scissors or a knife.”

By 1944, the library had more than 20 thousand publications. During the fire on August 30, 1944, some of the books were evacuated to the south of East Prussia.

Museum "Sculpture Park" on Kant Island

After the end of the excursion, we walked around the “sculpture park”. Since there are no other buildings on the territory of Kant Island, the entire territory is a park with one main alley, which is called Kant Street, and other small paths on which various sculptures are located. The sculpture park was created in 1984. by decision of the Kaliningrad Executive Committee. All works are made from valuable materials such as bronze, granite, marble and metal. Their authors are famous masters and all works are united by the theme “Man and the World”. There are currently 23 sculptures on display.

We cross Kant Street and move to the next sculptures.

This is the last 23 sculpture, which is located not far from the Honey Bridge, along which we entered the island.

In general, the impression from the sculpture park is not clear, but you will have your own opinion only after visiting the park.

Since we still had two hours before the start of the mini concert of organ music, we went to visit another attraction of Kaliningrad. And after it they returned back to Kant Island.

Concert hall of the Kaliningrad Cathedral

At two o'clock we were at the Cathedral in Kaliningrad and went to a mini concert. At the entrance to the concert hall itself, you are greeted by sculptures of two unusual animals.

One of the main attractions of Kaliningrad is the Immanuel Kant Museum, located in the historical building of the Konigsberg Cathedral. In three exhibition halls on the fourth floor of the building the exhibitions are presented: “Kant and Russia”, “Kant and his circle” and “Kant Memorial Hall”. The island in the center of Kaliningrad, on which the museum is located, is also named after Kant.

The life story of the famous philosopher Immanuel Kant, who lived in the capital of East Prussia - Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad), is widely represented in the memorial hall. The first knowledge, hobbies, works, scientific activities and people surrounding the founder of German philosophy are described in detail in the Albertina exhibition. Here you can learn a lot of new things, for example, that as a result of Russia's victory in the Seven Years' War, Immanuel Kant was a Russian subject for several years. In the same room you can see Kant's petition sent to Empress Elizabeth, asking for his appointment as head of the department of logic and metaphysics. Also, the Immanuel Kant Museum tells in detail about the habits of local Masons and the customs of Masonic lodges of the 18th and 19th centuries. The windows of the museum are decorated with artistic stained glass windows with Masonic symbols.

In the north-eastern corner of the cathedral there is the grave of Professor Immanuel Kant of the University of Koenigsberg, who never left his home. hometown, but known throughout the world as a philosopher standing on the verge of the Enlightenment and Romanticism. The building of the Königsberg Cathedral also houses museum exhibitions telling about the history of the island of Kneiphof (now Kant's island), the famous Wallenrodt Library and the University of Königsberg, whose activities are inextricably linked with the works of Kant.

In memory of Immanuel Kant, the following were installed in Kaliningrad: a monument (made according to Rauch’s author’s model) next to the University building and a personalized bench near the Museum of the World Ocean, and an office-museum was also created in the building of the Kaliningrad University (formerly Albertina).