Location Saint Petersburg Denomination Roman Catholic Church | Country Russia | |
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The St. John the Baptist Church (Russian: Церковь Иоанна Крестителя) It is a Catholic church located in (Pushkin) integrated in the Greater St. Petersburg, 25 kilometers from the "northern capital" of Rusia. Depends on the Archdiocese of Moscow and the deanery northwest.
The first Catholic church in Tsarskoye Selo (imperial residence) was built in 1811, in a property of the master of ceremonies of the court (Ceremoniemeister), the commander Mezonaïev; but the church was not sufficient for the needs of the community. For this the Emperor Alexander authorized the construction of a new church in another land donated by him. Finally it was built in neoclassical style between 1823 and 1825 by Domenico Adamini Leone and architects. The first stone was blessed 24 (6) of July 1825, feast of St. John the Baptist, with the presence of the Minister of Education and the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Minsk, November 21 (December 4), 1826.
The church was closed in April 1938 and became a gym. People buried in the church are buried in the cemetery of Our Lady of Kazan in the city.
The church was damaged during the German occupation of the city during the siege of Leningrad. The first Catholic ceremony after the fall of the USSR, was held on March 17, 1991, in the presence of seven Catholic parishioners. The Mass was held the following Sunday. On October 1, 1997, the church was officially returned to the Catholic parish of the city, according to the management of national museums in Tsarskoye Selo, which owns the building.
Today is served by two Spanish priests.