St. Maria of Lourde Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic church in Kovenskiy Lane, Saint Petersburg, Russia
St. Maria of Lourde is a Roman Catholic church on Kovenskiy Lane in Saint Petersburg, featuring a thirty-meter two-tier bell tower topped with a faceted dome and a granite-clad facade. The interior contains fourteen Stations of the Cross, large seashell-shaped holy water fonts, and a neo-Gothic pipe organ with twenty registers.
The church was built between 1903 and 1909 for the French Catholic community and served as the only operating Catholic church in Leningrad from 1938 to 1992. During those decades, it remained a vital place for the city's Catholic believers.
The church blends South French Romanesque elements with Northern Modern influences, a mix that shaped its visual character and reflects the architectural vision of its designers. This combination continues to define how the building appears and functions as a place of worship today.
The building is located near central Saint Petersburg and is easy to reach on foot. When visiting, take time to look closely at the interior details, as the decorative features and craftsmanship reward careful attention.
The construction plans changed dramatically when the Batignolles company donated surplus granite from the Trinity Bridge project, leading to a complete redesign with a single reinforced concrete vault. This unexpected donation made it possible to build the granite-clad facade as it appears today.
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