Kolpanskaya Church, Lutheran church in Malye Kolpany, Russia.
Kolpanskaya Church is a stone structure featuring traditional northern European architectural elements located in the Gatchinsky district. The building displays typical features of early 19th-century Lutheran church construction with solid walls and characteristic window designs.
The Lutheran community of Kolppana was founded in 1640. The stone church was planned under Peter III and built under Paul I: the foundation stone was laid on 12 July 1789 in the presence of the grand duke and Maria Feodorovna, work resumed in 1799 under Andreyan Zakharov, and the church was consecrated on 2 February 1802. Its tower was demolished in 1933 and the church closed in 1937.
The church's nickname, "kukkokirkko" (rooster church), comes from the 1.5-metre gilded brass rooster on the spire, made to Andreyan Zakharov's design and recalling Peter's denial and repentance. Services were long conducted by pastors from Spankkova and Skvoritsa, and a Finnish public library opened in the parish in 1879.
The church stands in Malye Kolpany, about 2.5 km southwest of Gatchina's centre; its spire was placed so it could be seen from the windows of the Great Gatchina Palace. The building is a regional cultural heritage site, so check access to the interior in advance. The bell tower was dismantled in 1933 and the church closed in 1937.
The weathervane on the spire was a gilded brass rooster 1.5 m tall, made to Andreyan Zakharov's sketch; Finns called the church kukkokirkko, "rooster church", after Peter's denial and repentance. The tower was dismantled in 1933 and the church closed in 1937.
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