SPbU Rector takes part in the ceremony of laying a capsule in the foundation of a church near Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery

Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery in St Petersburg is the world’s largest cemetery for victims of World War II. The memorial complex, opened on 9 May 1960, is dedicated to the memory of all residents and defenders of besieged Leningrad. About 500,000 people are buried in mass graves. Every year on memorable dates, solemn mourning ceremonies of laying wreaths and flowers at the Motherland monument are held at Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery.

The Eternal Flame on the upper terrace of Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery commemorates victims of the Siege of Leningrad and the heroic defenders of Leningrad. From the Eternal Flame to the Motherland monument, there is a 300-metre Central Alley, with red roses planted along its sides. Every year on the day of the complete lifting of the Siege of Leningrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery.

Since 2002, Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery has had a temporary wooden church, where regular services are held, but the parish of the church has grown significantly. Instead of this wooden church, a new church is planned to be built by the end of 2026, which will accommodate up to 450 parishioners. The church was approved by the Committee for Urban Development and Architecture of St Petersburg. In December 2024, a building permit was issued, and in January 2025, work began on the construction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which would be located near the intersection of Nepokorennykh Prospekt and Amurskaya Street.

Earlier, St Petersburg University held another meeting of the Supervisory Board for the construction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ near Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery. The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, President of the International Sambo Federation, Vasily Shestakov. The Supervisory Board also includes Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg, Member of the Board of Trustees of St Petersburg University; Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University; Maxim Shubarev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Setl Group holding; Priest Ilia Vasiliev, Rector of the Church; and Mikhail Rakhlin, President of the Judo Federation of St Petersburg, to name just a few.

‘We received the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and began work on the creation of this temple with the support of Governor of St Petersburg Alexander Beglov. Near Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery, we recall those who died defending Leningrad, those thanks to whom we are alive today,’ said Vasily Shestakov, President of the International Sambo Federation and Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

At the initiative of Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, a working group was created to resolve issues relating to how to maintain the temple. At the suggestion of the Rector of St Petersburg University, it was headed by Mikhail Rakhlin, an honoured coach of Russia, President of the Judo Federation of St Petersburg.

The beginning of the construction of this significant church in the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory is a tribute to all those who defended the Motherland during World War II, said Nikolay Kropachev.

Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery is a special place for all residents of St Petersburg, the hero city of Leningrad, where the strongest feelings are concentrated. My relatives who did not survive the terrible years of the Siege of Leningrad are buried here. I am sure that the construction of the church on this great place is not only a tribute to the ancestors who fought for the Motherland, but also a contribution to the upbringing of the younger generation and preserving the memory of the heroism of Leningraders.

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Member of the Supervisory Board

The ceremony brought together Evgeny Razumishkin, Vice Governor of St Petersburg; Aleksandr Liskovets, Director of the Organisation and Support of Construction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ at Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery; Sergei Tsitsin, General Director, Chief Architect of the architectural studio ‘AMC — PROJECT’; Gennady Petrov, Member of the Board of Trustees; Aleksei Gurenkov, Member of the Supervisory Board; Maksim Sidorenko, member of the Supervisory Board; Mikhail Rakhlin, President of the Judo Federation of St Petersburg, Member of the Supervisory Board; Anton Solovyov, Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg; Aleksandr Balakirev, Head of the Department of Construction and Land Use of the Kalininsky District; Vladislav Shipunov, Head of the Directorate of Special Projects of Setl Group; and Sergei Kachkovskii, Director of Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery, to name just a few.