Abandoned Anglican Church in St. Petersburg to become concert venue

Anglican church on 56 English Embankment. Source: Administration of St. Petersburg

The building of a former Anglican church, erected on St. Petersburg's English Embankment in the 1730s and rebuilt in classicism style in 1814-1815, is to be renovated and turned into a concert hall.

During a visit in March to St. Petersburg, Britain's Russian-speaking Prince Michael of Kent visited the building of the former Anglican church. In a private conversation with Yuliya Strizhak, director of Music Hall Theater, he approved the idea to turn the former church into a branch of the theater, mr7.ru portal reports.

Administration of St. Petersburg<p>Inside the church.</p>\n

Administration of St. Petersburg

 

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The Anglican Church of Jesus Christ was founded in 1723 by the British Diaspora of St. Petersburg. The building contains the only remaining pipe organ out of four such instruments ordered by British expats in Russia and built in 1877.

Administration of St. Petersburg<p>Organ built in 1877.</p>\n

Administration of St. Petersburg

 

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Strizhak told mr7.ru that, following renovation and the opening of the concert hall, the church will continue to hold services on Christian holidays. The current Anglican community in St. Petersburg is rather small, but it includes British, American, Australian, Indonesian, and Russian citizens.

Read more: The church that connects Peter the Great to Joseph Brodsky

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