Vyborg's Architectural Contrasts

16 points4 km4 hours

Vyborg is an atmospheric town where eras and cultures blend together. At different times it was ruled by Sweden, Finland and Russia. It has a real medieval castle, and the streets of the old town breathe history. Vyborg is the place to go if you want an unforgettable weekend. This route was designed specially for the BelkaCar car-sharing service.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🏛️🕰️ Compare the eras

Route points (16)

Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in Vyborg

Point on route “Vyborg's Architectural Contrasts”

Point 13

Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul

🕍 Place of worship

Historical Background

The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul is the only Lutheran church in Vyborg to have survived to this day. From the 16th century Vyborg was home to different peoples, among them Germans, Swedes and Finns of the Lutheran faith. The German and Swedish Lutheran congregations held services in the old cathedral, and after Peter I captured Vyborg, in the former church of the Dominican monastery and in one of the halls of the town hall. In 1783 Empress Catherine II visited the town and ordered the Orthodox Transfiguration Cathedral to be built, while also allowing funds to be raised for a Protestant church. What followed were years of fundraising and a fire just as construction was beginning. Work was supposed to start on June 23, 1793, but two days earlier a terrible town fire destroyed the building materials that had been prepared. That didn't stop the plans, though: on September 6 of the same year the first stone of the future church was laid. The church was completed in 1799 and consecrated in memory of Sts. Peter and Paul. Today it is the only Protestant church in town, which is why it has cathedral status.