Prerequisites of museification of Saint Isaac Cathedral, 1917-1928

The failures of the dual administration of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in 1917-1928 were analyzed for the first time. On the one hand, the building of the cathedral was under the contract in the conduct of the church community, on the other - it was controlled by the local authorities of the People’s Commissariat of Education of RSFSR. The inconsistency of so administrative management model for the maintenance and preservation of a unique object of cultural and historical heritage was revealed during a short period, as a result of which the contract with the community was terminated and the function of the management was completely transferred to the state authority. In the future, it allowed the Cathedral to complete the function of museum. The leading role in the initial stage of this process was played by the Leningrad State Restoration Workshops. The activities of A. P. Udalenkov - the head of the Workshops, as well as the architect M. T. Preobrazhensky, their active position allowed not only to preserve the architectural monument and not to lose its interior decoration in the difficult period of the national history, but also initiated the museum activity, the scientific approach to study the history of the construction of the Cathedral, the creation of its artistic and decorative decoration and the formation of the museum collection.