The Painting above the Altar

The focal point of the Sanctuary is the Altar. The Altar is the place where worship services are conducted from and where the Holy communion, the second of the two Sacraments in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, is celebrated at.

Engel designed one big and colourful cross to the centre of the Altar with two golden angels on the sides. After Engels death Lohrmann changed the design, and the cross was replaced with big panting. Originally the painting was ordered from a Swedish artist R.W. Ekman but this painting was never hung on the Cathedrals wall. The picture you see today was a gift from Tsar Nicholas I and it was painted by Carl Timotheus von Neff. It shows the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion and before his resurrection. In the frame above the painting there are four laurel wreaths symbolising the four Evangelists of the Bible – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The two small angels in relief depict the basic elements of Lutheran worship: Word and Music.

A pulpit is a place from which sermons are preached. The pulpit of this Cathedral has a wooden structure and is coated in gypsum plaster. It was constructed in 1849 according to Engel´s drawings. The Canopy over it declares the kingship of the God.