Foundation structures of temple architecture of 18th century as illustrated by St. Sampson’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg

This article describes the findings of architectural and archaeological studies of the foundation of the St. Sampson’s Cathedral and adjacent facilities, conducted by the authors in 2007–2008. The study focuses on the stratigraphy of the open layer as well as the foundation structures of the cathedral and the gate post of the external fence from the side of Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Prospekt. In addition, the authors examined the entrance platform near the parvis, pebble paths, and covered arcades on the northern and southern sides of the cathedral.