This article studies the improvement in the financial situation of priests of St. Peterburg cathedrals during the 19th - early 20th centuries. Work at cathedrals of the capital city was regarded as prestigious and lucrative. However, not all parishes of St. Petersburg were suffi ciently supported financially. The clergy of certain churches, as well as many uyezd priests of the diocese, experienced fi nancial diffi culties and suffered from bad accomodation. Despite their high level of education, the clergy of St. Petersburg cathedrals often had to look for additional income. Most often, this category of parish clergy taught religion at the city's educational institutions, less often other subjects. Particularly vulnerable were those who due to their age and bad health were not able to continue their work full time. The article examines the fi nancial situation of the largest cathedrals of St. Petersburg, i.e. Isaakievskiy, Kazanskiy, Andreevskiy, Morskoy Bogoyavlenskiy, Troitse-Petrovskiy, and Petropavlovskiy. Each of them had its glorious history and own traditions. The financial situation was not the same and was not always good. Living conditions were also of varied levels. Sometimes the clergy rented out parts of the houses to outsiders, sometimes they had to rent apartments themselves.