Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Coordinates: 59°55′16″N 30°23′17″E / 59.921°N 30.388°E / 59.921; 30.388
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

59°55′16″N 30°23′17″E / 59.921°N 30.388°E / 59.921; 30.388

Aerial view of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (2016)
The outer wall of the lavra
View of the monastery in the early 19th century
The monastery in the early 1800s

Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra or Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded by

Neva Battle in 1240 when Alexander Nevsky, a prince, defeated the Swedes. But the battle took place about 12 miles (19 km) away from that site.[1] "On April 5, 1713, in St. Petersburg, in the presence of Peter I, the wooden Church of the Annunciation was consecrated. This day is considered the official founding date of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra."[2]
(April 5, 1713 Gregorian was March 25 Julian, feast of the Annunciation.)

"The relics of St. Alexander Nevsky were solemnly transferred from Vladimir to the new capital of Russia September 12, 1724, by decree of Peter the Great."[3] (It was August 30 Julian, or September 10 Gregorian; however, since the Russian Orthodox Church still follows the Julian calendar, the transfer of the relics is celebrated on August 30 Julian, which corresponds to September 12 Gregorian in the 20th–21st centuries.) Nevsky became patron of the newly founded Russian capital.

During Soviet times in the 20th century, the massive silver sarcophagus of St. Alexander Nevsky[4] was relocated to the State Hermitage Museum. It is still held there (without the relics) today.

In 1797, the monastery was raised to the rank of

Trinity Monastery of St Sergius
in this designation.

The monastery grounds contain two

Lazarevskoe, Tikhvin, Nikolskoe, and Kazachye cemeteries, where ornate tombs of Leonhard Euler, Mikhail Lomonosov, Alexander Suvorov, Nikolay Karamzin, Modest Mussorgsky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Karl Ivanovich Rossi, Prince Garsevan Chavchavadze, a Georgian aristocrat; Sergei Witte
, and other famous Russians are preserved.

During the

Kollontai, the People's Commissar of Social Welfare, wanted to convert the monastery into a 'sanctuary for war invalids'. On 19 January 1918 she sent a group of sailors there, who were met by an angry crowd of worshippers. Fighting broke out and a priest was shot and killed.[5]

Alexander Nevsky Square developed along the front of the Saint Nevsky Lavra. Shoppers can buy bread baked by the monks. Visitors may visit the cathedral and cemeteries for a small admission fee. While many of the grave sites are located behind tall concrete walls, especially those of famous Russians, many can be seen by passers-by while strolling down Obukhovskoy Oborony Street.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Alexander Nevsky Monastery, St. Petersburg", Retrieved 2011-07-17
  2. ^ "Imperial Russia". Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
  3. ^ "Imperial Russia". Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
  4. ^ "Photo of the Sarcophagus of St. Alexander Nevsky located in St. Petersburg", Retrieved 2011-07-17
  5. ^ Figes, Orlando: A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891–1924. London: The Bodley Head (2014). p. 528

External links

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