Alexander Nevsky Monastery

Alexander Nevsky Monastery is an 18th-century Russian Orthodox monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Alexander Nevsky, a.k.a. Prince Alexander of Novgorod (1220-63), was a great military commander who became a national hero and saint for halting the relentless eastward advances of the Germans and the Swedes.

This was achieved in a great battle in 1240 on the Nev River, earning the prince the title "Alexander of the Nev," or Alexander Nevsky. The saint-prince was buried in Vladimir until 1724, when Tsar Peter the Great ordered his remains transferred to the monastery founded in his honor.

Alexander Nevsy Monastery was founded in 1710 to house the relics of its namesake, who was patron saint of the newly-founded capital city.

Tsar Peter the Great built the monastery on its present site believing it was the place of the famous battle, but actually it took place about 12 miles away.

In 1797, the monastery of Alexander Nevsky was raised to the rank of lavra, a status enjoyed by only four Russian Orthodox monasteries (another is the Holy Trinity Lavra at Sergiev Posad).

Entrance is through the archway of the elegant Gate Church (Tserkovnyye Vorota), built 1783-85. The walled pathway is flanked by two cemeteries whose entrances are a short walk down the path.

The monastery structures include two baroque churches, designed by father and son Trezini and built in 1717-22 and 1742-50, respectively; the majestic Holy Trinity Cathedral (Troitsky sobor), built in 1778-90 to a design by Ivan Starov; and numerous structures of lesser importance.

One of the few churches in St. Petersburg allowed to function during the Soviet era, the cathedral's Neoclassical design stands out among the monastery's predominantly baroque architecture. Near the cathedral is a millennial monument celebrating 2,000 years of Christianity.

The Lazarus and Tikhvin Cemeteries at Alexander Nevsky Lavra are together known as the "Necropolis of Masters of Arts." Here the ornate tombs of Mikhail Lomonosov, Alexander Suvorov, Nikolay Karamzin, Modest Mussorgsky, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and other famous Russians can be visited.