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The Alexander Nevsky Monastery (Lavra)The Alexander Nevsky Lavra ensemble was founded by Peter I in 1710 as the Monastery of the Holy Trinity and Saint Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky in honor of the victory over the Swedes in 1240. He chose this place because of the legend that says that here in 1240 the famous Neva battle against Swedes took place. In 1724 the remains of Alexander Nevsky were transferred from the city of Vladimir to the Blagoveshchenskaya (Annunciation) Church. Saint Alexander Nevsky became the second patron of the city after Saint Peter. The monastery trained priests of high rank for the Orthodox Church. In 1797 the monastery got the status of Lavra. Most of the grounds is taken up by the Metropolitan Garden and the cemeteries. The Lazorevskoye Cemetery (the 18th-century Necropolis) got its name from the Saint Lazarus Church that was put up in 1717 next to the Annunciation Church. The cemetery became a burial-place for many statesmen and members of aristocratic families, as well as men of culture and science. The grave of Mikhail Lomonosov, the great Russian scientis is here too. The Tikhvinskoye Cemetery (the 19th-century Necropolis) was opened in 1823 and is now a necropolis of the most celebrated figures from the world of the arts. Here outstanding scholars, artists, writers, poets, actors and composers are buried. The Nikholskoye cemetery was founded in 1861 and has retained the tombstones of many outstanding men of Russian culture and science. The center of the Lavra's lay-out is the Holy Trinity Cathedral, constructed by the architect Ivan Starov. The construction works lasted for almost a century and were only finished in 1790. During that period several talented architects worked here changing one after the other. Among them should be mentioned Domenico Trezzini and Mikhail Zemtsov. Thus the Baroque elements of Peter's epoch were blended with the mid-18th century Baroque as well as with the late 18th-century classical forms. Though the buildings were erected by different architects and at various times, they all form a single whole. |
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