Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHTS
ALEXANDER NEVSKY MONASTERY
Named after the patron saint of St Petersburg who led the Russian victory over
the Swedes in 1240, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery is the city's oldest and
most eminent religious institution. Today it is a working monastery that attracts
scores of devout believers, as well as being the burial place of some of Russia's
most famous artistic figures.
Founding the monastery in 1710, Peter the Great sought to link St Petersburg to the
historic battle against the Swedes, and thus to underscore Russia's long history with
the newly captured region. Even though the site of Nevsky's victory was further up-
stream by the mouth of the Izhora River, the monastery became the centre of the
Nevsky cult and his remains were transferred here from Vladimir in 1724. In 1797 the
monastery became a
lavra,
the most senior grade of Russian Orthodox monasteries.
You can wander freely around most of the grounds and churches, but you must buy
tickets to enter the two most famous cemeteries.
Cemeteries
Coming into the monastery complex, you'll first arrive at the Tikhvin and Lazarus Ce-
meteries, burial place to some of Russia's most famous names. You'll find Dosto-
evsky, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Mussorgsky within the walls of
ropolis), which is on your right after you enter the monastery's main gate. Across the
metery), you'll find even more atmospheric graves, though fewer famous names -
look out for polymath Mikhail Lomonosov, as well as the graves of the St Petersburg
architects Quarenghi, Stasov and Rossi.
The cemeteries are now part of the rather misleadingly named State Museum of
Urban Sculpture, which also has an exhibit inside the
Annunciation Church
(ad-
mission R100)
, where you'll find the tombs of many minor royals and tsarist generals.
Monastery Complex
