Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn.
Location	Tallinn
Country	Estonia
Denomination	Eastern Orthodox Church
History
Consecrated	1900 (1900)

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The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Estonian: Aleksander Nevski katedraal) is an orthodox cathedral in the Tallinn Old Town, Estonia. It was built to a design by Mikhail Preobrazhensky in a typical Russian Revival style between 1894 and 1900,^[1] during the period when the country was part of the Russian Empire. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is Tallinn's largest and grandest orthodox cupola cathedral. It is dedicated to Saint Alexander Nevsky who in 1242 won the Battle of the Ice on Lake Peipus, in the territorial waters of present-day Estonia. The late Russian patriarch, Alexis II, started his priestly ministry in the church.

Interior of the Cathedral.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral crowns the hill of Toompea which is one of several places where according to legend the Estonian folk hero Kalevipoeg's father Kalev is said to have been buried.^[1] As the USSR was officially non-religious, many churches including this cathedral were left to decline. The church has been meticulously restored since Estonia regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Construction and Interior[edit]

Landscape view of the Cathedral, as seen from the top viewing platform of St. Olaf's Church, Tallinn.

Detail on exterior depicting Nevsky

The cathedral domes

Religious mosaics

The cathedral is richly decorated and has eleven bells cast in Saint Petersburg, the largest of which weighs about 16 tons, more than the other ten combined. It has three altars, with the northern altar dedicated to Vladimir I and the southern to St. Sergius of Radonezh.

The base of the building is Finnish granite. In the five onion domes, gilded iron crosses are seen. Inside are three gilded, carved wooden iconostases, along with four icon boxes. The icons of the iconostasis and icon boxes were painted in St. Petersburg on copper and zinc plates. The windows are decorated with stained glass.

Demolition plans[edit]

The cathedral was built during the period of late 19th century Russification and was so disliked by many Estonians as a symbol of oppression that the Estonian authorities scheduled the cathedral for demolition in 1924, but the decision was never implemented due to lack of funds and the building's massive construction.

After restoration of Estonian independence in 90-s Estonian parliament returned to the discussion of plans to demolish Cathedral to extend parking space for members of Parliament^[2]. These plans were not implemented yet.

See also[edit]

• 
  Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Warsaw, demolished after the restoration of Polish independence.


• St. Panteleimon's Cathedral


• List of large Orthodox cathedrals

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn.

• Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral's page in Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate website


• 
  : History : Russification period^{[permanent dead link]}


• 
  Aleksandro-Nevskii Cathedral, 1894

Photos and videos[edit]

• 
  360° QTVR fullscreen panorama of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral's interior

Coordinates: 59°26′09.0″N 24°44′21.7″E / 59.435833°N 24.739361°E / 59.435833; 24.739361