Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Welcome to the Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the oldest and most significant monastic complex in Saint Petersburg. As we stand at the eastern terminus of Nevsky Prospekt, we are entering a space that Peter the Great envisioned…

To your right, after entering the main gate, lies the Lazarus Cemetery, the oldest surviving burial ground in the city. This is the Necropolis of the 18th Century, a place where the foundational figures of the Russian…

Across the path from the Lazarus Cemetery is the Tikhvin Cemetery, established in 1823 and now known as the Necropolis of the Masters of Art. While the previous cemetery was for the thinkers and builders, this is for the dreamers…

Before us stands the Annunciation Church, the oldest stone church in Saint Petersburg, built between 1717 and 1724. Designed by Domenico Trezzini, this building is a quintessential example of Petrine Baroque. …

We now approach the center of the Lavra's spiritual life, the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Unlike the earlier Baroque churches, this massive structure is a masterpiece of the Neoclassical style, completed in 1790 during the reign of…

Behind the main cathedral and the Metropolitan's residence lies a different kind of silence: the Kazachye, or Cossack Cemetery. Originally a garden, this area became a burial site in 1917 for Cossacks killed during the…

Just outside the main monastic walls, along the Monastyrka River, stands a building that seems at odds with the spiritual surroundings: the former Transfer Prison. Built in the late 19th century by the architect Tomishko—who also…

As we emerge from the gates of the Lavra and return to Alexander Nevsky Square, we are greeted by the modern pulse of Saint Petersburg. Before you stands the equestrian monument to Saint Alexander Nevsky, unveiled in 2002 to mark…