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Published: November 19th 2014
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Alexander Nevsky Monastery
Ranked highest in the Greek Orthodox Hierarchy and is known as the Alexander Nevsky Monastery of the Holy Spirit. Another 9am start, breakfast at Zoom Zoom, and we made our way to the underground railway. I've never travelled so deep on an escalator, the ride taking a good 5 minutes. Apparently these subways are designed to double as nuclear shelters in case of an attack. Our destination was the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, the most revered Greek Orthodox Church in Russia.
As you enter you pass the cemetery where many of Russia's cultural greats are buried. Only Christians are allowed in this cemetery and outside the front of the Cathedral there is another burial ground created for non Christians, atheists, and communists. It is interesting to read the headstones as most seem to be associated with the Red Army and died in the 1940s or before.
As we entered the Cathedral a service was being held in front of the Alexander Nevsky icon who is considered a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church. His remains are held in a shrine that was specially commissioned by the Empress Elizabeth and contains 1.5 tons of pure silver. Two orthodox priests were conducting a service for a small congregation of followers. Most of the service was chanted and they were joined by
The Monastery Cemetery
Only for Christians and hold the remains of some of the giants of Russian culture, including Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky and Glinka a group of young men who sang responses and harmonies to accompany the priests. At the end of the service the congregation approached the Icon, said some private prayers and kissed the Icon.
We left the Monastery and walked down an impressive boulevard leading to the Transfiguration Cathedral. This sight was occupied by the Transfiguration Regiment of soldiers who, in 1754, were approached by Elizabeth to take part in a coup against Empress Anna and the declared heir, Ivan. As a reward for their help, the new Empress, Elizabeth, commissioned the Cathedral and the fence surrounding it made of Turkish cannons, claimed during a victory in Varna.
Soon we were back on the Met train, heading to the Smolny Cathedral and Convent. We walked through Taurichesyiy Sad, a large park alive with children playing, elderly groups exercising, and people just passing through. There was a small lake which reflected the image of the Tauride Palace, now part of this park. Before reaching the Smolny Cathedral, we passed the Smolny Institute where Lenin conducted his revolutionary campaign against the bourgeois government and kept it as his seat of power for a few years. On a lesser note, a young
V.Putin worked in public administration for 6 years in the 1990s. A St Petersburg boy, he is living proof that anyone can achieve great things in Russia.
The Smolny Cathedral was closed so we had a walk around the grounds, had a look at the old convent which Tim attended (as a student, not a nun) when he studied in St Petersburg. For lunch we went to a nearby office block cafeteria that Tim knew of. It was very Russian and very cheap. When you finished eating you had to return your dishes to the kitchen; no table service here.
As we had been walking for 5 or 6 hours, we decided to call it a day and have a break before dinner. We ate at an Armenian Restaurant where we had the best meal I've had in Russia.i had stuffed cabbage leaves in a capsicum sauce and some Armenian salads and rice dishes. Tomorrow we have a day at the Hermitage, possibly a boat ride, and the Mariinskiy Ballet in the evening. Should be a good last day in Russia.
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alferov
Alexander Alferov
It must be remembered that St. Petersburg lies on the banks of Neva River, closely to the Bay of Finland, and on many islands. That means there is water everywhere, so the stations are deep not because of the atom, but because of geological features. Thanks!)