Photos of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn

Mother and Son by A.Davey

Exterior shots are almost all I have to share here because this church, like most of the other Russian Orthodox churches I visited in the Baltic states, prohibits interior photography. That's a pity, because the interiors are so sumptuously appointed that they make the great Roman Catholic churches of South America look positively austere. There's precious little opportunity to take photos on the sly because the churches are active centers of worship. Also, there are usually two or more ladies staffing tables near the entrance where religious objects are sold, and from their vantage point there are few places in the church they can't see. My desire to avoid making a scene exceeds my thirst to document the interior no matter how splendid it might be. However, the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate's Web site has a series of magnificent photos of the interior that far surpass any images I could ever hope to take. Here is the link: <a href="http://www.orthodox.ee/welcome.html" rel="nofollow">www.orthodox.ee/welcome.html</a> It's a slide show, so give it time. ======================================================== 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, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_Cathedral,_Tallinn" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_Cathedral,_Tallinn</a> Tallinn, Estonia.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn (Eesti: Aleksander Nevski katedraal) is a tourist attraction, one of the Eastern Orthodox churches in Tallinn, Estonia. It is located: 43 km from Maardu, 248 km from Helsinki, 840 km from Rija. Read further
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