The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, named after St. Alexander Nevsky, is an

Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

cathedral in

Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...

, Crimea, built in 1902, and designed by Nikolay Krasnov.

History

The cathedral was built in honour of the Emperor

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Grand Du ...

, who was

assassinated Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

by the political

revolutionaries A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

group

Narodnaya Volya Narodnaya Volya () was a late 19th-century revolutionary socialist political organization operating in the Russian Empire, which conducted assassinations of government officials in an attempt to overthrow the autocratic Tsarist system. The org ...

. The construction committee, established 1 March 1890, was headed by the renowned Yalta engineer and historian Alexandre Berthier-Delagarde. Large sums were donated by notable citizens B. V. Khvoschinsky and I. F. Tokmakov, and the land plot was gifted by Baron A. L. Wrangel. The architects were Nikolay Krasnov and P.K. Terebenev, whose design was approved by Emperor Alexander III. The laying of the first stone took place on 1 March 1891, the tenth anniversary of Alexander II's death, with Maria Alexandrovna, his first wife and mother of Alexander III, in attendance. The

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

of the cathedral occurred 4 December 1902 in the presence of Emperor

Nicholas II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...

, his family, and entourage. The cathedral, two-storeys tall and with open galleries, was built in a Russian style. Next to the cathedral, a three-tiered bell tower was erected, with 11 bells cast in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. Icons for the cathedral were painted by masters from Mstyora in the

Vladimir Governorate Vladimir Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, the Russian Republic and the Russian SFSR, which existed in 1796–1929. History Until 1719 – Vladimirsky Uyezd of the Zamoskovny Krai with ...

. The interior was designed by architect S. P. Kroshchekin, the

iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis () is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere withi ...

, dome, and walls were painted by the

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

artist I. Murashko. The mosaic depicting the holy prince on the exterior of the temple was executed by students of the Venetian A. Salviati. The temple domes were covered in gold. Adjacent to the cathedral, in the style of the Russian terem, was a three-story building completed in 1908, which housed the church school in honour of

Tsarevich Alexei Grand Duke Alexei Petrovich of Russia (28 February 1690 – 26 June 1718) was a Russian Tsarevich. He was born in Moscow, the son of Tsar Peter I and his first wife, Eudoxia Lopukhina. Alexei did not get along with his father and repeatedly ...

, a shelter for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

patients, a hall for the meetings of the Alexander Nevsky Brotherhood. The Brotherhood engaged in charitable activities, the organization of

parish schools A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The wor ...

, and missionary work, and during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, also assisted the wounded and arranged hospitals and

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

s. The first rector of the cathedral was A.Y. Ternivsky, who had previously served at the Yalta Church of St. John Chrysostom. In 1938, the temple was closed, and the bells were sent for melting. A sports club was established in the cathedral, and the school building became the House of Teachers. Worship in the cathedral resumed in 1942, after the establishment of Nazi administration in Crimea. After the liberation of Crimea, the temple was registered as functioning in practice. In the 1990s, a team of industrial climbers, led by the renowned Soviet mountaineer and mountain rescuer Elvira Nasonova, a resident of

Alushta Alushta (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and Russian language, Russian: ; ; ) is a city of regional significance on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula which is within the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a region internationally recognised as ...

, carried out uniquely complex high-altitude work on the domes of the Cathedral. She also completed several other restoration projects for the Crimean Diocese.

Present

Since 1995, a comprehensive parish school has been operating.

References

External links

Exterior shot of cathedral

including both interior and exterior shots of the cathedral {{Cathedrals of Ukraine Churches in Crimea Buildings and structures in Yalta Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in Ukraine Churches completed in 1902 Tourist attractions in Crimea

Cultural heritage monuments of regional significance in Crimea

History

Present

See also

References

External links