The construction of the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra began in 1717 on the site of an old wooden church. That year, the Northern War ended with the Swedes, and Emperor Peter I decided to transfer the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg to commemorate the victory. And in 1722, Archimandrite Theodosius, along with the officers accompanying him, arrived in Vladimir, where the remains of Alexander Nevsky had been buried in the Virgin Mary Nativity Monastery since 1263. In July 1724, after a prayer service, the ark with the relics was installed in the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, which has since been known by this name.
The oldest temple of St. Petersburg
This church, which recently celebrated its 300th anniversary, is located at: Embankment of the Monastery River, No. 1.
Domenico Trezzini was the first architect of the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and he owns her project. However, a year later he was replaced by the architect H. Conrat, who led the construction of the church for about two years. Then the project was handed over to the architect T. Schwertfeger, who completed the construction.
The building on two floors has the distinctive features characteristic of the era of Peter the Great: a high roof and decorative decoration of the facade, as well as pilasters and stucco decorations. The Lavra is an architectural complex, the construction of which lasted for many years: something was being completed, some elements were changing in accordance with the tastes of the time. For example, in the middle of the 18th century, a 2-story baroque extension was added to the western side of the facade. The architect M.D. Rastorguev supervised the construction work.
Tomb at the temple
Since 1720, in the basement of the temple, work began on the arrangement of the tomb, designed for 21 people. It was intended to repose members of the imperial family and noble nobles. Even before the consecration of the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (in the autumn of 1723), the widow of John V of Queen Praskovya Fedorovna was buried here. The elder brother of Peter I and his co-ruler John V survived until 1696, and his daughter Anna Ioannovna became empress of Russia in 1730.
Temple device
On August 30, 1724, celebrations began on the occasion of the transfer of the relics of Alexander Nevsky and the consecration of the upper church in honor of the prince. The ceremony was attended by the entire composition of the ships available at Petersburg Pier, including the boat of Peter I. In honor of this event, the emperor decided to establish the first military order named after Alexander Nevsky. However, his plan was realized only in 1725 by Catherine I.
As part of the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra there is also a lower church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was consecrated in the spring of 1725. Since that time, the temple has gained integrity.
First burial
After both churches were consecrated, Peter I made the decision to rebury the remains of his beloved sister Natalya and the youngest Tsarevich Peter, the firstborn born from marriage with his wife Catherine. Both gravestones are located next to the iconostasis of the temple in the eastern part of the tomb. Surprisingly, after all the revolutionary persecutions, the carved white stone plates of the Rzhevsky spouses, belonging to the same 20s of the 18th century, remained untouched.
In St. Petersburg, in the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the granddaughter of John V, known as Anna Leopoldovna, found the last repose; and then Peter III, who was buried in 1762 without any honors. After the death of Catherine II, her heir Paul I ordered the solemn transfer of his father's ashes to the Peter and Paul Cathedral, where he personally crowned Peter III. So the couple after death are nearby, and the date of their burial is one - December 18, 1796.
The last shelter of A.V. Suvorov
Since the time of construction, many eminent nobles who have left their mark on Russian history in one way or another have been buried in the laurel: A.R. Razumovsky, Field Marshal A.M. Golitsyn and Count N.I. Panin.
Scientists, writers, musicians and artists who are the pride of Russia rest here.
A special attitude to the ashes of the great commander, on the tombstone of which a laconic inscription is engraved: "Here lies Suvorov."
Alexander Vasilyevich in life was an extremely modest person and ordered to bury himself without magnificent ceremonies and not to arrange a mausoleum from his grave. However, these wishes were not taken into account.
After 1917, judging by the descriptions, the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, like many others, was going through hard times. Tombstones were destroyed and purposefully destroyed. The same fate befell the grave of the great commander. Only in the fall of 1942 was it restored, and it was to her that the soldiers who went to the front came to bow to her.
Soviet period
In the era of universal atheism, churches were destroyed by hundreds throughout the country of Soviets. The same sad fate awaited the temples of the laurels: in 1926, two of them were closed. Dukhovskiy temple worked until 1935, and then service in the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra ceased for 20 years. The reconstruction of buildings and their transfer to the balance of various organizations began.
Despite the fact that in 1933 the Leningrad Executive Committee decided to establish a necropolis museum in the Annunciation Church, a branch of the Giprogor Institute was established in the upper church.
The Dukhovskiy temple was not particularly lucky: it became the building of the Langorplodozyocha. The leadership of this organization did not delve into the historical value of the tombstones located in the cellars of the church, and therefore these monuments did not reach us.
Oddly enough, the restoration of the Annunciation Church began during the war, despite the fact that there was a hospital. Further, the restoration of the historical monument took place intermittently, lasting several years. The most extensive reconstruction was carried out at the end of the twentieth century.
Today, in the upper hall, memorial plastic is on display. There is also the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the photo of which confirms that, despite the test of time, this symbolic place for Petersburgers has found a second birth.