Alexander Nevsky was born in Pereslavl-Zalessky in 1220. The Grand Duke of Novgorod, Vladimir and Kiev very early on was involved in political events and began to take direct part in various battles. For example, during the Battle of the Neva he was only twenty years old, and at the Battle of the Ice he participated at the age of twenty-two. The prince belongs to a small number of those truly great people of Russia, whose activities not only had a great influence on various nations and countries, but in many ways changed them, and also set the course of Russian history for many decades to come. Subsequently, Alexander Nevsky was officially canonized by the Orthodox Church and elevated to the face of the faithful at the Moscow Cathedral, held in 1547.
Monument to Alexander Nevsky
Prince Novgorod and Kiev occupies a special place among a rather large number of sacred characters of this or that Russian period. According to recent polls, this is one of the most popular people of ancient Russian history. Before our compatriots, he appears as an uncompromising fighter for independence, a defender of the Fatherland, who spent his whole life defending the inviolable borders of the Motherland. At the same time, the tradition of veneration of the Grand Duke was laid by the successors of Peter I, who organized a number of special official events. It was thanks to the latter in the historical memory began to consolidate the image of Nevsky as a defender of the Russian land. The tradition of veneration, contrary to the officially established ideology, was continued in the Soviet period. In the post-war years, monuments to Alexander Nevsky began to be actively established in many cities. In Russia today there are about twenty.
Monument in St. Petersburg
The Grand Duke, along with the last tsar of All Russia, Peter I, is the spiritual patron of the northern capital of Russia. The emperor himself realized that he owed no access to the Baltic Sea to anyone other than Alexander Nevsky. By the tsar's decree, the prince's relics were transferred to the banks of the Neva from Vladimir, where they were at that time. Some time after this event, the spiritual center of the northern capital was officially considered the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The monument to the prince is set just opposite the entrance to this monastery, located on the embankment of the Monastyrki River.
Description of the monument in St. Petersburg
The monument to the project of the Soviet sculptor Valentin Kozenyuk was completed. A monument was erected to Alexander Nevsky in St. Petersburg on May 9, 2002. The pedestal of the monument is made of such natural material as pink granite, and the figure of the prince sitting on a horse is cast from bronze. In this case, the monument is a single ensemble with a sculpture of the Bronze Horseman. One of them is located at the end of Nevsky Prospekt, near the St. Isaac's Cathedral, and the second - at the beginning of the avenue - as if protecting the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Separately, we should say about the image of the Grand Duke, who is in this case collective. So, for example, the gesture of the hand symbolizes the cause of Russia's sovereign construction, the horse acts as a symbol of heroism and Russian power. Speaking about what else there are monuments to Alexander Nevsky in St. Petersburg, it is necessary to mention the Alexander Nevsky Bridge, as well as the Alexander Nevsky Temple, located in Krasnoe Selo. Both of them represent the cultural and historical heritage of the Northern capital.
Monument in Pskov
The monument to Alexander Nevsky in Pskov is just outside the city, on a mountain called Sokolikha. It was installed in honor of one of the most famous feats of the Grand Duke - the defeat of the Teutonic knights during the battle, which took place on the ice of the Peipsi Lake. The famous massacre took place on April 5th, 1242. It was on this day that troops under the leadership of Prince Vladimir and Novgorod successfully defeated the army of the so-called Livonian Order. A monument was erected to Alexander Nevsky in Pskov in 1993.
Description of the monument in Pskov
The authors of the sculpture were the honored artist of the RSFSR, the Soviet sculptor Joseph Ivanovich Kozlovsky and the Honored Architect of the RSFSR Peter Semenovich Butenko. The monument is a rather powerful monument, made of bronze. The height of the sculpture is almost thirty meters, and the weight is over one hundred and sixty tons. The bronze composition depicts the Grand Duke sitting on a horse and surrounded by Russian warriors. The massive nature of the monument is intended to emphasize the indivisibility and unity of all of Russia, and also to highlight in a special way the spiritual power of the Russian land. Separately, we should say that the place on which the monument to Alexander Nevsky was erected was chosen absolutely not by chance. According to legend, after the Battle of the Ice, the Grand Duke visited Pskov before leaving for Moscow. It was here that he left the well-known so-called farewell letter of Alexander.
Monument in Novgorod
The monument to Alexander Nevsky in Novgorod was established in the winter of 1985. It happened on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and on the day of the forty-first anniversary of the liberation of the city from the German invaders. Every year in April, near this monument, located on the embankment, is a rally dedicated to the anniversary of the victory of Alexander Nevsky troops on Lake Peipsi. In addition, it is worth noting that this is not the only monument in honor of Prince Vladimir and Novgorod, which can offer Novgorod. The monument to Alexander Nevsky is also on the square in front of the church of St. Boris and Gleb, not far from the church of St. John the Theologian. In addition, in memory of the famous commander in the city there is a bust in front of the railway station and a small high relief on the building of the latter. This is one of the main attractions, and all this can be seen in many city photos. Monument to Alexander Nevsky here is very revered, and this is due to the fact that the centuries-old history of the city is closely intertwined with the name of the Grand Duke. This is also evidenced by the monument established in the Novgorod Kremlin in honor of the Millennium of Russia, where among the most important statesmen one can meet a statue of Alexander Nevsky.
Monument in Kursk
Speaking about where the most famous monuments of Russia are located (most of them can be seen here) installed in honor of the great commander, it is impossible not to mention the city of Kursk. The monument is in the park named after May 1, almost in its center. The grand opening of the sculpture took place in October 2000. A monument to Alexander Nevsky in Kursk was created by the Russian sculptor Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Klykov.
Monument in Vladimir
A bronze monument to the great commander was installed in Vladimir in the park named after AS. Pushkin, not far from the statue of Vladimir the Baptist. Alexander Nevsky was Prince Vladimir for eleven years and was later buried in the cathedral of the Mother of God-Christmas monastery. However, in 1723 the last tsar of Russia, Peter I, ordered to transport his relics to St. Petersburg. This monument was installed in Vladimir in 1967. However, it is believed that this rather modest monument to Prince Vladimir and Novgorod is a stone copy of the bronze sculpture of Alexander Nevsky - the work of the famous Moscow sculptor and artist Sergei Mikhailovich Orlov, who is in the homeland of the great commander in Pereslavl-Zalessky.
Monument in Aleksandrov
Monument to Alexander Nevsky can also be found in the city of Alexandrov, Vladimir region. Here the monument is next to the Nativity Cathedral, under the open sky. It was installed in 2013, but according to residents of the city, they have long wanted to perpetuate the memory of the great commander. Moreover, in honor of Alexander Nevsky and was once named Alexandrov. A huge contribution to the installation process of the monument was made by philanthropist Victor Kirillov. He prepared the necessary foundation for the monument, provided four tons of marble natural stone for the pedestal, fully paid for the production of bronze sculpture at the Smolensk plant, and assembled workers for erecting the monument.
Monument in Rostov-on-Don
The monument to Prince Novgorod and Kiev is located in Rostov-on-Don in the territory of the local cadet corps. The bust of the famous commander was established in the framework of a large-scale project called the Alley of Russian Glory. On the territory of the building, in addition to the monument in honor of Alexander Nevsky, you can also see monuments in honor of Nakhimov, Skobelev, Ushakov and other famous people. The author and the embodiment of the project "Alley of Russian Glory" is Mikhail Leonidovich Serdyukov, who has been in charge of the sculptural workshop for more than ten years. Bust of the commander is a gift from him to the Cadet Corps. However, this is by no means the only monument to Prince Vladimir of Rostov, set in Rostov-on-Don. There is also redoubt of St. Alexander Nevsky. It is located in the park on May 1st, located on Bolshaya Sadovaya street. This sculptural structure is a crenellated wall, which (as conceived by artists) symbolizes the protection of the city. In addition, here you can see two arms, one of which belongs to Rostov-on-Don, and the second - to Alexander Nevsky. Next to the redoubt is a cannon, which represents a cannon, which at that time was the most powerful and most in demand. Like most other monuments established in Rostov-on-Don, this monument to the famous commander is called upon to support the memory of the defenders of the Motherland and the numerous hard trials that warriors of those epochs have experienced. According to the authors of the project, this is necessary in order for the city to develop and grow up, dealing only with peaceful affairs.
Monument in Moscow
Considering the monuments of Alexander Nevsky in Russia, it is necessary to mention the church of the holy prince in Kozhukhov. This is an Orthodox church built in the Yuzhnoportovy district of the capital. This temple refers to the Danilov Deanery of the Moscow Diocese. Counted as the saints, Prince Novgorod and Kiev for many years is considered the heavenly patron of the Orthodox troops. The Alexander Nevsky temple was laid in Kozhukhovo on May 5, 2005, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the victory of Russia in the Great Patriotic War. This church is two-tiered and has two altars. The upper is illuminated in honor of Alexander Nevsky, and the lower one - in honor of the monks Oslyabi and Peresvet - heroes of the Kulikovo battle.