5. Ансамбль Александро-Невской Лавры/The Alexander Nevskiy Lavra Ensemble(Lavra - an honoured and populated monastery), 1717-1790

Authors: architects - D. Trezzini (1717 - 1730), T. Svertveger (1725 - 1730), D.Trezzini (1742 - 1751), M. Rastorguyev (1755 - 1771), I. Starov (1776 - 1790) V. Petrov (1820 - 1822), A.Gornostayev (1861 - 1864), V. Karpov (1891), sculptor - T. Shubin (1776-1790)Address: ploshchad’ Alexandra NevskogoThe foundation of the Lavra Ensemble is connected with the name of a Novgorodian Grand Duke and military commander Alexander Yaroslavovich (born on the same day as Peter I - 30 May, but in 1220) who won a major victory in the War with Sweden on the Chudskoye Lake and on the Neva in 1240 for which he was given the title Nevskiy and canonized by the Orthodox Church in 1380. Five hundred years later Peter I was fighting with the Swedish for ancient Russian territories following the path of his ancestor.The place for the foundation of the Monastery was chosen soon after the Poltava battle. To the south-east of the city centre Alexander Nevskiy Monastery was founded on the left bank of the Chyornaya River (nowadays - the Monastyrka River). In 1713 a long road was laid across an impassable swamp to the centre of Saint-Petersburg (modern Palace Square) in 1733 and was called Nevskiy prospekt (more than 4 km long). In 1716 D. Trezzini made a design of a monastery town which was later taken as a basic one. In 1717 the St Lazarus Chapel (the Necropolis of 18^th Century) was built on the territory of the Lavra Ensemble - the octahedral small church founded at the burial place of Peter I's beloved sister Natalya Alexeyevna. A lot of outstanding personalities were buried there later on: General B. Sheremetev, Commander of the cavalry F. Uvarov, great scientist V. Lomonosov, playwright D. Fonvizin, architects I. Starov, A. Voronikhin and С. Rossi; composers I. Chaykovskiy and N. Rimskiy-Korsakov, writer K. Dostoyevskiy, painters A. Ivanov and I. Kramskoy, etc. A lot of tombstones put at the cemetery were carried out by famous sculptors and architects, such as I. Martos, M. Kozlovskiy, G. Quarenghi, etc. The Museum of Urban Sculpture was organized on its territory in 1930.In 1724 the first wooden church in the Lavra - the Annunciation Cathedral was built to the design by D. Trezzini. The tomb of A. Suvorov with a laconic inscription Here Lies Suvorov, is located in the Cathedral - the great Russian military commander died in S-P in 1800. The principal church of the Lavra was designed by I. Starov in 1790 - the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The remains of Alexander Nevskiy, brought to the Monastery on 30 August 1724, were later on transmitted to the Trinity Cathedral. The new edifice became a bright example of Russian early Classicism. The architect also worked on the main entrance and the adjoining Alexander Nevskiy Square which architecturally connected the Monastery with the centre of the city. Nowadays the Lavra Ensemble is regarded as one of the oldest architectural and historical centres of Saint-Petersburg.