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Pride is more than just rainbows and parades.
Founded by Peter the Great in 1710, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery is not just a tribute and final resting place to one of Russia’s great military leaders (and the patron saint of St. Petersburg), but to many of Russia’s most important cultural figures as well. The grounds comprise two baroque churches, a cathedral, and a pair of cemeteries.
The Alexander Nevsky Lavra Monastery is one of only four lavra—the highest order of an Orthodox monastery—in Russia. As such, it features in many sightseeing tours around St. Petersburg. Admission to the grounds is free, but certain sections, like the cemeteries, charge a separate admission fee. Tickets can be purchased at a ticket desk just inside the arched entrance gate.
The Alexander Nevsky Monastery is accessible by taking the metro to Ploshchad Alexandra Nevskovo.
The monastery grounds are open daily from 6am to 8pm, while the cathedrals and churches are only open from Friday to Wednesday.
The Lazarus and Tikhvin Cemeteries, together known as the Cemetery of Masters of Art, serves as the final resting place for many of Russia’s greatest figures. As you’re touring the grounds, you might spot the graves of composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Mikhail Lomonosov, known as the father of Russian science.*