Alexander Nevsky Monastery from St. Petersburg, Russia Alexander Nevsky Monastery, located in the city of St.

Petersburg in Russia, was built with a specific purpose, namely to serve as shelter for Saint Alexander Nevsky`s remains, a Russian prince and very known military commander who became the patron saint of the city, St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great. This holy sanctuary is one of the most important monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church which Tsar Paul I raised it in 1797 to the highest rank Eastern Orthodox Church, namely the monastery of the first rank. Tsar Peter the Great was the person who founded the monastery in July of 1710, the person who chose as place an old fort Swedish court. At that time, it was decided to build the first wooden church, works being completed somewhere in 1712, so that a year later, the place would be also sanctified. Over several years, namely in 1724, it was built a new church and the works were supervised by Domenico Trezzini. Initially this place was designed for keeping of the holy remains of Alexander Nevsky. But the journey of these remains did not stop here because, in 1750, in the order of Czarina Elizabeth, the relics were placed in a silver shrine, built from no more than a ton and a half of silver. In the years that followed, a neoclassical cathedral was built, this being Holy Trinity. The works to the building on this cathedral were held between 1778 and 1790, and Ivan Starova worked to the plans of the holy sanctuary. Finally, the shrine with its content was moved, in 1790, from the city of Vladimir. But Aleksandr Nevsky monastery is not visited by tourists because of its religious importance or because it was built in memory of St. Alexander Nevsky, but rather because of its two cemeteries where rest personalities such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Finally, it is important to note that during the existence of the monastery, were added many structures so that, in 1900, the complex had over sixteen churches. Unfortunately, like many other important buildings of the large cities from Russia, in the communist period, also Alexander Nevsky monastery suffered much. Then, the remains of Saint Alexander Nevsky were moved and the wealth of the monastery fell into the hands of thieves. Finally, all churches were closed, and some buildings were used as administrative offices, as government offices, while others were used as museum. In addition, the communists had gone so far as several buildings used as warehouses. Today, the traces of the communism and of the terror and of some people without real values, can be seen better than never: from sixteen churches of the complex survived only five. Fortunately, besides these five, there are also other two very beautiful churches built in baroque style and a cathedral in neoclassical style. Currently, the site is one of the most important places in St. Petersburg, but also the place where are buried great personalities of the Russian culture. Alexander Nevsky Monastery is located in the market with the same name, where the visitors can buy fresh bread baked by the monks. It should be mentioned that visitors who wish to visit the cathedral or cemeteries, will have to pay a small entrance fee. It is true that some graves can be seen while visitors walk down on Obukovskoy Oburoni street, but those which belong to personalities such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky's tomb, are in some very high walls.