. Real Russians . nging praises, and the beautiful acoustic propertiesof the church allow even the softest tones to floatthrough its spaces, reaching every corner. To the left of the sanctuary stands a sarcophagusof Alexander Nevski, warrior and saint, in fact, thepatron saint of Petrograd. Some seven hundredyears ago he fought the famous battle on the Neva,where he defeated Sweden, then Russias most bitterenemy. The effigy of the warrior and a few of his boneslie in the heavy silver cofiin, and at both sides, workedin silver, are his standard and armour, and above itall, the bright, glowing i
. Real Russians . nging praises, and the beautiful acoustic propertiesof the church allow even the softest tones to floatthrough its spaces, reaching every corner. To the left of the sanctuary stands a sarcophagusof Alexander Nevski, warrior and saint, in fact, thepatron saint of Petrograd. Some seven hundredyears ago he fought the famous battle on the Neva,where he defeated Sweden, then Russias most bitterenemy. The effigy of the warrior and a few of his boneslie in the heavy silver cofiin, and at both sides, workedin silver, are his standard and armour, and above itall, the bright, glowing image of that young andknightly Grand Duke of whom it was said, when hedied, that the sun had set for Russia. Alexander Nevski lived during the terrible yearsof the first Mongol invasion, and in order to save hisdear people of Novgorod the Great, he visited thecourt of the haughty and imperious Tartar interceded for his subjects when on earth. Surely,so says the pious Russian, he is still interceding for us. Alexander Nevskl Face p. 19 J. THE ALEXANDER NEVSKI LAVRA. 195 to-day. Therefore, crowds come to his shrine, andanxious wives ask for his intercession on behalf of theirbeloved ones out on the battlefield. When Peter the Great founded his new capital,he had the relics of the victor of the battle on theNeva brought to the city on that river. The town has,however, developed in other directions ; not thereforein the centre, but in the outskirts of the busy capitallies the premier sanctuary of Petrograd—the AlexanderNevski Lavra. An atmosphere of quiet surroundsthe Cathedral. The green lawns are intersected byavenues of quaintly grown birch trees. All along thebig square are buildings, the cells of the monks and thehouse of the Metropolitan. In three corners of thequadrangle are churches, the fourth, although to allappearance also a church, is in reality the monasticmuseum. Here stands the model of the Cathedralas originally planned. Here is the bed on which Peterthe G
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherphiladelphiajblipp
