Description of the attraction
The monument to the greatest Russian commander Prince of Novgorod, Kiev and Vladimir Alexander Yaroslavovich, nicknamed Nevsky for the victory in the Battle of the Neva over the Swedes in 1240, was opened in St. Petersburg, on the day of the celebration of the Great Victory on May 9, 2002.
This date was not chosen by chance, since the whole history of the city on the Neva is connected with the victory. Alexander Nevsky put a stamp on Jarl Birger's face with a sword so that he would always remember his defeat in the Neva battle. The construction of St. Petersburg became a real victory of the will and spirit of man over the elements. During the Great Patriotic War, Leningrad withstood and was not broken.
Prince Alexander Nevsky, personifying a powerful shield and protection, as well as Tsar Peter I, who is a symbol of Russian openness and progress, have always been the spiritual cores of St. Petersburg. Peter I considered the construction of a new city on the Neva to be a continuation of Alexander's glorious exploits. The Russian autocrat has always treated the great Russian commander with deep respect. Peter personally participated in the laying of the first stone of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, during his reign the relics of the prince were transferred from the Vladimir land to St. Petersburg.
The creation of the monument to Alexander was blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. The monument was supposed to remind that St. Petersburg is the city of Saints Peter and Alexander. The laying of the first stone of the monument took place in April 2000. The monument made a harmonious ensemble with another symbol of St. Petersburg - the Bronze Horseman. Both statues are facing the same direction. The hand gestures of the sculptures coincide, symbolizing the united work of two great people - Peter and Alexander. The horses of the monuments are also similar, reminiscent of the epic Russian heroic horses.
The casting of the monument to Alexander Nevsky was carried out by the craftsmen of the Monumentskulptura plant with funds allocated by the Baltic construction company. The pedestal is made of pink granite.
The right to open the monument was granted to I. A. Neivolt and V. A. Yakovlev. The monument was consecrated by Metropolitan Vladimir. The inscription on the monument reads: “To the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. 2002.
The monument to Alexander Nevsky is the brainchild of the sculptor V. G. Kozenyuk. He began work on the statue in the late 60s. Valentin Grigorievich said that if he erected a monument to Alexander Nevsky in front of the Lavra, then the next day he could die. The sculptor managed to create an amazing image that combines the idea of national unity, dignity and statehood. In this he was undoubtedly helped by a deep faith in a great and strong Russia. The work of the sculptor Kozenyuk was recognized as the best in two competitions. However, he himself fell seriously ill and was never able to see the embodiment of his ideas with his own eyes. Death interrupted the architect's many years of work. The work on the monument was continued by sculptors A. Chartin and A. Talmin, who in their will V. G. Kozenyuk called the receivers.
The image of Prince Alexander Nevsky is collective. He is not a threat, but a warning, a warning - "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword."
Some time later, after the opening of the monument to the great Russian commander, it was suggested that the sculpture of Alexander was made in the image of the actor of the Leningrad Drama Theater. A. S. Pushkin Nikolai Konstantinovich Cherkasov, who played the role of the prince in the film "Alexander Nevsky". Later, the validity of the assumptions became clear. Indeed, the sculptor V. G. Kozenyuk took the screen incarnation of Alexander, created by Nikolai Cherkasov, as a prototype for the commander.
