The Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra is the territory on which the greatest figures of Russian literature, music, fine, architectural, sculptural and theatrical art of the 19th century rest. Many tombstones are a landmark of the northern capital of Russia.
Alexander Nevsky Lavra of St. Petersburg
The Alexander Nevsky Lavra is the heart of the city on the Neva. It was ordered to be built by Peter I, in honor of the Battle of Neva and the feat of Prince Alexander Nevsky. The date of completion of the construction of the Lavra (in those days of the monastery) is considered March 25, 1723. In May of that year, Peter the Great ordered the relics of Prince Alexander Nevsky to be delivered from Vladimir to a new church. From those times to the present, it is the main shrine. Peter I in 1724 assigned the monastery the status of a laurel. Monastic life here lasted until the 30s of the twentieth century. This is the time when all the monasteries and temples in the country were closed. The same fate befell the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Monasticism was revived here only in 1996.
Necropolis of Laurels
There are 4 cemeteries on the territory of the laurel. The most elite was considered Lazarevskoe. To bury a deceased relative here, the permission of the emperor was required. The Tikhvin cemetery was reconstructed in the 20th century. Famous architects, sculptors, painters, composers and writers rest here. The third cemetery is Nikolskoye. It got the name it received in 1869-1871 after the construction of the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on the territory of the laurels (former name Zabornaya). During the years of the revolution, another cemetery appeared - the fourth, on which the Cossacks were buried.
In addition, near the Trinity Cathedral, opposite its main entrance, there are burials of the late XIX century - early XX century, but they do not belong to any necropolis.
Nikolskoe cemetery
Seleznev S.P., the commander of the Leningrad Military District, and his wife were buried in the cemetery in 1996. Both died in a plane crash. Their grave is located next to the church.
In 1998, G.V. Starovoitova, a deputy of the State Duma, who was killed at the entrance of her house, was buried near the church.
In 2000, A. A. Sobchak, the first measure of St. Petersburg, found eternal peace.
In 2008, F.G. Uglov, a famous surgeon, was buried here.
On the left side of the main avenue is the grave of L.N. Gumilyov - the historian and son of famous poets A.A. Akhmatova and N.S. Gumilyov. Modest Korf is also buried here - the lyceum friend of A.S. Pushkin, the artist M.O. Mikeshin, the architect V.A. Kenel and many other prominent people. This cemetery is not as clean and tidy as Tikhvin. Ancient tombstones squinted in some places.
Lazarevskoe cemetery
This cemetery is one of the oldest in St. Petersburg. Arose around the beginning of the 18th century. It is located on the left side of the main entrance to the laurel. The cemetery was founded simultaneously with the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Only very distinguished citizens were buried here with the personal permission of Peter I. In this place, in 1717, Peter's sister, Natalya Alekseyevna, and his son, Tsarevich Peter, were buried. At the site of the graves was built the chapel of St. Lazarus, in whose honor the cemetery was named. Later, their remains were transferred to the Annunciation Church, which turned into the royal tomb in St. Petersburg.
Most of the graves in the cemetery date back to the 18th century, but they continued in the 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the last buried was Count S. Yu. Witte. In 1919, the Lazarevskoye cemetery was closed for burial, and in the early 1930s a museum of art gravestones was organized here.
Currently, the Lazarevskoe and Tikhvin cemeteries, together with the Annunciation tomb, are part of the State Museum of Urban Sculpture. Entrance to the territory of the facilities is paid.
The architects of St. Petersburg rest at the Lazarevsky cemetery : A. N. Voronikhin, K. I. Rossi, A. D. Zakharov, I. E. Starov, J. Quarenghi.
In this place M.V. Lomonosov was buried, the tombstone was revived in 1832. Here not far from the chapel is the grave of the wife of A. S. Pushkin - N. N. Lanskoy-Pushkina.
Pre-revolutionary History of the Tikhvin Cemetery
Tikhvin cemetery is located opposite Lazarevsky. It is very popular among tourists and citizens. The necropolis was organized at the beginning of the XIX century. On the territory of the Lazarevsky cemetery there was no longer any place for burials. In 1823, it was decided to organize a new cemetery, which was originally called New Lazarevsky. In the northern part of the territory of the necropolis in 1869 the temple of the icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin was erected. The cemetery got the same name.
In the late 1870s, the territory with the graves was fenced. The stone fence has been preserved to this day. In the same year, the cemetery expanded to include neighboring territories and monastery gardens. In 1881, it already occupied an area equal to modern. The territory of the necropolis is several times larger than Lazarevsky.
Initially, burials here were carried out as often as on the old Lazarevsky. However, since 1830, they began to bury mainly only here. Some monuments of this period have been preserved in the eastern part of the modern cemetery. For example, near the fence from the square there was a gazebo, in which in 1825 the monk Patermufy was buried.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 1330 tombstones in this cemetery. Crosses of various shapes, monumental steles and altars stood next to each other. Many family plots were in the form of chapels and crypts.
Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Tikhvin Cemetery: its history in the revolutionary years
The post-revolutionary years became a catastrophic period for the Tikhvin cemetery. It was not possible to preserve graves and monuments, and they quickly collapsed. In 1918, father Peter Skipetrov passed away in a laurel. The soldiers who burst into the corps killed him, whom he tried to stop. He was buried in the Tikhvin cemetery. But his grave, like other graves of 1917-1932, did not survive.
In 1926, the Tikhvin cemetery was closed. In the 30s, the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin was closed. The building originally housed the post office, and now the Museum of Urban Sculpture.
In 1934, it was decided to create a museum in the cemetery. In the same year, cemeteries were officially stopped.
In 1935, reconstruction of the necropolis began, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of A.S. Pushkin. In connection with this date, the cemetery gets its second name, "Necropolis of Artists and Contemporaries of A. S. Pushkin."
The reconstruction project was developed by the architect of Leningrad L.A. Ilyin. During the work, many ancient monuments were demolished and were lost forever. After the reconstruction, the old Tikhvin cemetery was almost destroyed. At the beginning of the twentieth century there were 1330 tombstones. After the reconstruction, about 100 were preserved. They moved here from other cemeteries in St. Petersburg (at that time Leningrad) and reburied the ashes of famous sculptors, artists, artists, composers and musical figures. About 70 monuments were moved. Currently, there are about 200 burials.
War years
During the Patriotic War, many sculptural values from the monuments were stored under the floor in the cache of the Annunciation tomb. The cemetery was badly damaged by German air strikes. In 1942, the tombstone of actress V.N. Asenkova was destroyed. Currently, you can see the new monument, which was installed in 1955.
Post-war years
Immediately after the war, restoration work was carried out. The reconstruction and restoration of the necropolis ended in 1947, and it was open to visitors. In the late 1960s, they overhauled the old stone fence. Burials were practically never carried out, only the most prominent and famous figures of Soviet art were buried. The last burial was in 1989.
Graves of prominent people
On the territory of the necropolis, outstanding figures of Russian culture and art found eternal rest. Open Air Museum - Tikhvin Cemetery in St. Petersburg. Who is buried here? Who found their last refuge here?
On the right side of the entrance, F. M. Dostoevsky found eternal peace, next to which his wife Anna Grigoryevna and grandson A.F. Dostoevsky rest.
Not far from the Dostoevsky, Pushkin's friends and the seconds in his duel rested - A. A. Delvig, K. K. Danzas. Next to them is the grave of the admiral, who traveled around the world - F.F. Matyushkina. Along the northern wall, on the composer's track, are the graves of composers P.I. Tchaikovsky, M.I. Glinka, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A.S. Dargomyzhsky, M.A. Balakirev, A.P. Borodin, Ts A. Cui, A. G. Glazunov.
To the west of these graves, the artists I. N. Kramskoy, I. I. Shishkin, B. M. Kustodiev, A. I. Kuindzhi are laid to rest. Next to them is the grave of N. M. Karamzin - a famous historian, as well as his wife.
In the central part of the cemetery there are graves of famous artists - N.K. Cherkasov, V.N. Asenkova, Yu.M. Yuryev, V.F. Komissarzhevskaya, choreographer M.I. Petipa. Busts are set over many graves, but some of them are simple and modest.
Along the southern wall of the fence is the grave of I. A. Krylov, the great Russian fabulist. Nearby lies N. I. Gnedich, a Russian poet and translator of the poem Iliad. Across the road is the burial place of the great navigator Yu. F. Lisyansky, who made the first Russian round-the-world expedition.
In 1972, the ashes brought from France, composer A.K. Glazunov, were reburied in the necropolis.
The last director of the theater, G.A. Tovstonogov, was buried in 1989, who since 1956 headed the Leningrad Bolshoi Drama Theater. A. M. Gorky. Above his grave there is a cross with the crucifixion of Christ - the work of the outstanding sculptor Levon Lazarev.
How to get to the necropolis
Tikhvin cemetery of St. Petersburg is especially old, has preserved the unique architectural appearance of old Petersburg. To touch the culture of that time, you need to go to the address: St. Petersburg, metro station "Alexander Nevsky Square", Nevsky Prospekt, 179/2 a.
Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra: mode of operation
The necropolis is open Monday through Sunday, except Thursday. To visit, you must purchase a ticket at the box office, which is open until 17:00.
Tikhvin cemetery St. Petersburg opening hours: from 10:00 to 17:30.
Cost
Entrance to the necropolis is paid. A ticket can be purchased at the box office. Entrance to the territory of the Tikhvin cemetery is: for pensioners, students, and other privileged categories of citizens - 50 rubles, a regular ticket - 300 rubles .