The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral stands on Toompea Hill in Tallinn’s upper Old Town, and is the largest and most ornate Russian Orthodox cathedral in Estonia.
When you walk through Tallinn’s Old Town, sooner or later the onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral will find you. For me it was already my first evening in Tallinn, as I went up the hill after taking a few shots at Freedom Square.
The idea was to photograph the Toompea Castle, but I couldn’t help but stop and photograph the humble grandeur of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Capturing the architecture of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
I can’t hide that I love photographing churches, and especially orthodox churches since they are always so beautifully decorated. This one was designed in the Russian Revival style, with the facade combining ornamental brickwork, arches, and mosaic panels.
Hard to miss are the five onion domes, each crowned with a gilded Orthodox cross. The bell tower is definitely another highlight, housing 11 bells whose chimes carry across the entire Old Town on service days.
In this photo, I looked for a composition in which I could show all the domes of the church rather than one hiding behind the other. I also wanted to frame the church with the two other spires around it, which provides a broader picture of Tallinn’s distinctive architecture.
Please note, the interior of the Cathedral is also quite interesting, but photography is not permitted inside. Leave your camera in your bag once you step through the doors.
And if you are in Toompea, you can’t miss the opportunity to photograph Tallinn’s skyline from its elevated platforms.
The beautiful Cathedral they once planned to demolish
The history of this cathedral is actually quite interesting. From what I’ve heard, many Estonians are not very fond of it, as it stands as a reminder of Russian imperial rule. Some also say that its location disturbs the view to the Toompea castle. Others say it doesn’t really fit the Estonian culture.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was also built on what Estonian folklore claims is the burial mound of Kalev, the mythological giant king and founding father of Estonia. Whether intentional or not, it added another dimension to the controversy.
After Estonia declared independence in 1918, calls for the Cathedral’s demolition grew loud enough that the parliament accepted a bill to remove it. However, the plans never came to pass, and the cathedral survived, luckily for photographers and architecture aficionados.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedrals around the world
Fun fact: I photographed another stunning Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, also called Alexander Nevsky! It turns out that there are quite a few Cathedrals with the same name, since he was a hugely venerated saint across the Orthodox world.
Other namesake Cathedrals are located in Warsaw (though this one was demolished after Poland regained independence) and in Paris, as well as several cities in Russia and across former Soviet states.
