The Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra () is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg. It is in the and part of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where it is the cathedral church of the monastery complex.
The cathedral is the centre-piece of the ensemble of buildings that comprises the monastery complex. Work began on the cathedral in 1719, but as it was nearing completion severe cracks were discovered in the structure that threatened its stability, and the work was ordered to be demolished in 1744. A competition design early in the reign of Empress Catherine the Great failed to produce a suitable alternative, and it was not until 1774 that a design by Ivan Starov was selected. Construction began in 1778 and the cathedral was finally completed and consecrated in 1790. On the day of the consecration the relics of St Alexander Nevsky were ceremonially transferred to the cathedral in a grand ceremony.
The cathedral remained largely unchanged for much of its existence, its importance highlighted by the rich and valuable furnishings that were donated by the imperial family. It continued to operate after the Russian Revolution, though it suffered the loss of most of its historic artefacts during the general confiscation of Russian Orthodox Church property after 1922. After a period where it was run by the Renovationist movement, the cathedral was finally closed in 1933 and used as office space and as a warehouse. The cathedral was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1955 and was re-consecrated in 1957. The relics of St Alexander Nevsky were returned to the cathedral in 1989, and the cathedral has resumed its role as the principal church of the monastery.
Construction
The first mention of the monastery complex is July 1710, when Peter the Great ordered the construction of a monastery to Saint Alexander Nevsky on a plot of land close to the present , believing this to be the site of Alexander Nevsky's 1240 victory over the Swedes at the Battle of the Neva. The first buildings on the site were wooden constructions, with the first church, the Church of the Annunciation, consecrated on 25 March 1713, the date used as the official foundation date of the monastery. The general plans for the monastery complex had been drawn up by Domenico Trezzini, and construction began on the cathedral in 1719, to a design by architect . The dome was installed by 17 June 1722 and work was nearing completion in 1731, when severe cracking was found on the supporting masonry. Work was stopped, and in 1744 orders were given to raze the building, Ivan Rossi overseeing its demolition down to its foundations between 1753 and 1755. Interest in completing the monastery complex waned, until Empress Catherine the Great acceded to the throne in 1762. In 1763 a competition to select the design of the cathedral was held, but none of the entrants was chosen. Finally eleven years later, in 1774, a design by Ivan Starov was selected, a single-domed cathedral in the neoclassic style.
Empress Catherine approved the project in February 1776 and the groundwork was laid on 30 August 1778 by the Metropolitan Gabriel, in the presence of the Empress. The first bell tower was completed in 1782 and the main structure was finished by 1786. An 800-pood bell cast in 1658 was brought from the Valday Iversky Monastery and hung in the second tower. The cathedral was consecrated by Metropolitan Gabriel on 30 August 1790, the feast day of St Alexander Nevsky, in a ceremony attended by Empress Catherine. The relics of Alexander Nevsky were brought from the Annunciation Church to the cathedral to the accompaniment of cannon salutes. Empress Catherine celebrated the consecration by donating expensive utensils and Flemish tapestries to the cathedral. The Alexander Nevsky chapel under the south tower was consecrated on 9 October 1790, though it was later removed in 1838. In 1791 part of the Feodorovsky building nearest to the cathedral was converted into a hall for the Knights of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In 1797 a relief was placed over the cathedral entrance.