Alexander Church, Narva, Estonia - SpottingHistory.com

Narva Alexander's Cathedral is the biggest church in Estonia. The project of the church was drawn by Otto Pius von Hippius and it was built between 1881 – 1884. The plot of land for the church was a gift from Georg v. Kramer, the owner of Joala mansion. The owner of the Krenholm Manufacture paid the building expenses and the church was built to accommodate 5000 workers of Krenholm Manufacture and had 2500 seats.

Church was built in Romanesque style. The height of the main building is 25,5 m and the belfry in the western part of the church was 60,75 m high. The organ with 30 stops was built in Walcker factory in Germany.

On the 6th of March 1944 the soviet army bombed Narva, damaging the roof of the church. On the 24th of July on 1944 the tower was destroyed, allegedly by the leaving German army.

The divine services were held in this church until 1962, when the soviet authorities forced the congregation to leave The church was converted into a storehouse. In 1990 the Cathdral was returned to the congregation and now the restoration works are lead by Villu Jürjo, the present minister of the church.

Reference: Narvakirik.ee

User Reviews

Alexander Wagon (10 months ago)
An amazing church with an incredible architecture. The tower is well preserved and contains an interesting exhibition. The main part of the church, unfortunately, is in decay and there does not seem to be enough money to restore it. Actually, I visited it more than 10 years ago and back then it was still more or less safe to visit the sitting areas. Now it is not.

Matis Rodin (2 years ago)
Grand building, that is almost in ruins after the neglect during Soviet rule. The church was built for 5000 people and the present size of the congregation is 70 people. The tower was reconstructed in 2008, and since then the building is beautifully lit after dark.

Helen V (3 years ago)
ℹ️ 3€ tower + museum; 2€ video installation. Cash only! ? This was my favourite tourist spot in Narva. ? Video installation was something that I did not expect in a church and it looked amazing. Museum was quite interesting too, even though it's small - about 30-60 min to see everything. The church itself was built in 1881-1884, but unfortunately it was totally destroyed during the WWII.

Ivan Spirydonau (3 years ago)
Great place to find the links for your family heritage. I should be thankful to the lady who was inside when I've entered a lot. She provided me with so much relevant information about my Estonian ancestors who were born and lived in Narva, but also supplied me with leads on how to reach people in Narva who might have provided further information. This place preserves the Holy Spirit. My great-grandfather was baptized there. The picture (from the original church book) attached depicts the local priest who served in the church and later relocated to Australia.

Klemet- Gustav Tamm (3 years ago)
The lights installation was interesting and view nice from the top. The keeper was very friendly and helpful.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Nicola since 1972

Historic Site of the week

Royal Palace of Naples

Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Alexander Church

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Landmarks of Sicily

Rhodes, The Island of Knights

Great Spa Towns of Europe

Historic Site of the week

Royal Palace of Naples

Looks like you are a history fan!