Wikipedia

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Paris

For other similarly named cathedrals, see Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (disambiguation).

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky, Russian: Собор Святого Александра Невского, romanized: Sobor Svyatogo Aleksandra Nyevskogo) is a Russian Orthodox cathedral church located at 12 Rue Daru in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The closest métro station is Courcelles .

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevsky
Cathédrale Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky de Paris
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is located in Paris
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
48°52′39.3″N 2°18′7.1″E / 48.877583°N 2.301972°E / 48.877583; 2.301972
LocationParis
CountryFrance
DenominationRussian Orthodox Church
Websitecathedrale-orthodoxe.com
History
Founder(s)Joseph Vassiliev, Alexander II of Russia
Consecrated11 September 1861
Architecture
Heritage designation Monument Historique PA00088807[1]
Designated11 May 1981
Architect(s)Roman Kouzmine, Ivan Strohm
Architectural typeCathedral
StyleByzantine
Groundbreaking3 March 1859
Administration
ArchdiocesePatriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe
Clergy
ArchbishopJohn of Dubna

The Cathedral is the under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Orthodox Churches of Russian Tradition in Western Europe, based in Istanbul. It should not be confused with the Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center, which opened in Paris in 2016, under the authority of the Moscow patriarch and Russian government.

Services in the main cathedral are conducted in Church Slavonic. Some services the Crypt are conducted in French.

History

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Consecration of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in 1861

The first Russian Orthodox church in Paris was a small oratory constructed on Rue de Berri in 1816. As the population of Russian immigrants in Paris grew during the 19th century, a larger church was needed. In 1847, the chaplain of the Russian Embassy in Paris, Father Joseph Vassiliev, received permission from Emperor Napoleon III to construct a larger church. The program was moved forward by a grant of 200,000 French francs from Czar Alexander II, whose patron saint was Alexander Nevsky (1219-1263) Nevsky had contributed to the unification of Russia as well the establishment of the Russian Orthodox church throughout the Russian empire.[2]

 
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in 1870

Work on the church began in 1859 under Roman Kouzmine, chief architect of the Russian imperial Court, and the chef engineer Strohm. The cathedral was established and consecrated in 1861, making it the first Russian Orthodox place of worship in France.[3]

The church was formally given cathedral status in 1951. During the Soviet period, it was the headquarters of an archbishop who supervised the other Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe, independent of Moscow. Following the downfall of the Soviet Union, the church came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, established in 1931, located in Istanbul, independent of Moscow. The cathedral became the see of the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe.[4]

In 2016, the Russian Orthodox church opened a new cathedral in Paris, Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, which is under the authority of the Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe (Moscow Patriarchate) in Moscow. The cathedral of Alexander Nevsky is independent of Moscow and the Saint Trinity cathedral.

Exterior

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facade and towers

The exterior of the church is a good example, of what its builder, the Russian diplomat to France Joseph Valliliev, called "Byzantine Muscovite". It used the Byzantine form of Greek cross and a semi-circular fronton with a mosaic image of Christ giving a blessing. The distinctly Russian element was the group of five bell towers which symbolised Christ and the four evangelists. The towers are topped with gilded bulblike domes, which symbolise the flames of candles carried by the worshippers, which lift their prayers to heaven. The central tower is topped by a Russian Orthodox cross and has three traverses which symbolize Christ and the four evangelists.[5]

The church is supported by a crypt, known as the "Lower Church". dedicated to the Holy Trinity, In 1963 the crypt became the official place of worship of the Russian Orthodox Church in France.[6]

Interior - the Iconostasis

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The plan of the interior is inspired by that of the Hagia Sophia basilica in Istanbul It is highly decorated with paintings, gilding and polychrome deocoration illustrating the history and doctrines of the church. The Iconostasis is a highly decorated barrier, which separates the "Saint of Saints" section, used only by the clergy, from the worshippers in the nave. The iconostasis has three portals; the Sacred Portal or Royal. Portal in the center, used only by the clergy; and north and south portals, used by reserved to lesser clerics and religious officials.

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    Prayer Hall and the Iconostasis
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    Clergy in front of the Iconostasis

The Iconostasis presents a series of icons in a specific theological hierarchy. The lower level, called the Royal Portal, presents icons which illustrate the Annunciation and the four Evagelists, painted by Evgraf Sorokine. The icons, from north to south, represent of Christ, Aleksander Nevsky, and the Archangel Michael. On the south portion of the Iconostasis are icons of the Virgin Mary, Saint Stephen, and Saint Nicholas of Myra.

The upper level of the Iconostasis features a central icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by Pauel Sorokine, flanked by icons of the saints and figures from the Old Testament,

The walls are further decorated with murals by D. Sorokine and Feodor Bronnikov depicting major events in the history of Christianity and important moments of the liturgy. The murals depict the Admiration of the Shepherds, the Sermon on the Mount, the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem, and the Last Supper.

Two additional murals by Bogolubov depict "Christ Walking on the Waters" and "Christ Preaching at the Lake of the Tiveriade."

The Crypt

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There Crupt, or lower level of the cathedral, has the distinction of being the home of separate Parish, "La paroisse de la Tres Sainte Trinite." It was one the first parishes of a Russian Orthodox Church where the services are conducted in French as well as Slavic. It was consecrated in 1863, and much later, in 1964 the crypt was formally declared the official place of worship for the French-Russian Orthodox community.

Notable parishoners

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Representation in other media

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The 1956 film Anastasia, about one of the daughters of the imperial Romanov family, features the Cathedral in one of its first scenes.[7]

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    View of church from Boulevard Courcelles
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    Altar and the Iconostasis during a service
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    Church spires
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Bibliography

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  • Dumoulin, Aline; Ardisson, Alexandra; Maingard, Jérôme; Antonello, Murielle; Églises de Paris (2010), Éditions Massin, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, ISBN 978-2-7072-0683-1
  • Nicolas Ross, Saint-Alexandre sur-Seine, édition du CERF.

References

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  1. ^ Base Mérimée: Cathédrale orthodoxe Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
  2. ^ Dumoulin (2010), "Eglises de Paris" (in French) pp. 142
  3. ^ Hassell, James E. (1991). Russian Refugees in France and the United States Between the World Wars. American Philosophical Society. ISBN 978-0871698179.
  4. ^ "Historic and festive Sunday at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral". Exarchat. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  5. ^ Dumoulin (2010), "Eglises de Paris" (in French) pp. 142-143
  6. ^ Dumoulin (2010), "Eglises de Paris" (in French) pp. 142-143
  7. ^ "Anastasia". Turner Classic Movies.
 
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