The historical and cultural legacy of Tallinn is closely connected with the Gothic architecture of the Middle Ages. However, here, you can find many apparently Russian-looking buildings. A shining example is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on the Toompea Hill in the Old Town. It has become one of the most famous religious buildings in the Estonian capital.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn was founded in 1895 at the behest of the Orthodox clergy of Reval and Prince Sergei Shakhovskoy, the Estonian governor and the leading proponent of the Russianization in Estonia under the Russian Empire. The construction of the temple took five years, and its ceremonial consecration occurred on April 30, 1990.

The site for the construction of the cathedral wasn’t chosen by chance. Since the founding days of Tallinn, the Toompea Hill has been considered the center of the city’s political life. The Orthodox church, erected directly opposite the Estonian parliament, was to serve as a symbol of the supremacy of Russian power in Estonia. For this reason, the locals, to put it mildly, never liked this Orthodox church in Tallinn.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was repeatedly under the threat of destruction. Still, each time something saved it as if the higher forces stood up to protect it. In the ’30s and ’40s, the authorities didn’t have enough funding to demolish the structure. In the ’60s, when it was to be turned into a planetarium, the Orthodox believers defended the shrine. The struggle of politics and religion for the temple’s future ceased only in 1995 when it was included in the National Register of Cultural Monuments of Estonia.

The appearance of the cathedral resembles the church architecture of Moscow of the 17th century. However, many experts argue that one can trace in it striking traits of local religious architecture. The majestic 58-meter-high structure is crowned with five gilded domes hiding eleven cast bells below. Every day, their magical chime pours all over the neighborhood.

The interior of the cathedral, whose main decoration is three iconostases and four icon cases, amazes with the affluence of decorative fixtures and tiny details. However, sumptuous stained-glass windows and mosaics don’t steal the show but give visitors an indescribable feeling of calmness and tranquility.