From atop Toompea Hill, shaded by trees, you can see Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It dominates the landscape as it peers down from its perch. It is a turn of the century church. Its name, however, honors a 13th century warrior, Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod. During his lifetime, the Russian soldier, Nevsky, conquered much of the country of Estonia.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the biggest of Tallinn’s Orthodox churches. The style is pure Russian. It features the traditional look complete with cupolas. The St. Petersburg architect, Mihhail Preobraženski, paid close attention to detail. The interior features three icon walls. The saints find good representation in statuary and paintings. Mosiacs add color to the ceilings as stained glass does to the windows. The bell system is incredible. The entire grouping of bells within the Cathedral’s tower consists of 11. The heaviest weighs in at 15 tonnes. The music they make resounds clearly just before mass.