Near where we live, right in town, is the Aleksander Nevsky Cemetery. It was founded in 1775 and is a treasure trove of history. just beckoning for discovery. We found it quite by chance one day as we were on a long walk. As we entered, we felt as if we had been transported to another time in the world - a time when things were very different and very simple. A place where culture played a large role in daily life, including the burial of the dead.
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| Main gate of the Aleksander Nivsky Cemetery |
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Closed to automobiles. To enter through the gate, you must walk through the small portal on the left
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| Many graves are placed in raised mounds like this one |
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| Many graves are grouped within cast iron fencing |
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| The crosses are usually very large and decorative |
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| This gate was placed in 1908 |
All around us are the markings of the human race in dealing with their mortality. It is a somber place with many reminders that death is a portal we all must pass through at some time in our sojourn here on earth. The setting sun, see picture below, symbolizes the end of a mortal journey. Yet in the midst of death, there springs forth the hope of a better life, much like the hope of flowers that push their way through the wintered soil, reaching, ever reaching for warmth and life.
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| Spring flowers symbolize the hope we have in Jesus Christ for a new life, free from the pains and sadness of physical and spiritual death |
