September 12 (August 30 according to the Julian calendar), 2024, marks the 300th anniversary of the translation by Emperor Peter I the Great of the Holy Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky from the city of Vladimir to St. Petersburg (1724).
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Icon of St. Alexander Nevsky
Icon of St. Alexander Nevsky
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The Troparion and Kontakion to St. Alexander Nevsky, from a service book
The Troparion and Kontakion to St. Alexander Nevsky, from a service book
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Peter I the Great, proclaiming the Nystad Treaty
Peter I the Great, proclaiming the Nystad Treaty
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The Translation of the Holy Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky
The Translation of the Holy Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky
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The Life (Vita) of St. Alexander Nevsky, from a medieval manuscript
The Life (Vita) of St. Alexander Nevsky, from a medieval manuscript
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Grand Prince Alexander taking monastic vows, at the end of his earthly life
Grand Prince Alexander taking monastic vows, at the end of his earthly life
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The St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra
The St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra
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The insignia of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
The insignia of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow and all Russia, with the insignia of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow and all Russia, with the insignia of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
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Emperor Peter I the Great
Emperor Peter I the Great
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Emperor Alexander I
Emperor Alexander I
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Emperor Alexander II, the Tsar-Liberator
Emperor Alexander II, the Tsar-Liberator
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Emperor Alexander III
Emperor Alexander III
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Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich
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Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, with her grandson, Prince Alexander Georgievich
Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, with her grandson, Prince Alexander Georgievich
https://imperialhouse.ru/en/allnews-en/news/2024-09-12-the-300th-anniversary-of-the-translation-of-the-holy-relics-of-st-alexander-nevsky-to-st-petersburg-1724.html#sigProId794941ed00
September 12 is one of the Feast Days of St. Alexander Nevsky—the Heavenly patron of Emperors Alexander I, Alexander II, and Alexander III; Tsarevich Alexander Petrovich; Grand Dukes Alexander Mikhailovich, Alexander Alexandrovich, and Alexander Vladimirovich; and of His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Georgievich.
It also marks the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Nystad between Russia and Sweden, ending the Great Northern War (1721).
And it is the annual Feast Day of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.
Troparion (tone 4)
Know your brethren, O Russian Joseph, / reigning not in Egypt, but in Heaven, / O right-believing Prince Alexander, / and accept their prayers, multiplying the number of fruits to men by the fruits of the land under your authority, / and by praying for all Orthodox Christians in the struggle against their enemies by providing help.
Kontakion (tone 4)
O blessed Alexander, / just as your relatives, Boris and Gleb, / came to your aid from Heaven, in the battle against the Swede Birger and his troops, / come now to the aid of your compatriots / and defeat those who are at war with us.
SERMON of St. John of Kronstadt (1829-1908), commemorating the Translation from the city of Vladimir to St. Petersburg of the Holy Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky, which occurred during the reign of Emperor Peter I in the year 1724.
“Be glad today, O peoples of Russia!/ Join chorus, ye princes and authorities!/ For, lo! the right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky,/ who shared both your flesh and your authority,/ joineth chorus with the angels in heaven,/ and summoneth all his kinfolk/—his fellow rulers and those under their governance/—to a spiritual festival.// And he prayeth to the Lord for all” (Stichera from the service for St. Alexander Nevsky).
“On what occasion, dear brothers and sisters, were the Holy Relics of Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky translated from the city of Vladimir to St. Petersburg?
“After the conclusion of the long-awaited peace with Sweden in 1721, it pleased Emperor Peter the Great, after the building of his new capital of St. Petersburg, to adorn this new city and to give greater glorification to the spiritual feats of this holy Prince, by translating from the city of Vladimir his incorrupt and miraculous Relics, which was accomplished with due honour and solemnity. The Emperor himself with his entire Imperial House, ranks of courtiers, and the entire elite, along with clergy, greeted the Holy Relics as they arrived by boat, processed with them, and placed them in the newly founded holy monastery of the Life-Creating Trinity and the Righteous Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky. And henceforth all have celebrated this event annually on August 30, and shall continue to for eternity. The memory of St. Alexander Nevsky’s Repose is celebrated on November 23.
“And this is the story of his family and life: The pious and Christ-loving Prince Alexander was the son of Grand Prince Yaroslav, the great-grandson of the Grand Prince Vsevolod, and the descendant of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir, who enlightened the entire Russian land in Holy Baptism. When his father Yaroslav ruled in the city of Vladimir, and St. Alexander lived and ruled in Novgorod, the Swedes and their king came across the Baltic Sea to the mouth of the Neva River on ships with a large army, with the intention of capturing our Izhora territory [land surrounding modern-day St. Petersburg—trans.], Novgorod, and the rest of what was Russia at that time. Leaving their ships at the mouth of the Neva River, the king, being proud of and confident in his strong army, sent emissaries to Prince Alexander in Novgorod, with the following message: You may choose—bow down to me or know that, if you do not, my army is at the border of your lands and will surely seize it.
“The Prince, having no adequate army nor the time to seek aid from his father Yaroslav, himself alone, having placing all his hope in God, with fervent prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos and calling on the intercessions of his kinsmen, the Holy Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb, marched out with a small force against the vast army of the Swedes.
“Having arrived at the Neva River, Grand Prince Alexander deployed his small force not far from the enemy. Among those with Alexander was a pious commander from the Izhora region named Philip, who was given the night watch and also instructed to try and ascertain secretly the size and strength of the enemy army. Seeing the vast enemy army facing him, Philip was awestruck and became afraid, and then returned to St. Alexander to report what he had seen. As Philip made his way back along the shoreline of the bay at sunrise, he saw a ship near the shore, and on it was arrayed a lineup of magnificent men in scarlet clothing, each putting his arms on the shoulders of the man next to him. And there were rowers seated with their oars, covered as if by a fog.
“One of these mysterious men said: ‘My brother Gleb! Let us go quickly to help our kinsman against our enemies; and Gleb answered: Yes, my brother Boris!’ Hearing this, Philip, in awe of what he had seen and heard, hastened to tell his pious Prince Alexander everything that he had witnessed, and the Prince, having heard this, glorified God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb.
“And when Alexander’s army engaged in battle with the Swedes, a great multitude of the enemy were slain, and St. Alexander himself wounded the Swedish king in the face; and all the defeated Swedes, now much reduced in numbers, turned and ran in shameful flight. Thus the Pious Prince Alexander, with the help of God and the Mother of God and the Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb, won a glorious victory and liberated the Izhora land and Novgorod from our enemies; and it is from this victory that Alexander began to be called Nevsky. We could speak now of St. Alexander’s other victories but we won’t now, so as not to prolong this sermon.
“Glory be to our God, who has given Russia a Prince so wondrous in faith, courage, wisdom, and honour, a fearless warrior and defender of his people!
“Why are we not likewise able to defeat the pagan enemies of our own day, with our equally brave army?
“Let us say why without hesitation: because of our disbelief in God, because of the decline in morals, and because of the senseless Tolstoyan teaching: do not resist evil, by which Port Arthur surrendered to shameful capitulation and our naval ships were taken by the enemy into shameful capture, with all their equipment.
“What a glorious teacher for the entire Russian army, and for all military and other leaders, is our Holy and Blessed Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky! But who among the intelligentsia now reads about his exploits, and who believes the miracles that have been recorded about him? It is because of our disbelief, our proud, preening minds, and arrogance about our military strength that we suffer all sorts of defeats and have become a laughingstock to the entire world! A terrible lesson has been given by God to the Russian intelligentsia, who do not believe in God and worship only themselves. Learn, Russia, to believe in God Almighty, who rules the destinies of the nations of the world, and learn faith, wisdom and courage from your holy ancestors. Amen.”
From: Protopriest John Ilich Sergiev (of Kronstadt), Slova i poucheniia, proiznesennye v Kronstadtskom Andreevskom sobore v 1907-1908 gg. (St. Petersburg: Tipografiia V. Erofeeva, 1908), 23-26.
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Protopriest G. Diachenko, Perenesenie moshchei sv. Blagovernogo Velikogo Kniazia Aleksandra Nevskogo iz Vladimira v tsarstviushchii grad Peterburg.