Alexander Nevsky Chapel

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Alexander Nevsky Chapel

A;ex. Nevsky chapel by Kamolon gates in Tashkent

Nestled within a quaint residential neighborhood, a stone’s throw away from the historic Kamolon gates, stands a modest chapel that bears the distinction of being Tashkent’s oldest surviving monument to the pre-revolutionary Orthodox faith. This sacred site, not far from the bustling avenues of Khalklar Dustligi and Samarkand-Darboza, as well as the serene flow of the Aktepa channel, serves as a poignant reminder of the city’s rich and layered history.

The chapel’s origins trace back to 1866, erected over the shared grave of two dozen Russian soldiers who fell during General Chernyaev’s siege of Tashkent in June 1865. The selection of this particular site for their final resting place was far from arbitrary. It lies adjacent to the ancient Muslim cemetery of Kamolon, creating a symbolic bridge between cultures and epochs. The memorial itself was strategically placed between the Kamolon gates and the cemetery, nestled at its very base.

In the year following the battle, a tombstone bearing the heartfelt inscription «To our friends» in Russian marked the mass grave. Additionally, a unique monument comprising three pyramids fashioned from mortar cannonballs was raised in honor of the fallen. By 1867, a chapel had been constructed on this hallowed ground, its walls adorned with Slavic inscriptions drawn from the sacred texts of the Old and New Testaments.

A;ex. Nevsky chapel by Kamolon gates in Tashkent
A;ex. Nevsky chapel by Kamolon gates in Tashkent
A;ex. Nevsky chapel by Kamolon gates in Tashkent

At the heart of the chapel stood a prism, one side graced with an icon, another inscribed with passages from the Scriptures, and a third etched with the names of the soldiers who had given their lives. Surrounding the chapel, a tranquil park was cultivated, complete with a church entrance, crosses, and an ornate iron fence. Veterans, referred to respectfully as ‘people with disabilities’, were entrusted with the care of the memorial and its verdant surroundings. Each year on June 15th, the anniversary of Tashkent’s capture, a solemn procession would wind its way from the chapel through the main thoroughfares of the city, a moving tribute to those who had perished.

This sacred complex endured until the upheavals of 1917. The October Revolution brought about the destruction of both the memorial park and the chapel by Bolshevik forces. It wasn’t until after World War II, in 1949, that the land was granted to a local Uzbek family, who established their home on the site. Despite the ravages of time and history, the chapel, though weathered, remains standing behind its gates, continuing to welcome visitors and bear witness to the city’s tumultuous past.