Church of St. Alexander Nevsky is located in the courtyard of the Alexander - Russian possession in the historic Old Town.

The peculiarity of the church and the monastery is that among the Palestinian Russian possessions they are closest to the Holy Sepulcher. Distance from Calvary is only 70 meters. This Orthodox island - a very interesting archaeological and architectural monument.

The plot on which the church and courtyard, in 1859, bought the Ethiopian clergy, one of the founders of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Senator Boris Mansurov. At first there were going to build a Russian consulate. In 1881, Palestine has visited pilgrim Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, to donate funds to the archaeological excavations of the site. They were attended by famous European archaeologists - Conrad Schick, Charles Wilson. They were found fragments of the walls of the second bypass times of Herod the Great, the threshold of the ancient gates of Jerusalem, Arch of Hadrian times.

After the completion of the excavation started the construction of monastery, named in memory of Emperor Alexander III. It was built in secret by the Ottoman authorities and the church: feared that due to the proximity of the site to the Temple of the Holy Sepulcher in the work does not give permission. Through the efforts of Russian diplomacy coveted firman (decree) has been received, the church was dedicated May 22, 1896.

Externally, the building resembles a neo-baroque building of the St. Petersburg of the late XIX century, there is no indication that there is a temple. But the interior of a large liturgical hall (the height of 10 meters, length 22 meters) is impressive. The real decoration of the church - eighteen large canvases devoted to the Passion of Christ. They filled a professor of Imperial Academy of Arts Nikolai Koshelev. Artist working on a painting depicting the Gospels (from the "Agony in the Garden" to "Descent into Hell") for ten years.

Discovered by archaeologists fragments of ancient threshold covered with glass and enclosed with an openwork lattice. Orthodox tradition says that it was through this Judgment Gate Threshold crossed, going to his execution, Jesus Christ. Near Threshold on the wall - twenty-three black marble plaques with the names of donors that provided the construction and decoration of the temple. Golden written the names of the Emperor Alexander III, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, widow of Penza Maria Kiseleva, Procurator Konstantin Pobedonostsev. On a nearby wall - almost two-meter kiot magnificent pink marble with an icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Compound stores picturesque sketch "Christ Carrying the Cross" by Ilya Repin hand, presented his church in 1898.

The threshold of Judgment Gate lies access to the Russian street. Here - a small belfry, bell that before obtaining a permit to build a church in secret, at night brought from Jaffa to Jerusalem. Close to the church premises adjacent small museum, which stores the excavated artifacts: ancient lamps, coins. Here - the original iron chains, church vestments.