# Russian Memorial Church of Saint Alexius (Leipzig)

The Russian Memorial Church of Saint Alexius in Leipzig was inaugurated and dedicated from October 17–18, 1913, one hundred years after the Battle of Leipzig (also known as the Battle of the Nations). A memorial to the 127,000 Russian troops who served in the Battle, including the 22,000 who died freeing the Germans, its construction exhibited cooperation between Russians and Germans in 1913. In 1813, the German-speaking Austrians and Prussians had been united with the Russians in their battle against Napoleon and the French. Less than a year after the dedication of this centenary memorial, a different set of alliances resulted in World War I.
It was named after Alexius, Metropolitan of Moscow during the 14th century, who is recognized as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. Many external and internal features enhance the functionality of the church as a monument and a place of worship, including a wall of icons, a large chandelier, tablets bearing inscriptions on either side of the doors and four coffins containing the remains of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Leipzig. Its fortunes varied over the years partially based on Leipzig's government. The church was not always a high priority before 1945, but after Russians made it to Leipzig in World War II, they began to take care of the church and inserted a new plaque extending the purpose of the church to commemorate Russian soldiers down to 1945.
The church continues to serve as a place of worship for a congregation of about 300 with a weekly attendance of about 100. It is part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Both interior and exterior portions of the church have undergone necessary renovations in recent decades. Structural work began in 2012 in preparation for the building's centennial and restoration of the wall of icons was completed in 2018. This has been funded by the governments of Germany, Saxony and Leipzig, as well as by Moscow. Groups to preserve monuments and art, the congregation and individual donations also contributed.

## Namesake

The church was named after Alexius of Moscow.$^{:150}$ He was born around 1295 and served as Metropolitan of Moscow from 1354 to 1378. This role gave him a large amount of responsibility within the Russian Orthodox Church including the ability to appoint subordinate bishops. He also had an active role in Russian politics of his day, even acting for a time as regent. He followed a policy of obedience toward the Golden Horde, who had forced the Russians into a tributary relationship over a century before. He was credited with at least two miracles, one of which involved healing the wife of the Golden Horde's khan. In one tradition, he cured her of blindness by praying and sprinkling her with holy water. Meanwhile, he worked to keep Western intervention out of Russia and to strengthen the political bond between Moscow and the outlying Russian lands. His policies worked so well that they contributed to Russia being able to throw off Tatar domination.

## Battle of Leipzig

Schwarzenberg led the Army of Bohemia, Blücher commanded the Army of Silesia, Bernadotte commanded the Army of the North, and Bennigsen led the Army of Poland. Russians fought in all of these armies while Prussians fought in the first three. Along with Austrian soldiers in the Army of Bohemia and Swedes in the Army of the North, these men supplied most of the anti-Napoleonic field forces in Germany.$^{:454}$ Elector Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, who ruled Leipzig, had become King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. He was also given the Duchy of Warsaw. His kingdom became part of the Confederation of the Rhine, subordinate to France. At Leipzig, 127,000 Russian troops fought alongside 89,000 Austrians, 72,000 Prussians, and 18,000 Swedes.$^{:160-161}$ Including Napoleon's side, about 600,000 soldiers from twenty countries fought.
Napoleon reached Leipzig on October 14.$^{:470}$ Blücher and Schwarzenberg were near Leipzig on the night of October 15. Tsar Alexander I was on site and anxious for battle, which began on October 16. Napoleon was outnumbered by about 200,000 to 180,000.$^{:472}$ The first day's fighting was inconclusive. The next day saw limited fighting, but reinforcements arrived, mostly from the Army of the North and Army of Poland. Napoleon was now outnumbered about 300,000 to 170,000. On October 18, the allies forced some of the French lines back but failed to break through and lost more men than Napoleon. But afterward, Napoleon had only 16,000 artillery rounds, having used 220,000. Napoleon's troops, still outnumbered about three to two, began their retreat at 2 am on October 19, eventually crossing the single bridge spanning the White Elster river. The Allies soon pursued. A corporal in Napoleon's army blew up the bridge too early at 1 pm. About 38,000 of Napoleon's troops were killed or wounded. About 15,000 sick and injured were captured, while 15,000 more were captured as a result of the bungled retreat.$^{:472–483}$ The allied dead included 22,000 Russians, 16,000 Prussians, 12,000 Austrians and 300 Swedes.$^{:161}$ The battle ended French sovereignty east of the Rhine River. After Napoleon's final defeat, Leipzig suffered due to war debts and new international trade. About half of Saxony was annexed by Prussia. The remainder of the kingdom continued to be ruled by Frederick. Leipzig remained part of the Kingdom of Saxony after 1815.

## Construction

The church was built in the southeast of Leipzig, where the Battle had occurred. Russia paid for the church, which was built on land provided by Leipzig. While the church cost about one million marks, about half was raised through donations. A Russian architect, Vladimir Potrovsky, provided the plans for the building while German architects Weidenbach and Tschamer worked directly with the Russian and German builders. It ultimately took less than ten months from the laying of the foundation stone on December 28, 1912, before the church was ready to be dedicated on October 17, 1913.
Potrovsky designed the building with the Ascension Church [ru] in Kolomenskoye as a model. The Ascension Church had been built between 1530 and 1532, one of the first tent-roof churches to be made of stone rather than wood. The Ascension Church's design began with a square base which becomes eight and then sixteen-sided as it rises. Like the Ascension Church, Potrovsky's Russian Memorial Church tapers from a square to octagonal to a sixteen-sided shape. Unlike most Russian churches, the Russian Memorial Church has a single tower rather than a main tower and four smaller ones.
The church was built in the Novgorod style, 55 metres (180 ft) tall, capped with a golden onion-dome. The building was meant to be visible from far away and – in addition to promoting the memory of the Russian troops who died in battle – the church holds the remains of some of these soldiers within four coffins inside the church. Three coffins hold the soldiers Nicolas Kudaschev, Iwan Jegorowitsch Schewitsch, and Andrej Jurgenew, while the fourth contains remains from unknown Russian soldiers from the battle.
The church includes a wall of icons, typical of Eastern Orthodox churches. In this case, the wall includes 78 icons, pictures of saints and holy figures. The wall is 18 meters (59 ft) high and 10 meters (33 ft) wide. The icons were painted by Luka Martjanovich Jemelyanov, a painter from Moscow, and decorated with semi-precious stone, silver, and other metals. This set of icons was a gift from the Don Cossacks. Above the wall of icons hangs a chandelier weighing about 800 kilograms (1,800 lb) and holding 72 lamps. This chandelier was also a gift, this one from Tsar Nicholas II.

## 1913 context

Since 1813, Leipzig's situation had changed. In 1913, it was part of a German Empire, which included Prussia after German unification. The commemoration plaques honor the soldiers who died "for the liberation of Germany".$^{:160}$ The church has been called a "reminder of peace for all people". Regardless of the church's symbolic meaning, by 1913 Germany had acquired, by means including the Scramble for Africa in 1884, an empire larger than all but the British and French colonial empires. Only about a year after the consecration of the church, Germany found itself embroiled in World War I with these global rivals as well as Russia.
On October 18, the hundredth anniversary of the battle was celebrated at two new and substantial memorials. The other was the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, where approximately 100,000 people took part in ceremonies and processions for the dedication. In contrast with the church, however, this monument had taken 15 years to build and is 91 metres (299 ft) tall and weighs 300,000 tons.
On October 18, a day after the church was consecrated, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia attended a special service to dedicate the new church, as a representative of Czar Nicholas II. Also in attendance were important dignitaries from German-speaking countries: Kaiser Wilhelm II, King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand.$^{:156}$ The archduke was the heir apparent to the Austrian throne and was assassinated less than a year later by Gavrilo Princip. The assassination caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, whom they blamed for the assassination, which led Serbia's allies Russia, France, and Britain to declare war on Austria-Hungary, which was then backed up by its own allies, Germany and Italy.

## Under communist rule

The church was renovated in 1923,$^{:166}$ though remained in a poor condition and was considered for demolition in 1927. Damage caused by World War II was repaired by the occupying Soviets in 1945. This renovation was initiated by an order from the Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov to put the building in to exemplary shape after his visit. They also installed a plaque with an inscription, in Russian, that translates to: "Eternal glory to the heroes who died in the struggle for the freedom and independence of our homeland 1813–1945."$^{:162}$ Although the Soviet government had suppressed Christianity and persecuted its followers, it used the church to show Russian valor in both the Napoleonic Wars and the Second World War.$^{:162}$ Under the German Democratic Republic, it received further renovations in 1963, 1978, 1981, and 1989.$^{:166}$ The 1981 work was fairly significant, leaving the church fully restored.

## Modern use

Beginning in 2012, renovations with a price of about a million euros (equivalent to €1,256,068 in 2023) began in preparation for the building's one hundred year anniversary, though the renovations ultimately continued beyond 2013. The renovations included work on the gold-plated covering of the onion-dome, among other things. The German government, Leipzig, Saxony, and the private German Foundation for Monument Protection all contributed to the cost, while the Moscow contributed the most with 250,000 euros (equivalent to €314,017 in 2023).
The wall of 78 icons underwent a lengthy restoration process that ended in 2018. The wall of icons was restored at a cost of about 300,000 euros. Most of this came from the governments of Germany and Saxony, though some came from the congregation, individuals in Leipzig and Moscow, and an art preservation association. Today, Orthodox Christian worshipers with Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Bulgarian, and German backgrounds attend services at 10 am on Sundays and holidays. Approximately 100 people attend worship each week, while the full membership of the church is about 300. The building is also open to tourists daily from 10 am to 5 pm (4 pm in the winter).