Nikolai Nikolaevich Aleksandrov Historical Photograph Collection

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Cover Image:
Nikolai Nikolaevich Aleksandrov Historical Photograph Collection
Work at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Construction Site - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:
114
Dates of Original:
1944 - 1946

Historical Context

Holy Trinity Monastery is a Russian Orthodox men’s monastery located in Herkimer County in central New York State. Two Russian monks, Father Panteleimon (Nizhnik) and Father Iosif (Kolos) founded Holy Trinity Monastery in 1930. They were joined in 1946 by a group of Russian monks led by Bishop Serafim (Ivanov). That year, the brotherhood of the monastery began construction of a cathedral dedicated to the Holy Trinity on the site of the monastery. In 1948, Holy Trinity Seminary was opened with the mission of training young men to serve as clergy and future leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church. The first Dean of the Seminary, Nikolai Nikolaevich Aleksandrov, was instrumental in the development of Holy Trinity Seminary’s academic tradition, and was also involved in the planning and execution of the construction of Holy Trinity Cathedral. Aleksanrov also served as an early chronicler of the history of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary.

Scope of Collection

This collection consists of a selection of historical photographs compiled by Aleksandrov and pertains to the early years of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary. These pictures chronicle the daily life of the monks and seminarians, while also capturing the traditional religious services of the Russian Orthodox Church. The photographs in this collection are primarily shot in black and white film, though color film is used more frequently in the more recent photographs.