Narva invests in heritage preservation

Over 800 thousand euros will be allocated for the renovation of Alexander’s Cathedral

Alexander’s Cathedral is one of the many important historical landmarks in the Estonian city of Narva. Its foundations were first laid in 1881 and was consecrated a few years later – on 9 June 1884. It received its cathedral status by presidential decree in 2000.

State intervention

Attempts to fund the renovation of the building have had mixed results. The most recent endeavor took place in 2015, when the cathedral went bankrupt as a result of its inability to fund its own renovation efforts.

The first plan was for the edifice to be auctioned away, but eventually those plans were called off. The Estonian government intervened and bought the building alongside the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church for 375 000 euros.

State-sponsored renovation efforts

Now the time for renovations has yet again arrived for Alexander’s Cathedral – but this time the government is prepared. Riina Solman, minister of Population underlined the vital importance of the church in both cultural and religious activities in Narva.

She further stated that major renovations to it interior, arches and balconies are needed to allow for the carrying out of multitudes of events which have so far been banned because of safety concerns. The Estonian government has earmarked 844 thousand euros for the renovation of the Cathedral.

Local governments in Estonia have been observed to spend more and more finances on the renovation of cultural heritage sites, with special attention being paid to churches – as is the case in Tallinn where over 2 million euros have been pledged for renovation works.

Without a doubt, this serves the purpose of preserving holy sites for future generations but also might bring about questions regarding secularism and state-funded sponsorship of religious sites.