War and peace... with Nevski cathedral by way of conclusion

The old chapel founded in 1816 by Alexander I for Russians diplomats, in their Parisian embassy rue de Berry, became too small!

So priest Joseph Vassiliev started to collect money... Why? To raise a bigger church, of course!

In France, you have to figure French people didn't like Russians, at that time: memories of Napoleon's wars in Russia, maybe...

But Vassiliev didn't give up: finally, he gathered enough money. Even tzar Alexander II gave 50 000 roubles from his personal fortune...

Someone gave 100 000 francs, a Greek student from Sorbonne School gave 20 cents...

The first stone was laid down in 1859 and the church was completed 3 years later by architect Ouzmine from Russian national art school in Saint-Petersburg and architect Strom, who built cathedral of St-Vladimir in Kiev.