I remember our first visit to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral very vividly. It was early in the morning and there were lots of tourists visiting. Many had their cameras out taking pictures while others were busy filming with their phones. I too had my phone in my hand and about to take pictures when seconds later, an old woman began screaming, telling everyone to go pay the fee for the photography. Apparently, there indeed was a fee that had to be paid if and when one wanted to take pictures or film. What was off putting was the way she spoke and yelled. She even grabbed two men by their shirt sleeves and dragged them to the front of the church and ordered them to pay. With such an ugly scene, we left.

What we found very ironic was that we saw her on our second visit to the cathedral a couple of days later. At that time, the cathedral was again replete with visitors. But, on this occasion, she seemed oblivious to everyone taking pictures and filming all around her. She was in fact standing by a stand full of candles right in the middle of the cathedral where she was busy taking the short ones away. We didn't hear her say a word nor did she look at who surrounded her. What a change of attitude, I thought to myself. She seemed truly odd.

Annyway, we went a few times to really admire the cathedral's interior. But on all visits, some lights were off and there was a crane right in the middle of the rotunda making it hard to take a clean shot. At any rate, we did get to take pictures of the cathedral's exterior and of its different sides a number of times during our stay.