The Russian colony Alexandrovka, or Russische Kolonie Alexandrowka in German, was founded in 1826-1827 in the northern part of Potsdam by the order of King Frederick William III of Prussia. It was established for the last twelve singers of the Russian soldier choir. The name "Alexandrovka" was given in honor of Russian Emperor Alexander I, who passed away on December 1, 1825, and symbolized the friendly and familial ties between the Hohenzollern and Romanov dynasties.

On Mount Kapellenberg nearby, the Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky was built, which was consecrated in September 1829. Next to the church is the fourteenth house, where a royal servant from Russia named Tarnovsky lived.

The last of the singers passed away in 1891. In 1927, a hundred years after the colony's founding, only four families remained, direct descendants of the Russian soldiers. After the land reform, only two such families were left. Currently, only one family, the Grigoryevs, resides in Alexandrovka.