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The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi) [a] is a Russian Orthodox church in Saint Petersburg, Russia which currently functions as a secular museum and church at the same time. The structure was constructed between 1883 and 1907.
May 26, 2024 · During World War II, the church suffered further indignities. The 900-day Siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) by Nazi German forces was one of the most devastating episodes of the war, with over a million civilians perishing from starvation and disease.
The Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Savior on the Blood Church) is St. Petersburg, Russia claims to have more mosaics than any other church in the world. Read up on the historic church in St Petersburg that was built as a memorial to Tsar Alexander II.
- Built on The Site Where The Tsar Was Fatally Wounded
- Built in The Then-Outmoded Russian Style
- Contains More Than 7,000 Sq. M. of Unique Mosaics
- Operated as A Church, But only Very Briefly
- Served as A Morgue During WW2
- Housed An Unexploded German Shell For Nearly 20 Years
- Now A Museum
No tsar had to endure as many assassination attempts as Alexander II. Six were made in all, the seventh was fatal. On the afternoon of March 1, 1881, Tsar Alexander II was returning to the Winter Palace in his royal carriage. On the embankment of Ekaterina (now Griboyedov) Canal, a terrorist threw a bomb under it. Shaken but unhurt, the emperor got...
A tender was announced for the design and construction of the new edifice. Alexander III insisted that it should adhere to the traditions of church architecture of 17th-century Moscow and Yaroslavl, something highly unusual for St Petersburg, which has practically no old Russian churches, since the city itself was built in the 18th century. The ten...
The church took 24 years to build. It is believed that its consecration was delayed due to the complexity of the mosaics by hereditary mosaicist Vladimir Frolov, which he spent ten years perfecting. The luxurious mosaics cover around 7,065 square meters, making it one of the largest mosaic exhibitions in Europe. The work was carried out by the fine...
Once the mosaics were complete, the cathedral was finally consecrated in 1907. The official ceremony was attended by the new emperor, Nicholas II, the grandson of the long-dead Alexander II. However, the church had no parish and gave no public mass. Entry was strictly controlled, and the state allocated money for its upkeep. But after the 1917 Revo...
In the 1930s-40s, the Bolsheviks destroyed many churches and had their sights set on the Savior on Spilled Blood, too. But WW2 intervened. During the siege of Leningrad (the former name of St Petersburg), it was converted into a morgue where bodies found on the city streets were brought. After the war, a local theater used the cathedral as a wareho...
During the war, the church was repeatedly shelled by German troops, causing serious damage to the walls, which majorly complicated the restoration process afterwards. In 1961, workers were surprised to discover a 240mm high-explosive shell in one of the walls. By some miracle, it had not exploded, but lain dormant and unnoticed for nearly two decad...
In the late 1960s, the church was recognized as an architectural monument. It was restored over a period 27 years (three years longer than it took to build), and was reopened in 1997. Now, the Savior on Spilled Blood works mainly as a museum. On weekdays, tourists come here to view the mosaics and the section of pavement enshrined inside the buildi...
Rumour had it that the Soviet Union would only last as long as scaffolding remained around the Church on Spilled Blood. The scaffolding was removed in August 1991, not long before the USSR’s collapse.
This marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. After assuming power in 1855 in the wake of Russia's disastrous defeat in the Crimean war against Britain, France and Turkey, Alexander II initiated a number of reforms.
Known to the citizens of St. Petersburg as The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood, its nine colorful domes stand out against the sky in remembrance of Emperor Alexander II who died by assassination on March 1, 1881, at the hands of a terrorist group called People's Will.
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