Russian   
ABOUT THE PROJECT STATE CULTURE AND ART HISTORY GEOGRAPHY AND NATURE PEARLS OF RUSSIA TOURISM GUEST BOOK  
 Russia Pearls of Russia   Cultural heritage
 :: Articles
Pleven Monument
Triumph Arch
The Pashkov House
Annunciation (Blagoveshchenskiy) Cathedral
Cathedral of God`s Ascension
Demidov Palace
Donskoy Monastery of The Mother of God
Bogoyavlensky Monastery
Golden Ring
Ivanovskiy-Precursor Convent
Kazan Cathedral
Kazan Kremlin
Kremlin Cathedrals
Moscow Kremlin
Novodevichy Convent
Novospasskiy Monastery
Ostankino Palace
Pavlovsk Palace Museum
Rostov Veliky
Spasso-Andronikov Monastery
Sretenskiy Monastery
St. Isaac Cathedral
The "Kalamita" Fortress
The Cathedral of Christ The Savior
The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood
The Church of St. Gabriel The Archangel
The Church of St. Simeon Stylites
The Church of The Ascension in Kolomenskoye
The Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
The Church of The Ressurection in Kadashy
The Menshikov Palace
The Mikhailovsky (St. Michael) Castle
The Peter and Paul Fortress
The Petrovsky or Vysokopetrovsky Monastery
The Smolny Cathedral
The State Hermitage Museum
 :: Search
Search in articles
Search in current section
 :: Constructor
 :: Game server
 :: Test

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled BloodThis marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor AlexanderII was assassinated in March 1881. After assuming power in 1855 in the wake of the disastrous defeat of Russia in the Crimean war against Britain, France and Turkey, Alexander II initiated a number of reforms. In 1861 he freed the Russian serfs (peasants, who were almost slaves). Within the first half of his reign military, judicial and urban reforms were undertaken and Russia became truly a capitalist country. However, in the second half of his reign Alexander II was no longer keen on continuing reforms. After a series of attempts on his life, including an explosion in the Winter Palace and the derailment of a train, Alexander II was assassinated by revolutionaries, who threw a bomb at his royal carriage.

It was decided to build a church at the spot where the emperor was mortally wounded. The church was built in 1883-1907 and was officially called the Resurrection of Christ Church (a.k.a. Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood). The Church of Our Savior on Spilled BloodMost of the money for the church was donated, by the royal family and thousands of private donors. Both inside and outside, the church is decorated with unique mosaics, designed by the most prominent Russian artists of the time (V.M. Vasnetsov, M.V. Nesterov, M.A. Vrubel, etc.) and created in 1895-1907. For all the "Russian look" of the church, its main architect A. Parland was not even a Russian by origin.

The church was closed for services in the 1930s, when Bolsheviks were destroying churches nationwide. For the last 20 years it has been under restoration. The restoration work is currently near completion and the church has just reopened. A view of the church from Nevsky Prospect is breathtaking.

NOTE: In different books translations of the church's name vary. You can find Church of Savior on Blood, The Resurrection Church, The Church of the Resurrection of Christ, etc.

Location: Naberezhnaya kanala Griboyedova. Reopened in late August, 1997 after almost 30 years of restoration.

Copyright © RIN 2001-. Russia Russia site map Feedback