The church of the Savior of the Spilled Blood, also known as the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most beautiful Orthodox Christian temples in the world. Built in 1883 in the very place where the Tsar Alexander II was deadly wounded by the members of the revolutionary movement the People’s Will. In 1861, Alexander II liberated the country folk of their serfdom, he carried out various reforms in the Russian system and his ultimate plan was to introduce the first constitution in the Empire.
Alexander III inherited his father’s throne; however, he did away with all reforms that his father, Alexander II, implemented. As Alexander III held his father in high esteem, he ordered a construction of the great church in the very place where his father was assassinated. The church was designed by Alfred Parland in “ a traditional Russian style” (the style of churches built in Russia from the 16th and 17th century) which was a complete opposite to the prevailing Baroque style at that time.
Alexander III forbidden any kind of religious events inside the church; however, occasional liturgy was held to honor his father, the murdered tsar, Alexander II. The church had a rather tragic route; it was closed down in 1932, and was turned into a rundown storage that soon fell into disrepair. During the Nazi occupation in the Second World War, the church was severely damaged. There was only a few mosaics left when the war was over and this amazing church had a new “shameful” purpose – it became the theater’s storage house. Only during the 70s did the restoration begin. It lasted for decades, as there was a daunting work that needed finishing with the aim to recover its past glory to this incredible monument and potent symbol of Saint Petersburg. The doors of the church were finally open to the public in 1997.
Mosaics, made mainly in the Byzantine style, are prevailing motifs of the church’s interior. Mosaics were designed by famous Russian artists, the icon of Saint Alexander Nevsky designed by Nesterov; the mosaic of Pantokrator created by Kharlamov, the Holy Mother of God with Child (in the Roman Catholic world this is the the most common motif, Madonna col bambino) designed by Vasnetsov.
The most overwhelming feature in the church is an Altar created in the place where Alexander II was inflicted deadly wounds. The words fail to describe the divine beauty of this church and it is the reason why we recommend that our visitors should look at our photo gallery where they will have an insight into which kind of experience they could have if they decided to visit this temple.
Ticket price for the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood in Saint Petersburg
Regular price: 250 Rub (3.5 €)
Reduced price: 50 Rub (0.7 €)
Audio guides are available at the price of 100 Rub (1.5 €)
Evening visit to the Cathedral - available only during the summer: 400 Rub (5.5 €)
Working hours for the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood in Saint Petersburg
Every day from 10:30am to 6:00pm (the ticket office closes half an hour before the closing time)
Evening hours from May 1st to September 30th – from 6:00pm to 10:30pm
Closed on Wednesdays.
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