CHURCH OF THE SAVIOUR ON THE BLOOD

2a nab. kanala Griboedova 191011 St. Petersburg
Open: 1 lam - 7pm
Closed: Wednesdays
Tel. 315-1636
Nearest metro stations: Nevsky prospekt and Gostiny Dvor

The Church of the Resurrection, known as the "Saviour on the Blood", was erected between 1883 and 1907 on the site where, on 1 March 1881, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded by a bomb thrown by Ignaty Grinevitsky, a member of the People's Will organization.

During the Soviet period, the church was considered to have no artistic value. It miraculously escaped demolition, however, and was used as a storehouse. Restoration work on the church started in 1970 and its reopening in 1997 was an important event in the cultural life of the city.

The church was built in the pure Russian style by the architect Alfred Parland and Archimandrite Ignatius. Its design incorporates elements of decoration that are peculiar to many 17th century churches near and around Moscow and Yaroslavl, known for their intricate shapes.

The Saviour on the Blood in St.Petersburg is a stunning example of Muscovite religious architecture of the pre-Petrine period. The highlights of its lavish decor are the elegant cupolas executed in the technique of fine enamel, the inlaid marble floors, the tent-like jasper canopy erected over the spot of the emperor's murder, and the magnificent mosaic panels covering an area of 7,000 sq.m. The mosaic panels were manufactured at the workshop of Alexander Frolov to designs by Victor Vasnetsov, Andrei Riabushkin, Nikolai Bruni, Nikolai Koshelev and Vasily Belyaev. The crucifix on the west facade was made after a drawing by the eminent painter Mikhail Nesterov. The church now constitutes one of the world's finest monuments of Russian mosaic art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

There are 20 granite plaques on the church facades which record, in gold letters, the main events from the reign of Alexander II.