Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Savior on Blood is in St. Petersburg, Russia. The church was previously known as “Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ” and “Church on Split Blood”. The “blood” in the name of the church refers to the Emperor Alexander II of Russia who was assassinated on this site.

The construction of the church began in the year 1883 during the reign of Emperor Alexander III as an honor for his father Emperor Alexander II. There were delays in building the church, but in the year 1907 construction was completed. The church is very close to the Griboedov Canal, with a history beyond the construction:

Emperor Alexander II was passing through this area and a conspirator threw a grenade at the emperor but missed. Within in a few minutes he threw another bomb at the emperor where the conspirator has been killed along with the emperor during the explosion. Later the church was built on the same site where the emperor died.

The church is a unique construction among the other cathedrals in St. Petersburg and it is a combination of Neoclassical and Baroque styles. The church has over 7500 sqm of mosaics and the interiors of the church has been designed by Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, Mikhail Vrubel, Mikhail Nesterov and Viktor Vasnetsov. The ceilings and walls feature a number of mosaics displaying the Biblical scenes.

Nowadays the church is recognized as the Museum of Mosaics and is a major tourist attraction in St. Petersburg.

Church of the Savior on Blood