Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

It may have a cheerful look on the outside relative to the Baroque and Classical buildings in the backdrop. But, a poignant story has marked the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood for as long as time could tell. Almost a century ago, the construction of this fancifully decorated museum began where Alexander II was injured to death. Soon, the structure became the principal sanctuary in St. Petersburg. It is more of a museum of mosaics than a shrine today. And it attracts visitors with its stark appearance among a sea of humbler buildings.

Like countless other historical treasures that suffered from the vulgarity of war, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood almost saw its end. A part of a railing and a few columns were all that remained after the Russian Revolution and World War II. Yet, it rose from the ashes all the more gloriously some fifty years later. One of the most impressive collections of elaborate pictures and intricate shapes sprawl over 7500 square meters in the church.

The church’s undeniable resemblance to St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow was intentional. But beyond that, it has been cherished as an epitome of romantic nationalism and medieval Russian architecture. With its unabashed extravagance and epic stories embroidered on each wall, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is anything but modest. Soaring near Moyka River in excellence, it is impossible to miss.