The Church of the Savior on Blood is one of the main Russian Orthodox cathedrals of St. Petersburg. It is also variously called the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood and the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, its official name. The name refers to the blood of the assassinated Alexander II of Russia, who was killed on that site on March 13, 1881 (Julian date: March 1), and that of the crucified Jesus.

Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Royal family with the support of many private investors.

The church is prominently situated along the Griboedov Canal . The embankment at that point runs along either side of a canal. The section of street where the assassination took place was enclosed within the walls of the church, and part of the canal filled to allow the street to pass around the building. The church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics - according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world - and a memorial marking the spot where the assassination took place. Architecturally, it is out of place in St. Petersburg. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture. It intentionally resembles the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day - including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel - but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland , was relatively little-known (and Russian, despite his name). An elaborate shrine was constructed on the exact place of Alexander's death, garnished with topaz, lazurite and other semi-precious stones. Perhaps not surprisingly, the church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics - the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures - but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Savior on Potatoes. It suffered significant damage during the Siege of Leningrad. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for a nearby opera theatre.

In July 1970, management of the church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the cathedral were ploughed back into restoring the church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been resanctified and does not function as a full-time place of worship. The church is now one of the main tourist attractions of St. Petersburg.

External links

• Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
• View of the cathedral on January 12, 2003