Message about the Church of Saved on Blood. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: Why does a temple built on a tragic occasion have a festive look. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: all-conquering beauty

The Savior on Spilled Blood or the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on Spilled Blood is a functioning church and at the same time a memorial monument. It is immediately visible among the classical buildings, because it is made in the “Russian style” of late times, unusual for the city. Moreover, it is considered the opposite of St. Petersburg architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries. This attracts tourists even more and makes the attraction unique.

Historical moments

Erected in memory of Emperor Alexander II. At this place, in 1881, an attempt was made on his life, after which he died.
The temple was built with donations collected by the whole country.
Construction took 24 years from 1883 to 1907. The building itself was erected in 14 years, and the rest of the time mosaic work was carried out inside and outside.
The architect for the project was selected through a competition. Many famous people of that time took part in it. The winner was chosen by Alexander the Third only after the third selection, it was Alfred Parland.
Modern technologies were used in the work, so the building is fully electrified.

Appearance

The cathedral is a standard example of the “Russian style”. This direction is based on the architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries. Represents a collective image of the architecture of Orthodox churches of that time. It has 9 chapters, some of which are gilded, and the second - enameled. At the base there is a quadrangle, which is what the tetrahedral room for the temple was called in pre-Petrine times. In the western part there is a bell tower. One of the main advantages of the Savior on Spilled Blood is its external decoration. It used: red brick, gilded copper, enamel of different colors, various mosaics, granite, marble and other materials. Above the entrances there are mosaic panels with gospel scenes.

You will immediately notice the similarity of the Savior on Spilled Blood with St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. This architectural monument became the main inspiration for the construction of the St. Petersburg landmark.

What to see inside

The main shrine of the temple is the section of the road on which Alexander II died. This is a cobblestone street with gratings and paving slabs from the Catherine Canal. The place was not moved anywhere, but construction simply began around it. Above the shrine there is a jasper tent with a cross, decorated with three-dimensional patterns.
Inside there are 7065 square meters of mosaics, making it one of the largest collections in Europe. It was created according to sketches by more than 30 outstanding artists. The work was carried out by the workshop of V.A. Frolova. The cathedral is also called the “museum of mosaics”.
Some of the brightest scenes on the walls: “The Savior and “The Virgin and Child” by V.M. Vasnetsova. It is interesting that they were not written according to church canons, but are considered masterpieces of fine art.
More than 20 materials were used in the design of the temple. In the halls you will see: multi-colored marble, Ural gems, porphyry, jasper, etc.
Since the cathedral was erected in honor of the martyr Tsar, Alexander II, under the arches you will find an icon of his patron - St. Alexander Nevsky. As well as images of the patrons of all members of the imperial family.

In the first years of their reign, the Bolsheviks did not allocate money for the maintenance of the temple. The ministers defended their position for a long time, but in 1930 Spas was closed. Then the verdict was passed: to dismantle the building to its foundations. But the war prevented the implementation of the plan. During difficult times for the country, there was a morgue for war victims in the premises of the cathedral. After 1945, the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood belonged to the Maly Theater, which stored scenery for performances there. And only in the 60s the state took it back. Later it became a branch of the St. Isaac's Cathedral Museum. The emergency condition of the premises required restoration, which began in the 80s. It opened to the public in 1997, and services resumed in 2004.

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During the revolution, the believing residents of the city removed the crosses from the domes of the Savior on Spilled Blood and placed them at the bottom of the Griboyedov Canal. So they saved them from the Bolsheviks. The gold valuables were found by builders only during the years of restoration, following a tip from a random passerby.
Scaffolding was installed in the 1970s. They were there for many years, so St. Petersburg residents joked that as long as the forests surrounded the temple, the Soviet government would rule. Construction work was completed on the eve of 1991, before the change of government regime.
There is also a mystical side to the building. You can notice non-Christian symbols, which once again point to the honors of Alexander II. The height of the central structure is 81 m, the death of the king was in 1881. The height of the main dome is 63 m, the same as the age at which the emperor died. A crown rises above the cross in the bell tower, and throughout the temple there are coats of arms of Russian cities and a double-headed eagle.
There is a belief that in the cathedral there is an icon on which dates appear over time. They are turning points in the history of Russia. For example, you can see 1917 - revolution and overthrow of power, 1941 - the beginning of the war and 1953 - the assassination of Stalin and a coup d'etat. The remaining numbers are still unclear.
St. Petersburg residents call the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood an “indestructible church.” The government tried to blow it up in 1941 and in the 70s, but something always got in the way. At the beginning of the 20th century it was ordered to be dismantled. And during restoration, an unexploded German shell was found in the wall. Dozens of churches were destroyed in the city, but this one remained unharmed.

Address: Griboyedov Canal Embankment, 2. Nearest metro station "Nevsky Prospekt".

Ticket price: for citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus – 250 rubles for adults; 50 rubles for pensioners, students and pupils; Under 7 years old entry is free. Audio guide in different languages – 100 rubles.

Opening hours: every day except Wednesday, from 10:30 to 18:00. During the high tourist season from April 27 to September 30, the cathedral hosts excursions “The Savior on Spilled Blood on the White Nights” from 18:00 to 22:30. Cost 400 rubles. The ticket office closes at 22:00.

Schedule of services: on Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 – Divine Liturgy; on Saturdays at 18:00 – all-night vigil.

In the very center of St. Petersburg, on the embankment of the Griboedov Canal, stands a temple of extraordinary beauty with colorful domes, distinguished from other churches not only by its multicolor, brightness and warmth, but also by the tragic history of its appearance. The nine-domed beauty, the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, was erected on the occasion of the death of Alexander II at the hands of terrorists; people began to call it the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Why does the temple, erected on the occasion of the tragic death of the emperor, have such a bright and festive appearance?

It was not in vain that the temple was dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. This confirmed the connection between the crucifixion of the Savior, his subsequent resurrection and the martyrdom of the Russian Tsar. People said: “ The Emperor's life ended / Christ was crucified for the second time" And according to Christian teaching, death is not the end of life, but only a transition to another world. Therefore, a bright temple erected on the site of a tragic event is quite appropriate.

Death of Emperor Alexander II

Alexander II is inscribed in the history of Russia as a reformer tsar who carried out many important reforms for the benefit of the people, one of which was the abolition of serfdom. And for all these deeds, the people repaid him by the fact that Alexander II became the record holder for the number of assassination attempts. Terrorists shot at him more than once, blew up the Winter Palace and the imperial train, but six times, finding himself on the brink of death, the emperor remained alive.
However, on March 1, 1881, the terrorists achieved their goal - a bomb thrown right at the Tsar’s feet ended his life. The assassination attempt was prepared by a group of Narodnaya Volya terrorists led by Sofia Perovskaya. In the morning, the Narodnaya Volya member Rysakov threw a bomb into the carriage with the Tsar, who was returning from the Mikhailovsky Manege to the Winter Palace after visiting the disengagement of troops, but the Tsar again remained alive, two guards and a peddler boy were killed. The Tsar got out of the carriage and headed towards the wounded, at which time another Narodnaya Volya member, Grinevitsky, ran up to him and threw another bomb. Alexander and the terrorist were thrown towards the canal fence by a powerful explosion.

This was the end, after 3 hours the king was gone. His son, Alexander III, ascended the throne.

Grinevsky also died from his wounds. The remaining participants in the attempt were soon arrested and hanged on the Semyonovsky parade ground.

The death of the emperor shocked all of Russia. Boris Chicherin wrote:

« One of the greatest reigns in Russian history ended with a terrible catastrophe. The monarch who fulfilled the cherished dreams of the Russian people, who gave freedom to twenty million peasants, established an independent and transparent court, granted self-government to the zemstvo, removed censorship from the printed word, this monarch, the benefactor of his people, fell from the hands of the villains who persecuted him for several years and finally achieving their goal. Such a tragic fate cannot but produce a stunning effect on anyone in whom the thought has not become clouded, and in whom human feeling has not dried up.».

« He did not want to appear better than he was, and was often better than he seemed"(V.O. Klyuchevsky).

History of the construction of the temple

At the site of the tragedy, where " the sacred blood of the Emperor was shed", a temporary monument was erected and a sentry was posted.

But Alexander III ordered the construction of a temple on this site, and while the project was being prepared, a temporary chapel was erected, and on April 4 the chapel was already standing.

Alexander III wanted the future temple to be made in the pseudo-Russian style of church architecture of the 17th century, and it would certainly stand in the same place.
In 1893, Alexander III laid the first stone in the foundation of the temple, and preparatory work began.

In 1887, the project was finally approved, the authors of which were A. Parland and Archimandrite Ignatius from the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, but it required modification, so other architects were also involved in the work. As a result, the final version bore little resemblance to A. Parland’s original project.

Construction dragged on for a long time; the cathedral was consecrated only in 1907.

All-conquering beauty

Made in pseudo-Russian style, bright and festive, with elegant domes made of four-color enamel, the temple is in perfect harmony with the austere buildings surrounding it.

Due to the humid climate of the northern capital, mosaics were used in interior decoration rather than painting, as in other churches. all the walls, pillars and vaults of the temple, its iconostasis are covered with mosaic drawings and icons based on the sketches of great masters such as V.M. Vasnetsov, M.V. Nesterov and others. The area covered with mosaics is more than 7000 square meters. m. Even the icons are made of mosaics!
In addition, tons of gems and Italian multi-colored marble were used for finishing. All this splendor was created jointly by Russian and German masters.

During the blockade there was a morgue here, but all the shells flew past. As it turned out later, one of them still hit the main dome, but lay there without exploding until 1961, when it was discovered and neutralized.
The temple survived during the time of Khrushchev, when about a hundred churches were blown up in Leningrad. Apparently, it’s not for nothing that the city’s residents call him “bewitched.”

In 1970, they decided to restore the temple and installed scaffolding that lasted for twenty years. There were rumors that as long as this temple stood in the forests, there would be Soviet power in the country. Surprisingly, the scaffolding was removed in August 1991, on the eve of the coup.

The restoration was finally completed in 1997, and the temple was opened to visitors, and in 2004 it was consecrated again.
And now this amazing temple is the pride of the northern capital.

There is another attraction in St. Petersburg - the Anichkov Bridge.
will impress even those who are well acquainted with the northern capital.

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood - this is the full name of this temple - in its execution is a little reminiscent of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. In addition, the Moscow Trinity churches in Ostankino and Nikitki, as well as the Yaroslavl churches of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkovo and St. John Chrysostom in Korovniki, became prototypes for it. However, the differences between it and the named religious buildings are obvious. The Savior on Spilled Blood is completely unique and original not only in its architectural but also in its artistic characteristics.

The quadrangular building, crowned by five large and four smaller domes, three rounded apses with golden domes on the eastern side and kokoshnik pediments decorating the northern and southern facades, make this monumental Orthodox shrine recognizable throughout the world. No less impressive is the height of the Savior on Spilled Blood, which is 81 meters, and its capacity - up to 1,600 people can be inside at the same time.

Some tourists, especially those who come to St. Petersburg and Russia for the first time, do not even realize that the Cathedral of the Savior on Blood was erected over the place where real blood was actually shed more than 135 years ago. The terrible event that happened then predetermined the appearance of a memorial single-altar church here, which became a symbol of the repentance of the entire people for the act committed by a group of adventurers. The mere fact that funds for construction were collected throughout Russia speaks for itself.

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood is a striking monument of Russian architecture, in which the best traditions of the Russian architectural style are embodied. Currently, it is a museum, an acquaintance with which is invariably included in excursion programs around the Northern capital.

Background of construction

The second half of the 19th century turned out to be very difficult for Russia. On the one hand, the state was weakened by participation in the Crimean War and the difficult economic situation, on the other hand, large-scale transformations took place, at the origins of which stood Emperor Alexander II. We are talking, first of all, about the abolition of serfdom in 1861, which became a powerful impetus for the further development of the country. Having freed 23 million peasants from the slavery of the landowners, he received the noble nickname “Tsar Liberator” among the people and went down in history.

At the same time, the reforms carried out by the sovereign - zemstvo, judicial, military, education and a number of others - although they brought generally positive changes, there were mistakes in their implementation, which provoked a strengthening of the revolutionary movement. Part of the population was dissatisfied with the innovations, and the radicals took advantage of this and entered into the fight against the autocracy - which they considered the main evil. At the end of the 70s, the People's Will organization arose, using terror in its methods of struggle. They set out to kill the Tsar and a number of representatives of the country's top leadership, believing that their elimination would set in motion the masses who would overthrow the autocracy and the huge empire would become a republic.

Having proclaimed such intentions, they immediately began to implement their plans, passing a death sentence on Alexander II and starting a real hunt for the autocrat. Several assassination attempts were organized on him, which followed one after another. The terrorist attacks were not successful, but many innocent people died in their execution. In response, the authorities were forced to intensify repression against the “People's Will” and even make some concessions. However, this only seemed to inflame the regicides. And on March 1, 1881, they staged another attempt on the Tsar’s life, which became the last.

The brutal terrorist attack was carefully prepared, which is why it achieved its goal this time. This happened at the moment when the emperor, returning from the military parade in the Mikhailovsky Manege, was driving in his carriage along the embankment of the Catherine Canal: the revolutionary N. Rusakov threw a bomb at it. Several people from his retinue were seriously injured, including fatally, but the king remained alive and refused to immediately leave the scene of the assassination attempt. One of the accompanying bodyguards, with the help of the crowd, tied up the attacker, another ran up to report that the villain had already been caught. “Thank God, I survived, but here...” said the emperor, pointing to the wounded moaning on the pavement. At that moment, a second bomb flew under his feet, thrown by another terrorist who was waiting in the wings, I. Grinevitsky...

When the gunpowder smoke cleared, the people, struck by horror, saw a bloody body stretched out on the ground. “Hurry up... in the palace... to die there,” whispered the wounded man to Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich bending over him. These were his last words, and at 16:35, already in the Winter Palace, the emperor died. The son of the deceased, Alexander III, decided to perpetuate the memory of his father with a temple at the site of his villainous murder. Construction, which dragged on for almost 25 years, was carried out according to the design of the architect Parland and the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, Archimandrite Ignatius.

The complete regicide shocked the whole country. The expectations of “Narodnaya Volya” that the people would then come out to overthrow the autocracy were not justified. People, on the contrary, sought to get to the scene of the terrorist attack to pray for the soul of the emperor and those killed among those accompanying him. Believers were especially indignant, seeing in the tragic death of the emperor an echo of the events of the Gospel. Then, in biblical times, Jesus Christ died on the cross, atoning for the sins of all mankind, and Tsar Alexander Nikolaevich, like him, was killed for the sins of the Russian people, so it is not surprising that the idea of perpetuating the memory of the martyr was born by itself.

This desire has reached all segments of the population, including the poorest. And so, a few years later, on the spot where the emperor was mortally wounded, his son and successor Alexander III ordered the construction of a memorial temple, a temple of repentance. Its construction, which lasted 24 years, continued the long tradition of erecting places of worship to commemorate important historical events or in memory of the dead. By issuing a corresponding decree, the emperor supported the decision of the St. Petersburg City Duma. True, the deputies proposed building a chapel at the site of the Tsar’s wound. The emperor considered that a real temple should stand in this place.

However, the construction of a full-fledged religious building was neither easy nor quick, and I did not want to waste time. At the site of the death of the emperor, it was decided to first install a wooden tent chapel, which was built by the architect L.N. Benois at the expense of the merchant I.F. Gromov. On April 17, 1881, Alexander II, had he been alive, would have turned 63 years old, and his birthday was chosen as the date for the consecration of this chapel.

A memorial service for the repose of the soul of Tsar Alexander Nikolaevich was performed here every day. Part of the pavement and a small section of the embankment fence, on which traces of the emperor’s blood remained, were all very clearly visible through the glass doors of the chapel. Two years later, it was moved to Konyushennaya Square and subsequently dismantled, and in its place the construction of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood began.

How the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood was built

The start of work was preceded by two competitions for the best project. The first 26 of them were ready on December 31, 1881. Many architects of that time presented their vision of the future memorial temple, such as I. S. Bogomolov, A. L. Gun, I. S. Kitner, the already mentioned L. N. Benois and a number of others. A special commission selected 8 projects that it considered the most successful, recognizing the best work by A. I. Tomishko, made in the Russian-Byzantine style and called “Father of the Fatherland.”

The winning projects, of course, were demonstrated to the current sovereign, but he did not like any of them. Alexander III wanted to see in the future temple the features of truly Russian architecture, inherent in churches of the 17th century, especially in Yaroslavl. And the actual place where the king was mortally wounded was to be decorated as a separate chapel.

The second competition, the results of which were summed up on April 28, 1882, also did not reveal a final winner. It already presented 31 projects, their authors were many famous architects - for example, R. P. Kuzmin, N. V. Sultanov, R. A. Gedike, A. I. Rezanov, A. L. Ober, A. N. . Benoit and others. Alexander III was forced to reject them too, since not a single work corresponded to his vision of the future cathedral.

And so, after some time, a project finally appeared that, although not completely, still satisfied the demanding tastes of the sovereign. Its developers were the architect Alfred Parland and the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, Archimandrite Ignatius (Malyshev). The Emperor imposed his highest resolution on it on July 29, 1883 and ordered the authors to finalize their research, and on May 1, 1887 it was finally approved.

The Savior on Blood in the evening illumination

The first stone for the foundation of the temple, however, was laid back in October 1883. A special commission was formed for the construction of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, headed by Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the youngest son of the deceased Tsar. The commission included architects R.B. Bernhard, D.I. Grimm, A.I. Zhiber, R.A. Gödike, who made adjustments to the project as the work progressed. I.V. Storm played a significant role in improving the cathedral: thanks to his proposals, the overall composition of the temple only benefited.

If it were not for the mosaic work, which was not progressing as quickly as we would have liked, the consecration of the Savior on Spilled Blood could have happened ten years earlier. And now this long-awaited and blessed day has come: on August 6 (19), 1907, on the day of the Orthodox holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky) performed the consecration ceremony. It was furnished very solemnly, with the participation of Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family. Less than a year later, in April 1908, the same Metropolitan Anthony consecrated the Iveron chapel-sacristy, which stood next to the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood. The sacristy was a repository of icons that were ever presented in memory of the tragic death of Alexander II.

The Savior on Spilled Blood was built using the latest technologies for those years, so it can rightfully be called one of the most modern buildings of the early 20th century. Moreover, it was even completely electrified, something that even many important government institutions could not dream of. 1689 lamps illuminated the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood from the inside, which was simply unthinkable at that time! As for the cost of the entire construction, it is estimated at a rather impressive amount - 4.6 million rubles. The cathedral in memory of the murdered Tsar-Liberator was the second religious building in St. Petersburg after St. Isaac's Cathedral, which, being under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was entirely supported by the state.

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood differed from other churches in that it was not planned for mass visits. Parishioners could only enter it with passes. Some of the services held there were dedicated to the memory of Alexander II, who died at the hands of terrorists. Professor P. I. Leporsky was appointed rector of the cathedral in September 1907.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolshevik government stopped allocating funds for the maintenance of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. As a result, the rector had no choice but to turn to the people of Petrograd with a request to support the cathedral in these difficult times and, if possible, financially, contributing feasible amounts for its maintenance.

At the end of 1919, city authorities decided to organize a parish at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood. Peter Leporsky actively objected to this, rightly noting that he had never been a parish. But the Petrograd Soviet did not give up on its goal, and already on January 11, 1920, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was transferred to the so-called “twenty,” that is, to the newly formed parish. In 1922-1923, the cathedral was administered by the Petrograd Autocephaly under the leadership of Nikolai (Yaroshevich), Bishop of Peterhof.

After the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergei (Stragorodsky), issued a “declaration” declaring unconditional loyalty to the communist regime, the Savior on Spilled Blood became the center of an opposition movement in the Russian Orthodox Church known as Josephiteism. His followers did not support the line of cooperation with the Bolsheviks. And the matter did not rest with the latter: on October 30, 1930, according to the resolution of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the temple was closed.

A year later, the commission of the Leningrad Regional Council on Issues of Cults made a justification that it was advisable to dismantle the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood, but they decided to postpone the implementation of this task indefinitely. In 1938, the authorities again returned to the issue of the need to demolish the temple, and they had already resolved it positively, but then the Great Patriotic War began, which distracted the city authorities to solve more important problems. Thus, during the siege, the cathedral premises were used as a morgue for Leningraders who died from hunger, cold and wounds. After 1945, scenery for performances was stored in the former church, which by that time was rented by the Maly Theater.

At the end of the 60s, the Savior on Spilled Blood was taken under state protection. In July 1970, it was decided to organize a branch of the St. Isaac's Cathedral Museum there, which became a salvation for this monumental structure from final oblivion: after all, it was in disrepair and needed urgent restoration. Work began in the early 80s, the first stage of which was completed only in 1997. At the same time, the memorial museum-monument “Savior on Spilled Blood” opened its doors to visitors, this happened exactly 90 years after its consecration.

On May 23, 2004, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir (Kotlyarov) celebrated a solemn liturgy at the Savior on Spilled Blood - the first after a long break that stretched over more than seven decades. Ten years later, the parish of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood received official registration.

Video: Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in winter

Architectural features of the temple

Despite the fact that the Savior on Spilled Blood was built as a memorial church in honor of the murdered emperor, its appearance is rather festive and bright. The temple is decorated with numerous figured platbands, kokoshniks, tiles, and multi-colored tiles. At the heart of the religious structure is a compact quadrangle, topped with five chapters, covered with four-color jewelry enamel. In total, there are nine of them in the temple, as mentioned above, and it is they who create that unique asymmetry that makes the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood one of the most recognizable on the banks of the Neva and in Russia.

The role of the central chapter is assigned to an 81-meter tent, at the base of which, on the wall, there are 8 oblong windows. Their platbands are made in the form of kokoshniks. The tent, which is narrowed at the top, is crowned by a lantern with a bulbous dome with a cross. It is covered with white, green and yellow enamel in the form of stripes that seem to wrap around it. Another element that gives the building recognition is the bell tower topped with a dome, located in the southwestern part. It has a certain resemblance to the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Moscow Kremlin.

It is difficult to name materials that would not be used in the decor of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: this includes ordinary brick, granite, marble, and enamel, not to mention copper with gilding and mosaics. The walls, towers and domes are covered with magnificent patterns. Against the background of decorative red brick, white arches, arcades and the aforementioned kokoshnik pediments look surprisingly harmonious. Mosaics play a special role inside the temple, occupying an area of 7065 square meters. meters, and this exhibition is one of the largest on the entire continent. It is not surprising that the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is called the “Museum of Mosaics”. All this splendor was created in the workshop of V. A. Frolov based on sketches by a large number of artists - Vasnetsov, Koshelev, Parland, Nesterov and others. Mosaic panels with gospel scenes almost completely cover the walls, pylons, and ceilings. This is a stunning sight that will impress anyone, so we definitely advise you to go inside.

The floor, lined with colorful patterns of marble slabs, is in amazing harmony with the mosaic decoration of the temple. The carved iconostasis is also made of Italian marble. In general, more than 20 types of different minerals were used in the design of the building (different types of marble, Ural and Altai jasper, porphyry, orlets, etc.).

The place where Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded

The main place in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is a fragment of the Catherine Canal, which includes a cobblestone pavement, paving slabs and part of a lattice - it is highlighted by a tent-like canopy made of jasper, carved by domestic stone-cutters. This fragment has remained untouched since those tragic and memorable times when Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded here. At this place, a “Crucifix with those present” was installed, made of marble and granite. There are always red carnations there. On the sides of this unique cross there are icons with images of saints.

The external appearance of the temple and its interior decoration, generally speaking, are thought out and executed in such a way as to emphasize even in the smallest detail its monumentality, subordination to one main task - to perpetuate the repentance and memory of the Russian people about the innocently murdered Tsar-Liberator.

Thus, above the semicircular window of one of the bell towers of the Savior on Spilled Blood there is a mosaic icon depicting the heavenly patron of the emperor - St. Alexander Nevsky. In kokoshniks we see images of the heavenly patrons of other members of the imperial family. In the niches of the false arcade (they are located in the lower part of the walls of the facade) there are two dozen boards on which are carved the main transformations associated with the reign of the deceased. Moreover, the boards are not wooden, but made of red granite.

People kept coming and coming to the fragment of the embankment where terrorists mortally wounded the emperor. They offer prayers here for the repose of his soul. Funeral services are still held near this tragic place.

Working hours

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood is open daily, except Wednesdays, from 10:30 to 18:00. During the high tourist season, namely from May 1 to September 30, this temple, like many other attractions of St. Petersburg, is open to visitors until late: it is open until 22:30. The ticket office closes at 22:00.

Ticket prices

The price of one adult ticket to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in 2016 was 250 rubles. Children and youth aged 7-18 years, as well as university students, graduate students, and cadets of military educational institutions paid 50 rubles for a ticket. The same cost was established for pensioners from among the citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Please note: to purchase a ticket at a reduced price, a pensioner must present not his ID, but his passport.

Ordering an audio guide in Russian, English, French, German, Spanish and Italian will cost 100 rubles.

Artists paint the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

How to get there

The closest metro station to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is Nevsky Prospekt. Upon exiting, on the right side of the former Catherine Canal (next to Konyushennaya Square and Mikhailovsky Garden, not far from the Field of Mars), you will see this monumental temple, built on the site of one of the most notorious political murders of the century before last.

What is the Savior on Spilled Blood? This is one of the most beautiful and unusual churches in Russia. Bright, thanks to its mosaics and tiles, the temple is located in the very center of St. Petersburg and attracts many tourists from all over the world.

The temple has great historical and aesthetic significance. Its history is the history of several eras, its walls have seen revolution and blockade, during the Soviet regime they wanted to demolish it, and during the war a morgue was placed in it... The delight of millions of people from all over the world testifies: there is no such temple anywhere on Earth.

Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood

The Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood in the Northern capital was built as a temple-monument at the site of the assassination of Emperor Alexander II. The tragedy occurred in 1881 on March 1 (new style - 13). Before this, about a dozen attempts were made on the king’s life. That day, Tsar Alexander II left the Winter Palace to host a military parade on the Field of Mars. However, on the Griboedov Canal - a place quite close to the Champs of Mars - the tsar was moved by the terrorist-People's Volunteer Grinevitsky.

Despite the great love that the emperor enjoyed among the people, the reforms unprecedented in the history of Russia, the abolition of serfdom, it was the “Narodnaya Volya” who hunted the emperor - socialists who consider themselves the spokesmen of the will of the people. Obviously, they did not like the popularity of the emperor: after all, it would be easier to fight against a tyrant with slogans.

The assassination attempt was led by Sofia Perovskaya. The first bomb thrown at the emperor's carriage killed and seriously wounded the Cossacks of the convoy and a little boy. The emperor, only slightly scratched, went out to provide first aid to the wounded and especially the child, despite the fact that those accompanying him persuaded him to quickly leave the dangerous place. The tsar's mercy was an empty phrase for the murderous revolutionaries: Grinevitsky openly approached the emperor and threw a bomb right at his feet. The same Perovskaya, seemingly out of female mercy, did not even approach the child, but disappeared after Grinevitsky was captured.

The emperor was mortally wounded in the stomach. In terrible agony, he died that same day in his bedroom in the Winter Palace.

By order of the son of Alexander the Second, Tsar Alexander III, a chapel was founded at the site of the emperor’s mortal wound.

History of the Savior on Spilled Blood

It is interesting that the decision to erect a temple was not made immediately. Knowing about the people's love for the cameraman, Tsar Alexander the Third proposed raising funds for the frame from the whole world - general collection for temple-monuments in honor of various events is a long-standing Russian tradition. The chapel was built, it has survived to this day, but so much money was raised that it was decided to build a large temple next to it.

The Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg was built at the expense of not only residents of the Russian Empire, but also at the expense of residents of other Slavic countries, grateful to the assassinated Alexander II for his peacekeeping policy. During construction, the emblems of provinces, cities and counties were added to the bell tower project, whose residents donated their savings to the construction of the temple. These coats of arms are interesting to consider today: they are made of mosaics, have survived to this day, and many are still the coats of arms of the same cities (for example, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Rybinsk have retained their coats of arms...) Initially, the bell tower cross stood on a gilded imperial crown as a sign of grief the august family. The total cost of the completed construction project was 4.6 million rubles.

The temple project was also selected through an architectural competition in which the country's best architects took part. However, the competition had to be held three times: Alexander the Third, famous for his strong character and assertion of his own point of view, did not like the projects. Finally, the tsar personally chose a suitable project by Alfred Parland and Archimandrite Ignatius (Malyshev). Father Ignatius was the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg, a disciple of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), perhaps because the temple truly bears the reflection of holiness. It is not just aesthetically beautiful, it evokes not only a feeling of solemnity or celebration, but even outwardly lifts a person’s spirit and evokes the desire to pray.

Name of the Savior on Spilled Blood

It is interesting that, despite the rather secular mentality in St. Petersburg at that time, the popular name “Savior on Spilled Blood” was assigned to the temple, modeled on ancient, for example, Novgorod and Vladimir churches - “Intercession on the Nerl”, “Savior on the City”, “Savior on the City”, etc. Ilyina street."

The real, official name of the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood is the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. It is called a cathedral, a temple, and a church. The concept of "temple" means the seat of God, the house of God - that is, a building. The concept of “Church” is quite broad: it is both a building (in this meaning of the word church and temple - one and the same!), and a meeting of all believers.

A cathedral was originally the main temple of a city or monastery. Nowadays such a cathedral is called “cathedral”, and the word “cathedral” simply means a large temple, which is the Savior on Spilled Blood.

Construction of the Savior on Spilled Blood

The temple was founded already in 1883, despite the fact that the construction project had not yet been approved. An important task of the builders was to consolidate the soil: the chapel could have fit on the shore, but for a large cathedral it was necessary to fill the soil and create obstacles to its erosion. The foundation of the temple had to be strong, and the most advanced technologies of that time were used to strengthen it.

The foundation piles of the temple were defended for five years. The actual walls of the cathedral began to be built in 1888. On the façade, gray granite was provided for the lower part of the walls, the walls themselves were made of red-brown brick, the window frames, platbands and cornices were made of dark gray marble.
On the lower level of the façade—the plinth—were placed twenty granite boards, on which the main reform decrees were engraved in gilded letters and the achievements of Tsar Alexander II in domestic and international politics were listed. The cathedral vault was closed by 1894. In 1897, nine domes of the cathedral were already ready, some of which were covered with multi-colored bright enamel, some were gilded. On all the domes there are Orthodox crosses with chains.

Facade and description of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

There are ten domes on the roof of the temple. Eight domes are located throughout the volume of the temple, one on the tent and one large gilded onion crowns the bell tower, built in the main volume of the temple, actually above the place of the assassination (murder) of Tsar Alexander II.

The symbolism of the nine domes is the nine ranks of the Heavenly Powers. There are nine types of Heavenly beings, light spirits. They have three faces (levels of hierarchy). The most well-known and accepted by the Church is the following classification, developed on the basis of the books of the Old and New Testaments by Saints Dionysius the Areopagite and Gregory the Theologian:

Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones - they are very close to God, they accompany Him, as if they were guards (although He does not need protection), courtiers who glorify Him.
Dominance, Strength, Authority (transmitting information to God that helps in managing the Universe).
Beginnings, Archangels and Angels.

Along the volume of the temple there are onion domes with crosses, not symmetrically, but very picturesquely surrounding the tent with the ninth dome. The tent stands on a “pillar” - a circular structure extending into the sky.

The domes are bulbous in shape and vary in design. Many onions have glazed tiles, which is why the domes are so bright. The temple has a common foundation, stands on a basement (ground basement) and is combined into a common structure.

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow

Many cannot distinguish between the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Architectural historians have more than once noted stylistic references in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood to the Moscow Cathedral, which is quite natural.

However, the St. Petersburg church is very original. It has a prominent bell tower, topped with a wide gilded onion dome. In plan, the Savior on Spilled Blood is a quadrangular building, and St. Basil's Cathedral has an ancient pillar-shaped structure of the main aisle of the Intercession, crowned with a bell tower, and eight aisles surrounding the main one.

The southern and northern facades of the Savior on Spilled Blood, in contrast to the Intercession Cathedral, are marked by large pediments in the form of kokoshniks. The altar is highlighted by three semicircular apses, in the style of ancient Russian churches, crowned with golden domes. In the west, as we said, above the place where the emperor was killed, there is an unusually shaped bell tower. Usually in ancient Russian churches there is a tented bell tower.

All the walls of the temple, its tent and bell tower are covered with beautiful mosaic and enamel compositions. The white arches of the bell tower, the “kokoshniks” on the roof and the window casings are especially clearly visible against the background of red brick, which also has a decorative function.

Mosaic and icons of the Savior on Spilled Blood

The entire area of mosaics in the interior and exterior of the temple is more than six thousand square meters! The temple is truly beautiful both outside and inside. Its interior walls are entirely decorated, like fresco paintings, with mosaics. In fact, this is an ancient Byzantine tradition of mosaic covering. On the territory of the former Byzantine Empire, in Italy, Greece, and Turkey, a number of temples have been preserved, completely lined with mosaics on the inside. And the Savior on Spilled Blood is not inferior in beauty to churches, for example, in Ravenna. We can say that in our time no temple similar to the Savior on Spilled Blood was created in modern times. This temple was uniquely created entirely in the style of icon painting and Art Nouveau architecture (more precisely, the neo-Russian style), that is, the modern style.

Mosaic icons were laid out in St. Petersburg workshops based on drawings by famous artists of that time: Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov, the architect Parland himself, masters Novoskoltsev Koshelev, Kharlamov, Ryabushkin, Belyaev.

The kokoshnik pediments we mentioned are decorated with large mosaic icons, which have simply miraculously survived to this day through the persecution of the Church and the St. Petersburg bad weather. On the northern wall, facing the Campus Martius, there is an icon of the “Resurrection of Christ”, on the southern wall - “Christ in Glory”, that is, the Lord on the throne with bowing Angels. On the western and eastern walls there are also small mosaic icons of “The Savior Not Made by Hands” and “The Blessing Savior”.

The most important memorial site of the temple is a fragment of the Catherine Canal with paving slabs, part of the cobblestone street and the grating of the canal, where the emperor was mortally wounded. On the outside, this place is marked by the Calvary cross made of marble and granite with the image of the Crucifixion of Christ, which, according to Russian tradition, is placed on tragically memorable places. Saints are depicted at the Crucifixion. To keep the place where the emperor was killed intact, the shape of the embankment was changed, shifting the channel bed by 8.5 meters using an embankment for the foundation of the temple.

The Savior on Spilled Blood in the history of St. Petersburg - Leningrad

The cathedral was consecrated with a great ceremony in the presence of the imperial family only in 1908. By that time, Alexander III had already died, and Emperor Nicholas II, the future passion-bearer king, was on the throne. The temple became a temple-museum, a kind of monument to Emperor Alexander II, the only one of its kind.

In 1923, with the closure of other large St. Petersburg cathedrals, the Savior on Spilled Blood even received cathedral status. In 1930 it was also closed and given to the Society of Political Prisoners. The temple was either empty or used as a vegetable storage facility. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, they were already planning to destroy the temple - like, by the way, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow - but the outbreak of the war prevented the explosion of the temple-monument.

Another terrible historical fact: during the siege of Leningrad, the temple building was used... as a morgue. Then the Maly Opera and Ballet Theater named after Mussorgsky had space here for a warehouse for decorations.

All these historical vicissitudes had a terrible impact on the external decoration and interior of the temple. The iconostasis was destroyed, the mosaic fell off, and the walls made of semi-precious stones were partially knocked down. Only in 1968 was the temple placed under the protection of the State Inspectorate, and in 1970 was it made a branch of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, recognizing it as an architectural monument. For many years, the Savior on Spilled Blood was hidden under forests, becoming one of the restored places memorable to St. Petersburg residents. But the long-awaited opening of the temple-museum in 1997 attracted many St. Petersburg residents and city guests to it.

Savior on Spilled Blood - operating hours, services

In 2004, seven decades after its closure, Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga celebrated the Divine Liturgy here. Nowadays, services here are held on Sundays and holidays, and every believer can be advised to visit them: truly, only in prayer do the interiors of the temple acquire special spiritual meaning.

Entrance to the temple during services is free, at other times - with tickets through the ticket office, since to this day the temple is used by the museum. It is open daily: in summer from 10.00 to 22.00, in winter from 10.00 to 19.00.

Church on the Blood in Yekaterinburg

This temple is also sometimes called the Savior on Spilled Blood, since it stands on the site of the murder of the Royal Romanov Family - the grandchildren of Emperor Alexander II, Nicholas II, with his wife, children and servants. They were shot on July 17, 1918 on the orders of Lenin and Sverdlov. All of them, together with the family doctor, faithful Evgeniy Botkin, are today canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Royal Family

In Yekaterinburg, in the house of engineer Ipatiev, the Royal Romanov Family spent its last days. A terrible coincidence: the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg; The Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg and the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma, where the first Tsar Michael of the Romanov family was elevated to the throne.

In 2000, at the site of the execution of the Royal Family, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, the Church-Monument on the Blood in the name of All Saints was erected. It was in 2000 that the Family of Nicholas II was canonized at the Council of Bishops of the Church, and in 2003 the Church on the Blood was consecrated over the site of their execution.

The temple is 60 meters high and has five domes. It was created in a Russian-Byzantine modern style. There is an upper and lower temple, the complex of the latter includes an altar on the site of the execution room: this place is marked with red granite.

Every year on the night of the murder of the Royal Family from July 16 to 17, a vigil and Liturgy are held in the church with a procession of the cross to Ganina Yama, the place where the remains of the Royal Family were destroyed.

May the Lord protect you with the prayers of all saints!

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg is a unique historical architectural monument and one of the main attractions of Russia. It is a department of the state monument-museum "St. Isaac's Cathedral". The temple was erected by order of Alexander III and the Synod on the site of the death of Tsar-Liberator Alexander II.

General information

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is regularly visited by city residents and tourists from all over our country and the world.

Location. The Savior on Spilled Blood is located at the address: Griboyedov Canal, 2B, building A. The temple is located near the Mikhailovsky Garden and Konyushennaya Square. This place is called the historical center of St. Petersburg.

How to get there? Anyone can get to the temple by metro. You need to get off at Nevsky Prospekt station. Then walk along the Griboyedov embankment to the temple building. The walk will take about ten minutes.

Working hours. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is open from 10:30 to 18:00. From May 1 to September 30, opening hours are from 10:30 to 22:30. Day off is Wednesday.

On public holidays and school holidays, except summer, the temple is open daily.

Contact details. You can reach the temple by phone number + 7 964 339 55 93. It is also possible to contact by e-mail by sending a letter to e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]

The temple also has an official website where all upcoming events are listed http://spas.spb.ru

Cost of visit. The ticket price for adults is 250 rubles. The cost of visiting for children over seven years old, students and pensioners is 50 rubles.

You can book various excursions, for example, themed ones or in the evening. In this case, the ticket price will be 400 rubles.

Divine services. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood holds services on Sundays and holidays. The service starts at 7:00. All-night liturgy is held on Saturdays. Starts at 18:00.

Temple building

The historical center of St. Petersburg is a mixture of different architectural styles, such as Art Nouveau, Classicism and Empire. And in the center of the splendor of classical forms and styles is the amazing Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The building, built by the best architects, is decorated with bright domes, kokoshniks, interesting brickwork and pilasters.

Architecture

The temple is a striking example of the last stage of the so-called Russian style. The structure combines several images of Russian Orthodox cathedrals. When designing the building, architect Alfred Parland was guided and inspired by the churches of Moscow and Yaroslavl, which were built in the 16th-17th centuries.

Every visitor and resident of the city, at the first glance at the temple, notices a striking resemblance to St. Basil's Cathedral, which is located on Red Square in Moscow.

The appearance of the temple is painting in every sense of the word. The Savior on Spilled Blood is skillfully decorated and full of all kinds of details in bright colors. The temple is richly decorated with tiles, ornaments and icons. Various finishing materials were used to decorate the temple:

brick and mosaic;
marble and gilded copper;
granite and enamel.

The outer side of the Savior on Spilled Blood is decorated with inscriptions that tell about the grandiose victories of the country during the reign of Alexander II the Liberator.

Artful and rich decoration of the temple

The temple building is asymmetrical and elongated in the east-west direction. In the eastern part there are three altar apses:

One is in the center.
Two small ones on the sides. They have beautiful gilded domes.

Three altar apses with gilded domes

In the western area of the building there is a two-tier bell tower, which is decorated with large and rich domes. The temple doors are located on both sides of the temple. One is located in the northwest corner of the building, and the second door is in the southwest wing.

Niches on the outside of the cathedral with granite memorial plaques

The temple has many niches, which are decorated with twenty memorial plaques cut from dark red granite. On these boards, all the affairs and reforms of Tsar Alexander II, from 1855 to 1881, are engraved in gilded letters. Three sides of the bell tower are decorated with the coats of arms of Russian cities, districts and provinces. All of them are lined with amazing mosaics and are the main historical and cultural symbol of the temple.

One of the sides of the bell tower, decorated with the coats of arms of Russian cities and provinces

The space between the porches is decorated with a crucifix, which was also made using the mosaic technique. At the top is a double-headed eagle - the coat of arms of the Russian state.

The entire area occupied by mosaic compositions is about 400 square meters. m.

Domes

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is crowned by nine domes, which together form an asymmetrical picturesque ensemble. Some domes, for example, the main and central domes of the tent, are covered with jewelry enamel. Others are covered with gilding.

View of the temple from above, all nine domes are clearly visible here

The compositional center of the temple is a quadruple topped with a five-domed dome. It has a unique feature - instead of a head, there is a tent in the center, the height of which reaches 81 m. The tent is octagonal and has eight elongated windows in its pedestal. The structures are decorated with platbands made in the form of kokoshniks. This not only adds a “zest”, but also gives a special atmosphere.

The highest dome is a tent covered with enamel in yellow, green and white shades

At the top the tent gradually narrows. There are eight small cornices with small windows. The decoration of the tent is completed by a lantern on which a bulbous dome is placed, covered with enamel in yellow, green and white shades. The colors are applied alternately in the form of stripes. There is also a cross installed here.

The tent is surrounded by four onion-shaped domes decorated with enamel. Each one has its own unique pattern and design. The domes are located on the so-called drums and, together with each other, create a symmetrical composition.

The bell tower of the temple rises 63 meters

The western part of the temple is reserved for the bell tower, the style of which is also completed with domes.

This design of the bell tower makes the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood similar to the Cathedral of Ivan the Great, located in the Moscow Kremlin.

The belfry has eight arches, which are separated by columns. The three remaining domes are much smaller and are located in other buildings located to the east of the building.

Interior

The interior decoration of the temple is a truly unique and luxurious creation by the best craftsmen. The first thing every person should pay attention to is the windows. The structures are unique in their shape and design. Previously, windows had glass of different colors. Below - transparent, colorless. At the top of the window structure there was sky blue glass, and in the middle there was a graceful gradation of two shades. This artistic technique made it possible to create the illusion of the azure ceiling of the temple in any weather.

Various craftsmen worked on the interior style of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. But despite this, the decoration looks like a single graceful composition. The interior of the building mixed not only styles and colors that play and shimmer in the sunlight, but also materials:

Mosaic. The interior of the temple displays magnificent mosaic works. Most of all the works and decorations inside the building are made in the style of mosaic art, while outside the mosaic is just a light touch of the external decoration.

The mosaic decoration of the Savior on Spilled Blood decorates approximately 7,065 square meters. m. This does not occur in any large Orthodox church. Luxurious mosaics cover almost all ceilings, floors and walls. The iconostasis and icon cases are also lined with mosaics.

All images in the interior are divided into groups according to theme. Drawings and ornaments using plant motifs and a blue-green hue reminiscent of night are placed in the porches of the temple. Scenes from the Old Testament, arranged on a soft blue background, are in the arches that lead from the porches. If you look at the pylons and pilasters, you can see images of the apostles, saints, prophets and martyrs.

In the central area of the building there are images telling about the earthly life of Christ. On the western side of the interior there are scenes on a golden background depicting the torment of the Savior, His crucifixion and Resurrection. From the east you can see motifs that show the end of the Gospel period.

Stone. This material is a special decoration of the interior of the temple. Its splendor, richness, grace and color scheme turned the interior into a unique example of stone-cutting art. To work on the design, only the best stones from different parts of the world were used: marble from Italy, jasper from the Urals and Altai.

All the material served as the basis for interesting ornaments and designs. The walls below, as well as the sole of the iconostasis and the benches, are made of green Calabrian marble. The base of the pylons located in the center is lined with labradorite brought from Zhitomir. This stone has an amazing property - iridescence. Because of it, a glow is formed in the room, as if a rainbow was looking through the windows. Dark blue colors smoothly flow into bright blue, and then into silver and gold highlights.

The floor of the Savior on Spilled Blood is made using Italian marble. The image on the surface is a geometric composition in dense dark colors.

Inside the temple, visitors can enjoy not only the noble and picturesque view of the iconostasis, icon cases, mosaic icons, but also the canopy and its stone decoration, which has historical value. It is located above the place where Alexander II was killed.

What else is remarkable about the Savior on Spilled Blood?

Lattice. Visitors to the temple should pay attention to the lattice that surrounds the Savior on Spilled Blood from the side of the Mikhailovsky Garden. It has an elegant ornate shape. The lattice is made in the Art Nouveau style, fits perfectly with the overall appearance of the temple and is considered the most beautiful architectural work of the city.

The fence of the Savior on Spilled Blood has a rounded configuration. Installed between columns on a high foundation. The design itself is made of cast iron and resembles the light lace of Russian beauties. Incredible and truly beautiful plant motifs are woven into it, emphasizing the style of the temple. The foundation and gate are also shrouded in fragments of ornamentation. Lanterns and majolicas are attached to the pillars - ceramic slabs painted to match the lattice style.

In the ensemble of the temple there is also a chapel-sacristy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which is worth a visit for every parishioner. It was designed, like the temple building itself, by the architect A. A. Parland.

On the territory of the chapel, church utensils, icons and various objects that were donated to the temple in memory of the deceased tsar were previously stored. In addition, the sacristy was the storage place for a cross with particles brought from Zhitomir, as well as fragments of stone from Golgotha. The chapel also served as an exhibition hall for drawings, sketches and finishing materials used in the construction of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

The structure of the chapel-sacristy, like the temple, is made in the Russian style using ornamental fragments of Ancient Byzantium. The building has a rectangular shape and is faced with brick.

The façade of the sacristy overlooks the Griboyedov Canal. On this side the building is decorated with marble columns. On both sides of the façade there are large pillars with small recesses decorated with ceramic tiles.

White columns at the entrance to the sacristy

The main entrance to the chapel is decorated with amazing columns. Above the entrance there is a kokoshnik, in the middle of which there is an icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands”, made using the mosaic technique. The composition of the building is completed by a high chrysism.

Since 2013, the chapel-sacristy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God has been inviting everyone to visit the unique stone museum. There are several departments on the territory of the exhibition pavilion.

The first hall displays the stones and materials used for the construction and decoration of the interior of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Here you can enjoy views of picturesque precious stones, as well as other decorative materials.

Exhibits in the Stone Museum

The second exhibition pavilion amazes the imagination with its liveliness and beauty. This place presents a wide range of unique works of art made from amber. The main attraction and pride of the hall is a miniature of St. Isaac's Cathedral, made entirely of this stone. As well as six icons made from mosaics.

Attractions. Not only the temple itself is attractive to visitors, but also the attractions that are located in its vicinity:

All-Russian Museum named after A.S. Pushkin.
Hermitage Museum.
Ethnographical museum.
Russian Museum.
Summer garden.

Brief history of the temple

The history of the creation of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood begins on March 2, 1881, immediately the day after the death of Tsar Alexander II. The decision to lay the foundation for the memorial building was made by Emperor Alexander III.

Initially, it was decided to build a chapel at the site of the king’s death. L. Benois acted as the architect. The building was erected at the expense of the merchant Gromov. And already in mid-April 1881 the chapel was consecrated. However, in 1883 it was placed on Konyushennaya Square and 9 years later it was destroyed.

A competition was announced to develop a sketch of the future temple. At the end of December 1881, twenty-six projects were presented to the commission. The winner of the competition and the competitors who took second and third place presented works made in the Russian-Byzantine style. They were demonstrated to Alexander III, but he rejected all options, since he wanted the temple to be in the Russian style and resemble the temples of Yaroslavl and Moscow.

Thus, a second competition was created, where the emperor also did not choose the best idea out of 31 applicants. The sketches were finalized in accordance with the wishes of Alexander III, and as a result, the project of the architect A. Parland became the best.

Exterior view of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in 1907-1910

In 1883, at the end of October, the first stone of the temple was laid. During the construction of the building, all modern technologies at that time were used. The temple was completely electrified. The room inside was illuminated by 1,689 light bulbs. Since the site for the future structure was located near the canal, it was decided not to reinforce the soil with piles, but to build a foundation. This move protected the temple from water from the canal.

The Savior on Spilled Blood was consecrated in 1907. This happened due to a strong delay in decorating the building with mosaics. The consecration was attended by Emperor Nicholas II himself and all members of the court House. And in 1908, the chapel-sacristy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God was consecrated.

The royal couple at the consecration of the cathedral. The beginning of the procession around the temple

The Savior on Spilled Blood was not originally a parish church. Services and sermons were held only in memory of Alexander II. Then, in 1917, a decision was made to stop funding the Savior on Spilled Blood. And in October 1930, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee decided to close the temple.

In 1938, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was planned to be dismantled. But during the Great Patriotic War this decision was postponed.

Since 1968, the Savior on Spilled Blood has been protected by the State Inspectorate, which is responsible for the protection of monuments. The temple reopened its doors to visitors after a series of reconstructions in 1997, when it already had the status of a museum. Since 2010, services began to be held in the temple.

Video about the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

From this video you can learn in detail about the temple, its history, appearance, interior, etc.: