| Name: |
Church of the Saviour
on the Blood |
| |
 |
| Address: |
2a nab. kanala Griboedova (metro
stations: Nevsky prospekt and Gostiny Dvor) |
| Phone: |
+7 (812) 315-1636 |
| Open: |
Open: 11am - 7pm
Closed: Wednesdays |
| Description: |
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 St. Petersburg 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. |
