What You Will See on the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood Tour
Guided Tourto the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg is both historical monument and a work of art. It is a huge museum of Mosaics Art - mosaics cover 7 050 square meters, marble, colored tiles, semi-precious stones and smalt in an endless variety of shades.
The artistic concept of the cathedral goes back to examples of Moscow and Yaroslavl architecture of XVI-XVII centuries and includes all the typical features of Russian Architecture of Orthodox Churches. In this Cathedral you will not find any traces borrowed from Europe, it is pure Russian nationalism which was immortalized by Russian craftsmen, icon painters, artists and architects who contributed into the construction of the Church.
- Inside the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood there is not a single painting; the walls are almost entirely covered with mosaics.
- All the materials used for interiors are unique: marble, colored tiles, semi-precious stones and smalt in an endless variety of shades.
- The interior of the cathedral is comparable to the Huge Bible: walls and vaults including domes are all mosaic representations of Old and New Testament subjects.
- It is a huge museum of Mosaics Art - mosaics cover 6 000 square meters inside the cathedral and 1 050 square meters of its exterior.
History of the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood
The Cathedral was erected on the embankment of the Catherine (now Griboyedov) Canal where on 1 march 1881 young revolutionary leaders had mortally wounded Emperor Alexander II.
Emperor Alexander II went into the history of the Russia Empire as Tsar-Liberator who had released peasants from serfdom.
To commemorate his 26-year reign, the unique cathedral commonly known as “Our Savior on the Spilled Blood” was built on the site of the murder.
Construction works lasted 24 years. In 1907 in the presence of Tsar Nickolas II and the member of the Royal Family, the cathedral was consecrated. The twenty-four years of construction work resulted in the creation of a masterpiece of architecture, not only in terms of St Petersburg but of Russia as a whole.
Although the love of the faithful did no save the church from being closed in 1930, the will of God saved it from destruction during the Siege of Leningrad when a shell fell on a cupola but did not explode. The building was further preserved by the bravery of the sappers who risked their lives in 1961to defuse the missile.
The Church is 81 meters high. Cupolas are covered with bright enamels and the hipped roofs with colored tiles. Together they make up a unique collection which has no equal anywhere else in the world.
In total there are 308 mosaics inside the church.
Tour to the Cathedral of our Savior on Spilled Blood lasts 1 hour and during this time you will:
- learn the story of its strange name
- know why during Soviet Times the Cathedral was used as a warehouse of a nearby theatre
- see how many thousand square meters of mosaics decorate the cathedral inside
- and learn about the Cathedral’s twin sister
St Isaac’s Cathedral Guided Tour
