home Health technologies Why is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood called that? History of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Church of the Resurrection of Christ).

Why is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood called that? History of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Church of the Resurrection of Christ).

Savior on Spilled Blood (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The architecture of the historical center of St. Petersburg is pure classicism, Empire and Art Nouveau. And suddenly, in the midst of this ensemble, verified by the most talented architects, the eye rests on multi-colored domes, brick patterns, kokoshniks and pilasters, vividly reminiscent of St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square. Who and why allowed the strict and majestic image of the imperial capital to be destroyed by such liberties? The reason was tragic - at this place the terrorist Ignatius Grinevitsky mortally wounded Alexander II the Liberator. The Savior on Spilled Blood is a memorial church erected on the site of the regicide.

A little history

Famous architects of the country took part in the competition for the best cathedral design. The main demands of the new emperor Alexandra III there was a Russian style building and a separate chapel on the site where the august blood was shed. Only on the third attempt did they choose the project of Alfred Parland, a professor at the Academy of Arts. They founded the temple in 1883, built it quickly, but it took 10 years to finish it and consecrated it in 1907.

After the revolution, as usual, the cathedral was closed, for some time it was used as a vegetable storehouse, during the blockade - as a morgue, and after the war - as a warehouse for theatrical scenery. Several times it was going to be destroyed, but in 1970 restoration began. Since 1997, the renovated temple was opened to visitors, and services resumed in 2004.

It was rumored that when the scaffolding was removed from the Savior on Spilled Blood, Soviet power would collapse. They were dismantled just before August 1991...

What to see

The single-altar, three-apse church was built in the form of a traditional quadrangle. Around the high 8-sided tent are crowded 4 domes, each with a special roof made of multi-colored tiles, copper, and smalt. A bell tower with a height of 81 m stands close by. The facades are richly and variously decorated with belts, tiles, platbands, kokoshniks, and trimmed with granite and marble. Above the entrances there are mosaic panels based on sketches by V. M. Vasnetsov, M. V. Nesterov, A. A. Parland, V. V. Belyaev and N. A. Bruni on gospel subjects.

The interior of the cathedral is striking, decorated with Ural gems and multi-colored marble. The main shrine is a section of cobblestone pavement covered with thick glass, where Alexander II died. Above it, on gray-violet columns made of Altai jasper, there is a canopy with a cross made of rock crystal, strewn with topaz stars from the inside.

All walls, vaults and pillars are completely covered with mosaics with a total area of about 6000 square meters. m. The smalt images of “The Virgin and Child” and “The Savior” on the marble iconostasis according to the sketches of V. M. Vasnetsov make an indelible impression, although they violate generally accepted canons. Restoring these masterpieces took longer than it took to build.

During the work, an unexploded German bomb was discovered stuck in the ceilings of the dome.

Savior on Blood is at the same time active temple St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and part of the museum complex of St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Practical information

Address: St. Petersburg, Griboyedov Canal embankment, 2. Website.

How to get there: by metro to the station. "Nevsky Prospekt", then walk along the embankment. Griboedov Canal.

Opening hours: from 10:30 to 18:00, day off - Wednesday. Divine services are held on Sundays and holidays, starting at 7:00; All-night liturgy on Saturdays from 18:00. Ticket price for adults - 250 RUB, students, pensioners - 50 RUB. Ticket price for thematic and evening excursions is 400 RUB. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

In this post we will talk about history of creation temple-monument Savior on Spilled Blood, or Church of the Resurrection of Christ: we will find out why it received such a name, which architects and in what style it was built, how the construction and finishing work progressed, and also how the fate of this unique temple-monument developed after the revolution, in the 20th and 21st centuries. The Savior on Spilled Blood on an old postcard (from the website):

Details about the architecture This brightest example of the “Russian style” in St. Petersburg can be read in the article “Savior on Spilled Blood: Church Architecture”. Descriptions and photographs of the interior of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood can be found in the note “Interior decoration”. Practical information about visiting the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood(how to get there, opening hours, ticket prices, etc.).

Background. Murder on the Catherine Canal

To erect church buildings in honor of important historical events or in memory of the dead - ancient tradition Russian architecture. Examples include the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, the Church of St. Demetrius on the Blood, or, say, St. Basil's Cathedral, with which the Savior on Spilled Blood is sometimes compared (although their actual similarity is not so great). True, if the Moscow temple was built on a joyful occasion (the capture of Kazan), then the St. Petersburg one is dedicated to a far from joyful event: Savior on Spilled Blood stands in the place where March 1, 1881(old style) was mortally wounded as a result of a terrorist attack Emperor Alexander II.

Alexander II entered Russian history as king liberator, the initiator of many reforms, but no other ruler was hunted by terrorists for so long and mercilessly.

The reign of Alexander II was marked from the very beginning by ominous omens. The first happened already during the coronation: during the celebrations in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on August 26, 1856, an elderly courtier suddenly lost consciousness and dropped the pillow with the orb. The symbol of autocracy, ringing, rolled along the stone floor...

Under Alexander II, a real restructuring of the state began, numerous reforms, which had no equal in the history of Russia: the liquidation of military settlements, the introduction of jury trials, the organization of zemstvo self-government, censorship reform, education reform, military reform (the transition from conscription to universal conscription) and, the most important reform, abolition of serfdom.

However, in reality the reform turned out to be half-hearted. For many peasants, it boiled down to the fact that they ceased to be formally called “serfs,” but nothing changed in their situation. The great reforms did not affect the organization of power itself. Public discontent grew. Peasant revolts broke out. Many protest groups appeared among the intelligentsia and workers. The radical intelligentsia called for the axe, threatening to exterminate the landowners and the country itself. royal family. On April 4, 1866, the first assassination attempt on Alexander II: Dmitry Karakozov shot at the emperor at the bars Summer Garden in St. Petersburg, but missed. In memory of the rescue of the emperor, a chapel was erected on that site (now demolished; photo source):

About a year after this, on May 25, 1867, in Paris, Alexander II was unsuccessfully shot by the Polish emigrant Anton Berezovsky. These failed assassination attempts put an end to the era of the “Great Reforms.” A period of police repression began. The latter, in turn, further fueled public outrage and marked the beginning of terrorist activities. If until then most anti-government groups were engaged in propaganda and agitation, then from the mid-to-late 1870s there began a clear shift towards terrorist acts. In 1879, the organization " People's will ", which set as its goal an open struggle against state power and declared a real hunt for the autocrat.

Emperor Alexander II in his office (photo source):

So, on April 2, 1879, on Palace Square, the revolutionary populist Alexander Solovyov shot at Alexander II almost point-blank. The terrorist missed. Then, on November 19, 1879, members of Narodnaya Volya attempted to blow up the imperial train near Moscow, but a mixed-up route accidentally saved the Tsar. Already on February 5, 1880, the Narodnaya Volya organized a new attempt on the emperor’s life: Stepan Khalturin blew up the Winter Palace, but Alexander II at that time was at the other end of the palace and was not injured. The soldiers on guard duty were killed.

Attempt by A. Solovyov on the life of Alexander II (illustration source):

Assassination attempt on March 1, 1881, which became fatal for the emperor, was prepared by the People's Will, led by Andrei Zhelyabov. But a few days before the assassination attempt, Zhelyabov was arrested, and the operation was headed by Sofia Perovskaya.

This time, too, there were ominous omens: the day before, the emperor saw dead pigeons several times under the windows of his palace. It turned out that a huge kite had settled on the roof and was killing pigeons. Korshun was caught, but in St. Petersburg they started saying that this was not good.

Having studied in advance the usual way Following the Emperor's journey from the Mikhailovsky Manege, the terrorists dug a tunnel to Malaya Sadovaya (Ekaterininskaya) Street and planted a mine. However, that day, Alexander II unexpectedly changed his route and went, after the guards had changed hands in the arena, to visit his cousin - Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna, mistress of the Mikhailovsky Palace. Having learned about this change, Sofya Perovskaya quickly got her bearings and transferred the “bombers” to Catherine Canal(now Griboedov Canal) .

After tasting tea with his cousin, Alexander II returned to the Winter Palace along the embankment Catherine Canal. Sofia Perovskaya, who was standing at the grating of the Mikhailovsky Garden, saw the royal carriage, waved her handkerchief, after which a student member of the Narodnaya Volya party N. Rysakov rushed after the carriage and forcefully threw a package with a bomb under the carriage. There was a deafening explosion. The back of the carriage was torn apart, and on the pavement in a pool of blood two Cossack guards and a peasant peddler boy were writhing in their death throes.

The royal carriage damaged by a bomb (source of illustration):

The killer was captured. The king was not harmed. Coming out of the carriage, he wanted to look at the criminal, and then headed along the canal to the wounded, but suddenly the figure of another “bomber”, unnoticed by the guards, separated from the canal bars. It was a member of the Narodnaya Volya Ignatius Grinevitsky.

A bomb thrown by Grinevitsky tore off both of the emperor’s legs. Here it is appropriate to recall another eerie legend: as if, even at the birth of the future Russian emperor, a certain city holy fool Fyodor predicted that the sovereign “ will be mighty, glorious and strong, but will die in red boots» .

Shortly before his death, Alexander II signed the constitutional draft of M. T. Loris-Melikov (introduction to State Council elected delegates from cities and provinces). And so, on the eve of the publication of the decree, which was supposed to mark the beginning of constitutional rule in Russia, on March 1, 1881, the Tsar-Liberator was killed.

The seriously wounded Alexander II is placed in a sleigh (source illustration):

This eighth attempt was fatal. How can one not recall the French fortune teller who predicted to the emperor that he would die from the eighth attempt on his life.

Alexander II and his assassin died almost simultaneously, a few hours after the explosion. The Emperor died at 15:35 in the afternoon in the Winter Palace, and Grinevitsky died in the court hospital, which was then located in house No. 9 on the embankment of the Catherine Canal (;). The remaining participants in the attempt - Rysakov, Kibalchich, Mikhailov, Zhelyabov and Perovskaya - were sentenced to death by hanging, which took place on April 3, 1881 at the Semyonovsky parade ground.

They said that, while climbing onto the scaffold platform, Sofya Perovskaya suddenly seemed to snatch a white handkerchief from somewhere and wave it over the assembled crowd, as when she gave the signal to the bomb throwers. Since then, the legend about the most famous ghost of St. Petersburg - the ghost Sofia Perovskaya. They say that every year on the first of March, before dawn, a silhouette of a young woman in a shroud, with a scar on her neck and with a white handkerchief in her hand, appears on the bridge across the Griboyedov Canal.

Savior on Spilled Blood: the history of the creation of the temple

The very next day after the tragedy, March 2, 1881, a temporary monument appeared at the site of the death of Alexander II, where people brought flowers. On the same day, the City Duma of St. Petersburg, at an emergency meeting, decided to ask Emperor Alexander III, who had ascended the throne, to “ authorize the city public administration to erect... at the expense of the city a chapel or monument"to the deceased sovereign.

Temporary monument on the Catherine Canal (photo from the site):

The new emperor approved the idea, but replied that it would be desirable to have not a chapel, but a whole church at the site of the regicide. He ordered to build temple, which would resemble " the viewer's soul about martyrdom late Emperor AlexanderII and evoked loyal feelings of devotion and deep sorrow of the Russian people» .

First design attempt

Contest the creation of a memorial church was announced by the City Duma commission for perpetuating the memory of Alexander II on April 27, 1881. Thus, the construction of a temple on the site where " the sacred blood of the Emperor was shed", it was only a matter of time.

Until then, they decided to build a temporary chapel. Temporary chapel according to the project of the young L. N. Benois was erected on April 4, 1881 and consecrated on April 17 - the birthday of Alexander II. The chapel replaced the previous temporary monument. It was a small wooden pavilion with an octagonal roof topped with a gilded dome with a cross. As A. N. Benois recalls, the chapel “ for all her simplicity, she possessed some special grace, which aroused general approval» .

Temporary chapel on the Catherine Canal (photo source):

The money for this construction was allocated by the famous St. Petersburg merchant and timber merchant I.F. Gromov, and the construction work was paid for by the merchant Militin (Militsyn). In the chapel, memorial services were served daily for the repose of the soul of the murdered servant of God Alexander. Through the glass of the door one could see a link of the embankment fence and part of the pavement with traces of the blood of the murdered emperor. The chapel was installed on special rails, so that it could be moved to the side to perform prayers over the site of the tragedy. On Catherine Canal the chapel stood until the spring of 1883 - before the construction of the stone church began. After that, it was moved to Konyushennaya Square, and in 1892 it was finally dismantled.

Meanwhile continued competition for temple-monument projects, which it was decided to build on the embankment of the Catherine Canal. Projects were submitted under a conditional motto (so that the authority of the participant would not dominate). The deadline for submitting drawings was set at December 31, 1881. By this time, 26 projects had been submitted for consideration by the jury, chaired by the rector of the Academy of Arts for Architecture A. I. Rezanov, including works by leading St. Petersburg architects: I. S. Kitner and A. L. Gun, V. A. Shreter, A. O. Tomishko, I. S. Bogomolova and others. L. N. Benois also presented his version (unlike most projects in the spirit of the “Byzantine style,” he proposed a version of a Baroque church) (illustration source):

The results of the competition were summed up in February 1882. The first prize was awarded to the project under the motto “To the Father of the Fatherland” by the architect A. O. Tomishko(known as the author of the Crosses prison project) (source of illustration):

He was inferior to the version of A. L. Gun and I. S. Kitner under the motto “March 1, 1881”, and the third place was taken by L. N. Benoit’s project “What is Caesar’s to Caesar”.

A total of 8 projects were selected for presentation to the emperor. However, none of them received the Highest approval.

Line of power: “Russian style”

Alexander III unexpectedly rejected the “Byzantine style”. He recognized the work of the participants " gifted works of art ", but did not approve a single one, expressing a wish, " so that the temple was built in purely Russian tasteXVII century, examples of which are found, for example, in Yaroslavl". The king also wished that “ the very place where Emperor AlexanderII was mortally wounded, must be inside the church itself in the form of a special chapel» .

The conditions put forward by Alexander III became indispensable for the participants in the subsequent competition. As we can see, already at the initial stage the creation of the temple-monument was carried out under the vigilant control of the emperor. This was the exceptional case when creative process was strictly regulated by the authorities (;) - this monument was so important, primarily from a political point of view.

Choice architectural style was due to very specific factors. After March 1, 1881, a period of counter-reforms began, accompanied by increased Russification. A reflection of the new course was the manifesto of April 29, 1881 on the steady preservation of the principles of autocracy, compiled by the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, K. P. Pobedonostsev. Along with the revision of the political program, the official movement “ Russian style" Now the style of architecture was established in Russia " great Orthodox Rus' », « style of the era of the Moscow Tsars", which, according to the instructions of the monarch, was now to be followed. The priorities of the authorities were clear: architects had to focus on a specific circle of prototypes.

The new tsar, who loved pre-Petrine antiquity, perceived Petersburg almost like a hostile city, a hub of terrorist activity. In addition, too much here reminded us of the difficult relationship with his father and of the previous reform course, which was now declared to be the result of “foreign insanity.” It is no coincidence that in the spring of 1881 there were even rumors about the return of the capital to Moscow.

The creation of a temple-monument in the traditions of the 17th century would serve as a metaphor for St. Petersburg’s introduction to the precepts of Old Moscow Rus'. Reminiscent of the era of the first Romanovs, the building would symbolize the unity of the king and the state, faith and people. That is, the new temple could become not just a memorial to the murdered emperor, but monument to Russian autocracy at all.

The second competition and the intrigues of the archimandrite

Second competition for temple-monument projects was hastily carried out in March–April 1882. Haste in holding the competition once again proves the increased attention of the authorities to the development and selection of projects.

Now projects were drawn up with mandatory consideration of the monarch’s stylistic preferences. Thus, the projects of L.N. Benois, Alb. N. Benois, R. A. Gedike, A. P. Kuzmina, N. V. Nabokov, A. I. Rezanov and other authors were inspired by Moscow monuments of the mid-17th century. In the projects of N. L. Benois, N. F. Bryullov, V. A. Kossov and V. A. Shreter, the features of Yaroslavl architecture were more clearly manifested. Project by L. N. Benois (source illustration 15]):

The future builder of the temple also took part in the second competition - A. A. Parland. IN project under the motto “Old Age” he was based on the Moscow Church of John the Baptist in Dyakovo (16th century), but his version had significant design differences. central part The temple was cut through by a high window with a semicircular end - this detail will then go on to the facade of the bell tower of the completed building. On the west side, Parland designed a narthex with two chapels, one of which marked the site mortal wound Alexandra II. (It was precisely on the model of these symmetrical pavilions that Parland then built the chapel-sacristy near the Savior on Spilled Blood).

Parland's project under the motto "Antique" (source of illustration):

When his own competition project under the motto “Antique” was already ready, he approached the architect with a proposal to develop a joint project Archimandrite Ignatius .

Archimandrite Ignatius(in the world I.V. Malyshev) (1811-1897), a native of the Yaroslavl province, in 1857 he became the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg, the successor of the famous ascetic and spiritual writer Ignatius Brianchaninov. Ignatius was no stranger to art: in his youth he studied painting at the Academy of Arts and studied ancient Russian architecture.

Feeling like an “architect by calling,” Ignatius launched a large construction project in the desert. In 1881 he was awarded the title of honorary free associate of the Academy of Arts. Parland also carried out a number of works in the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage at the request of Ignatius: for example, according to his design, the now defunct Resurrection Cathedral (the church in the name of the Resurrection of Christ) was built there.

During the second competition Church on the Catherine Canal Ignatius suddenly " the idea dawned on me to draw a project", and then there was confidence that it was his proposal that would be accepted. Having made the first sketches, he “ completely devoted himself to fulfilling his cherished dream - to become the builder of a temple intended to serve an eternal monument Tsar – Liberator and Martyr» .

The archimandrite was well known at court and skillfully played on the religious sentiments of the royal family. According to the memoirs of mosaic artist V. A. Frolov, through the devout Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, who often visited the hermitage, Ignatius brought “ to the information of the king about the appearance of the Mother of God to him in a dream, who allegedly showed him the main foundations of the temple» .

However, the archimandrite was hardly able to develop a project for such a large and complex structure on his own - that’s why he turned to A. A. Parland, whom he knew well from his joint work in the desert. The offer of cooperation from such an influential person as Ignatius was tempting. True, at first the architect was skeptical about him (especially since his own project was already ready), but in the end he agreed, apparently counting on the fact that the name of Ignatius would play a role.

Joint competition project of Parland and Ignatius (source of illustrations):

And so it happened. On June 29, 1883, Alexander III deigned to approve joint project of the archimandriteIgnatius and the architect Parland(this was just one of the three projects submitted later than the others).

The personality of the archimandrite played almost decisive role in choosing this particular option. It was officially stated that the emperor had singled out this project " mainly due to the special decoration of the place where the king was mortally wounded". The political background of this choice is clear: the first place for the authorities was not so much the artistic merits of the project, but rather the “divine inspiration” and, in general, the religious and symbolic aspect.

Finalize the project!

The option chosen by the emperor, developed by A. A. Parland together with Archimandrite Ignatius, vaguely resembled the tripartite type of churches of the 17th century, planned “ship”. The site of the fatal assassination attempt on Alexander II was distinguished by a memorial hipped bell tower, which was adjacent to hipped porches. The lower tier of the facades of the three-nave temple was surrounded by a gallery. The central tower was inspired by the church in Djakovo, and the side aisles were reminiscent of gate churches from the late 17th century.

Joint competition project of Parland and Ignatius (source of illustration):

Authorship Archimandrite Ignatius served as a guarantor of the correct ideological orientation of the building. It was he, and not Parland, who was perceived by the public in the early years as the main character. However, Ignatius was not a professional architect, although they tried to mitigate this circumstance, calling him “ experienced owner-builder"and emphasizing the clergyman's penchant for the arts.

The choice of this particular option caused some confusion among the architectural workshop. Many professionals rated the artistic merits of the winning project extremely low. A. N. Benois recalled: “... The architect Parland came to the sovereign with his project (using connections with the clergy and lower officials), and his monstrous invention, presented in a very effective coloring, found the highest approval. Already during the construction of the “Temple on the Blood,” the Academy of Arts insisted that the too obvious absurdities and shortcomings of Parland’s project be corrected» .

And indeed, the emperor accepted the project only “as a whole,” with the condition of further refinement, “ so that the project is reviewed and where it should be changed for execution Professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts D.I. Grimm". The professor tried to take advantage of the situation I. V. Shtrom, who in January 1883 proposed his own candidacy for developing Ignatius’s idea. He proposed to build a structure made of multi-colored bricks with majolica, gilded and enameled domes and interior paintings, reminiscent of St. Basil's Cathedral. Strom's candidacy was rejected, but his proposals significantly influenced the composition of the completed building.

In March 1883, a Construction Commission was formed, the chairman of which was the President of the Academy of Arts Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. Its members included architects R. A. Gedike, D. I. Grimm, E. I. Zhiber, R. B. Bernhard. Based on the recommendations of the commission, Parland and his assistants were finalizing the project. They came up with several alternative options, one of which was approved June 29, 1883 however, this project was not destined to become final.

This new project envisioned the construction of not just a single temple, but a grandiose complex similar to a monastery. The complex included a church, a memorial area, a museum, a bell tower and a processional gallery, the corners of which were marked by small buildings with folded domes (a copy of the chapels from the competition project “Antiquity”; these corner pavilions are reproduced by the realized chapel-sacristy of the Savior on Spilled Blood). The bell tower was supposed to stand on the other side of the canal and be connected to the temple by a gallery spanning a bridge. The temple itself in this project was a five-domed structure with a central tent and facade kokoshniks, as well as a pillar-shaped tower adjacent to the main volume. As the further course of events showed, this composition turned out to be completely self-sufficient - from here the image of the Savior on Spilled Blood that we know today crystallized.

Large-scale project of 1883 (source of illustration):

Apparently, at this stage of design, Ignatius’s participation in the development of the project was already purely nominal, and the “final version” of the project departed so far from the joint competitive version that A. A. Parland could already rightfully call himself sole by the author the building being created. Details of the project were clarified during construction. The final approval of the project took place only May 1, 1887.

Final Project (Illustration Source):

As you can see, both of Parland’s competition projects - both “Old Man” and the joint one with Ignatius - ultimately turned out to be very far from the realized version. This is for the better, since the final temple turned out to be incomparably more complete and artistic. The construction eventually lost the scale that distinguished the alternative project of June 1883, but became more integral and compact. The pillar-shaped tower above the site of the emperor’s mortal wound retained the function of a monument and at the same time turned into a bell tower.

The name of the temple and symbolism of the Savior on Spilled Blood

Although among the people another name has taken root - Savior on Spilled Blood, the canonical name of the cathedral is Temple in the name of the Resurrection of Christ on the site of the mortal wound of the late Emperor Alexander in BoseII.

Consecrate the future temple in the name of the Resurrection of Christ suggested by none other than Archimandrite Ignatius. This happened at the very first meeting of the Construction Commission. The church’s dedication to the Resurrection of Christ had a deep meaning: this name conveyed the idea of overcoming death. In the Christian consciousness, death is not the end of existence, but only a transition to another form. Therefore, there is no contradiction in the construction of a festive, “defiantly beautiful” temple: a bright temple, located on the site of a tragic event, expresses faith in God and in the Russian people.

The dedication of the temple to the Resurrection of Christ also affirmed the connection between the martyrdom of Alexander II and the atoning sacrifice of the Savior, crucified and then resurrected. I. V. Shtrom wrote: “Just as the Savior died for all mankind, so<...>AlexanderII died for his people". Association of the death of the king with death on the cross The Savior can also be found in the folklore of that time: “ The Emperor's life ended / Christ was crucified for the second time" This parallel found additional confirmation in calendar coincidences: the emperor was born on April 17, 1818 on Easter week and was killed on the first Sunday of Lent.

Thus, the memorial temple was built as an atoning sacrifice for the martyrdom of the Tsar-Liberator. It was created to perpetuate the memory of his death and was intended to express the protective principles of autocracy and Orthodoxy, as well as the ideas of overcoming death through the Resurrection. The place where Alexander II was mortally wounded should have been perceived as “ Golgotha for Russia» .

As in the common name " Savior on Spilled Blood“And in all the symbolism of the church there is a parallel between the death of Christ on the cross and the death of Alexander II.

Savior on Spilled Blood: history of construction

Ceremonial bookmark temple Resurrection of Christ on the Catherine Canal took place on October 6, 1883 in the presence of Metropolitan Isidore and the royal couple. The first stone was laid personally by Emperor Alexander III. An engraved plaque with an inscription about the co-authorship of Archimandrite Ignatius with the architect Parland was placed at the base of the temple.

Laying the foundation of the temple (photo source):

Before this, a fragment of the canal grate, granite slabs and part of the cobblestone pavement, stained with the blood of Alexander II, were removed, placed in boxes and transferred for storage to the chapel on Konyushennaya Square. Subsequently, these relics were returned to their historical places, and a memorial was erected over them in the form canopy in the spirit of ancient Russian architecture.

Although the final project, as we know, had not yet been approved by 1883, construction had already begun. In 1883-1886, preparatory and excavation work was carried out. It is interesting that during the construction of the cathedral they abandoned the usual method of driving piles under the base of the building: for the first time in the history of St. Petersburg architecture, it was used concrete foundation under the entire area of the structure (; ). The solid foundation made of rubble slab on a solid concrete pad is 1.2 m thick. The outer base of the cathedral was lined with granite by craftsmen who worked in the famous workshop of Gaetano Bota in St. Petersburg. Then they began laying walls made of bricks supplied by the Russian plant “Pirogranit”, and then pylons made of rubble slabs on granite bases.

Construction of the temple (photo source):

It was planned that construction would be completed by 1890, but the work was delayed.

In 1889, a scandal broke out related to the misappropriation of public funds by the conference secretary of the Academy of Arts A. Iseev. The embezzlement was allowed by the President of the Academy and the Chairman of the Construction Commission, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. In 1892, a new commission was assembled, which included architects E. I. Zhiber, M. T. Preobrazhensky and A. A. Parland. But construction and finishing work progressed more slowly than expected. V. A. Frolov explained this by the bureaucracy that reigned in the work of the commission, as well as Parland’s reluctance to part with the prestigious position of architect-builder.

In 1890-1891, the sculptor G. Botta and the master Andreev made a large, “immaculate in all respects” painted alabaster temple model 3.5 m high, it was exhibited at the construction site.

A. A. Parland at the model of the temple (photo source):

The construction of the vaults, arches and sails began only in 1893. The following year, the main volume of the building was completed and a granite ring was laid out at the base of the central drum. The walls and parts of the facade were faced with durable, strong materials: Estonian marble (supplied by Kos and Duerr), glazed bricks made at the Siegersdorf factories ( Siegersdorfer Werke) in Germany, as well as colored tiles ordered from the Imperial Porcelain Factory. The dome structures and the iron frame of the tent were installed at the St. Petersburg Metal Plant. In 1896, the casting of bells began at the plant of P. N. Finlyandsky.

Details about the architecture of the temple can be read in the article “Savior on Spilled Blood: Description of Architecture”.

An original innovation was the covering of the chapters with enameled copper plates. Bright polychrome domes were created in 1896-1898 at the factory of A. M. Postnikov in Moscow, and gilded crosses were also made there. The middle altar chapter was, at the suggestion of P. P. Chistyakov, lined with gilded smalt (the work of the Frolovs’ mosaic workshop). The heads of the side apses and the bell tower were covered in 1897-1900 with gilded copper. True, the dome of the bell tower quickly darkened, and in 1911-1913 the gilding was replaced with cantarel coating (golden smalt) under the supervision of V. A. Frolov.

In 1900, the building began to be gradually cleared of scaffolding. The porches were built in 1900-1901. At the same time, enameled tiles created in the workshop of M. V. Kharlamov sparkled on the facades (colored glazed tiles for apses, the central tent, as well as the tents and slopes of the porches were also created there).

In 1905-1907, according to the drawings of I. I. Smukrovich, entrance doors (gates) made of copper inlaid with silver ornaments. This unique work was carried out by the workshop of the Kostroma jeweler Savelyev in 1905-1907. The silver bas-reliefs of the gates depicted the patron saints of the reigning house of the Romanovs (out of 80 plates, only 33 have survived to this day). At the same time, interior decoration was carried out using more than a dozen types of gems. The best domestic and Italian factories participated in the interior decoration.

At whose expense is this temple

It is generally accepted that Savior on Spilled Blood was built with public money. Actually this is not true . The main source of financing was revenue from the State Treasury: the treasury allocated 3 million 600 thousand silver rubles for construction - huge money at that time. In addition, a significant amount was made up of donations from institutions, from the imperial family and officials. Private contributions played a rather symbolic role.

General cost of the ensemble of the Church of the Resurrection and its artistic decoration, including mosaics, amounted to more than 4.6 million rubles. The cost of construction was exceeded by 1 million rubles due to the replacement of paintings with mosaics, the high cost of the canopy and cases of financial abuse.

Subsequently, the state took over the maintenance of the temple. In such a special position at that time were only Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow: they were financed directly from the state treasury.

In the Savior on Spilled Blood, sermons were read daily, memorial services were served, and services were held dedicated to the memory of Alexander II. However, no baptisms or weddings took place here, since the temple “ due to its special significance as a national monument"was not parish (;). A place was reserved for believers near the western facade, in front of the mosaic “Crucifixion”, where church services were held.

The history of the Savior on Spilled Blood after the revolution

Temple under the new government

After the revolution, the fate of the Savior on Spilled Blood developed dramatically. In 1918, the temple came under the jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat of Property of the RSFSR, and in January 1920 it became a parish church. Entrance to the temple was open to everyone.

From July 1922 to July 1923, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, being a parish, belonged to the Petrograd autocephaly under the control of Bishop Nikolai (Yarushevich) of Peterhof, after which it passed to the pro-Soviet group " renovationists"(from July 5 to August 9, 1923). From August 1923 to December 1927 the temple had the status cathedral diocese. From the end of 1927 to November 1930, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was the center Josephiteness in Leningrad - a movement in the Russian Church that arose as opposition to the “renovationist” group loyal to the communist regime.

Naturally, new government soon stopped this activity. On March 3, 1930, the Presidium of the Council of the Central City District, following an appeal from the Leningrad branch of the All-Russian Society in Memory of Political Prisoners and Exiled Settlers, decided: “ In order to stop the Black Hundred agitation going on in the church, and also taking into account the abuses of a criminal nature discovered in this church, in fulfillment of the order of the voters, to bring the Leningrad before the Presidium. Council petition to close the said church and transfer the building for cultural and educational needs". By Resolution of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of October 30, 1930 No. 67 Savior on Spilled Blood was closed. Attempts to establish a museum of the revolutionary struggle of the People's Will here failed.

The cathedral was used as a warehouse. For some time, a crushing workshop for producing granite chips was located within its walls. Due to the lack of proper supervision and security, many valuable interior elements were lost.

But even after the temple was closed, it remained a place of worship for many believers. People did not forget the legends about the deceased monarch and came here to pray. Many Leningraders remember how devout grandmothers walked from the western side to the icon " Crucifixion", kissed it and prayed (now the passage to this part of the temple is closed).

Due to the ideological significance of the temple as a monument to autocracy, in official assessments of the Soviet era, the Savior on Spilled Blood was assessed with caution at best, and sometimes outright negatively. The non-acceptance was also due to a negative attitude towards the entire architecture of the eclectic period, including examples of “ Russian style" The building was seen as a gross dissonance among the classical ensembles of the city on the Neva.

Since it was believed that the temple was not of historical and artistic value and its architecture was alien to the appearance of the city, in the 1930s decisions were made to dismantle the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, transfer fragments of the decoration to museums, and use rare minerals for new construction. In the 1930s, the bells were thrown from the temple. The question has been raised repeatedly about demolition building. A special commission with the participation of V. A. Frolov, created in March 1941 by the Department for the Protection of Monuments of the Leningrad Executive Committee, advocated for the preservation of the monument “ as a unique building, characteristic of a certain period of Russian architecture» .

Thanks to the skill and enormous work of restorers, engineers and architects who worked on the restoration of the temple, this unique work of art once again shone in all its glory.

Currently Cathedral of the Savior on Blood is open as a museum (cm. practical information about visiting), but services are held on weekends and major holidays.

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"Russian style"

The temple was erected on the site of the death of Emperor Alexander II. His successor, Alexander the Third, ordered the construction of a temple in the original Russian style. This era was marked by Russia's return to its roots, its departure from everything Western European.

The authors of the project were architect Alfred Parland and Archimandrite Ignatius (Malyshev). To work on the project, the craftsmen had to study churches built in Moscow and Yaroslavl in the seventeenth century. It was in such architectural research that the main features of the “Russian style” began to take shape. Peter the Great did not actively develop this direction in architecture, so Parland began with a careful examination of the best ancient examples of cathedrals.

"Russian style" is characterized by decorativeness, complex silhouettes, a large number of details. Characteristic Features his are carved kokoshniks over windows and doors, patterned columns, painted belts on the walls, bright colors and detailed drawing of ornaments. The paradoxical fact is that the “Russian style” originated in the architectural school of St. Petersburg, but in the city itself, before the construction of the Savior on Spilled Blood, there was not a single building made according to its “canons.”

The chief architect sincerely believed that the transformations of Peter the Great had somewhat “overwritten” the original “Russianness” in architecture, therefore he saw his main task in its revival. He scrupulously selected original elements of decorative decoration.

As a result, the temple became a collective image of the Russian Orthodox Church seventeenth century. Parland used the seen components of our architecture and culture in the project, but his masterpiece turned out to be bright, original and inimitable, unlike any of his prototypes.

Architectural appearance

The Savior on Spilled Blood is a four-pillar church, the vault of which is based on four pillars. The structure is based on a quadrangle. There are five domes above the temple: in the middle there is a tent dome, and on the sides there are onion domes.

The center of the temple is an octagonal tent, which is directed upward. At its base there are eight oblong windows, decorated with carved kokoshniks. Above them the tent narrows. The tent is crowned with a lantern with a dome topped with a cross. This is the highest dome of the temple. But it is smaller than the domes surrounding it, which gives the impression that the temple goes into the depths of the vault of heaven.

These five chapters are covered with jewelry enamel, and the pattern of each chapter is not repeated. This made the appearance of the temple look fabulous and light. For the first time, copper plates with enamel were used to cover domes. Until that time, enamels were used only in small jewelry works. The covering area of the temple exceeds a thousand square meters.

It is this multi-colored round dance of domes that makes the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood similar to Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral. But this similarity is only apparent. In architectural and stylistic terms, the temples are very different from each other.

The eastern part of the temple is decorated with three small gilded domes crowned with semicircular altar asps. In the western part there is a bell tower above the place tragic death Emperor. At the top is the largest dome. In total, the temple has 9 domes of different sizes.

The bell tower plays a special role in the architecture of the temple. It was at this place that the emperor was killed. Inside, paving stones and a fragment of the fence where the tragedy occurred were preserved. The bell tower is slightly extended beyond the boundaries of the embankment and seems to be embedded in the canal bed. Because of this decision, the temple does not have a traditional central entrance, and on the sides of the bell tower there are porches made in the style of Russian towers.

There is a lot of symbolism in the architecture of the temple. This is reflected in the patterns on the walls and in the proportions of the church. The central tent rises 81 meters above the ground, which corresponds to the year in which the emperor died. The massive dome above the bell tower is 63 meters high, corresponding to the number of years in the life of Alexander II. The length of the temple from west to east is 56.7 meters, the width in the center is 30.1 meters, in the western part - 44.1 meters.

The Savior on Spilled Blood represents the best example of Russian identity. The architect managed to fit it into the surrounding landscape so organically that it does not look alien or out of place. On the contrary, it decorates and enlivens the panorama of the street.

On March 1, 1881, Emperor Alexander II died in St. Petersburg as a result of a double terrorist attack. People called him the “Liberator”, in connection with the abolition of serfdom in 1861 and the victory in Russian-Turkish War(1877-1878). The revolutionary organization Narodnaya Volya, which advocates democratic reforms in Russia, took responsibility for the terrorist attack.

Subsequently, two brothers would become imitators of the “People's Will” - Alexander Ulyanov, who participated in the assassination attempt against the son of Alexander II - Emperor Alexander III ("Peacemaker"), and Volodya Ulyanov (Lenin) - the main revolutionary of the 20th century, terrorist, ideological inspirer of the Bolsheviks, organizer of the execution grandson of Alexander II - Emperor Nicholas II and the entire royal family...

But let's return to Alexander II and his death. The emperor was predicted that it was the eighth attempt on his life that would become fatal. Before this, attempts had been made on the king’s life six times already. He was able to survive the seventh, but the eighth was fatal. The assassination attempt took place on the embankment of the Catherine Canal (now the Griboyedov Canal). The terrorist attack occurred when the emperor was returning from a military divorce at the Mikhailovsky Manege. There were two terrorists. St. Petersburg resident Alexey Pashkov, a popular tour guide, briefly and very interestingly talks about this event:

Why is the “Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood” called that...

So, “Savior on Spilled Blood” is a unique architectural monument of the 19th century. Erected on the very spot where Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded. The official name of the temple is “Church of the Resurrection of Christ,” but it is “Savior on Spilled Blood” that is firmly entrenched among the people.

The origin of the name of the temple is devoid of mystery and mystery. It's very simple: the meaning of the word Saved- the most common epithet assigned to Jesus Christ (Savior). A on the blood because the temple was erected on the very spot where the emperor's blood was shed.

It is noteworthy that today in the western part of the temple, directly under the bell tower with a large golden dome, you can see the preserved part of the pavement and the fencing of the canal embankment, stained with the blood of the Tsar-Martyr.

Today, the “Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood” is the only Orthodox cathedral in the world, the mosaic decoration of which is 7065 sq.m. External walls and everything interior decoration The temple is covered with a mosaic carpet of icons and ornaments.

Photo source: skyscrapercity.com

Indestructible Temple

The fate of the temple was not easy. When mentioning the temple, St. Petersburg residents and tour guides love to use the word “bewitched” or indestructible, and there is an explanation for this.

Immediately after the revolution, like everyone else Orthodox churches, as well as objects symbolizing the tsarist era of rule, it was supposed to be blown up or destroyed. But for unknown reasons, it was only looted - silver and enamel paintings were stolen, and most of the mosaic was damaged at the hands of vandals.

In November 1931. The commission on religious issues decided to dismantle the temple in parts, calling it “an object that has no artistic and architectural value,” but this decision, for inexplicable reasons, was postponed until 1938, when this issue was raised again by the same commission. The decision was made - the explosion of the temple was planned for the summer of 1941. Holes were drilled in the walls and explosives had already been placed there. But the Great began Patriotic War, so all the bombers were urgently sent to the front.

During the siege, the church housed a morgue, which contained the frozen bodies of Leningraders who died from hunger or from shelling. But shells and bombs miraculously flew past the cathedral, as if it really was under a spell. Later, the temple began to be used as a vegetable storehouse, and even later - as a warehouse for theatrical scenery. At that time, most of the interior was destroyed.

The next attempt by the Soviet authorities to get rid of the temple was made in 1956. The reason is that it interferes with the construction of a new highway. It was easier and cheaper to demolish the temple than to build a bypass road. But this attempt was not crowned with success; the obviously unique architectural monument was defended by historians and architects.

In the 60s, in the main dome of the temple, they discovered the only bomb that still hit the temple. It hit, but didn't explode. An air bomb weighing half a ton seemed to be lying in the arms of the Savior, right in the Gospel text “peace be with you.”

In 1970, the Soviet government was finally dissuaded from demolishing once and for all one of the most historically important and culturally significant objects in St. Petersburg. In 1971, the temple was transferred to the balance of the St. Isaac's Cathedral Museum. At the same time, restoration of the temple began, which lasted for decades. Townspeople and tourists are accustomed to the sight of the temple surrounded by forests.

In 1986, Alexander Rosenbaum’s song “Sadness Fell”, glorifying St. Petersburg, was very popular. It also mentions the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and the desire to see it renewed as soon as possible: “I want to give the houses a look familiar from childhood. I dream of removing the forests from the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.”

In the mid-80s, there was talk of a prophecy: supposedly Soviet power would last as long as the forests around the Savior on Spilled Blood remained. They were removed just before the coup in August 1991.

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