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.

A quadrangular building crowned with 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 all over 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 Spilled 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 bunch 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 Crimean War and the difficult situation in the economy, on the other hand, large-scale transformations took place, at the origins of which stood Emperor Alexander II. It's about, 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 organization " People's will”, which used 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 declared 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 a 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 at 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 evangelical events. 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 small area the fences of the embankment, on which traces of the emperor’s blood remained - all this was 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, while recognizing the most better job A.I. Tomishko, made in the Russian-Byzantine style and called “To the 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 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, which was headed by Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, younger son dead king. 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: August 6 (19), 1907, on the day Orthodox holiday 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 after St. Isaac's Cathedral a religious building of St. Petersburg, 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 October revolution In 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” proclaiming unconditional loyalty to the communist regime, Savior on Spilled Blood became the center of the opposition movement in 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 the case 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 decided positively, but then the Great War began Patriotic War, which distracted city authorities to decide more important tasks. Thus, during the siege, the cathedral premises were used as a morgue for Leningraders who died from hunger, cold and wounds. After 1945 in former temple, which by that time was rented by the Maly Theater, stage sets for performances were stored.

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, appearance its 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. The arches look amazingly harmonious against the background of decorative red brick. white, arcades and the mentioned kokoshnik pediments. 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 large number 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 from Italian marble. In general, more than 20 types of different minerals were used in the design of the building ( different types 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 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 heavenly patrons 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. In 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, military cadets educational institutions paid 50 rubles for a ticket. The same cost was established for pensioners from among citizens 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.

Order 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. On exit, from right side former Catherine Canal (near Konyushennaya Square and Mikhailovsky Garden, not far from the Champs 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.

The Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful, festive and vibrant churches in Russia. For many years during the Soviet era, it was consigned to oblivion. Now, restored, it attracts thousands of visitors with its grandeur and uniqueness.

The beginning of the story

The Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg was built in memory of Emperor Alexander II. Back in 1881, tragic events took place on the site where the temple was later erected. On March 1, Tsar Alexander II was heading to where the parade of troops was supposed to take place. As a result of a terrorist act committed by Narodnaya Volya member I. I. Grinevitsky, the emperor was mortally wounded.

By order Alexandra III At the site of the tragedy, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was erected, where regular services were to be held for the murdered man. This is how the name of the Savior on Blood, the official name of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, was assigned to the temple.

The decision to build a temple

An architectural competition was announced to select the best project for the construction of the temple. The most famous architects took part in it. Only on the third attempt (the number of times the competition was announced) did he choose the project that seemed most suitable to him. Its author was Alfred Parland and Archimandrite Ignatius.

The Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg was built with donations collected from the whole world. Contributions were made not only by Russians, but also by citizens of other Slavic countries. After construction, the walls of the bell tower were crowned with many coats of arms of various provinces, cities, and counties that donated savings, all of them were made of mosaics. A gilded crown was installed on the main cross of the bell tower as a sign that the greatest contribution to the construction was made by the august family. The total cost of construction was 4.6 million rubles.

Construction of the cathedral

The temple was founded in 1883, when the construction project had not yet been finally approved. At this stage, the main task was to strengthen the soil so that it would not be subject to erosion, because the Griboyedov Canal was nearby, and also to lay a solid foundation.

The construction of the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg began in 1888. Gray granite was used for the walls, lined with red-brown bricks, rods, window frames, and cornices were made of Estonian marble. The base was decorated with twenty granite boards, on which the main decrees and merits of Alexander II were listed. By 1894, the main vaults of the cathedral were erected, and by 1897, nine chapters were completed. Most of them were covered with multi-colored bright enamel.

Temple decoration

The walls of the tower are completely covered with amazing decorative patterns, granite, marble, jewelry enamel, mosaics. White arches, arcades, and kokoshniks look special against the background of decorative red brick. The total area of ​​the mosaic (inside and outside) is about six thousand square meters. Mosaic masterpieces were made according to the sketches of the great artists Vasnetsov, Parland, Nesterov, Koshelev. The northern side of the façade features the “Resurrection” mosaic; on the southern side there is the “Christ in Glory” panel. From the west, the façade is decorated with the painting “The Savior Not Made by Hands,” and from the east you can see “The Blessing Savior.”

The Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg is somewhat stylized as Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral. But the artistic and architectural solution itself is very unique and original.

According to the plan, the cathedral is a quadrangular building, crowned with five large domes and four slightly smaller domes. The southern and northern facades are decorated with kokoshnik pediments, and the eastern side is decorated with three rounded asps with golden heads. To the west there is a bell tower with a beautiful gilded dome.

Beauty from within

The main place of the temple is an inviolable fragment of the Catherine Canal. It includes paving slabs, cobblestones, and part of the grating. It was decided to leave the place where the emperor died untouched. To implement this plan, the shape of the embankment was changed, and the foundation of the temple moved the canal bed by 8.5 meters.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood can easily be called the most majestic and significant in St. Petersburg. The photos are proof of this. Under the bell tower, exactly on the spot where the tragic incident occurred, there is the “Crucifixion with those to come.” The unique cross is made of granite and marble. On the sides there are icons of saints.

The interior decoration - the decoration of the temple - is very valuable and far superior to the exterior. Spas's mosaics are unique, all of them are made according to sketches by famous masters of the brush: Kharlamov, Belyaev, Koshelev, Ryabushkin, Novoskoltsev and others.

Further history

The cathedral was opened and consecrated in 1908. It was not just a temple, it was the only temple-museum, a monument to Emperor Alexander II. In 1923, the Savior on Spilled Blood rightfully received the status of a cathedral, but by the will of fate or due to turbulent historical changes, the temple was closed in 1930. The building was transferred to the Society of Political Prisoners. For many years, under Soviet rule, a decision was made to destroy the temple. Perhaps the war prevented this. The leaders at that time were faced with other important tasks.

During the terrible Leningrad siege, the cathedral building was used as a city morgue. At the end of the war, Maly Opera theatre set up a warehouse for decorations here.

After the change of power in the Soviet government, the temple was finally recognized as a historical monument. In 1968, it came under the protection of the State Inspectorate, and in 1970, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was declared a branch of St. Isaac's Cathedral. During these years, the cathedral begins to gradually be revived. Restoration proceeded slowly, and only in 1997 did the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood begin to receive visitors as a museum.

In 2004, more than 70 years later, Metropolitan Vladimir celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church.

Today, everyone who visits St. Petersburg strives to visit the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The museum's opening hours allow you to do this at any time in the summer from 10 to 22 hours, in the winter from 10 to 19.

Spas-on-Blood (Ekaterinburg)

If we talk about the suffering that the Romanov family endured, it is impossible not to mention the temple in Yekaterinburg. It was in this city that the august family spent their last days; at the site of their death, the descendants erected the Savior on Spilled Blood. The map of the city indicates that the cathedral was erected on the site. As history says, this house was confiscated by the Bolsheviks from the engineer Ipatiev. Here the Romanov family was kept for 78 days. On July 17, 1918, all the martyrs were shot in the basement. During the years of Soviet power, the memory of royal family was trampled and denigrated. In 1977, by decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the house was demolished, and B.N. was assigned to lead the event. Yeltsin. In his memoirs, he called this event barbarism, the consequences of which could not be corrected.

Construction of the temple

Only in 2000 did they begin the actual construction of the temple at the site of the tragic events. The official name is "Church-Monument on the Blood in the Name of All Saints." It was this year that the glorification of the family of Nicholas II took place. Already in 2003, on July 16, the grand opening and lighting of the temple took place.

The structure, which is 60 meters high, has five domes, with a total area of ​​three thousand square meters. Russian-Byzantine architectural style emphasizes the severity and grandeur of the building. The complex consists of an upper and lower temple. The upper temple is a symbol of an unquenchable lamp, lit in memory of the tragedy that occurred here. The lower mortuary church is located in the basement. It includes an execution room, where the authentic remains of Ipatiev's house are present. The altar is located directly on the spot where the Romanov family tragically died. A museum was immediately created where exhibits dedicated to last days life of the royal family.

Every year on the memorable night of July 17, an all-night liturgy is held in the church, ending with procession(25 km) to Ganina Yama - the bodies were brought to this abandoned mine after the execution. Thousands of pilgrims come here every year to pay tribute to the shrine.

In St. Petersburg there is memorial museum and a monument of Russian architecture. It is located on the Griboyedov Canal (formerly the Catherine Canal) between the Mikhailovsky Garden and Konyushennaya Square.

Erected on the spot where, on March 1, 1881, as a result of another assassination attempt carried out by the organization "People's Will" Tsar-reformer Alexander II was mortally wounded.

The very next day after the murder, it was decided to establish a temporary chapel at the site of the Tsar’s “fatal wound,” where memorial services would be served daily in memory of Alexander II.

It was built in April 1881 according to the design of the architect L. N. Benois and stood on the Catherine Canal until the spring of 1883. But the son of the deceased emperor, Alexander III, who ascended the throne, wanted to see a temple on this site. While organizing a competition for architects, he put two mandatory conditions. Firstly, the temple had to be made in the “Russian style”, which would incorporate the architectural features of Russian churches of the 17th century, primarily those of Moscow and Yaroslavl. Secondly, the very fragment of paving stones on which the blood of Alexander II was spilled must certainly have been included in the interior of the temple.

Two architectural competitions took place, in which prominent architects of the empire took part. The Tsar very carefully examined the presented projects, most of which were made in the “Russian-Byzantine” style. As a result, he chose a joint project by the St. Petersburg architect Alfred Aleksandrovich Parland and the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Archimandrite Ignatius (in the world - Ivan Vasilyevich Malyshev) with the condition of further refinement. Father Ignatius proposed to consecrate the future temple in the name of the Resurrection of Christ as a symbol of the victory of life over death.

During the design and construction of the temple, various technical innovations were used. Instead of a traditional pile foundation, a “concrete pad” was built. The dug pit was drained and filled with concrete. When creating a “clay castle”, piles were used around the perimeter of the building. They were driven in rows into the bottom of the canal, and the space between them was filled with clay. This ensured reliable waterproofing. After all, the temple building had to be pushed 8.5 meters into the canal in order to “capture” the place mortal wound Alexandra II.

Electricity was immediately installed in the cathedral: the room was illuminated by almost 1,700 light bulbs. Engineer S. Ya. Timokhovich developed an air heating system for the temple, which operates to this day. Cold air from the floor is used for heating through channels under the benches, and, heated, through intra-wall channels it exits through openings in the upper part of the building. Previously, two steam boilers and eight air heaters were placed in the basement to heat the air. The building is now connected to the city heating plant.

On August 19, 1907, after 24 years of construction, the temple was solemnly consecrated in the presence of the royal family.

In. name: English Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ, better known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, is an Orthodox cathedral built on the site of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II.

Currently it is active temple(separate services are held) and one of the most visited.

Story

On March 1, 1881, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded as a result of an attack by Narodnaya Volya revolutionaries. The place of the injury on the embankment of the Catherine Canal immediately acquired a special, sacred meaning, and was fenced off that same evening.

The very next day, deputies of the City Duma turned to Emperor Alexander III with a request to perpetuate the memory of his father by building a church or chapel. The emperor proclaimed the decision to erect a monument temple at the site of the death of Alexander II. During its construction, a temporary chapel was erected.

In the same year, 1881, a competition was announced for the best design of the temple. The winner was Russian architect Alfred Parland. The construction of the cathedral according to his design was completed in 1907.

During the years of Soviet power, from 1930, the temple was used by the authorities as a warehouse, which caused serious damage to its decorative decoration. In 1970, it was decided to restore the Savior on Spilled Blood and make it a branch of the museum. Since 1997, after restoration was completed, the cathedral has been reopened to visitors.

What to see in Savior on Spilled Blood

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ is a unique monument of Russian mosaic art. Multi-colored mosaics and mosaic panels completely cover the walls, vaults and domes of the temple. It features the largest collection of mosaics in Europe with a total area of ​​7050 square meters.

The panels were made according to drawings by Vasnetsov, Nesterov and other Russian artists. The icons “The Mother of God and the Child” and “The Savior” that adorn the iconostasis were also created using the mosaic technique.

In the western part of the temple there is a place where a tragic assassination attempt was made on Tsar Alexander II. Under the canopy (cover) above the place of death, parts of the pavement and fence on which the bleeding emperor fell are kept.

Schedule and ticket prices

Cost of visiting the Savior on Spilled Blood:

• 250 rubles - for adults from 10:00 to 18:00 (entry closes at 17:30), all year round;
• 400 rubles - for adults from 18:00 to 22:30 (ticket offices close at 22:00), evening time available from May 1 to September 30;
• 50 rubles - the cost of a preferential visit for children from 7 to 18 years old, pensioners, cadets, students and graduate students of the Russian Federation, in daytime all year round;
• free - children under 7 years old.

You can also rent an audio guide for 200 rubles. Prices are as of February 2017.

House 2 A

Years of construction: 1883 - 1907

Perhaps the most popular cathedral in St. Petersburg among foreign tourists, who sincerely consider it an example of “real Russian style.”

The Orthodox memorial single-altar church in the name of the Resurrection of Christ was built in memory of the fact that at this place on March 1 (13), 1881, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded as a result of an assassination attempt.

Is located in historical center St. Petersburg on the bank of the Griboyedov Canal, next to the Mikhailovsky Garden and Konyushennaya Square, not far from the Champs of Mars. The height of the highest dome of the temple (81 meters) symbolizes the year of the king’s death, the height of the bell tower (62 meters) symbolizes his age. It is a museum and a monument of Russian architecture.

Russian Orthodox tradition- build church buildings in honor of memorable events. “The Temple in the Name of the Resurrection of Christ” was erected on the site of the mortal wound of Emperor Alexander II, but the people immediately nicknamed it “The Savior on Spilled Blood.”

On Alexander II from 1866 to 1881 it was committed according to different versions from 6 to 11 attempts. In the place of the first one at the bars Summer Garden a chapel was erected, dismantled in the twentieth century. There is a legend that after the sixth assassination attempt, Alexander, while in Paris, visited a certain clairvoyant who predicted to him: there would be eight assassination attempts, the last of which would be fatal. Those who are inclined to believe this legend believe that there were exactly 8 assassination attempts.

The assassination attempt that led to the death of the emperor was committed on March 1, 1881, and the very next day the City Duma asked Emperor Alexander III to “allow the city public administration to erect a chapel or monument” to the deceased emperor.

A temporary collapsible chapel at the site of the mortal wound of Alexander II was created according to the design of Leonty Benois in two weeks and consecrated on April 15, 1881. At the same time, a competition was announced to create a temple. However, none of the works noted by the Commission received the approval of Alexander III. The Tsar wished that the temple be built in the style of Russian architecture of Mokva and Yaroslavl of the 16th-17th centuries and that the place of the fatal wound be located inside the temple.

The laying of the foundation of the temple took place in October 1883, although the final design of the cathedral had not yet been approved. In the meantime, a stone pillar was driven into the foundation of the future throne of the temple. A link of the Catherine Canal grating, sidewalk slabs and part of the cobblestone road from the site of the emperor's wound were removed, placed in boxes and transferred to the chapel for storage.

Alfred Aleksandrovich Parland's 1883 project received the Tsar's approval. who led a creative group of architects, experts in monumental painting and Orthodox iconography. The project was revised five times and was approved on May 1, 1887. The project is based on the techniques and forms of Moscow and Yaroslavl architecture rethought by Parland. The temple is a quadrangle with a towering five-domed structure, where the central chapter is designed in the form of a tent 81 meters high. Adjacent to the main volume of the temple from the west is a massive pillar-shaped bell tower extended into the channel of the canal, completed with a bell tower and a wide helmet-shaped dome. At the base of the bell tower there is a chapel with an image of the crucified Christ, located symmetrically to the canopy above the place where the emperor was mortally wounded.

During the construction of the temple, the latest technologies for those times were used: for the first time in St. Petersburg, pile foundations were abandoned. The temple building rests on a solid concrete pad 1.2 m thick, with a base level of 2.5 m from the ordinary level in the canal. In 1899 - 1907, an air heating system was installed in the cathedral. The lighting in the temple was electric from the very beginning. Parland thought in advance about how they would clean the mosaics from dust, wash the windows, and change the light bulbs. He also solved the problem of condensate drainage and the lightning protection system. The construction of the temple took 24 years.

The outside of the church is decorated with the texts of the “acts” of Alexander II, executed on granite boards in gold script. You can follow them the most important events stories Russian state during his reign.

The exterior decoration of the temple uses white stone decor against a background of brownish-red facing bricks, numerous tiles on the facades and the drum of the central dome, blue, yellow, white and green tiles covering the tents of the porches and the slopes of the apses. Estonian marble and gray granite were used to decorate the four porches of the cathedral. The surface of the five domes is covered with colored jewelry enamel, the only time in the history of construction that such huge quantities were used. On the facades of the cathedral's bell tower there are 134 mosaics with the coats of arms of Russian cities that contributed funds to the construction of the temple.

The interior of the temple is divided into three naves; The eastern ends of the side naves are choir icon cases, reminiscent in their shapes of ancient Russian low altar barriers. The wide central nave from the iconostasis and solea leads to a tented canopy installed above the site of the king’s mortal wound. The canopy was made according to Parland’s drawings: in the lower part, fragments of the canal embankment, cobblestone pavement, fencing bars and three pavement slabs on which the king’s blood was spilled are reproduced. For the construction of the canopy, Revnevskaya and Nikolaevskaya jasper and Ural coils were used. The composition is crowned with a cross of 112 topazes. More than thirty types of stones were used to create the canopy; it is decorated with Florentine mosaics and Bukhara lapis lazuli.

The interior of the temple uses a mosaic covering with a total area of ​​7065 square meters, which took 12 years to complete in the Frolovs’ mosaic workshop, which won the mosaic department of the Academy of Arts, the German and two famous Italian companies. To choose a workshop for a set of mosaics, the competition participants were asked to make one work as a test, which was left outside for a whole year to check how well the mosaic would withstand the unkind St. Petersburg climate. The Frolovs' work, having lain under the snow all winter, stood the test better than other mosaics.

The Savior on Spilled Blood was consecrated on August 19, 1907 and was not initially intended for mass visits: it was maintained by the state and entry to the cathedral was carried out with special passes.

After the revolution, the Savior on Spilled Blood first became an ordinary parish church, and in 1930 it was closed; the issue of its demolition was discussed many times, however, due to the complexity of solving this problem, it was already decision was never implemented. IN different years The temple was used as a vegetable warehouse, a morgue (during the Siege), and a warehouse for the decorations of the Mikhailovsky Theater. Only in 1968 did the state recognize the Savior on Spilled Blood as an architectural monument and, since by that time the temple was in a state of disrepair, long work for restoration and restoration, which lasted 27 years (more than the work on the construction of the temple!!!). On August 19, 1997 (90 years after its consecration), “Savior on Spilled Blood” was opened to the public. Today “Savior on Spilled Blood” is a museum (one of the churches included in the “Museum of Four Cathedrals”), in the days of great church holidays Divine services are also held there.