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Church on the Blood in Saint Petersburg. Photo by Florstein on

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Church on the Blood

The Church on the Blood is one of the leading Russian Orthodox cathedrals in St. Petersburg, Russia. It currently operates as a secular museum and church at the same time.

The church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. The church was constructed from 1883 to 1907And was funded by Roman Imperial family in honor of Alexander I.

Learn more about church on the Blood history in these top 10 facts.

1. The Church Was Built in Memory of Alexander II, Who Was Assassinated In 1811

On March 13, 1881 as Alexander II’s carriage passed along the embankment, a grenade thrown by a terrorist exploded, but Alexander II was unhurt. During the second attempt, the terrorist threw another bomb, killing himself and wounded alexander II.

Alexander was bleeding heavily and was taken back to the winter palace, where he died a few hours. A temporary shrine was erected on the attack site as plans for a permanent memorial were undertaken.

The Church on the Blood was built on the site where political revolutionists assassinated II on 1881. The construction began two years later after his death.

Alexander II, son of Alexander III, succeeded him and ordered the church’s construction as a memorial for his father. The building was completed in 1907 during the reign of Nicholas II, the son and successor of Alexander II.

The Roman Imperial family and many other private donors funded the church. The estimated construction oft the church is said to be 4.5 million rubles.

2. The Church on the Blood Is Built in The Russian Revival Architecture

Photo by Ad Maskens on

Alexander III announced a tender for the construction. He insisted that architects adhere to the church architecture traditions of 17th century Moscow and Yaroslavl.

Alfred Parland, an architect with German- Scottish roots and the religious leader archimandrite Ignatius, won the tender. The groundbreaking took place in 1883.

The church resembles Saint Basil cathedral in Moscow. The church is built of red brick and crowned with multicolored, enameled, gilded domes; the ensemble resembles a brightly colored folk costume.

At the top of the carved frames of the windows, a series of plat bands rises in the form of Kokoshnik(women’s headdress). The base of the bell tower has the appearance of a tilted stove with tiny square caissons.

The tiny square caissons represent the coat of arms of one of the Russian provinces that donated funds for the construction and they are 134 in total.

The cathedral differs from other St. Petersburg structures. The city architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but Church on the Blood is Medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism.

3. The Church Contains Over 7500 Square Meters of Unique Mosaics

Interior of the Church of the Saviour on the Blood, St Petersburg. Photo by Peter Mulligan on

The church was built 24 years. Its dedication was delayed due to the difficulty of the mosaic by hereditary mosaicist Vladimir Frolov. He spends ten years perfecting the mosaics.

The luxurious mosaics covered around 7065 sq. meters making it one of the largest mosaic exhibitions in Europe. The walls and ceiling inside the church are entirely covered in an intricately detailed mosaic.

The mosque’s main pictures are biblical scenes or figures but with outstanding patterned borders setting off each picture. The finest artist who did the mosaic works in the Russian Empire; were Mikhail Vrubel, Viktor Vasnetsor, and chief architect Alfred Alexandrovich Parland.

4. The Church on the Blood Served as A Morgue During World War II

During the Russian Revolution, the church was looted and ransacked, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in 1932.

During World War II, when many people were starving due to the siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was converted as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat from illness and starvation.

After the war, the church was used as a warehouse for vegetables. It was given the sarcastic name of the savior on potatoes. Also, a local theater used the cathedral as a warehouse for stage scenery and pops.

In 1950, the authorities attempted to dismantle the church saying it slowed down traffic, but the public protested and was saved with its restoration.

5. The Church Housed an Unexploded German Shell for Nearly 20 Years

During the war, German troops repeatedly shelled the church wall causing serious damage to the wall, which complicated the restoration process afterward.

When the restoration was going on in 1961, workers discovered a 240mm high explosive shell in one of the walls. Luckily it had not exploded.

The shell lay dormant and unnoticed for nearly two decades. Its removal was handled carefully by a detonation crew full of specialists.

6. It Operated As A Church for a Brief Time

When the mosaics were completely fitted, the cathedral was finally dedicated in 1907. The official dedication was attended by the new Emperor Nicholas II, grandson of Alexander I.

The church had no parish and gave no access to the public mass. The entry to the church was strictly controlled and the state allocated money for its upkeep.

After the 1917 revolution, the authorities cut off the financing, forcing the church to take charge of its expenses and set up a parish.

The local priest refused to cooperate with the Soviet authorities and in 1930, the church was closed and its bells were melted down.

7. The Church Is Now Museum

Photo by Ad Maskens on

Nowadays, the church on the Blood operates as a museum. On weekdays tourists come over to view and have a close look at the mosaic.

Tourists also see a section of pavement entrained inside the building where the wounded tsar fell. Services are held here but only on weekends and church holidays.

8. The Church on the Blood Was Restored for 27 Years

In the late 1960s, the church was recognized as an architectural monument. In July 1970, management of the church passed to saint Isaac’s cathedral and it was used as a museum.

The profits from the church funded the restoration journey. People used to joke that as soon as the construction trestles outside were removed, the soviet regime would fall.

Almost to the end of its reconstruction, a famous event happened, ending the communist regime. The restoration ended in 1997.

9. The Restoration of The Church Holy Gates

The State Museum of St Isaac’s cathedral began the recreation of the Holy Gates, which were permanently lost in the 1920s during the Soviet period.

The gates were entirely produced with enamels based on the pictures and lithography of the time. The holy gates were designed by V.J Nikolsky and S.G Kochetova and reified by the famous enamel artist L. Solomnikova and her workshop.

Bishop Amvrosij of Gatdina celebrated the dedication of these new holy gates on March 14, 2012, on the 129th anniversary of Alexander II’S assassination.

10. The Church on the Blood Has Been Incorporated in The Popular Culture

The church is featured in the alternate history Comic DC Comic Bombshell as the location where Hugo strange creates power Giri on behalf of the Soviet government during the sledge of Leningrad.

Finally, the Church was visited during the seventieth season of the CBS reality show. The Amazing Race hosted a pit stop during the third season of the Australian variant The Amazing Race Australia.