The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood which is also referred to as the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is situated in the very heart of St-Petersburg within one minute walk from Nevskiy Prospect - the main street of the city.
Surrounded by outstanding 18th century Baroque buildings, the Cathedral definitely stands out with its typically Russian-style decor and bears a striking resemblance to the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed (Saint Basil's Cathedral) located on the Red Square in Moscow.
When we go back to the history of the Cathedral, it becomes clear why it was named in this way. The Church on Spilled Blood was actually built on the spilled blood of the Russian tsar Alexander II who was fatally wounded here on March 13, 1881. Thus, the construction of the Cathedral was dedicated to his memory.
Alexander II managed to carry out a number of far-reaching military, judicial and other reforms so needed in Russia at the time. One of his greatest achievements was definitely the abolishment of personal serfdom in the country. But not everyone was happy about his system of reforms. Having survived several attempts on his life (an explosion in the Winter Palace and the derailment of a train), the tsar was killed by a bomb thrown at his royal carriage.
Nowadays the Church is one of the main tourist attractions in St-Petersburg. After having been covered with scaffolding for nearly 30 years, it reopened to visitors in 1997 and now functions as a Museum of Mosaic.
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