St Petersburg Part 7 - The Church on Spilled Blood

After our boat ride, we walked to our coach along the canal shown in the last entry, then drove a short distance to the ‘Church on Spilled Blood’ (which has several other names as well). What is the story behind an intriguing name like that? 

The church was built by Alexander III on the site where his father, Emperor Alexander II, was fatally wounded in 1881. Apparently Alexander II was riding in his carriage alongside a canal when an anarchist threw a bomb at him. Shaken but unhurt, he stepped out of his carriage to deal with the presumed culprit when a second man threw another bomb at him. This killed the first man and fatally wounded the Emperor, who was carried to the Winter Palace where he died a few hours later. 

The canal was narrowed so that the church could incorporate the exact spot where the emperor was injured, including the actual cobblestones that were underneath his feet. It looks some time to build. Until then, a temporary memorial was erected on the site.  

Since then, the church has suffered a lot of damage. When the communists took over it was used to store fruit and vegetables. (shades of Estonia where the Soviets converted churches to warehouses.) During WW2 it was damaged by German bombs but was used as a temporary morgue. Fortunately, in 1970, it was made a state museum and its administration and care were placed in the hands of St Isaac’s Cathedral, which we saw later in the day. By then it required years of restoration work.

Today, the church has the most magnificent onion-shaped domes that are characteristic of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is full of beautiful mosaics and its lofty heights fill you with awe. The spot the the emperor died is displayed in a simple and reverent way. The church is very worth visiting.

But outside we were surprised to find an almost carnival atmosphere and huge crowds. Visiting soccer stars and fans were being treated to a special market and loud entertainment. There were even people dressed up as cartoon characters. I wonder what Alexander III and his beloved father would have thought of that. 

The first four photos show the incredible roof and facade of the church. I have enlarged the two photos of the memorial to Alexander II (the photo before the sign and the last photo) and the photo of the accompanying explanatory sign. (This was the only time I saw such a sign.)