The Savior-on-the-Blood
This marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated on March 1 in 1881. Constructed between 1883 and 1907, the church was designed in the spirit of sixteenth- and seventeenth century Russian architecture, inspired particularly by St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. The interior of the church, a memorial to the late Emperor Alexander II, was decorated with different shades of marble and several thousand square yards of mosaic.
After the October Revolution of 1917 the church met the sad fate the vast majority of the country's churches and was closed for services in the late 1920s. It was suggested many times that the church be torn down. It is a miracle that the church survived this period. This has to be one of the city's most beautiful sights and a great spot for taking pictures. There are also lots of souvenir stalls nearby.
Address: Griboyedov channel, 2a; Kanal Griboyedova/Nevsky prospect metro station
