Russia; St. Petersburg - The Church of Spilled Blood.

When one thinks of iconic Russian churches with the classic, brightly colored onion domes, one tends to think of St. Basil's on Red Square in Moscow. St. Petersburg is not to be outdone, however. They have a church which is every bit as spectacular as St. Basil's. In fact it may be more beautiful. It is called the Church of Spilled Blood.

It has a real name, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, but its existence is owed to the fact of spilled blood. It's not really a church it seems. The guidebook says it has never been used for services. It was built as a shrine to the memory of Alexander II.  The Czar was assassinated in 1881.  The spot on which he was killed is preserved as it was when he was killed. The streets cobble stones are there, over which a small shrine was built, then surrounded by the massive shine which is the church. The church itself is an intricate work of art.

Inside the decoration is mainly mosaics. As is typical of churches of this period, the mosaics depict the saints and the gospel. These mosaics climb the walls and in the dome is a massive Christ looking down on you. The alter is another typical yet exquisite example of Russian orthodox iconography. It is a fantastic setting. It is astonishing that it would be built with such care and expense and then not used. In fact it may have had more use during the Soviet era when it was a museum of atheism or during the siege of Leningrad, when it was used to store potatoes. Today it sees a steady stream of tourists and brides. Wedding parties use its exteriors for photo shoots. Another interesting note, surrounding the exterior of the church are a series of plaques commemorating Alexander II’s rule and his many accomplishments. They are notable. He was a progressive ruler by Russian standards. It is ironic that his attempt at progress were not enough for his enemies to choose to spare him.