The Cathedral of the Resurrection

The Cathedral of the Resurrection, so unlike other churches in St Petersburg, is well seen from Nevsky Prospekt. Stylized in the spirit of whimsically decorated early Russian architecture, it is especially reminiscent of the Cathedral of St Basil the Blessed in Moscow.

The stylizing "Russian trend" prominent in the late nineteenth century corresponded to the policy in the field of architecture carried out by the Russian Emperors Alexander II and especially Alexander III. The Cathedral of the Resurrection is an eloquent example of the Russian style. Its position at the embankment of the Catherine Canal is not accidental - it was on this spot that Ignaty Grinevitsky, a terrorist from the People's Will organization, mortally wounded the Emperor-Liberator. For this reason the cathedral is commonly known as "Our Saviour-on-the-Spilt-Blood". The place of the tragic accident is included into the inner volume of the cathedral and because of that it stands right on the bank of the canal. Inscribed under the dome of the bell-tower is a part of St Basil's prayer conveying the idea of repentance that underlies this architectural memorial. At first, a temporary chapel was erected on the spot of the regicide and a competition for a project of the memorial cathedral was announced. The architect Alfred Parland and the Archimandrite Ignaty (Malyshev) won the competition. Legend has it that the archimandrite had a vision of the Virgin in a dream and She showed him how the cathedral should look like. The ceremony of its foundation took place in 1883 and 24 years later it was consecrated. The memorial cathedral, despite its tragic role - to preserve the memory of the murdered Emperor, has a rather festive look. Its five domes, covered with gilt sheets and varicoloured enamels, glisten with bright colours and gold in any weather. The tallest dome of the cathedral soars to the height of 81 metres. The facades of the cathedral with small columns, window surrounds, cornices and kokosbniks (decorative arched gables) are faced with marble, granite and bricks of various shades, while the domes of the tent-shaped roofing, porches and apses are covered with glazed varicoloured tiles. A magnificent canopy crowned by a cross made of topaz covers the spot where the Emperor's blood was shed. The canopy and icon mounts are unique examples of jewellery and stone-carving. The twenty plaques fixed on the basement bear carved inscriptions of the major events and decrees associated with the rule of Alexander II.

The fine railing, one of the most beautiful in the entire St Petersburg, highlights the passage near the cathedral skirting it in a semicircle. The railing links the cathedral into a single whole with the Mikhailovsky Garden. The elaborate figure-shaped pillars of the railing faced with decorative bricks and its whimsically curving elegant patterns in the Art Nouveau style, recalling the branches of some rare plant and intertwining into a mysterious monogram, happily combine with the outward appearance of the cathedral.

The four porches of "Our Saviour-on-the-Spilt-Blood", the facade and interiors of the cathedral are covered with beautiful mosaics of supreme workmanship. The mosaic decoration of the cathedral is the only large collection of examples of this kind of art in Russia dating from modern times. Their overall area is about 7,000 square metres. The mosaics were created in the workshops of the Frolov Brothers after sketches by Victor Vasnetsov, Milhail Nesterov, Andrei Riabushkin and others. Most of the walls bear representations of Gospel subjects. The mosaics of the nave show the earthly life of the Saviour, the western part is devoted to the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection, while the eastern part features scenes after the Resurrection.

The cathedral never served as a usual parish church and an access to it was limited. It was not used for baptism, funeral or other religious services, but preaches were read in it and services in honour of the Emperor were held on the day when he was killed. After the Revolution of 1917 the cathedral became accessible to everybody and its decor was greatly damaged. The mosaic floors, which had the upper layer of marble plaques merely five millimetres thick, were nearly destroyed. In 1930 the cathedral was closed and before the war there were even intentions to demolish it. In 1956 the building was given the status of a monument of architecture and in 1970 it became a branch of the Museum of St Isaac's Cathedral.