Church on the Spilled Blood

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi) is one of the main sights of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Other names include the Church on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь на Крови, Tserkov’ na Krovi), the Temple of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Храм Спаса на Крови, Khram Spasa na Krovi), and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Russian: Собор Воскресения Христова, Sobor Voskreseniya Khristova).

This was one of three huge churches we visited today; I’ve wanted to see inside it since our first visit to St Petersburg several years ago. It was hard to get decent photos - it’s Sunday, it’s warm and sunny, everyone and his auntie was visiting churches - but this is the iconostasis. I learned a lot today - our guide was knowledgeable, fluent, and enthusiastic and told us a good deal about wartime damage during the siege of Leningrad. Some of the damage has been deliberately kept to show what it was like, but apparently German bombers were deceived by grey paint (over golden domes) and netting.

During this trip, I had a text telling me that an icon I’ve commissioned ( of St Andrew) is finished; it felt rather fine to have this knowledge as we went round.

Now we’re leaving the mouth of the Neva on our way back to sea, and I hope to post this before we lose contact...