Visiting the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg is one of the TOP places to see in Russia! Outside and inside, the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood is worth a visit. In this article, I will show you why visiting the interior of this cathedral is one of the top places to see in Saint Petersburg, as well as giving practical information on the times and the price of the entrance tickets to the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood.
Good to know! Currently, the Church is under renovation (only outside). The main dome is covered. These works are planned until 2025. All the domes will not be covered at the same time, the works will move progressively.
Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg: what is inside?
Nevsky Avenue is the main avenue of Saint Petersburg and it is from this avenue that we see two imposing cathedrals: Kazan Cathedral and Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood. However the place where you stay in St Petersburg, you will go there. You will then go along the Griboyedov canal to find yourself at the foot of the church, the height of which is 81 meters. This figure refers to a date that we will discover below. But what do we see inside?
Mosaics, mosaics, mosaics
The total area of the interior mosaics of Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg is 7056 m²! More expensive than painting, the mosaic is on the other hand more resistant to time.
Thirty-two masters worked on the interior of the Church, which was then entirely made entirely of mosaics! There are some differences between the representations: some are academic, others have more modern features.
We see the main element of the floor, but the rest is covered with a carpet that protects it. On the other hand, unfortunately, we cannot contemplate the ground as a whole. I think we could then achieve harmony between the mosaics and the floor. The soil is, moreover, created by a team of Italian masters.
The iconostasis inside the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood
I was very surprised when I learned that the iconostasis is made of marble! If you look closely, you can see a gradient from brown to dark yellow. The top of the iconostasis has fine elements. I never thought it would be made of marble.
The power of beauty
I would like to use here a quote from Dostoevsky: “Beauty will save the world”. The interior of the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood in Saint Petersburg literally leaves us speechless. The colors, their intensity, as well as the light create this powerful beauty. You will say to me, if you felt the same thing?
The weight of history
Inside the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood of Saint Petersburg, we also see the place of the assassination of Alexander II by anarchist groups. This is also the origin of the cathedral. We are literally on a place where the blood was shed, the blood of the tsar.
Why is this event in the history of Russia tragic? Open to changes and the gentle erasure of autocracy, Alexander II then created laws freeing serfdom and was preparing to make major reforms, it is also called “The Liberator”. On March 13, 1881, four anarchists detonated two bombs against the Tsar. The first fails and, when Alexander approaches the victims and wishes to attack the terrorist himself, the second bomb explodes and kills him.
It was under the orders of his son Alexander III that the Church has been constructed. Alexander III abandons his father’s ideas. He was the penultimate emperor of Russia and less than four decades later the Russian Revolution broke out.
Practical information for visiting the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg
Summer is the peak tourist season in St Petersburg and especially the White Nights. Outside this period, in our experience, we hardly hear any other languages than Russian spoken on the streets. The wait at the entrance to the main monuments, including the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood, was then almost non-existent.
Opening hours
It is possible to visit the cathedral every day from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Wednesday.
From May 1 to September 30, the cathedral is also open in the evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday closed.
Entry tickets
Tickets are not excessive and rather reasonable. You can buy tickets once on site in cash or by card. Indeed, the official site of the cathedrals of St Petersburg is badly made, but also completely in Russian. En general, there is not much line for buying for the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood tickets.
| Day entry ticket | Audioguide in English | Evening entry ticket |
| 350 rubles | 200 rubles | 400 rubles |
Good to know. The entrance fee to the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood is 100 rubles for children under 18 and free for children under 7.
The Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood is one of our TOP 5 places to visit in Saint Petersburg, including the State Hermitage Museum and the Peterhof Palace.
3-hour guided tours in English. Visit the Church of Saint Savior with a guide is very interesting if you like to learn the history of the place deeper.
Classical music concerts inside the church
Classical music concerts are held from time to time in other locations in St. Petersburg, such as Smolny or St. Isaac’s Cathedral. It is difficult to find tickets, but it is possible.
Hope this post will help you to find out about how to buy the Church of Saint Savior on Spilled Blood tickets, what to see inside and prepare your visit. Do not hesitate to discover other posts of our blog! 🙂 Have a nice trip!
For a great trip in St Petersburg:
- Public transport and taxi: how does it work in St Petersburg?
- Visiting St Petersburg in 2 or 5 days
- Discovering St Petersburg on boat
- TOP things to do in St Petersburg: what to see in 2 or 5 days?
