You know the Sistine Chapel and the Notre Dame in Paris, but do you know the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood?
Because it’s one of the most beautiful churches in the whole world.
Located in St. Petersburg, Russia, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is a Russian Orthodox church that was built in the late 19th century under the direction of the Russian imperial family. It is built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally injured in March of 1881.
It is full of bright colors, twisting spires, and floor to ceiling icons.
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Here’s what it looks like on the outside (you can click any image to view it full size):
And if you walk inside and look up, here’s what you see:
See what I mean about being jaw-droppingly beautiful??
And yes, this place really exists.
Unfortunately, it is not used as a full-time church. During the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the church was looted and damaged. The Soviet government closed the church in the 1930s. It suffered further damage during WWII.
Since 1970s, it has been used as a museum, even after a major restoration of the church in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s.
But it can still inspire people’s faith with its beauty!
Here are more pictures of both the exterior and interior. Enjoy!
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