# Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St Petersburg > St Petersburg’s most colourful church, on the Griboyedov Canal, built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Today it is a museum with over 7,000 m² of mosaics inside. Open 10:00–18:00, closed Wednesdays; a ticket costs 700 ₽ and under-7s go free. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood - City: [St Petersburg](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg), Russia - YesGo score: 75/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket: 700 ₽ - Ages 7–18: 300 ₽ - ISIC card: 330 ₽ - Under 7: Free, with an adult - Opening hours: 10:00–18:00, ticket office until 17:30 - Closed: Wednesdays and 1 January (open daily in Russian school holidays except summer, and on public holidays) - Summer evenings: 1 May–30 Sep, 18:00–21:30, last entry 21:00, no guided tours; 800 ₽, no discounts - Audio guide: 300 ₽, in English and 10 other languages - Museum guide in English: 5,000 ₽ per group of up to 15 - Paying: Roubles in cash or a Russian card — foreign Visa and Mastercard don’t work in Russia - Bell tower scaffolding: Due to come down by 1 January 2027, says the museum - Metro: Nevsky Prospekt / Gostiny Dvor, ≈ 7–10 min walk - Coordinates: 59.94000, 30.32861 - Facts checked: 29.10.2026 ## Key facts - **13 March 1881** — Alexander II was fatally wounded on this spot (1 March, Old Style) (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; official St Isaac’s Cathedral museum website) - **7,000+ m²** — of mosaics inside and out (source: Official St Isaac’s Cathedral museum website, “Mosaic”; Russian Wikipedia) - **1883–1907** — 24 years to build; consecrated in 1907 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **81 m** — tall (source: Russian Wikipedia; KudaGo guide) - **9 domes** — with a tent-roofed central tower (source: Official museum website, “Architecture”; Russian Wikipedia) - **Alfred Parland** — and Archimandrite Ignaty (Malyshev), the architects (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **32 artists** — designed the mosaics, including Viktor Vasnetsov and Mikhail Nesterov (source: Official museum website, “Mosaic”; Russian Wikipedia) - **134 coats of arms** — of Russian provinces and towns in mosaic on the bell tower (source: Official museum website, “Mosaic”) - **1961** — an unexploded 240 mm German bomb was found in the central dome and defused (source: Russian Wikipedia) - **1997** — reopened as a museum after decades of restoration (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; official museum website) > **Closed on Wednesdays** The church is shut every **Wednesday** and on 1 January. The only exceptions are Russian school holidays (except summer) and public holidays, when it opens daily. If Wednesday is your only free day in the centre, swap it for [Kazan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kazan-cathedral), a five-minute walk away and open daily. ## Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood tickets and prices A standard ticket is **700 ₽**. Ages 7–18 pay 300 ₽, ISIC card holders 330 ₽, and **children under 7 go free** with an adult. Other concessions — pensioners, students of Russian universities, the free third Thursday — are for Russian and Belarusian citizens only. The audio guide costs 300 ₽ and comes in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Turkish and Finnish. A museum guide in English is 5,000 ₽ per group of up to 15. Summer evening tickets are 800 ₽ with no discounts. Buy at the ticket office by the church or on the official website of the St Isaac’s Cathedral museum, which runs both churches. **Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards haven’t worked in Russia since March 2022**, so the online shop won’t take them — bring roubles in cash or a Russian card for the ticket office. ## Opening hours The church opens **10:00–18:00**, with the ticket office closing at 17:30. It is closed on Wednesdays and 1 January, but stays open daily during Russian school holidays (outside summer) and on public holidays. From 1 May to 30 September there’s an **evening session, 18:00–21:30** (last entry 21:00). There are no guided tours then, but the tour groups are gone too — and during the White Nights the light inside is soft and lovely. The museum warns that hours can change for technical reasons, so check its official site on the day if this is a must-see for you. > **Scaffolding on the bell tower** The bell tower and parts of the facade are being restored. In June 2026 the museum said the scaffolding should come down by 1 January 2027. The interior is open as usual, but your outside photos will show some netting. For a clean shot, try the east side from the Mikhailovsky Garden. ## Is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood worth visiting? **Yes — and go inside.** Plenty of visitors photograph the onion domes from Nevsky Prospekt and walk on. The real reason to come is the interior: every wall, arch and dome is covered in mosaic icons, floor to ceiling. Nothing else in St Petersburg looks like it. It’s small and easy: one hall, 45 minutes to an hour. If you only have time for one church interior in the city, YesGo would pick this one over [St Isaac’s Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) — unless you specifically want St Isaac’s view from the colonnade. It’s less worth it on a Wednesday (closed) or if you can only get there at 17:40 — the ticket office has already shut. ## Why is it called “Spilled Blood”? Because it stands on the exact spot where **Tsar Alexander II was assassinated**. On 13 March 1881 (1 March by the old calendar), a member of the revolutionary group People’s Will threw a bomb at his feet on the canal embankment. He died in the Winter Palace the same afternoon. His son, Alexander III, wanted a church built right there. To fit the spot inside, the building juts out into the canal. Inside, under a canopy by the west wall, you can still see **the original cobblestones and canal railing** where the tsar fell. Its official name is the Church of the Resurrection of Christ; you’ll also see it spelt “Saviour on Spilt Blood” or “Savior on the Blood”. ## What to see inside - **The mosaics** — over 7,000 m² of them, set by the Frolov workshop from designs by 32 artists, including Viktor Vasnetsov and Mikhail Nesterov. - **The shrine over the assassination spot** — cobblestones and railing from 1881 under a carved canopy. - **The marble iconostasis**, with mosaic icons; its lost “topaz” crosses were returned in 2026. - **The central tower** — stand under it and look up at Christ Pantocrator high above. - **The Iveron chapel-sacristy** next door — a small separate museum with its own hours. - Outside: **134 mosaic coats of arms** on the bell tower and **20 red granite plaques** recording Alexander II’s deeds. ## A short history Building started in **1883** to designs by Alfred Parland and Archimandrite Ignaty, and took 24 years; the church was consecrated in **1907**. It deliberately imitates 16th–17th-century Moscow churches, which is why it reminds people of St Basil’s. The Soviets closed it in the early 1930s (sources give 1930 or 1932). During the Siege of Leningrad it served as a morgue, and later as a theatre’s scenery store. In **1961** workers found an unexploded German bomb lodged in the central dome. In 1970 it passed to the St Isaac’s Cathedral museum, and after decades of restoration it opened to visitors in **August 1997**. Services resumed in 2004, usually early on feast days before museum hours. ## How to get to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood 1. Take the metro to **Nevsky Prospekt** (line 2, blue) or **Gostiny Dvor** (line 3, green) and use the Griboyedov Canal exit. Walk north along the canal from Nevsky — the domes are in view the whole way, 7–10 minutes. 2. From **Palace Square** or **Admiralteyskaya** metro (line 5, purple): walk east along Nevsky to the canal and turn left, about 15 minutes. 3. From Kazan Cathedral: cross Nevsky and follow the canal, about 7 minutes. 4. From the [Russian Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/russian-museum): cut through the Mikhailovsky Garden, about 5 minutes — the prettiest approach in summer. 5. Don’t drive: parking in the centre is scarce and the embankment is narrow. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It isn’t Wednesday or 1 January - [ ] At the ticket office by 17:30 (summer evenings: by 21:00) - [ ] Roubles in cash or a Russian card — foreign Visa and Mastercard don’t work - [ ] Your own earphones for the audio guide - [ ] ISIC card, if you have one - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered — it is still a church ## Spilled Blood vs St Isaac’s vs Kazan Cathedral | | Spilled Blood | St Isaac’s Cathedral | Kazan Cathedral | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Mosaic museum on the assassination site | Giant cathedral-museum with a colonnade | Working cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt | | Highlight | Mosaics from floor to domes | Scale, malachite, rooftop view | Curved colonnade outside | | Entry | 700 ₽ ticket | Separate ticket, same museum | Free | | Time needed | 45 min–1 h | 1–1.5 h with the colonnade | 15–30 min | One interior only? Make it Spilled Blood. Go to St Isaac’s for the view over the city, and pop into Kazan Cathedral on the way — it’s free. ## St Petersburg’s churches compared Every church and monastery in St Petersburg rated by YesGo. - [Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood) — YesGo score 75/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 700 ₽, under 7 free - [Peter and Paul Fortress](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peter-and-paul-fortress) — YesGo score 74/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Grounds free, cathedral 1,000 ₽ - [Kazan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kazan-cathedral) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [St Isaac's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽ - [Kronstadt](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kronstadt) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Free, museums extra - [Alexander Nevsky Lavra](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/alexander-nevsky-lavra) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, necropolises 200–400 ₽ ## Spilled Blood and the centre in half a day Kazan Cathedral, up the Griboyedov Canal to Spilled Blood, through the Mikhailovsky Garden to the Russian Museum, past Mikhailovsky Castle to the Summer Garden. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Kazan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kazan-cathedral) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free 2. [Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood) — YesGo score 75/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 700 ₽, under 7 free 3. [State Russian Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/russian-museum) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · from 700 ₽ 4. [Mikhailovsky Castle](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mikhailovsky-castle) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 700 ₽ 5. [Summer Garden](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/summer-garden) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free > **The best photo spot** The postcard shot is from Nevsky Prospekt by the Singer House, looking straight up the canal to the church. Before 10:00 the embankment is almost empty. Many canal boat tours also pass right by it — a good angle after dark. ## Good to know Don’t mix it up with the Church on the Blood in Yekaterinburg, built where the last tsar’s family was shot in 1918, or with St Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow — Spilled Blood copies its style but was built more than 300 years later. ## Tips - Be there at 10:00: by midday tour groups queue at the ticket office. - In summer, try the evening session after 18:00 — no groups, though the ticket is 800 ₽. - Look up: the best mosaics are on the vaults and domes, not at eye level. - Pair it with the Russian Museum — five minutes away through the Mikhailovsky Garden. - Walk the [Griboyedov Canal](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/griboyedov-canal) back to Nevsky, past the Singer House and Kazan Cathedral. ## Questions ### How much are tickets to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood? 700 ₽ for adults, 300 ₽ for ages 7–18, 330 ₽ with an ISIC card, free for under-7s with an adult. The audio guide is 300 ₽ extra. ### What are the opening hours? 10:00–18:00 with last tickets at 17:30. Closed Wednesdays and 1 January. From 1 May to 30 September it also opens 18:00–21:30. ### Is it open on Wednesday? No — Wednesday is the closing day, except during Russian school holidays (not summer) and public holidays. ### Can I pay by card? Not with a foreign one: Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad don’t work in Russia. Bring roubles in cash or use a Russian bank card. ### How long do you need there? 45 minutes to an hour inside, around 1.5 hours with the audio guide and photos outside. ### What is the nearest metro station? Nevsky Prospekt (line 2) and Gostiny Dvor (line 3), linked underground. From the Griboyedov Canal exit it’s a 7–10-minute walk along the canal. ### Why is it called the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood? It was built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was mortally wounded by a bomb in 1881. The cobblestones where he fell are preserved inside. ### Is there a dress code? It’s run as a museum, but it is a consecrated church. Covered shoulders and knees are the respectful choice; a headscarf is only expected at services. ### Is it still a working church? Partly. Services resumed in 2004 and are held on some days, usually early in the morning before museum hours. Most of the time it’s a museum. ## How we checked Prices, hours, closing days, the evening session and services come from the official St Isaac’s Cathedral museum website on 29.10.2026. The scaffolding date is the museum press office’s, as reported by Fontanka, so that row is marked “verifying”. Sources disagree on when the Soviets closed the church — 1930 (Russian Wikipedia) or 1932 (English Wikipedia) — so we give both. Mosaic area: the museum says “over 7,000 m²”, Wikipedia 7,065 m², some guides 7,500 m²; we use the museum’s wording. The museum counts 134 coats of arms; popular articles often say 144 — we use the museum’s figure. Walking times are our estimate from the map; the dress-code answer is YesGo’s advice, not a published museum rule. ## Sources - Official website of the St Isaac’s Cathedral State Museum-Monument: opening hours, prices, “Architecture” and “Mosaic” pages for the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, 29.10.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Church of the Savior on Blood; Wikidata Q215208 - Fontanka, 17.06.2026: bell tower scaffolding timetable, citing the museum’s press office - Delovoy Peterburg, 03.06.2026: return of the iconostasis crosses - KudaGo guide: Spas na Krovi - Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.