Urban legends: Spas-on-Blood. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: mysticism and legends Spas avoided demolition and bombs
Savior on Spilled Blood - a famous Orthodox church in St. Petersburg, its recognizable symbol and business card all over the world, with a beautiful design, due to which it is called a mosaic museum - was built in memory of the fact that on this site on March 13, 1881 as a result of assassination attempt, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded.
The expression on the blood indicates the blood of the king. This is a memorial single-altar church in the name of the Resurrection of Christ; erected as a monument to the martyr tsar with funds raised throughout Russia. Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the most striking sights of St. Petersburg. Built under dramatic circumstances, the cathedral itself witnessed no less sad events.
Known Facts about the Savior on Spilled Blood
The initiator of the erection of the memorial building was the City Duma of St. Petersburg, which proposed to build a chapel on the site of the wounded king. This idea was supported by the son of the deceased emperor, Alexander III, and already on April 17, 1881, on the birthday of Alexander II, a wooden chapel designed by Leonty Nikolaevich Benois was consecrated.
In this chapel, a memorial service for the repose of the soul of the emperor was served daily. At this place, the chapel existed until the beginning of the construction of the temple - in 1883. The modern temple was erected by decree of Emperor Alexander III in 1883-1907 according to the joint project of the architect Alfred Parland and Archimandrite Ignatius (Malyshev), who later abandoned the construction.
The project is made in the "Russian style", somewhat reminiscent of Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral. The construction lasted 24 years, on August 19, 1907 the cathedral was consecrated. During the construction of the temple, new construction technologies were applied, the temple building was fully electrified. The temple was illuminated by 1689 electric lamps.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the area around the Church of the Savior on Blood was reconstructed. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood has the status of a museum, it is part of the museum complex of the State Museum-Monument "St. Isaac's Cathedral".
Fatal prediction and assassination attempt on the king
Alexander II Nikolaevich - Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland (1855-1881) from the Romanov dynasty. The eldest son, first of the grand-ducal, and since 1825 of the imperial couple, Nikolai Pavlovich and Alexandra Feodorovna.
Alexander II was predicted that it was the 8th assassination attempt that would lead him to death. There were 6 attempts on the life of Alexander II, on the same day, March 13 (March 1, according to the old style), 1881, the 7th and 8th attempts were made, the last or 8th caused his death.
The very first attempt on the life of the emperor was the shot of the nobleman Dmitry Karakozov in the Summer Garden on April 17 (April 4 O.S.) April 1866. By a lucky chance, the emperor was saved by the peasant Osip Komissarov.
In 1867, during a visit to Paris, the leader of the Polish liberation movement, Anton Berezovsky, attempted on the emperor. In 1879, the populist revolutionary Alexander Solovyov tried to shoot the emperor with several revolver shots, but missed.
The underground terrorist organization "Narodnaya Volya" purposefully and systematically prepared regicide. The terrorists blew up the tsarist train near Aleksandrovsk and Moscow, and then in the Winter Palace itself. The explosion in the Winter Palace forced the authorities to take extraordinary measures.
To fight the revolutionaries, the Supreme Administrative Commission was formed, headed by the then popular and authoritative General Mikhail Loris-Melikov, who actually received dictatorial powers. He took harsh measures to combat the revolutionary-terrorist movement.
At the same time, he pursued a policy of bringing the government closer to the "well-intentioned" circles of Russian society. So, under him in 1880, the Third Branch of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery was abolished. Police functions were concentrated in the Police Department, formed within the Ministry of the Interior.
On March 14 (March 1, O.S.), 1881, as a result of a new attack by the Narodnaya Volya, Alexander II was mortally wounded on the Ekaterininsky Canal (now the Griboyedov Canal) in St. Petersburg. The explosion of the first bomb thrown by Nikolai Rysakov damaged the royal carriage, wounded several guards and passers-by, but Alexander II survived.
Then another thrower, Ignatius Grinevitsky, came close to the tsar and threw a bomb at his feet. Alexander II died a few hours later in the Winter Palace and was buried in the family tomb of the Romanov dynasty in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. On the site of the assassination attempt of Alexander II in 1907, the Church of the Savior on Blood was erected.
Embankment gap and conspiracy
As you know, St. Petersburg was built according to the strictest architectural rules and canons, but even here the temple does not fit into the general rules. Its location, literally, "hangs" over the canal, tearing apart the embankment.
After the consecration of the Church of the Savior on Blood, mystical legends appeared. Many people believed that the new temple could save them from troubles. There was such a prayer-conspiracy among the people:
Savior, Savior on Blood!
Save us, save us!
From the rain, from the knife
From the wolf, from the fool
From the darkness of the night
From the crooked road...
Some townspeople said that sometimes you can hear the groans of the murdered emperor.
At one time, the location of the temple played an important role in its history: they say that in order to save the decoration of the temple from the Bolsheviks, the townspeople removed the crosses from it and lowered them to the very bottom of the Griboyedov Canal. Subsequently, when the danger had passed, and the Savior on Spilled Blood began to be restored, but they could not find the crosses that crowned the temple, a curious incident occurred.
A passer-by who knew the legend approached the restoration team and advised them to look for decorations in the water. The workers decided to try and sent a team of divers to explore the bottom - to everyone's surprise, the crosses turned out to be exactly where the stranger indicated.
Spas avoided demolition and bombs
Before the war, the temple miraculously escaped demolition, although all the preparations, including the laying of explosives, were carried out. During the siege of Leningrad, a mortuary was placed in the temple, in which were the bodies of Leningraders who died from starvation or from shelling.
However, shells and bombs flew past the cathedral in an incredible way, as if it really was under a spell. In the 1960s, while examining the domes of the temple, they found the only bomb that still hit the temple. Hit but didn't explode. A five-hundred-kilogram bomb seemed to lie on the hands of the Savior.
Savior on Spilled Blood and the collapse of the Union
In Khrushchev's times, the temple was again under the threat of demolition - it could share the fate of hundreds of blown up churches in St. Petersburg. However, providence intervened here, which saved the temple from destruction. Rumors say that the souls of the deceased Leningraders saved the temple from demolition. And some argue that the mysterious signs of equilateral crosses inscribed on the kokoshniks of the windows protect it from destruction.
For the restoration of the temple in 1970, scaffolding was installed around its walls, but the restoration was delayed. By the mid-1980s, rumors began to circulate that Soviet rule would last until the scaffolding was removed from the temple. You can believe it or not, but they were removed just on the eve of the 1991 coup.
The mystery of numbers in the Savior on Blood
The last giving speaks of a wonderful icon, which shows fatal dates for the history of Russia: 1917, 1941, 1953. According to this giving, if you look closely, you can see the following years, but so far no one has been able to decipher them. Perhaps this is for the best, since the secret should remain a secret.
The magic of numbers really exists, and the St. Petersburg temple quite successfully proves this - for example, guides who want to add some mystical charm often turn to numerology and talk about the fact that the height of the central structure is 81 meters, which fully corresponds to the year of the death of Alexander II , and another number 63 - not only the height to which one of the domes rises, but also the age of the emperor at the time of the attempt on his life.
Mosaic - the largest collection
Many people know that one of the main churches of the Northern capital, the Savior on Spilled Blood, inside is a real museum of mosaics, the area of which is 7065 square meters. The mosaic was created in the workshop of V. A. Frolov according to sketches by more than 30 artists, among whom were such as V. M. Vasnetsov, F. S. Zhuravlev, M. V. Nesterov, A. P. Ryabushkin, V. V. Belyaev , N. N. Kharlamov. The mosaic exposition of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the largest collections in Europe.
The mosaic work delayed the consecration by 10 years. The solemn laying of the temple took place in October 1883. Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky) consecrated the Savior on Blood on August 19, 1907, on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, also known as the Second Savior, in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II and other members of the Imperial House. The entire construction cost 4.6 million rubles.
The restoration of the Church of the Resurrection lasted more than 27 years and was completed in 1997. Crosses, domes, tiles, facades - all this was restored by Leningrad master restorers for many years. Restoration of the mosaic on an area of 7,000 m2 lasted 14 years. On August 19, 1997, the cathedral was opened as a museum as part of the St. Isaac's Cathedral museum complex.
Years later, on May 23, 2004, the temple was re-consecrated and the first liturgy in a long time was held in it. Since September 2010, regular services have been held in the temple.
- Address: St. Petersburg, nab. Griboedov Canal, 2
- Nearest metro station: Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor, Admiralteyskaya
The Cathedral of the Savior on Blood is one of the main attractions of St. Petersburg. It was built under rather dramatic circumstances, and its history has become no less tragic.
A lot of mysticism is associated with the famous building. For example, he was mysteriously able to avoid destruction. Moreover, they say, it contains an icon that can open the future...
Savior on Spilled Blood. Photo 1910
For many, the location of the temple is surprising - it literally hangs over the canal, breaking the embankment. How could this happen in a city that was built using the strictest architectural canons.
On the morning of March 1, 1881, the Russian Emperor Alexander II, as usual, visited the disengagement of troops in the Mikhailovsky Manege, and after him went home to the Winter Palace. His path passed next to the Ekaterininsky Canal (now it is the Griboedov Canal). Suddenly, a man ran up to his carriage and threw a bundle at it.
There was an explosion, but no one was hurt. The unharmed king was able to get out of the carriage and approach the wounded young man, who, already bound, was lying on the snow. It turned out to be Rysakov from the Narodnaya Volya. But at that moment, Grinevitsky, the second assassin, ran up to the emperor and threw the bomb.
Terrorists just in case hedged. Another explosion was heard, which was more powerful than the previous one. Alexander, along with the killer, was thrown to the bars of the channel. This turned out to be the end.
In the past, Alexander II was predicted that it was the eighth attempt on his life that would be fatal. Prior to this, attempts had already been made on the king's life six times. He was able to survive the seventh, but the eighth was fatal.
The uniform worn on March 1, 1881, the day of his death, Emperor Alexander II. Irony of history. The emperor was dressed in the uniform of the Life Guards sapper battalion and died from a sapper tool - an explosive charge ...
The death of the emperor was a shock to all of Russia. The very next day after the death of the emperor, it was decided to establish a temporary chapel at the site of his death. Alexander III announced a competition for the project of the temple, which would incorporate the features of Russian architecture of churches of the 17th century.
Construction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Photo 1900-1906
The project of the architect Alfred Parland and the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, Archimandrite Ignatius (I. V. Malyshev in the world) was chosen. After the tragic death of the emperor, the Mother of God allegedly appeared to Father Ignatius in a dream and showed the foundations of the future temple.
The construction of the cathedral dragged on for 24 years. It was completed only in 1907.
Emperor Nicholas II and the Empress, accompanied by a retinue and a company of Palace Grenadiers, walk with a procession along the Savior on Spilled Blood. Petersburg. 1907
To prevent water from the canal from passing under the building, piles were not used to strengthen the soil. A concrete base was built under the entire area of the building. To build a bell tower on the embankment, a ledge 8 meters wide was built. Electricity was carried out in the cathedral, its premises were illuminated by 1689 light bulbs.
Savior on Spilled Blood. Photo 1910
The cathedral was not designed for mass attendance. This influenced its interior decoration, striking in its beauty. The mosaic collection of the cathedral is one of the largest in Europe.
More than 7000 sq.m. the spaces of the temple were decorated with mosaic frescoes created by the famous artists Nesterov and Vasnetsov.
In the cathedral we see a rich collection of gems, jewelry enamel, colored tiles, made by the best craftsmen. Ornamental and semi-precious stones were used as decorative decoration of the interior of the cathedral, with which the iconostasis, walls and floor of the building were lined.
The most significant in the temple, after the altar, was the place where the attempt on the life of Emperor Alexander took place. Fragments of the grating of the embankment, sidewalk slabs and even the cobblestones of the pavement, on which the emperor fell, bleeding, are well preserved.
Over a fragment of the cobblestone pavement, a canopy was built, a special structure that was supported by columns of gray-purple jasper. At the top of the canopy, there was a topaz cross.
Savior on Spilled Blood. Photographer S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky 1905-10
The height of the highest dome of the temple is 81 meters. This number symbolizes the year of the death of the king. The domes are covered with gilded sheets and multicolored enamel. The Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood is separated from the Mikhailovsky Garden by a unique fence. It was executed in 1903-1907 according to the project of Alfred Parland.
Immediately after the consecration of the Church of the Savior on Blood, mystical legends began to appear. Many said that sometimes you can hear the groans of the murdered emperor. And ordinary people believed that the new temple could save them from troubles. There was even a kind of conspiracy prayer:
Savior, Savior on Blood!
Save us, save us!
From the rain, from the knife
From the wolf, from the fool
From the darkness of the night
From the crooked road...
The cathedral was badly damaged during the years of Soviet power. Like many other churches in the city, it was closed shortly after the revolution and was used as a warehouse for a long time.
There was also a belief that this cathedral could not be destroyed. It soon received confirmation. In 1938, the authorities decided to blow up the Church of the Savior on Blood, calling it “an object that has no artistic and architectural value. Holes were drilled in the walls, explosives had already been placed there. But the Great Patriotic War began, so all the explosives were urgently sent to the front.
During the blockade, the church housed a mortuary, which contained the frozen bodies of Leningraders who died of starvation or shelling. But shells and bombs miraculously flew past the cathedral, as if it really was under a spell.
After the war, the temple was used to store the scenery of the Maly Opera House. And in the era of Khrushchev, they again wanted to destroy the Savior on Blood. This time under the pretext of starting the construction of a transport highway. And although in those days about a hundred churches were blown up in Leningrad, the “spellbound” temple remained unscathed.
There were rumors that this was helped by the blood of the dead Leningraders, which soaked all the walls of the building. And some people are sure that the cathedral is protected from destruction by the symbols of equilateral crosses in a circle that adorn the kokoshniks of the windows. Allegedly, this is a protective sign that has come down to us from antiquity.
Savior on Spilled Blood. Photo 1963
In 1970, the restoration of the Church of the Savior on Blood began, scaffolding was installed. But the restoration was delayed for a long time, everyone got used to the sight of the temple, surrounded by forests. And in the mid-80s, there was talk of a prophecy - allegedly, Soviet power would last as long as there were forests around the Savior on Blood. They were removed just before the coup in August 1991.
There is a legend that there is an icon in the temple, on which, if you look closely, dates fatal for the history of Russia appear: 1917, 1941, 1953, and also some other, still indistinct. It is possible that they refer to future events, but so far no one has been able to decipher them.
The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on Blood, or the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg, was erected by decree of Emperor Alexander III. It was erected in memory of the death of Emperor Alexander II on March 1, 1881. at the hands of the people. And exactly at the place where the explosion that killed the emperor thundered.
Before the construction of the temple, a competition for the best project was announced. And none of the eight projects selected as a result of the competition did not please Alexander III. The autocrat expressed a desire that the temple being built would incorporate those features of Russian architecture that are inherent in the churches of the 17th centuries, and the place of his father's death should be decorated in a separate aisle in the temple. Archimandrite Ignatius made a drawing of the future temple, and the architect Alfred Parland made a project according to the drawing. The laying of the temple took place in October 1883, and construction began, which lasted 24 years. Such a long delay is explained by the fact that more than 7,000 square meters of the interior of the temple were decorated with mosaic frescoes by artists Nesterov and Vasnetsov, which delayed construction by 10 years. They also made a chapel at the place where the emperor died, leaving in place the paving stones on which Alexander II died. The temple was illuminated by 1689 electric lamps. In total, 4.6 million rubles were spent on construction. The sum for those times is colossal.
After the consecration of the temple, rumors began to circulate around the city that many, being inside the temple next to the chapel, heard the groans of the deceased autocrat. The common people piously believed that the erected temple is able to protect from troubles. They also believed that this temple could not be destroyed.
As a cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Blood existed until October 30, 1930. It was in this year that the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee issued a decree on its closure.
And in November 1931. The regional commission on cult issues decided to dismantle the beautiful work of art. Fortunately for posterity, the implementation of this decision was postponed indefinitely.
For the second time, the question of the demolition of the temple surfaced in 1938. and the final decision was made to demolish the temple.
In 1941, having defined the temple as "an object that has no artistic and architectural value", they decided to blow up the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Arriving sappers drilled holes in the walls into which explosives were placed. But they did not have time to finish the laying work - the Great Patriotic War began, and the sappers were urgently sent to the front.
During the siege of Leningrad, a morgue was set up in the premises of the temple, bringing into it the bodies of city residents who died from starvation, shelling, or froze to death.
Later, the temple began to be used as a vegetable store, and even later - as a warehouse for theatrical scenery. In those days, most of the interior was destroyed.
For the entire time of the blockade, not a single bomb and not a single shell hit the temple, as if it really was spellbound from destruction. Although no, one bomb still hit the temple, but more on that later.
In 1956 the temple again began to interfere with the city authorities. The pretext for demolition is the construction of a new highway. It was considered that demolishing a beautiful temple is much easier than making a detour. And again, no luck. They didn't take it down.
In the sixties, while examining the domes of the temple, they discovered the only bomb that hit the temple. Hit but didn't explode. A five-hundred-kilogram bomb seemed to lie on the hands of the Savior. Exactly on the gospel text "Peace be with you ...".
The historical and cultural value of the Church of the Savior on Blood in 1970. managed to prove the director of the museum "St. Isaac's Cathedral" Georgy Butikov. Only by that time the temple was in a dilapidated, deplorable state and required major repairs. Restoration began, which dragged on for thirty years.
The temple was surrounded by scaffolding, to which the inhabitants of the city were so accustomed that in the eighties rumors about the prophecy began to circulate around the city. Allegedly, Soviet power will last exactly as many years as the forests around the Church of the Savior on Blood will stand. These forests have become one of the attractions of the city. Foreign tourists were brought to look at them, songs and poems were composed about the forests.
They were removed in August 1991. On the eve of the GKChP coup.
The long-suffering temple stands to this day, delighting both the inhabitants of the city and the guests of St. Petersburg with its beauty and grandeur.
There is a belief that there is an unusual icon inside the temple. If you look at it for a long time and intently, then all the epochal and fateful dates of Russia begin to pass before your eyes: 1917, 1941, 1953. And one more date. It's just hard to see her. It's like she's blurry. It is possible that this is the date of an event that has not yet happened.
Petersburg Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, or the Resurrection of Christ, is considered one of the main attractions of the city on the Neva. The temple, built in memory of the death of Alexander II, designed by the architect Alfred Parland, was founded on October 18, 1883 at the site of the assassination of the emperor.
However, not everyone knows what secrets and mysteries the Savior on Blood keeps. You will learn in this article how the temple turned into a mortuary and influenced the collapse of the USSR, why the crosses were under water, and also how many years an unexploded land mine lay under the dome.
1. Fragment of the pavement.
The Cathedral of the Savior on Blood, or the Resurrection of Christ on Blood, was built, as you know, in memory of the tragic death of the Russian Emperor Alexander II. At this place, on March 1, 1881, a Narodnaya Volya terrorist Ignaty Grinevitsky threw a bomb at the emperor. Evidence of these events is still kept in the cathedral: inside there are stones of the cobblestone pavement, on which the mortally wounded Alexander II fell, sidewalk slabs nearby and part of the lattice of the Catherine's Canal (now - Griboyedov).
2. Divers and crosses.
At one time, the location of the temple played an important role in its history: they say that in order to save the decoration of the temple from the Bolsheviks, the townspeople removed the crosses from it and lowered them to the very bottom of the Griboyedov Canal. Subsequently, when the danger passed, and the Savior on Spilled Blood began to be restored, but they could not find the crosses that crowned the temple, a curious incident occurred: a “passerby” who knew the legend approached the restoration team and advised them to look for decoration in the water. The workers decided to listen to the advice and sent a team of divers to explore the bottom - to everyone's surprise, the latter actually found the hidden shrines, and they returned to their domes.
3. Gospel symbolism coexists with numerology.
Surprisingly, even the proportions of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ are symbolic: the height of its central structure is 81 meters, and this number was chosen as a reminder of the year of the death of Emperor Alexander II - 1881. The second highest dome is 63 meters, a symbol of the age of the murdered emperor. The symbolism of numbers is generally characteristic of Orthodoxy, and it can also be found in the number of domes chosen by the architects and other details.
Twenty red-granite commemorative tablets are installed in the basement of the temple. They depict the deeds of Emperor Alexander II: the main events from February 19, 1855 to March 1, 1881. Also on the temple you can find a double-headed eagle, and on the bell tower - the coats of arms of Russian cities, provinces and districts. The cross of the bell tower of the Savior on Spilled Blood is crowned with a gilded royal crown.
4. Masterpieces.
Many people know that one of the main churches of the Northern capital is a real museum of mosaics, because under its roof the richest and largest collection of mosaics has been collected, on which the most famous domestic masters worked - Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Belyaev, Kharlamov, Zhuravlev, Ryabushkin and others. It is worth noting that mosaics are the main decor of the temple, because even the iconostasis of the Savior on Spilled Blood is mosaic. It may also seem curious that it was precisely because the works of art were made for a very long time that the opening of the temple and its consecration were delayed for a good ten years.
5. Mysterious icon.
In connection with the Savior on Blood, they constantly talk about the mysterious icon located in this cathedral, on which turning dates for the history of Russia are allegedly encrypted: 1917 - the year of the October Revolution, 1941 - the year the Great Patriotic War began, 1953 - the year death of Joseph Stalin. In addition to these dates, some other dates appear on the amazing icon, which are still fuzzy and, possibly, related to the future. Whether this icon really exists or is an invention of mystical citizens is not known for certain, however, the temple guides love to tell its visitors this story.
6. Blockade morgue and Spas-on-potatoes.
It is a well-known fact that in war times (and under Soviet rule) the churches and temples of the city worked in an unusual mode for them - somewhere they equipped cowsheds or placed enterprises. So, during the blockade, the Church of the Savior on Blood turned into a real morgue. The bodies of the dead Leningraders were brought from all over the city to the district Dzerzhinsky morgue, which for a time became the temple, confirming its historical name. In addition, one of the functions of the attraction in those difficult times was the storage of vegetables - some townspeople with a sense of humor even called it "Spas-on-potatoes". At the end of the war, the Savior-on-Blood was again not returned to its religious function; on the contrary, it began to be used as a storehouse for the scenery of the Maly Opera House, which is now known as Mikhailovsky.
7. The legend of the collapse of the USSR.
The forests around the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood have stood for so long that they have become a legend in St. Petersburg, if not its landmark. And they even entered the culture: for example, Rosenbaum in his song “Show me Moscow, Muscovites ...” sings that he dreams of removing forests from the Savior on Blood. The people said, half jokingly, half seriously, that as soon as these forests were removed, the entire Soviet Union would collapse. Surprisingly, in 1991 the forests were dismantled, although they had not been touched for decades. And in August 1991, the famous events took place that put an end to Soviet power in Russia.
8. Unexploded projectile.
During one of the enemy shelling, a German high-explosive shell weighing about 150 kg hit the tent of the central tower. He probably broke through the dome and got stuck in the ceiling of his vault. Thank God, the shell did not explode, but the damage was serious. Unnoticed by anyone, the land mine lay in the rafters for almost twenty years and was accidentally discovered by steeplejacks. Sappers led by Viktor Demidov risked their lives by neutralizing it on October 28, 1961. The shell was removed, taken out of the city and destroyed.
According to the site "Russian Seven".
- 01 May 2015
Friends! It's time to open a new column in my magazine - Urban Legends. There is no limit to the fantasies of our people, some stories and fictions go deep into the people, and legends begin to form around a popular place. In this section, I will talk about the most interesting ones, question them, refute something. Let's bring a share of mysticism into gray everyday life. Today we will talk about the Church of the Savior on Blood.
The legend of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In 1970, the director of St. Isaac's Cathedral, was able to convince the country's leadership that the Savior on Blood is an architectural and historical value. Personally, I'm generally embarrassed by the fact that it had to be proved! Then the twenty-year-long restoration began. Based on this fact, legends and rumors were born among the people. One of which said that as soon as the forests were removed and restoration was completed, the Soviet Union would collapse.
The forests around the Savior on Blood entered the people so firmly that even Rosenbaum sang:
I want to keep the history of my country,
I want to open Mikhailov Castle for people.
I want to give the houses a look familiar from childhood,
My dream is to remove scaffolding from the Church of the Savior on Blood.
For twenty years I have been dreaming of removing forests from the Savior-on-Blood
Restoration completed. The forests were not filmed for another couple of years. As a result, they were dismantled only at the end of 1990. And in August 1991, a well-known event took place. So how can you not believe urban legends after that?
photo from the site http://panevin.ru/
The legend of the mysterious icon
If you attended an excursion to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, then I think you have heard this legend. They say that one icon is kept in the temple, if you look closely, you can see significant dates for the history of Russia on it: 1917 - the year of the October Revolution, 1941 - the year the Great Patriotic War began, 1953 - the year of the death of Joseph Stalin. But even more mystical fact is that there are not clear dates among them, perhaps they refer to the future.
Personally, I do not believe in this legend. The icon has never been seen. Most likely it was invented to make the temple more mystical.
The Legend of Digital Symbolism
Surprisingly, even the proportions of the temple contain symbolism. The first is the height of its central structure - 81 meters. The number was chosen as a reminder of the year of the death of Alexander II - 1881. The second highest dome is 63 meters, as a symbol of the age of the murdered emperor.
The symbolism of numbers is generally characteristic of Orthodoxy, so I believe in the architect's intention and numerical symbolism.
The Legend of the Crosses
The Savior on Spilled Blood stands right on the Griboyedov Canal. In order for the temple to be able to stand and the waters of the canal not penetrate under the building, here, when strengthening the soil, they refused to use piles. For the first time in urban planning, a concrete foundation was built under the entire area of the building. For the construction of the bell tower on the embankment, a protrusion of 8 meters was made. They say that in order to save the crosses of the temple from the Bolsheviks, in Soviet times, the inhabitants of St. Petersburg hid them at the bottom of the canal. And when the temple finally began to be restored, then one "passerby" told the restoration team about where the crosses could be and indicated the place. The divers actually found the hidden shrines and they returned to their domes.
Knowing not the love of the Soviet authorities for religious monuments and temples, one could believe in the legend, but I still consider it very fabulous.
bomb legend
In the sixties, while examining the domes of the temple, they discovered the only bomb that hit the temple. Hit but didn't explode. The bomb, as it were, lay on the hands of the Savior, as if on the gospel text "Peace be with you ...".
The very fact of the presence of a bomb is stupid to deny. The location of the hit is questionable. Maybe she really lay in the indicated place. We won't check for sure right now.
photo from http://repin.info/
The legend of the indestructibility of the temple
The legend appeared as rumors that the cathedral was protected from destruction by the symbols of equilateral crosses in a circle that adorn the kokoshniks of the windows. Allegedly, this is a protective sign that has come down to us from antiquity. But in many ways, this is a link to the historical facts that the cathedral has preserved for us.
In November 1931, the regional commission on cult issues decided to dismantle the beautiful work of art. Fortunately, the implementation of this decision has been postponed indefinitely. For the second time, the question of the demolition of the temple surfaced in 1938 and the final decision was made to demolish the temple. In 1941, the temple as "an object that has no artistic and architectural value" decided to blow up. Arriving sappers drilled holes in the walls into which explosives were placed. But they did not have time to finish the laying work - the war began and the sappers were urgently sent to the front. And in 1956, the temple again began to interfere with the city authorities. The pretext for demolition is the construction of a new highway. It was considered that demolishing a beautiful temple is much easier than making a detour. And again, no luck. They didn't take it down. Why? Let's go back to the beginning of the story. In 1970, the director of St. Isaac's Cathedral was able to convince the country's leadership that the Savior on Blood is an architectural and historical value. Glory to him and praise!
Photo of the construction of the temple in 1904 from the site
