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The blood-colored past of the sword and light sword shadow
Deep religious feelings
Encounters and intermingling are completed in a church
On 13 March 1881, Alexander II was assassinated by radical Psychics while passing through the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal in a carriage. In 1883, his son Alexander III built the "Cathedral of The Spilled Blood" here in honor of his deceased father.
The most beautiful city in Russia is St. Petersburg, and the most beautiful church in St. Petersburg is the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood. This seemingly strange name not only carries an unforgettable memory for Russians, but also affects the heartfelt yearning of many tourists around the world.
Solidified memories
Not far from the noisy, wheel-radial Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg, the Griboyedov Canal rushes through the city, and on one side of the river, an imposing onion-topped cathedral stands silently, staring at the crowds that come and go, this is St. Petersburg's most famous Blood-Dripping Cathedral. Its real name is "Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ", also known as "Onion Cathedral". It is called "Spilled Blood" in honor of Tsar Alexander II (Александр II Николаевич, 1818-1881).
As the vanguard of Russia's modernization reforms, after the crushing defeat in the Crimean War, Alexander II recognized the backwardness of the Russian system and gradually sought reforms to enhance Russia's status. He was a great scholar of justice, education, and military, and he also decreed the abolition of the notorious serfdom in Tsarist Russia, earning him the reputation of "liberator of serfs." However, the emergence of many radical revolutionary groups at that time impacted the autocracy of Alexander II. On March 1, 1881, Alexander II drove through the Griboyedov Canal, and the "Popular Opinion Party" extremists threw a bomb at it, and the emperor who was carrying the emperor was wounded on the spot, bleeding to the ground, and eventually died of excessive blood loss. Two years later, Tsar Alexander III built a beautiful cathedral, the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood, in honor of his father. In recognition of Alexander II's modernization reforms, the Russian people also used the Church of the Spilled Blood as a place of remembrance of Alexander II.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, whose official name is the official name "Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ". Built in 1883 and completed in 1907, the church suffered severe damage after the October Revolution of 1917. It has become a famous mosaic museum in St. Petersburg.
Silent storytelling
Unlike Russia's dazzling array of European-style cathedrals, the Blood Drop Cathedral fully embodies the strong medieval Russian style. From the canal, the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood is like a fairytale castle, with an onion-shaped multi-headed dome, a bold and distinctive color scheme, dazzling gemstones, colored bricks and glass... Brick by brick, incomparably delicate and atmospheric.
When you look closely, you can only see the themes of Jesus' Crucifixion and The Ascension of Christ painted on the outside of the church, and staged a lifelike religious drama that makes people immersed in the scene. Wandering through the interior of the church is like being in an artistic vault, surrounded by golden splendor and dazzling. The tall columns are painted with various religious themes, and even the domes are various images of Jesus. Immerse yourself in it, as if the whole church has become a rough sea, on the sparkling sea, the blue waves are constantly rolling, and the stories of the Old Testament of the Bible seem to repeat themselves.
Both the exterior and the interior are covered with mosaics of different sizes, and it is said that its total area of 7500 square meters is the most exquisite in the world.
A fate of many misfortunes
The Cathedral of the Spilled Blood was built in 1881 and took 24 years until it was officially completed in 1907. However, the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood failed to play its unique religious role. In 1917, the Russian Revolution broke out, the church was devastated, and suddenly the protagonist of the blood was replaced by the cathedral itself, and it has since declined. In 1930, the Soviet Union officially closed the church. During World War II, Leningrad was besieged by the Germans and a severe famine broke out. The cathedral also changed over time, becoming a warehouse for storing vegetables. After the war, the cathedral was completely prosperous, ignored, and once again used for other purposes.
Interior view of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. It is painted with a variety of religious themes on a blue or gold background, and is equipped with more than 7500 square meters of mosaics, which is the largest in the world.
In July 1970, Russia reformed the administration of churches. In August 1997, the church reopened after 27 years of closure and returned to public view. The cleansed church abandoned the function of religious worship in honor of the assassination of Alexander II and opened to the public as a world-renowned mosaic museum. The old look is renewed, and today's Blood Cathedral is back to life.
Architecture is not only the crystallization of human art, but also the bearer of cultural memory. With its unique style, unparalleled appearance, and the public space it forms with its surroundings, the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood shapes the mentality of the Russians and gives its memory a strong and enduring vitality. Obviously, the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood has become an integral part of Russian culture and a unique symbol of national pride.
"Talking about the World" is a project of the National Publishing Foundation, which is composed of well-known professors and researchers of world history, and the creative team is composed of professors and doctors of world history. "Talking about the World" consists of 20 volumes, each volume is about 250,000 words, and is accompanied by about 450 exquisite pictures, covering the history of the world from prehistory to 2018. It introduces all aspects of world history in detail and full energy, shows the tortuous development trajectory of world history in a panoramic way, and reproduces the historical scene with rich and exquisite pictures.
【Introduction】
The Age of Doctrine (to be published) is the 15th volume of the "Talking about the World" series, which vividly describes the October Revolution in Russia from the dimensions of politics, economy, thought, literature, religion, art, science, and life. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the background, process, and achievements of the October Revolution. In the early 20th century, the Russian Empire was under the rule of the Tsar and a small number of nobles. Under the leadership of the Bolshevik revolutionaries, it was demanded that this system be changed to create a better life for the majority of the people. A series of revolutionary actions established the first communist state in Russia.
【Editor-in-Chief Profile】
Yan Yuqiang, Master of British History, Department of History, Nanjing University, 1989. After graduation, he worked as an editor at the People's Publishing House. In 1995, he co-founded Beijing Dajiangliu Culture Communication Co., Ltd. with his predecessors in the publishing industry, serving as the editor-in-chief. Since 2015, he has been an independent book curator. Representative curators and editors-in-chief include The Gallery of Western Philosophy (7 volumes, Guizhou People's Publishing House), Chinese and Foreign Civilizations At the Same Time (6 volumes, shortlisted for the 11th Shanghai Book Award, won the first Wenhui Peng Xinchao Excellent Book Publishing Fund Shanghai Jinxiu Article Publishing House), Reproduction of World History (100 volumes, Taiwan Changtan Publishing House), "Reproduction of World Geography" (100 volumes, Taiwan Changtan Publishing House), "Reproduction of Chinese Geography" (100 volumes, Taiwan Changtan Publishing House). His publications include The Law of Change (Shakespeare Publishing House, Taiwan), May Fourth Movement (Shakespeare Publishing House, Taiwan), Maritime Personnel (Lujiang Publishing House), Qingtian People in the Netherlands (Overseas Chinese Publishing House of China), Human Geography of Anhui, and Urban Geography of Anhui (Shakespeare Publishing House, Taiwan). Translated: Oxford History of Britain (co-translation, The Commercial Press), Reagan's Autobiography (co-translation, Oriental Publishing House).
【About the Author】
Qiu Zhenwu is a Doctor of World History doctor at Tsinghua University and a member of the Collaborative Innovation Center for South China Sea Studies.
Yang Yicheng, master of world history from the School of History of Nanjing University, is currently the editor of the magazine "Exploration and Controversy" sponsored by the Shanghai Federation of Social Sciences.
Cheng Mingming holds a master's degree in world history from the School of History, Nanjing University
Yang Yuan, Master of World History, School of History, Nanjing University
Jie Yang holds a master's degree in world history from Jiangsu Normal University and a doctorate in world history from Northeast Normal University.
Zhong Zhuorui holds a master's degree in world history from the School of History, Nanjing University