Saint Petersburg’s Gilded Church of Blood and Potatoes

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the most colorful and ornate landmarks in all of Europe. Located in the middle of Saint Petersburg, Russia, the church has been a memorial, a morgue and even a storage facility for vegetables. Known for the colorful onion-shaped domes that dot the city’s skyline, the church was erected on the spot of Emperor Alexander II’s assassination in 1881. Inside, colorful mosaics, Italian marble and precious stones decorate the walls and ceilings. During World War II, the church was used as a temporary morgue and after the war it was used for vegetable storage—earning it the nickname “Savior of Potatoes.”

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