St. Petersburg

The Church of Our Saviour of the Spilt Blood

The name this stereotypically Russian church refers to the fact that it was built over the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881.

When visiting this church we noticed two things. One was that there were quite a few people dancing and singing, celebrating their wedding day. The second was that all the metal railings that lined the canal that crossed the main road were full of uselessly locked padlocks. Apparently these were placed there by newly married couples who then symbolically threw away the key.

St. Petersburg - July 2009

We came via cruise ship and were lucky to have the services of a Russian guide. The lady spoke excellent English with a beautiful Russian accent, and managed to keep up an ironic running commentary throughout the trip. This was her opening gambit.

“First we called it St. Petersburg – with a Dutch accent because Peter the Great liked the Dutch. Then the war came along and we thought it sounded too German – so we changed it to Petrograd. Then the Communist took over so we became Leningrad. But you must realize that we are a democracy now so it’s back to St. Petersburg - but this time with an American accent. Me? I was born in Leningrad.”

After that little soliloquy I couldn’t get enough of her.