Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Enter the church and look up; Christ gazes down at you from the top of the dome, bathed
in light from the windows and ringed by the gold balcony railing. The walls are covered
with exquisite mosaics (nothing is painted) that show how Orthodoxy continues the artistic
traditions of early Christianity. Walk up to the iconostasis (the partition dividing the altar
from the main part of the church). Typically made of wood, this one is of marble, with in-
laid doors. In the back of the church, the canopy shows the spot where Czar Alexander II
was mortally wounded.
Nearby:
Just behind the church is a good outdoor souvenir market (see “Shopping in
St. Petersburg,” later). And the church's apse points to the tranquil, beautiful Mikhailovsky
