Archangel Michael's church, Turku, Finland

Archangel Michael's Church was designed by famous architect Lars Sonck and finished in 1905. When Sonck won the competition for the church in 1894, he was only a 23-year old architectural student. The neogothic style red-brick church dominates the western skyline of the city of Turku. It’s one of the most popular wedding churches in Turku being able to seat 1,800 people.

User Reviews

Ashley Chan (11 months ago)
Beautiful church with wonderful staff. Note that I came here on a Sunday, and they have mass (in Finnish) at 11am. If you were like me and read that they have organ (instrument) demonstrations at noon, please note that they do not happen in the summer unfortunately. It still is beautiful to look at though. Also note that when you check the doors for entry, try the main entrance first (3 doors) and the middle (2nd) right door (pull) is your best bet. This Church is also a Pokémon Go Gym ;P

Sahan Liyanaarachchi (12 months ago)
Nice architecture!

Mikko Tyllinen (12 months ago)
Very atmospheric, elegant, beautiful, intricately designed church with nice acoustic. Mishaels church is a distinguished example of the neolithic style in architecture. And is one of the most popular weddings churches in Turku, being able to seat 1800 people. Church was finished in 1905

Rafael Bohorque (16 months ago)
Beautiful church in and out. Inside it looks a bit tacky, that you may think it is not a church. I like how it looks spotless and free for everybody to take a peak.

Nana Långstedt (3 years ago)
Looks like a fairytale castle on the outside. Beautiful, intricately designed church.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Alexxx1979

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Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg. The church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory. Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.

Architecturally, the Cathedral differs from St. Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics — according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day — including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known (born in St. Petersburg in 1842 in a Baltic-German Lutheran family). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat and from starvation and illness. The church suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Saviour on Potatoes.

In July 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funneled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship; it is a Museum of Mosaics. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship; having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated tsar, the only services were panikhidas (memorial services). The Church is now one of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

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