Card #24, Birthday Cake Church

I encourage you to click on the picture to the left to get a larger view of this incredibly ornate church, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Saint Petersburg, Russia. What a very interesting structure this is! Construction occurred from the years 1883-1907, ordered by Czar Alexander III as a memorial to his father, Alexander II, who was mortally wounded on the site of the church. Although most of the architecture in Saint Petersburg is of the Baroque and Neoclassical styles, this church reflects medieval Russian architecture, or romantic nationalism, in the style of the famous St. Basil's in Moscow. The interior of the church has 7500 square meters of mosaic artwork. During the Russian Revolution, the church was looted and badly damaged. It was closed by the Soviets in the 1930s, and then used a storehouse for food during WWII. Finally, in 1970, restoration of the church began and lasted for 27 years! It is open today as a mosaic museum, but has not been reconsecrated as a church, and therefore does not perform worship services. Thanks to user ata1976, who patiently waited 33 days for this card to arrive!