To the people of St Petersburg, the church is also known as the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, and depicts the spot where Alexander II was murdered in an assassination attempt on the 1st March 1881. Designed by Mkarow and Parland, the church was built between 1883 and 1907 drawing on architectural elements of the Russian Revival style and is reminiscent of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The exterior is elaborately decorated in nearly 7,500 square meters of mosaic portraits of the Saints. In addition to the colourful exterior, there are 20 granite plaques recording historic events in Alexander II's reign. The interior of the church was reopened in August 1997 after 20 years of restoration, and is entirely covered in mosaics based on paintings by famous Russian and religious artists.