Chesme Church

The church was named "The Church of the Birth of St. John the Baptist" as it was consecrated on the birthday of John the Baptist. As it was built to honour the Battle of Chesme which the Russians won in 1770, the church is also popularly known as the "Chesme Church". ==Geography==

The church is located in Red Village, which was a country estate of the Sergey Poltoratski family, friends of Alexander Pushkin. Located between St. Petersburg and the Summer Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, it served as a traveler's resting place. ==History==

In 1777, King Gustav III of Sweden attended the laying of the church's foundation. The church and the Chesme Palace became a labour camp when the Soviet government occupied it. In 1923, the church was closed and used as a storehouse. Between 1941 and 1945, the church suffered damages during the "Great Patriotic War". During the Second World War, the Institute of Aviation Technology took possession of the Church and the Chesme Palace. During 1970–1975, it was fully restored under the supervision of the architects M.I. Tolstov and A.P. Kulikov. In 1977, the church became a museum of the Battle of Chesme (with artifacts from the Central Naval Museum). Religious control was restored to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991, and regular church services have been held at the church since then. ==Architecture==

The church, built in Gothic Revival style faces southwest. Painted pink and white, the church appears like a "candy cone, with long, vertical white stripes (embossed vertical string cornices drawn together with figured horizontal fascias) giving the impression that it's rising straight up from the earth like a mirage and shooting upwards". It is also said that the choice of the Gothic Revival architecture style was indicative of "triumph for ancient northern virtues in the spirit of the crusaders". The church was built with brick and white stone. Nothing remains of the original interiors. The exterior views of the church are impressive. The lanterns on the roof are stated to be similar to those seen on the Gothic temple at Stowe House. ==Grounds==

The church precincts have been used as a resting place for war heroes since the time of its consecration and during the Siege of Leningrad. The cemetery is known as the "Chesmenskoe War Veterans' Cemetery", and contains unnamed graves dated 1812–1944 of those who died in Russian wars. ==Notable people==

The coffin of Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin rested in Chesme Church before his burial at Tsarskoye Selo in 1916. ==References==