Anglican church in Saint Petersburg, Former Anglican church on English Embankment, Saint Petersburg, Russia

The Anglican Church of Jesus Christ at 56 English Embankment is a two-storey classicist building with a yellow facade on a grey stone base. Six white columns with ornate capitals stand along the upper storey, framing windows beneath a white cornice and a triangular pediment with dentil detailing. Inside, the church hall on the second floor has Corinthian pilasters and columns faced in artificial marble, a flat ceiling, and 15 stained-glass windows of saints made by the English workshop Heaton, Butler & Bayne in the 1870s and 1890s.

The building was constructed in 1730 for British merchants and diplomats and received its classical form between 1814 and 1815. This redesign made it one of the most important gathering places for the foreign community.

The building served as a gathering place for the British community in the city, and you can still sense how the space was designed for meetings and celebrations. The interior reflects the tastes that wealthy foreigners brought with them to this place.

The building is located on a main street along the riverbank and is easy to reach from the city center. It functions primarily as a concert venue, so it is best to check ahead for open times and performances.

The church hall on the upper floor keeps its original Quarenghi scheme, with Corinthian pilasters and columns clad in artificial marble. Its ceiling painting and religious stained glass were added in the second half of the 19th century. The single 19th-century English romantic organ is described as the only one of its kind in Russia.