Alexander II initiated important reforms in Russia in 1861, including freeing serfs. However, he faced increasing opposition and survived several assassination attempts. In 1881, revolutionaries finally succeeded, throwing a bomb at his carriage and mortally wounding him. In response, a church, Our Savior on Spilled Blood, was built on the site of his assassination between 1883-1907. The church was elaborately decorated with mosaics designed by prominent Russian artists of the time and funded by the Imperial family, though its architect was not Russian.