The Russian Church ( bg, Руска църква, translit=Ruska tsarkva), officially known as the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker ( bg, църква „Св. Николай Чудотворец“, translit=tsarkva "Sv. Nikolay Chudotvorets", russian: Церковь Святителя Николая Чудотворца (София)), is a
Russian Orthodox
Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...
church in central
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
situated on
Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard.
History and architecture
The church was built on the site of the Saray Mosque, which was destroyed in 1882, after the
liberation of Bulgaria
The Liberation of Bulgaria is the historical process as a result of the Bulgarian Revival. In Bulgarian historiography, the liberation of Bulgaria refers to those events of the Tenth Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishmen ...
by Russia from the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. It was built as the official church of the
Russian Embassy
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Russia. These missions are subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Russian Federation has one of the largest networks of embassies and consulates of any country. Russia has significant ...
, which was located next door, and of the
Russian community in Sofia, and was named, as was the tradition for diplomatic churches, for the patron saint of the Emperor who ruled Russia at the time,
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...
. The church was designed by the Russian architect
Mikhail Preobrazhenski in the style of
Russian Revival architecture
The Russian Revival style (historiographical names are: ''Russian style'', russian: русский стиль, ''Pseudo-Russian style'', russian: псевдорусский стиль, ''Neo-Russian style'', russian: нео-русский стил ...
, with decoration inspired by the Muscovite Russian churches of the 17th century. The construction was supervised by the architect A. Smirnov, who was building the
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Alexander Nevsky Cathedral may refer to the following (alphabetically by country, then by town):
* Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Baku in Azerbaijan
* Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia in Bulgaria
* Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia
* Al ...
nearby. The exterior decoration of multicolored tiles was done by G. Kislichev, and the interior murals were painted by a team of artists led by Vasily Perminov, who also painted those in
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Alexander Nevsky Cathedral may refer to the following (alphabetically by country, then by town):
* Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Baku in Azerbaijan
* Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia in Bulgaria
* Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia
* Al ...
. The five domes are coated with gold. The bells were donated by Emperor Nicholas II.
Construction began in 1907 and the church was consecrated in 1914. The church remained open after the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
and during the Communist period in Bulgaria (1944–1989), though priests and church-goers were carefully watched by the State Security police.
The exterior was recently restored by the
Russian Government
The Government of Russia exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers. It has its legal basis in the Constitution of the Russia ...
. The interior murals are darkened by smoke from candles and from time, and are in need of restoration.
The crypt housing the remains of Saint Archbishop Seraphim is located beneath the Russian Church's main floor. Dozens of people still visit the grave of the archbishop, who died in 1950, praying and leaving notes asking for wishes to be granted.
See also
*
List of churches in Sofia
This is a list of Christian temples within the city limits of Sofia - the Bulgarian capital city. The city is the centre of the Sofia ecclesiastical district as well as a centre of the Sofia eparchy (diocese), part of The Bulgarian Orthodox Churc ...
References
*''Official Guide to the Russian Church'' by N. Neshkov and N. Lobanova (in Russian and Bulgarian)
*Historical Plaque in front of the Russian Church, placed by the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria
External links
Official site{{coord, 42.6957, N, 23.3291, E, source:ruwiki_region:BG, format=dms, display=title
Churches in Sofia
Churches completed in 1914
20th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings
Russian Orthodox church buildings
Russian Revival architecture
Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Bulgaria
20th-century churches in Bulgaria