Description of the attraction
One of the landmarks of the Bulgarian town of Balchik is the Orthodox Church of St. George the Victorious.
Balchik can be called a young city: its emergence is associated with the migration of Bulgarians during the Russian-Turkish wars. The settlement was founded at the beginning of the 19th century, in the 40s it had already acquired some independence and gained strength. During this period of the city's history, Orthodox churches began to be built in Balchik to raise the national identity and spirit of the inhabitants. One of them is the Church of St. George the Victorious. It was built in 1897. It is a three-aisled building with a pentagonal apse, as well as a dome and a bell tower. The architectural design of the temple, in general, is traditional for the Bulgarian church architecture.
The central entrance to the church is on the west side (above it, as is customary in Bulgaria, there is an image of the saint after whom the temple is named), but there is also a small exit in the southern part of the building. The three naves are separated from each other by two rows of high quadrangular pillars supporting the base of the dome.
The most important artistic value in the interior of the church is the carved iconostasis and the episcopal throne. They were made by the famous Bulgarian craftsmen from the Osa village of the Debar region - Vasily and Philip Avramov, as well as the sons of the latter, Ivan and Joseph.
During the years of the Romanian occupation, a leak formed in the roof of the building, as a result of which a wet spot appeared on the wall. The Romanians recognized the silhouette of the Mother of God in it and gave the temple a new name - the Church of the Virgin Mary of the Sea.
