Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, the second largest Orthodox church in the Balkans, is considered by many to be one of the architectural symbols of Sofia. This church was built in honor of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, who is highly respected by the Bulgarians for their help in gaining national independence, which the country received during the war of 1877-1878, when the Russian army helped Bulgaria to free itself from the Ottoman oppression. The cathedral is named after St. Prince Alexander Nevsky, the great commander who is a symbol of military valor and military glory of Russia. Initially, the temple was planned to be built in the ancient capital of the country (XII-XIV centuries), the city of Veliko Tarnovo, but Tsar Alexander of Bulgaria (Battenberg) insisted on building a temple in the new administrative center - Sofia. Funds for the construction were partially allocated from the state treasury, and partially were donated by patrons and ordinary residents of the city (by the way, the king himself allocated 6 thousand golden leva of his personal money for this).
In 1882, the first stone was solemnly laid in the foundation of the building, but the construction itself began somewhat later - in 1904, and was completed only in 1912. The cathedral was consecrated even later - in 1924.
The church was built by the famous Russian architect Alexander Pomerantsev. Building area - over 3000 sq. meters, capacity - about five thousand people. In the rich exterior, the most attractive are the white stone cladding and gilded domes. The height of the bell tower is 53 meters, 12 bells are installed on it, the heaviest of which weighs about 12 tons. The interior of the cathedral will also impress the sophisticated visitor: many valuable icons and frescoes made mainly by Bulgarian and Russian artists, a massive marble iconostasis, skilfully executed patriarchal and royal thrones, pulpit. Another pride of the church is the mosaic panel, which depicts King Ferdinand and Queen Eleanor. Under the building of the cathedral there is a crypt, which houses a large collection of icons, many of which can be safely called artistic masterpieces.
In the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, daily, Sunday and holiday services are held, but christenings, weddings and funerals are not held (due to its status as a monument, the church does not have a clearly designated parish).
