Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

With its unmistakable golden domes, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedralin Sofia is one of the most emblematic and identifying buildings of Sofia and is also the main religious center of the capital.

Construction of the cathedral began at the end of the 19th century and was completed in 1912. It is a sign of the close relationship between Russia and the Bulgarian people throughout history, as it was built to commemorate the fallen Russians and the assistance provided by Tsar Alexander II of Russia in the Bulgarian-Ottoman War (1877 – 1878) and which would lead to the subsequent independence of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire.

The temple is named after Alexander Nevsky (1220 – 1263), who was a ruler of the Russian principality of Novgorod, was a key figure in medieval Russian history for his defense of Orthodox Christianity against Catholic, Teutonic and Tatar attacks. For all these reasons, he is venerated as a saint in the world of the Orthodox Church.

The construction of the temple was carried out by the Russian architect Pomerantsev and was inspired by aneo-Byzantine style , very fashionable in Russia in that period.

It has a  dimensions of 72 meters long, 42 meters wide and 52 meters high, making it one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. Its sober interior is decorated with frescoes and its crypt has a collection of ancient Bulgarian art from the 4th to the 19th century and one of the largest and best collections of Orthodox icons.