Russian Church

The Russian Church was designed by architect Preobrazhensky and Russian workmen and in 1912 and is dedicated to St. Nicholas, the miracle maker. This church, situated on the corner of Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. and Rakovski St. preserves the style of Moscow decorative arts, painting and architecture. The high dome is surrounded by four smaller domes. The roof of the church and the area above the door is covered with green tiles, which suit perfectly the gold-plated domes. The external decoration of the Russian church is a fascinating work with its exquisite and rich colors. The frescoes were painted in the style of Novgorod icon school.

More popular than the church itself is the crypt, the entrance of which is to the left of the main one. Here lies the tomb of the former Bishop Serafin, who died in 1950. Locals come here to post hand-written messages into a box, standing to the right of the tomb. Although Serafin was never canonized, he is regarded as a saint and believed to make prayers come true. He is also said to be able to cure all ills and make all wishes come true if one light a candle, stand still by the sarcophagus and then drop behind it a small piece of paper on which one have written their wish.

This is one of the most beautiful and worthy of visiting church in Bulgaria. It is a highly recommened sightseeing for tourists visiting Bulgaria.