Balkan Studies | Info

Bulgaria's capital is a city that endeavours to shake off its pre-1989 communist stigma and move with the times, as is evident in the attire of its young and trendy, its rapidly expanding high streets and tourist-drawing nightlife. But for all of Sofia's willingness to embrace 21st century capitalism, there is a side to the city which remains resolutely old world. Sofia's wealth of ecclesiastical treasures takes the traveller through an expansive history of turmoil and ethnic diversity, hinting at the centuries of devout tradition which even 45 years of communism was unable to shake off.

Alexander Nevsky Church

This Neo-Byzantine-style cathedral stands in the centre of Sofia as an enduring symbol of the Bulgarian Orthodox church. Its architectural style is deliberately evocative of Byzantine Eastern and Christian Orthodox religious architecture throughout 5th-11th c. AD. Its exterior features a perfectly balanced array of gold-leafed domes headed by a central dome, while its lavish insides are decorated with Venetian frescoes, Brazilian onyx columns and alabaster. The church was designed in the 1880s by Russian architects, most notably Alexander Pomerantsev, and was built to commemorate the thousands of Russian soldiers who died in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-8 which saw Bulgaria liberated from Ottoman rule. The church was completed in 1912 with the help of money raised by public subscriptions.

The church also contains relics believed to be that of Alexander Nevsky, a 13th century Russian prince and national hero, as well as the cathedral museum, which claims to house 'the largest collection of icons in Europe' - some of which date back to the 5th century.

• Balkanika Mp3 Download

• Balkans Courrier Des

• Balkan Grill Seattle

• Balkan States Map

• Balkan Express Philadelphia

  Balkan Express Inc company profile in Pittsburgh, PA. Our free company profile report for Balkan Express Inc includes business information such as contact, sales and ...