ALEXANDER-NEVSKY CATHEDRAL-MEMORIAL

It is one of the most famous monuments of Sofia. It is the largest cathedral in the Balkans. The imposing church was built between 1904 and 1912 by the Russian architect Pomerantsev, with the participation of Bulgarian, Russian, Austrian, German, Italian and Czech master builders. The decision to build such a monument was taken in 1879, one year after the National Liberation, to pay tribute to the Russians who died in the war of liberation and to Tsar Alexander II. Alexander Nevsky was a Russian warrior of the ^13th century, patron saint of Tsar Alexander, liberator of Bulgaria.

From the outside, the gigantic dome of the cathedral, surrounded by other smaller domes, is very imposing. 52 m high, the building measures 70 m by 55 m, in white stone on the entire facade. The main dome is distinguished from the others by its golden carapace. The interior walls were painted by the greatest Russian and Bulgarian artists of the time. The interior can be divided into five naves. The architectural style is inspired by the medieval Bulgarian, Byzantine and Russian architecture of the time. The central altar is dedicated to St. Alexander Nevsky, another to St. Boris, the prince who introduced Christianity to Bulgaria, and the last to Saints Cyril and Methodius. The interior walls are decorated with Italian marble, Egyptian alabaster and Brazilian onyx. The twelve bells were made in Moscow, and their sound resounds 30 km away.