"St. Alexander Nevsky" Patriarchal Cathedral Memorial Church (Sofia)

 cathedral, place with historical importance, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, historic landmark, 1912_construction, 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria, Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Byzantine Revival (architecture)

The St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral Stauropigial Memorial-Church in Sofia represents the material expression of gratitude of the Bulgarian people for the remarkable self sacriftee of the 200,000 Russian heroes who by their unprecedented valour, resolution and boundless fraternal love, at the price of their blood and life, in the Russo-Turkish Liberation War (1877-1878) broke the chains of the neany five century Ottoman bondage and gaven the pepole their priceless freedom.
The St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral Stauropegial Memorial-Church rises in the center of Sofia, in a big square bearing its name. Its importance is determined by the proximity of the National Assembly, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the ancient St. Sophia Orthodox Church, the Synodal Palace, the Higher Institute of Mechanical and Electrical engineering, the Higher Institute of Art, the St. Cyril and Methodius National Library and the St. Kliment Ohridskl Sofia University. Its foundation-stone was laid in 1882, building work began in 1904 and the church was completed in 1912. Built under the guidance of chief architect Professor Alexander N. Pomerantsev in co-operation with his gifted assistants, architects Alexauder N. Sniirnov and Alexander A. Yakovlev, at present the St. Alexander Nevslky Memorial-Church is a source of legitimate pride for the Bulgarian people and love for the Russian people. In its dimensions it is without an equal on the Balkan Peninsula, while the aesthetic achievements of its architecture and ornamentation rival those of the most renowned monuments of this kind in the world.
The St. Alexander Nevsky Memorial-Church is an impressive five nave basilica of a cruciform domed type with basic Byzantine style elements, influenced in some parts by eastern models. Its built-up area is 3,170 sq.m and its total volume about 86,000 sq.m. Its external length is 73.50 m and the width 50.52 m. From the pavement level to the tower cross, the height of the memorial-church is 50.52 m, that of the central dome 46.27 m and of the roof bridge 28 m. The main dome has a commanding position over a number of half-domes, rounded and straight on the apses of the church which lend it impressive stateliness. It is balanced by the lighter, soaring tower which gives the entire edifice the character of a monument.
On the eastern side of the monitorial-church there are three altar apses, the central one of which, in comparison with the two lateral, projects and forms a semicircle. Over this apse, from a slightly receding point, rises the semispherical part of the main body of the church. There are similar projections, one on the southern side and another on the northern. Over the semidoms of these projections, on a broad cylindrical drum rests the main dome in the shape of an inverted bowl. Its diameter measures 18 m.
On the western side of the main three-door vaulted entrance of the northern rises the bell tower which ends in a dome. The latter is placed on threefold columns, between which there are wide apertures. Through them one sees the twelve bells, the largest of which is weighs 11,758 kg, the second largest 6,002 kg, the third 2,911 kg and the smallest 10 kg. On a nice and calm day the ringing of the largest bell is heard as far as 30 km from the capital Sofia. Below the bells, it a considerable height over the main entrance is placed the mosaic icon of St. Alexander Nevsky by the Bulgarian artist Professor Anton Mitov.
The interior'of the St. AIexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral Memorial-Church strikes one with its dimensions, the harmony of its architectural lines, its spaciousness and rich artistic decoration. The inside represents three naves and two aisles, the central nave considerably wider and lateral ones. Its central part is placed between four massive pillars which support the drum of the main dome through triangular spherical surfaces. All three naves are connected by high arches while smaller arches link them with the aisles.
Famous Russian and Bulgarian artists took part in the decoration of the St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral. It is in formless which depict the Trinity, sciences from the Old and New Testament, apostles prophets, Russian and Bulgarian saints and some events from the history of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. One is particularly impressed by the murals: "The Atmighty" by the Prof. Peter E. Myassoedov, in the interspace of the central dome; "The Eucharist" by Prof. M. Sudkovski, on the eastern wall of the central altar of the church; "The Wedding at Cana in Galilee) by the well-known mosaicist Prof. Vladimir D. Boiotnov, on the wall surface of the southern arched recess; "Twelve Year Jesus in the Shrine" by Prof. Ivan Mrkvicka, on the wall surface of the northern arched recess; the large fresco "The Last Judgment" by Academician A. A. Kisselev, over the stand of the choir, which is reminiscent of V. M. Vasnetsov's fresco of the same name in Vladimir's Cathedral in Kiev; "The Resurrection of Lazarus" and "The Resurrection of the Son of the Widow from Nain" by A.M. Korin; "The Sermon on the Moun" and "Christ Blesses the Children" by Prof. I. Lanskoi; "The Taming of the Storm" by Prof. Nikola Marlnov; "St. Mary Magdalene" by Asen Belkovski; "St. Ivan of Rila Returns the Gifts to King Peter" by Academician G. Zhelyazkov; "The Temptation of Jesus Christ" and "The Beheading of St. John the Baptist" by Prof. Ivan Mrkvicka. The latter is a mural of great impact, originality and masterful execution.
The iconostases, the big and small bishop's thrones, the pulpit, the rail lattices of the solea, the balustrade of the choir stand, the entire flooring of the church and the seat of the priests along the wall of the altar apse are done in onyx and marble brought from all parts of the world, in a Byzantine style, interspersed with Old-Bulgarian patterns. One is particularly impressed by the small columns in light-green "onyx brazillano"; the two magnificent columns dividing the front of the central iconostasis, freshened by wide bands of light-ochre veined Moroccan (onyx ro"ge); the columns of the small bishop's throne - "rouge oriental"; the dark-green columns of the iconostasis, the pedestal of the thrones and the large columns below the balcony of the choir - "verde di mare", the rectangular tablet with the state insignia of the time placed in the middle of the back wall of the big bishop's throne - "onyx d'or", etc. The walls and pillars of the memorial-church are sheeted to a height of two meters with light-green artificial marble, manufactured by tire Berlin firm "Axeno Brothers", which his a startling and unattainable similarity whit the natural product.
The ceiling of the canopy of the big bishop's throne and the space over the central altar are ornamented with high-grade glass mosaics of a Venetian type, which in the former are figural and in the latter symbolic. The figured [mosaics were designed by the Bulgarian Prof. A. Mitov, and executed In Italy by the firm Paolo Triscornia di Freddo - Carrara. The symbolic mosaics over the central altar were done by the same firm on the spot, after the designs of architect Yakovlev, one of Prof. Pornerantsev's assistants.
The royal gates of the three iconostases and the gates of the chapels in the narthex are in bronze with galvanized gilding on the face. Such are also the cornices over the side altars, the tympanum over the holy gates of the central iconostasis, the crown of the big bishop's throne, etc.
The illuminates in the interior of the church, such as chandeliers, icon-lamps, candlesticks, are in copper alloy with double galvanize(l gilding. They are pieces of exquisite work in Byzantine style done by the firm of "Schmidt and Sohn" in Munich. The largest of the chandeliers, the central one, has three crowns, it hangs at a height of 27 m, weighs some 2,000 kg, and has 136 electric candles.
The "St. Alexander Nevsky" Patriarchal Cathedral Memorial-Church is equipped with a special stream and air, installation. It consists of four ventilation caloorific systems which play a dual role. The Vienna's firm "Zentralheizungswerke" supplied the installations. An alarm and intercommunication system ensures the correct and safe operation of this installation. The air conditioning installation and the intercom system are housed in the crypt of the memorial-church.
The crypt runs below the entire interior of the church, porch altar and 1s3.75 m high. Its ceilings are vaulted in various ways and are interesting from an architectural point of view. Here is also the "foundation-stone" of he church, marked by by a large rectangle, covered by a pyramided roof. At present it is used as an exhibition hall and branch of National Art Gallery.
Being the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral on the Balkan Peninsula and one of the most lavishly adorned Orthodox churches in Europe, the St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral Stauropegial Memorial-Church constitutes a valuable and high-quality exhibition of the Christian religion and art, illustrated by more than 400 artists. it also constitutes a major national treasure. Its value is no only to its nominal price but also to the impossibility to replace it.

Site № 59 of the National Movement "Discover Bulgaria - 100 national tourist sites" of the Bulgarian Tourist Union - "St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral":
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