Saint Nikolas Russian Church

The Russian Church is a Russian Orthodox church located on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard in central Sofia, Bulgaria.

This charming, picturesque church with golden onion domes was constructed between 1912 and 1914 (by many of the same workmen as the neighboring Nevski Cathedral) to please a Russian envoy who was terrified to worship in Bulgarian churches.

The church is dedicated to St. Nikolai, considered ‘the miracle worker’. To this day, wishes are written on slips of paper and put in the wooden box next to Bishop Serafim’s (1881 – 1950) white marble tomb, which is buried in the crypt. Although he was never canonized, he is considered as a saint by many Bulgarians.

A small church near the cathedral in the heart of Sofia. Unlike the other churches in the city, this chapel symbolizes the town’s strong ties to Russia. It is reminiscent of the usual views of churches that we see in a picture taken in Moscow.

History and architecture of Saint Nikolas Russian Church

The chapel was constructed on the site of the Saray Mosque, which was demolished in 1882 after Bulgaria’s independence from the Ottoman Empire by Russia. It was established as the official church of the Russian Embassy, which was adjacent, and of the Russian population in Sofia, and was named after the patron saint of the Emperor who governed Russia at the time, Nicholas II of Russia, as diplomatic churches are often called. Mikhail Preobrazhenski, a Russian architect, created the church in the Russian Revival style, with décor influenced by 17th-century Muscovite Russian churches. The architect A. Smirnov, who was also constructing the neighboring Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, oversaw the construction. G. Kislichev decorated the outside with colorful tiles, while a team of painters directed by Vasily Perminov produced the interior paintings, which were also painted in Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The five domes are gold-plated. Emperor Nicholas II gave the bells.

The church’s construction started in 1907 and was dedicated in 1914. The church remained open during the Russian Revolution and throughout Bulgaria’s Communist era (1944–1989), while pastors and congregation members were closely monitored by the State Security police.

The Russian government recently renovated the exterior. The interior paintings have been discolored by candle smoke and the passage of time and are in desperate need of repair.

The crypt containing the relics of Saint Archbishop Seraphim is situated under the main floor of the Russian Church. Hundreds of people continue to visit the archbishop’s tomb, praying and leaving messages requesting that their desires be honored.