The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – Sofia – Bulgaria

venziko (60)in #photography • 5 years ago (edited)

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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built in the early 20th century in memory of the 200,000 Russian and Bulgarian soldiers, who died in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878. It is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world. The cathedral’s gold-plated dome is 45 m high, with the bell tower reaching 50.52 m. Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofia’s symbols and primary tourist attractions.The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,100 sq ft) and can hold 10,000 people inside. The construction of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral started in 1882 when the foundation stone was laid, but most of it was built between 1904 and 1912. The cathedral was designed by Alexander Pomerantsev, aided by Alexander Smirnov and Alexander Yakovlev. The final design was finished in 1898, and the construction and decoration were done by a team of Bulgarian, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and other European artists, architects and workers, including the aforementioned architects, as well as Petko Momchilov, Yordan Milanov, Haralampi Tachev, Ivan Mrkvička, Vasily D. Bolotnov, Nikolay A. Bruni, A.A. Kiselyov, Anton Mitov and many others.The cathedral has 12 bells, all created in Moscow and brought to Sofia from there. The biggest of them weighs 12 tons, while the smallest is only 10 kg.The domes of the cathedral are covered in gold.Rare and expensive materials were used to furnish the interior of the cathedral as well – Italian marble, Brazilian onyx, Indian alabaster, and chandeliers from Munich. The cathedral with its gold-plated domes became an important emblem for the Bulgarian religious center. It's also a landmark that enhances the square St. Alexander Nevsky with its majesty.