Russian Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker

The Russian Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker stands on bul. Tsar Osvoboditel at the corner of ul. Moskovska, in central Sofia, Bulgaria, close to the National Assembly and Sofia University. It was built between 1907 and 1914 on the grounds of the Russian embassy, and was consecrated in 1914, with the aim of serving the Russian diplomatic community and Russian Orthodox faithful in the capital. The architect Mikhail Preobrazhensky designed it in the style of 16th- and 17th-century Moscow churches, drawing on the Russian Revival tradition. The exterior is built of brick and decorated with ceramic tiles and colourful ornament. It is topped with five gilded onion domes and a tent-roofed bell tower, an unusual silhouette in a city dominated by Byzantine-style buildings. Inside, the church is small, with a richly painted interior, icons in Russian style, and an ornate iconostasis. The crypt contains the tomb of Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev), a Russian émigré bishop who served the Russian community in Sofia until his death in 1950 and was later canonised, and his grave attracts pilgrims, who leave flowers and candles. After the Second World War the church remained in use, and it was restored several times, most recently in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It functions today as a parish church and is a landmark of Russian heritage in Bulgaria. Visitors can enter during opening hours, and photographs are allowed outside, while interior photography may require permission.