Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

SOFIA 607

Russian Church 6

Руска Църква

bul. Tsar Osvoboditel 3. Map E4.

Tel (02) 986 2715.  2. #

7:30am–6pm daily. ^

The Church of St Nicholas

the Miracle-Worker (Tsurkva

Na Sveti Nikolai Chudotvorets),

popu larly known as the

Russian Church, is the most

striking building in Sofia.

Built to serve the city’s

Russian commu nity, it was

consecrated in 1914.

Modelled on 16th-century

Muscovite churches, it boasts

a cluster of gilt domes, one of

which thrusts skywards at the

tip of a pea-green spire. The

porch, with a steeply pitched

roof covered in bright green

tiles, exudes a fairytale charm.

The church’s interior,

covered with frescoes derived

from 17th-century paintings in

Moscow and Yaroslavl, reveals

the influence of exotic Eastern

styles on Russian art. A door

on the west side of the church

leads down to the crypt, the

resting place of Archbishop

Serafim, leader of the Russian

Church in Bulgaria from 1921

to 1950. Serafim’s reputation

for anti-Communism and his

kind ness made him popu lar

with Sofians. Such is his endur-

ing spiritual stature that his

tomb is believed to be capable

of working mira cles. As a

result, a regular stream of

worship pers can be seen visit-

ing the tomb to place prayers

beside his sarcophagus.

Entrance to the interesting Natural

History Museum

Traditionally painted icons in elaborate gilt frames adorning the iconostasis in the Russian Church

Ottoman rulers, it was
adapted for the monarchs of
indepen dent Bulgaria after

1877. The building’s palatial
      charac ter persists. Many of
      the exhibi tion halls have pre-
      World War I parquet floors
      and intri cate stucco ceilings.
      Bulgarian fine art grew out
      of the icon-painting workshops
      of the 19th century, and the
      gallery’s exhi bition appropri-
      ately begins with works by
      the greatest of all Bulgarian
      religious artists, Zahari Zograf
      (see p612). His series of
      real istic portraits shows
      great psycho logical insight
      and effect ively launched
      Bulgarian painting on a
      mod ern European course.
      The gallery’s collection traces
      the development of Bulgarian
      painting. Highlights include
      a room devoted to the work
      of local Impressionists, and
      that of Bulgarian paint ers of
      the interwar generation, in
      which modernist styles are
      fused with traditional native
      themes. Fore most among
      them are Vladimir Dimitrov-
      Maistora, Zlatyu Boyadzhiev
      and Tsanko Lavrenov.
      Exhibitions of contem porary
      art are often held in the gal-
      lery’s ground floor rooms.
      The Ethnographic Museum
      (Etnografski Muzei) in the east
      wing has a fascinating collec-
      tion of traditional Bulgarian
      costumes. It also mounts tem-
      porary exhibitions devoted to
      aspects of Bulgarian folklore.
      The museum shop offers a
      range of traditional craft items.

Natural History

Museum 5

Национален

Пpиpoaoнayчeh Музей

bul. Tsar Osvoboditel 1. Map E4.

Tel (02) 987 4195. @ 9, 94, 280,

306. Q Serdika. # 10am–6pm
     daily. ¢ 1 Jan, 3 Mar, 25 Dec. &
     = http://www.nmnhs.com

To the east of the National

Art Gallery is the Natural

History Museum (Natsionalen

Prirodonauchen Muzei), which

is devoted to European fauna

and geology. The display

begins with rows of rocks and

crystals, then moves on to a

large collec tion of stuffed birds

and mammals, and an array

of glass cabinets filled with

insects. Live snakes and

rodents are kept in glass enclo-

sures alongside the stair cases.

The museum shop sells fine

decor ative stones and crystals.