Russian Church of Saint Nicholas

The extraordinary white and green building of the Russian Church of Saint Nicholas with its five golden domes was designed by Russian architect Preobrajenski and built by Russian workers (some of the same that worked on the Alexander Nevski cathedral) from 1912 until 1914. Named after St. Nikolay "the Blessed and the Miracle-maker," it was constructed in order to give a Tsarist diplomat what he wanted. The latter was afraid to worship in Bulgarian churches.

The golden semi-domes were recently covered by Bulgarian and Russian workers with gold leaf donated by the Patriarchate of Moscow. The church's modest interior tends to be very dim, but it is worth seeing the frescos, which are of the Novgorod iconography school. Many people come to pray to Bulgarian Bishop Serafim (1881-1950), who is buried in the crypt and regarded by many Bulgarians as a saint, even though he has never been canonized and thought of as a saint. Messages and wishes for miracles are written on sheets of paper and left in a box nearby the Bishop's white marble sarcophagus. Heading for the city centre from the Russian Church, tourists can see the Bulgarian Natural History Museum, which has Geology, Zoology and Botany sections that will satisfy any desire to look upon rocks, minerals, stuffed animals or their skeletons.