The St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (named for patron saint of Alexander II, Bulgaria's liberator) is the cathedral of the Patriarch of Bulgaria, located in the center of Sofia at the eponymous square. It is the world's second largest Orthodox church after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade.
In 1879 the National Assembly decided to erect the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral to commemorate the memory of Russian warriors, who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The church's foundation was laid on March 3, 1882. Construction was conducted from 1904 till 1912 on people's donations. The church, designed by Alexander Pomerantsev, was consecrated in 1924.
The St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in Neo-Byzantine style, is a cross-domed basilica. It is 52m high and has an area of 3,170 square metres. The temple has 12 bells (which were founded in Moscow) with a total weight of 23 tons. The domes are plated with copper, the central ones are gold-plated.
The cathedral's interior is divided into five sectors and has three altars: the central is devoted to St Alexander Nevsky, the northern - to Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Southern - to Prince Boris I.
Many then-famous Russian and Bulgarian artists participated in painting the interior: Viktor Vasnetsov painted the images of Christ and the Virgin Mary; Ivan Mrkvicka designed the icons at the northern part of iconostasis, and Anton Mitov designed the icons in the southern part. Pyotr Myasoyedov's fresco of God Sabaoth, in the central dome, is one of the church's most spectacular works of art. Various colours of Italian marble and Venetian mosaics decorating the interior give it a magnificent look.
Icon Theotokos Iverskaya, a gift from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy I, is kept at the main altar. His other gifts to the church include vestments for the main altar, a Gospel, a communion cross and a gold-plated holy ampulla.
A crypt, where the icon exhibition was set up, is located under the church.
In 1955, the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was declared a historical monument by UNESCO.