Bulgarian Cathedral of the Dormition

#Halloween2023 The Cathedral of the Dormition is the largest church building in the Black Sea city of Varna, Bulgaria, and the third largest cathedral in Bulgaria, after the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia and the Dimitar Cathedral in Vidin. On August 22, 1880, Bulgarian ruler Alexander I laid the foundation stone with solemn ceremony and prayers in the presence of a crowd of Bulgarians and Armenians. He pardoned all local prisoners who had three months or less left in prison. It was officially opened on August 30, 1886. It was the official residence of the bishops of Varna and Preslav and one of the symbols of Varna. The name Dormition was chosen in honor of the Russian Empress Maria Alexandrovna, Bulgaria's patron and aunt of the recently deceased Bulgarian ruler Alexander I. Materials for the cathedral's construction came from Varna, including stones collected from the destroyed city walls, materials for the outer walls were brought from the neighboring villages of Lyuben Karavelovo and Kumanovo, and the inner columns were made of local stone. The outer columns below the windows are made of stone from the city of Ruse on the south bank of the Danube, and the arches rely on limestone. The copper panels for the roof and the lifting device for raising the stones were brought from England. #Overseas Travel #Bulgaria #Church #Black Sea #Religious Belief #European Travel #European Tourism #Russia