Sunday, January 17, 2021

Neo-Byzantine: The Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, Bulgaria

The cathedral of Alexander Nevsky in Sofia, Bulgaria, is one of the greatest works of Neo-Byzantine architecture, which was to eastern Europe what Neo-Gothic was to the west.

Construction began in 1882 to honor the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, as a result of which Bulgaria was liberated from Ottoman rule. It occupies a prominent site in the center of the city, its gold domes visible from all around.


The interior does have a very Byzantine look, with domes looming up into the dimness, gold shining wherever light falls.


Interior details.


What caught my attention is the wonderful mosaics. Above, St. Eudoxia.

Alexander Nevsky. Nevsky (1221-1263) was a Prince of Novgorod who won several victories against German and Swedish invaders but then bent the knee to the Mongols, making Russia for a century a vassal state of the Golden Horde. He got his name at the age of 19 when he led a Russian force to defeat the Swedes on the banks of the River Neva. Other mosaics below.


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1 comment:

G. Verloren said...

Alexander Nevsky. Nevsky (1221-1263) was a Prince of Novgorod who won several victories against German and Swedish invaders but then bent the knee to the Mongols, making Russia for a century a vassal state of the Golden Horde. He got his name at the age of 19 when he led a Russian force to defeat the Swedes on the banks of the River Neva.

"Who is this figure you have depicted in your church?"
"Oh, him? A very pious man! Devout and true, a champion of the faith!"
"Interesting! What did he do?"
"Well, he fought and defeated his fellow Christians!"
"...err.. is that a particularly holy thing to do?"
"Well, perhaps not - but then he surrendered to and was a collaborator with heathen invaders!"
"Ahh. So he was a martyr?"
"Precisely!"

January 17, 2021 at 3:09 PM

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