Bulgaria Shipka Memorial Church2

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Bulgaria
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SHIPKA
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Shipka Pass (el. 1150 m./3820 ft.) is a scenic
mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in
Bulgaria. During the Russo-Turkish War in 1877
and 1878, Shipka Pass was the scene of a series
of conflicts collectively named the Battle of
Shipka Pass (fought between the Russian Empire,
aided by Bulgarian volunteers, and the Ottoman
Empire for control over the vital Shipka Pass
during the Russo-Turkish War. The Memorial
Temple of the Birth of Christ, better known as
the Shipka Memorial Church or Shipka Monastery is
a Bulgarian Orthodox church dedicated to the
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian soldiers that
died for the liberation of Bulgaria in the
Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78. Built near the town
of Shipka in Stara Planina between 1885 and 1902,
under the direction of architect Alexander
Pomerantsev, initially the entire monastery was
Russian property, but in 1934 it was granted by
the Soviet government of Bulgaria for eternal
times
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The temple has a central dome surrounded by 4
smaller domes The churchs exterior is stunning,
especially experienced in its remote and isolated
mountain setting, while the interior is decorated
with gilded ornamentation and intricate paintings.
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The idea to found the monastery began with the
Russian diplomat Count Ignatiev and Olga
Skobeleva, the mother of the Russian hero from
the war - Major General Michael Skobelev.  Funds
for construction were donated by the Russian
people. On the sanctuary walls and in the outer
galleries 34 marble plaques are listing the names
of officers and volunteers who died during the
Russo-Turkish war. Overall 18,491 people are
memorialized at Shipka
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The Church officially opened on the 25th
anniversary of the Battle of Shipka Pass, with
the names of fallen soldiers inscribed on walls
within and their remains held in stone sarcophagi
in the churchs crypt. There are 12 sarcophagi in
the crypt. The bones of nearly 9,000 Russian and
Bulgarian soldiers who died during the war for
the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman
occupation were buried there
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Count Ignatiev proposed to dedicate the church
to the Birth of Christ, since major combats
between the Russian and Turkish armies took
place... during the Birth of Christ holiday, near
the Shipka village
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The church has a cruciform dome, a rectilinear
nave, and three apses
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Until 2005, Shipka was subordinate not to the
Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which it currently
belongs to, but to the Russian Church
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To manufacture crosses, bells and the
iconostasis, Count Ignatiev enlisted the services
of the best Russian artisans all craftsmen,
brick-layers and carpenters were brought from
Russia
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The carved gilded main iconostasis made of lime
wood was designed by Alexander Pomerantsev, and
its icons, on cypress boards, were made by
craftsmen from the Russian St. Panteleimon church
on Mount Athos some icons were donations from
Russia. The altar crucifixes, the Gospel, holy
vessels, service books, chandeliers and other
church paraphernalia were bought in Russia thanks
to contributions from the Committee and private
persons
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On the magnificent iconostasis with exquisite
carvings, there are 83 built-in icons, made by
monks from the Russian monastery located in
Mount Athos
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During the lighting ceremony at the Memorial
Church, the church received a donation of
valuable icons, ancient religious books,
manuscripts and valuable relics
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By 1902, the church already had a home for the
clergy, a seminary, a hospital, and a home for
teachers
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In the Church there are holy relics of many
saints including the holy relics of Saint
Alexander Nevski
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The northern aisle of the church is dedicatedto
St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker, the southern
aisle, to St. Alexander Nevsky
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The temple is architectural masterpiece, with
typical Russian construction details were shaped,
four side dome 33 meters in height, has a central
42 m, with crosses placed over them.
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The murals were created only in the mid-20th
century
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The painting of the temple is done in two stages,
is initiated by the Russian artist P.Myasoedov
professor in 1902 and it ends only 1959 (team led
by painter N.Rostovtsev). The murals not only
depict biblical scenes, and canonized by the
Orthodox Church, but also Russian and Bulgarian
celebrities, among them images of the brothers
Cyril and Methodius.
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Some wonderful frescoes depicting scenes from
Russian history
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Under the church has built a crypt. The crypt of
the church has been turned into a bone-house
containing 17 marble sarcophagi arranged in two
galleries.
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Text and pictures Internet All copyrights belong
to their respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2021
Sound Megaloschemos II (Bulgarian
Orthodox Hymn)
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