St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral celebrates its feast day

The Patriarchal Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky is celebrating its temple feast today. The cathedral, a symbol of the Bulgarian capital, was built "in gratitude to the Russian people for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878".

Who was St. Alexander Nevsky, the patron saint of the temple? He was born in 1220. He lived at a time when the Russian lands were under Tatar rule. Alexander was a prince of the Novgorod region. During his reign, the King of Sweden set out on a campaign against Novgorod with a large army. Prince Alexander led the defence of his city, entrusting all his hopes of victory to God. The two armies met at the Neva River. The Prince of Novgorod, with God's help, won a glorious victory, for which he was called "Nevsky".

For more information on the history of the temple, have a look at the publications on the Radio Bulgaria website:

• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia celebrates its patron saint’s day
• 140 years since the laying of the foundation stone of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• Hear the chiming bells of the Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevsky in the heart of Sofia