Sofia

Winter in Bulgaria

Sofia

December 2005

Photos and Text by Melissa Enderle

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Sofia
Since our hotel was fairly close to the city center, we chose to enjoy its sights by walking. Most of the places of interest were concentrated within a small area, making it easy to visit. Store signs (including some MacDonald's signs) were in Cyrillic, as were the sparse street signs. Streets and sidewalks were covered with slush, with some of that turning to ice on well-trod pedestrian routes. Sofia has a greater number of old buildings that generally are in better preservation than those in Belgrade. With fewer bombings and more money spent in anticipation for the full joining of the EU, Bulgaria's capital city has much to offer the visitor.							Even the Mac Donald's signs were in Cyrillic
St. Nedelya Church One of our first stops was the Sveta Nedelya Church. The interior of this church (built between 1856 and 1863) was quite ornate. Murals of Biblical events, church saints, and of course those that helped finance the building covered the walls, some nearly life-size. In the center cupola, the gazing face of Jesus in typical Byzantine style loomed over all. In one corner an individual, bowing slightly with a special cloth over his/her head, went to Confession before the priest. Near them, a decorated Christmas tree illuminated the dark area.
Walls of the church contained beautifully painted murals. Above the windows is the Nativity scene.					Many of the Orthodox churches in Bulgaria had a Christmas tree, something not present in Serbian Orthodox churches.		Sveta Nedelya exterior

St. George Rotunda Church A short distance away was the Church of St. George. This small brick structure, originally built by the Romans as a rotunda in the 2nd or 3rd century BC, seemed ready to be engulfed and swallowed by the massive modern hotels and buildings surrounding it. Inside, we were not allowed to take photos. Signs prohibiting cell phones and skimpy clothing were also posted. Very old frescoes, the oldest dating back to the 10th century covered portions of the walls and ceiling, in various states of condition. In many areas, the brick of the building was exposed. Outside the medieval church were some ancient ruins, but because of the snow, it was nothing much to see. I then appreciated Tunisia’s mild climate, making it possible to see its Roman, Byzantine and Punic ruins year-round, unfettered by snow.							Church of St. George - the oldest structure in Sofia
Meandering along, we went inside the former Royal Palace, now housing the National Art Gallery and Ethnographic Museum. All furniture from its royal period had been removed, but the ornate fireplaces and parquet floors still hinted of its regal past. Although I didn’t recognize the names of the local artists, it was quite apparent that they were influenced by many of the Western art movements. I was surprised at how chilly the building was. In the Ethnographic Museum side, the featured exhibit consisted of the masks and costumes worn in villages during certain festivities. Much of the signage in both museums was in multiple languages including English, something I always appreciate. After a brief stop in the Ethnographic Museum’s gift shop, we to a nearby trendy café for a late lunch.

Church of Alexander Nevski			Church of Alexander Nevski This enormous church, with its golden domes and green roof, could be seen from quite a distance. It was created between 1892 and 1912 as a memorial to the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died fighting for Bulgaria’s independence from Ottoman rule (1877-78). Inside the regal structure are masterpieces of icons, frescoes, murals, and huge chandeliers. The marble floor was laid out in a striking black and white geometric pattern. Italian marble of various colors graced the columns and portions of the walls. Intricately carved alabaster formed the pulpit and other areas of the five-isle church. Although the structure was very dark and spacious, the beautiful murals still made their presence shown. Unfortunately, like most of the other churches we visited in Bulgaria, photography was prohibited.

St. Nikolai Russian Church With its high onion-shaped central dome surrounded by four smaller domes and Russian crosses, the small church definitely had the feeling of a Russian structure. The gold domes and majolica tiles gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. I expected the inside to be equally as beautiful, but was surprised to see how small and spartan the inside really was. Having seen many things that day, we decided to slow up the pace just a bit and find some travel information for the Rila Monastery, our intended destination for the next day. We felt that the 90 euro price quoted by the hotel for transportation, entrance fee, and lunch seemed quite steep, so we wanted to check out some other prices. After visiting several travel agencies, we still didn’t have any information. Many travel agencies were focused on travel outside of Bulgaria (such as Greece and Istanbul). Finally we found one kind woman who gave us local bus information – a much better deal.							St. Nikolai Russian Church
							That evening we did a bit more of window shopping, commenting on the number of people out on the streets and small stands of Christmas decorations for sale. Hungry, we went to a cozy restaurant and had mixed grill, sharing the large portion between the two of us.

Boyana With a dual recommendation by the kind travel agent and Olja’s sister, we decided to spend the next day in Boyana, a suburb around 9 km from Sofia. Reading about the long steep hill between our two destinations of the church and the National Museum, we decided to start our journey at the top - the Boyana Church. Boyana Church Also on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the structure dates back to the 10th, 11th, 13th, and 19th centuries. Dates of the frescoes also vary, with the earliest dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. The entrance to the church was through a very low wooden door, designed so people would automatically bow as they entered the structure. It was riddled with holes, which the museum docent explaining that they were bullet holes from the Turks.							Boyana Church door
The initial room was very spartan, with a few copies of frescoes and other artifacts. Both Olja and I wondered how this could be the church whose frescoes were claimed to be among the oldest and most interesting examples of Eastern European medieval art. As the docent unlocked the next door, we then realized that this was where the true art lay. This middle second section dated back to the 13th century. In some areas multiple layers of frescoes were visible. Thankfully, similarities between Bulgarian and Serbian enabled Olja to find out more about the church. The life of St. Nicholas (Nikola) was depicted over much of the walls. On one side were portraits of Nedelya and Barbara, the first deaconesses. We then peeked into the third section, a small one-apse cross-vaulted church dating back to the late 10th and early 11th century. Scaffolding covered much of the area, as the frescoes here were being cleaned and restored.							Boyana church - side view

National Museum We then made the rather long walk to the National Museum, located on a sprawling grounds with a beautiful mountain view. The museum structure was an imposing Communist style, with some wood ornamentation softening some of its severity. Once again cameras were not allowed. The large museum contained originals and reproductions of artifacts dating back to Roman, and Greek times. It also housed a fabulous collection of Thracian gold treasures from 1000 to 100 BC. Items were nicely displayed and presented, accompanied by explanations in several languages. There were also many pieces from churches around the country, including the beautiful wooden door from the Rila Monastery’s original church. In the large main room, large windows gave plenty of natural light and enabled us to see the spectacular snowy mountain. The wooden ceiling was beautifully carved. Another room contained a collection of items (personal and royal) from King Ferdinand I. The WWII photos and memorabilia were quite interesting, illustrating once again the extent of the war. One plaque commemorated the Bulgarian’s efforts to save the country’s Jews.							Tour the Boyana Church at its official website Image courtesy of the Boyana Church website

Hungry, we decided to head back to Sofia, taking a local tram. After a quick meal at the trendy café, we began to walk around town. People were spotted carrying Christmas trees, either whole, sections, or branches. Our shopping destination was Tradicia, a store with traditional and newer crafts made by disadvantaged artists. A store volunteer explained that many of the artists are disabled, others come from remote villages, and a few non-disabled artists have their proceeds go to the disabled. I found several gifts and was happy to support this worthy cause. Moving onward, we came across the Cultural Center, bustling with a bazaar. For supper, we found a restaurant, filled with locals. Warmed by the cream of mushroom and fresh garlic bread, we now were ready for more walking.

Copyright © 2006 Melissa Enderle