Bulgaria Shipka Memorial Church1

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Bulgaria
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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. The Battle of Shipka Pass consisted
of four battles that were 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
(18771878). The crucial moment came in August
1877, when a group of 5,000 Bulgarian volunteers
and 2,500 Russian troops repulsed an attack
against the peak by a nearly 40,000 strong
Ottoman army. The top of the tower reveals a
panorama of Shipka Peak and the surrounding area
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Shipka Monument (a 31.5-metre high stone tower in
the form of a truncated pyramid) designed by
architect Atanas Donkov and sculptor Aleksandar
Andreev, was opened with a ceremony in 1934
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A giant bronze lion, 8 m long and 4 m high,
standing above the entrance to the tower
represents the victory over the Ottoman forces
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Stairs to the monument
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A marble sarcophagus housing some of the remains
of the Russian and Bulgarian casualties is on the
first floor. There are four other floors where
one can find replicas of Bulgarian military flags
and other relics
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The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ,
better known as the Shipka Memorial Church or
Shipka Monastery is a Bulgarian Orthodox church
built near the town of Shipka in Stara Planina
between 1885 and 1902 to Antoniy Tomishko's
design in the seventeenth-century Muscovite
style, under the direction of architect Alexander
Pomerantsev. It is, together with the other parts
of the Shipka Monument complex, dedicated to the
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian soldiers that
died for the liberation of Bulgaria in the
Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78. Initially, the entire
monastery was Russian property, but in 1934 it
was granted by the Soviet government of Bulgaria
for eternal times. In 1970, the monument was
declared a cultural monument and later became
part of the Shipka-Buzludzha Historical and
Architectural Reserve.
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The temple has a central dome surrounded by 4
smaller domes
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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 Orthodox church built in the years 1885-1902
is the first monument to the Russo-Bulgarian
friendship in history
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On the west side of the main building stands an
impressive bell tower rising 53 m high Below it
are four arches, ending with peaked pyramid and
crucifix
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Richly decorated with embossed designs and
inscriptions seventeen bells weigh over 20
tonnes, the weight of the largest are 11,643 kg.
The church's bells were cast from the cartridges
that were collected after the battles
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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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The bell tower
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The bell tower
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North and south facades are decorated with
galleries as picturesque ornaments finish the
edges of polyhedral pyramidal tents with gold
bulbs and put a cross
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Shipka Memorial Church Gallery
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Gallery with the names of the soldiers killed in
the Battle of Shipka The names of the fallen
were engraved on 34 marble slabs
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The temple built in the style of Russian churches
from the 17th century is richly decorated with
paintings, frescoes and gilding
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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 temple has a fabulous ceramic decorations,
friezes depict birds and plants, white stone
details contrast with the red background of the
brick walls of the building and transmit fresh
colorful look
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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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Interior stairwell headed down to the crypt
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Text and pictures Internet All copyrights belong
to their respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2021
Sound Voices of Ancient Bulgaria - Sacred
Orthodox music
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Viena
Istanbul
Bulgaria
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Viena
Istanbul
Bulgaria
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Slovenia
Munich