Shipka Monastery

The Shipka monastery “St Nikolay” rises above the village of Shipka in the skirts of the central Balkan mountain in Bulgaria.

The monastery was built in memory to the many Russian soldiers and Bulgarian revolutionaries who died during the Russian-Turkish Liberation War of 1877-1878. The funds necessary for the building of the monastery were gained from donors mostly from Russia, but also from Bulgarian ones, upon the initiative of Olga Skobeleva, mother of the Russian general Skobelev and count Ignatiev. The construction itself started in 1885 and finished in 1902 under the lead of Russian architects. Firstly, the monastery was Russian property, but in 1934, it was donated by the Soviet government to the Bulgarian state.

The “St Nikolay” church is a true architectural masterpiece, built in the traditional style of 17th-century Russian cathedrals. The church, declared a monument of culture, shines with its colourful mosaic decoration and golden domes from a big distance. It has one central dome and 4 smaller, one which there are golden crosses on the top. A 53-meter high belltower with 17 bells (the biggest of which weighs almost 12 tons) rises right next to the western façade of the church. Inside the church, visitors can see 24 mosaic plates with the names of 18,491 Bulgarians and Russians who gave their lives during the battles at the Shipka peak and in the neighbourhood of Kazanluk. The church’s walls were painted twice – first in 1902 by G. Mesoedov and A. Mitov, and then again in 1957-1959 by a team of wall-painters, guided by N. Rostovtsev.

At present, the Shipka monastery operates as a museum (a part of the Shipka-Buzludzha national park museum), and does not offer food and accommodation.

The Shipka monastery in Bulgaria is situated nearby the village of Shipka, 8km away from the town of Kazanluk. The domes of the church can be seen from the outskirts of the villages.