Shipka Memorial Church

About

Between 1877 and 1878, Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian forces came together to oust the Ottoman Empire. 25 years after the Battles of Shipka Pass, a church to commemorate the fallen was opened. Though it’s now Bulgarian Orthodox, the 17th century Muscovite style, complete with arches, pediments, and friezes, is decidedly Eastern. The golden, onion shaped domes glittering above the treetops, and Russian Orthodox crosses are dead giveaways of the Russian architecture. Along with the vibrant colors, and gilded accents, both inside and out, the names of the fallen inscribed on the inner walls, with their remains interred in the church’s crypt.