Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria can claim ownership of Russian church in Sofia through the courts, acting Prosecutor General says

Photo: БГНЕС

Acting Prosecutor-General Borislav Sarafov has suggested to Regional Development Minister Andrey Tsekov that he file a lawsuit over the ownership of the Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker in Sofia, widely known as the Russian Church, in order to have it recognised as the property of the Bulgarian state. 
A deed dated 23.07.1997 declared the Orthodox temple and the land on which it was built to be the property of the Russian Embassy. This deed was issued at the request of the Russian Ambassador on the basis of a deed of donation dated 7 November 1898 for "a vacant urban plot in the city of St. Nicholas" by the Sofia City Council. Sofia" by the Sofia Municipality to the Russian Imperial Diplomatic Agency in Bulgaria. However, an investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office has uncovered facts that can be used to refute this ownership. These include bilateral documents from 1940 between Bulgaria and the USSR on the free use of the church building by the Bulgarian state.

The Russian church in Sofia came into the public spotlight after three priests from the temple were expelled from Bulgaria in September, accused of spying for Moscow.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to Greece due to a national strike

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Bulgarian citizens to avoid traveling to Greece because of a planned national strike today. The Foreign Ministry advises people to check the situation in Bulgaria's southern neighbor and the timeliness of flight..

published on 2/28/25 11:31 AM
Rositsa Mateva

CEC Deputy Chair Mateva: Recalculation of election results should be ready by the end of next week

"We hope that by the end of next week, the calculations will be completed and the results will be submitted to the Constitutional Court", Central Election Commission (CEC) Deputy Chair Rositsa Mateva told public broadcaster BNT regarding the..

published on 2/28/25 11:22 AM

The number of pensioners has increased by 15,630 people

The number of pensioners in January this year increased by 15,630 people, or 0.8%, compared to the first month of the previous year, the National Social Security Institute informed. More than 2 million people live on pensions whose average value is..

published on 2/28/25 10:16 AM