The Church of “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker” is an ancient Orthodox church situated in the heart of Sofia, Bulgaria, at Tsar Kaloyan Street No. 8. According to historical accounts, the original church is believed to have been constructed by Emperor Constantine the Great in the early 4th century. This period marked the official establishment of Christianity as the state religion in the Roman Empire. The church was part of the larger Palace complex designed to accommodate the emperor during his visits to ancient Serdika, occupying the present-day center of Sofia, known as the “Konstantinov quarter.”
Tragically, during the bombing of Sofia on March 30, 1944, the medieval three-nave basilica named “St. Nikolay Mirlikiski Miracle Worker,” which had endured for centuries, was entirely destroyed.
In the 1950s, a new church was erected, following the insistence of Patriarch Kirill. To preserve the memory of the ancient church, remnants of the medieval structure were retained and are still visible today, situated low on the north side of the contemporary church. The most cherished treasure of the temple is the miraculous icon of St. Nikolay Mirlikiyski, which miraculously survived the devastating bombings of 1944 unscathed.
