Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 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

(L to R) Atanas Atanasov, Kiril Petkov, Bozhidar Bozhanov, Nikolai Denkov from PP/DB

PP/DB: Boyko Borissov as PM is absolutely unacceptable

“We find the proposal of Boyko Borissov as premier of Bulgaria absolutely unacceptable, we are not going to be involved in any trading in positions.” This is the answer We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (PP/DB) gave to the proposal by GERB..

published on 11/26/24 9:12 AM

Weather forecast: Sunny weather, fog in some parts

During the night, the weather will be predominantly clear and calm. There will be fog or low clouds before midday in parts of the lowlands, valleys and around water basins. Minimum temperatures minus 4-1° C., for Sofia around minus 2° C. On..

published on 11/25/24 6:15 PM

Ursula von der Leyen mentions Bulgarian girl Debora on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Bulgarian Debora Mihaylova , who was brutally slashed with a mock knife by her boyfriend Georgi Georgiev , is one of the victims of violence mentioned by Ursula von der Leyen in her address on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of..

published on 11/25/24 5:09 PM