Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral, Varna

The Cathedral of the Assumption is the largest church in Varna and a symbol of the Black Sea city, built after Bulgaria's liberation and consecrated in 1886. Its silhouette of onion domes and a tall central tower dominates the cathedral square in the city centre. Inside, richly painted murals, a carved wooden bishop's throne, and stained glass fill the spacious interior. Funded partly by public donations and the Russian tsar, the cathedral commemorates the country's regained independence and remains the seat of the local metropolitan.