Russian Church, Sofia

A burst of golden onion domes on one of Sofia's grandest boulevards, the Russian Church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, is among the most photogenic buildings in the Bulgarian capital. Its gilded cupolas, green-tiled spire and glazed exterior stand out vividly against the sober official architecture of the surrounding government district.

Built between 1907 and 1914, the church was raised to serve the Russian embassy community and Russian residents of Sofia, on the site of a former Ottoman mosque demolished after Bulgaria's liberation. It was designed in the ornate Russian Revival style by architect Mikhail Preobrazhensky, closely modelled on seventeenth-century Muscovite churches, complete with five gilded domes, colourful majolica tiles and a mosaic over the entrance. The result is a small but intensely decorative building that transplants a piece of old Russia to the Balkans.

Below the church lies a revered crypt, holding the tomb of Archbishop Seraphim, a Russian émigré cleric widely venerated by believers who leave written prayers at his grave in the belief that he answers requests. This popular devotion gives the otherwise modest church a steady stream of pilgrims quite apart from its architectural fame.

For visitors it is a quick, free and central stop, sitting on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard between the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the former royal palace, so it slots easily into any walk through the museum quarter. The interior is small and dim, lit by candles and lined with icons, and can be entered quietly outside services with the usual courtesies of Orthodox churches. Photographs of the exterior are best in morning light when the domes catch the sun. Its location makes it simple to combine with the cathedral, the national gallery and the archaeological museum nearby.