The second day of our trip to Sofia also had a special experience, we descended into the crypt of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where the Museum of Icons, officially known as the Museum of Icon Art (Bulgarian: Музей за христианско изкуство) is located.
This is not just a simple exhibition, but one of the most significant collections of Orthodox church art in Europe.
Within the walls of the museum, we can follow the development of Bulgarian icon painting over several centuries. The exhibited objects cover an incredible time span:
The earliest pieces date back to the 4th century (late antique fragments), while the core of the collection is made up of works from the 9th to the 19th centuries. The famous Preslav ceramic icons seen here, which date back to the 9th-10th centuries and are considered a rarity, since most icons are usually made on wood.
A significant part of the icons are richly decorated with gold dust. For believers, these are not just pictures, but “windows to heaven”, and this dignity was even more pronounced in the semi-darkness of the basement.
We could see the works of such famous icon painting schools as the Tarnovo or Samokov schools. The richness of the details of the images – the elaboration of facial features and the folds of the clothes – was impressive.
The cool, quiet and mystical atmosphere of the crypt was a perfect contrast to the monumental dimensions of the cathedral above. This “underground treasury” is a must-see for anyone visiting Sofia.
