Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 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

National Guard Service will no longer provide transportation for the presidential administration

The National Guard Service (NSO) will no longer provide transportation for the presidential administration. This is provided for by the amendments to the Law on the National Security Service adopted at first reading with the votes of GERB-SDF, “DPS-New..

published on 9/18/25 3:33 PM
Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov

Children will be able to report signals of violence from their mobile phones

Children will be able to report if they or their peers become victims of violence through the CyberKidz Patrol mobile application , announced Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov. It will be available for download in early October. The only information..

published on 9/18/25 2:38 PM

USA and Bulgaria join forces to stop fentanyl trafficking

The US Drug Enforcement Agency, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, held a two-day training in Bulgaria to improve Bulgaria's ability to detect and neutralize the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids , BGNES reported...

published on 9/18/25 1:41 PM