Alexander Nevsky Crypt Museum

Alexander Nevsky Crypt museum is located just below Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The nature of the exhibits is not a gruesome, as the name of the museum suggests. It is an Orthodox icon museum.

Originally, as the foundations for the cathedral were laid, it was decided that a tomb for the Bulgarian kings should be built as well. Unfortunately for the smart planning none of the kings was buried there, therefore in 1965 the space under the church was converted into a branch of the National Art Gallery for Orthodox art.

It is said that the Alexander Nevsky Crypt museum holds the largest collection of Orthodox icons in Europe. The art collection’s time span is dating back to as far as the christianisation of the Roman Empire in the 4th century and up to the 19th century, as not only, but mainly, icons are displayed.

A big impressive exposition of icons from all parts of Bulgaria is exquisitely exhibited in the crypt. Before it could be open to the public artists have worked for 30 years in order to enrich the cathedral’s crypt with 300 frescoes and decorative elements of marble, onyx, alabaster and gold.