St. Petka church

The orthodox church of St. Petka is located in the Varna centre and very close to the Sea Garden. The construction of the church with its full name of “St. Paraskeva Petka” started in 1901. The stone sanctified from metropolitan Simeon from the first sod of the church is still standing. Finished in 1906 the church was sanctified from Bishop Yosif. History doesn’t remember where the funds for the construction of the church came from. It is speculated that it came from donations by wealthy individuals at the time.

Unlike most churches in Varna, the St. Petka church was never demolished. It was pictured for the first time only in 1973 as until then as most churches it had welcomed its visitors with white walls. The artists Dimitar Bakalski and Sergey Rostovtsev created the images of the saints over the course of a year. The mandatory church ornaments were created by the painter Alexander Sorokin. History also is silent regarding the date of the first service given in the church.

Symbolism and recent history

The eternal battle between good and evil is the main scene in the iconostasis of the church. The two dragons, with their heads bowed down in front of the cross and dove, symbol of the Holy spirit are imagined as proof of the justice and kindness of god. In 1928 an additional space was built into the church which is used in modern times as a baptism hall. Until 1945 it was primarily used as a kitchen for the poor. Food was given to orphans and even families of refugees from the war.

If you wish to visit the St. Petka church and take a stroll around the Varna centre you can take advantage of My Rent a Car by getting a car of your choosing anywhere from Varna Airport, the centre itself, Golden Sands, St. St. Constantine and Helena, Sunny day or other points within Varna.