The Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral (Katedralen Hram Uspenie Bogorodichno) or simply known amongst the population of Varna as: ”The Cathedral”, is the largest church building in Varna and the third largest cathedral in Bulgaria. Its the main point of residence of the bishopric of Varna and Preslav and one of the most popular places in Varna. Its location in the centre part of the city makes it easily accessible by foot, personal vehicles, city transport, rent a car Varna, etc. There is an abundance of walking zones and bus stops in the vicinity, as well as a lot of parking spaces and parking garages suitable for your Varna centre car rental.

Its history begins amidst Russian Knyaz Dondukov-Korsakov’s visitation of Varna. He spotted the need for a cathedral church that would fulfill the increased needs of the population. The construction required significant monetary resources to be built and a vast majority of them were expected to be gathered though donations. The then Metropolitan Simeon forgathered the community to choose a commission with the aim of preparing the construction of a new church, raising money, particularly selecting the spot, and securing timber and building materials.

Mostly materials from the Varna region were used for the construction of the cathedral – from the areas where modern buildings such as the Varna Airport now stands, modern resorts such as Golden Sands and st.st. Constantine and Helena, Sunny day, etc. The exterior columns beneath the windows used stone from Rousse and the arches relied on limy freestone. The Copper plates for the roof delivered from England

The initially chosen name – Dormition of the Theotokos, was in memory of Russian Empress consort Maria Alexandrovna, a benefactress of Bulgaria and aunt of the Bulgarian knyaz.

The knyaz did not like the building place. He fancied a nearby hilly location which could be seen from the whole city. The architect chosen came from Odessa under the name of Maas. Building operations began right after the foundation stone was laid and took a duration of six years. At first, the municipality concluded a 6,000-leva contract with the architect, but he soon asked for more resources, so the commission decided to buy out his plans but not engage him with the construction, but rather appoint the municipal architect P. Kupka.

A master builder needed to be selected and talks started in the middle of 1880, but the final decision was finally concluded nearly 4 years later on 15 March 1884. The commission entrusted Gencho Kanchev from Tryavna with the task.

In modern times the Cathedral has been renovated as recently as 2021. The interior of it is a sight to be seen if you have the time. However, if you are in a hurry or just passing by, the exterior is just as impressive and can be viewed easily even while waiting on one of the nearby intersections on a red light in your My Rent a Car vehicle.