Among the boulevards of central Sofia, the church of Saint Nicholas the Miracle-Maker comes as a surprise. Built in the early twentieth century for the Russian community and the embassy, it follows the Russian Revival manner: five onion domes covered in gold leaf, walls faced in glazed tile and majolica in green, white and gold, and a small entrance porch under a tent roof. The scale is deliberately intimate. Inside, the space is narrow and dark, lined with icons in the Russian tradition and lit mainly by candles, so that the contrast with the brilliance of the exterior is complete. What draws the steady stream of visitors is the crypt. It holds the tomb of Archbishop Seraphim, venerated by many of the faithful, and a custom has grown up of writing a request on a slip of paper and leaving it beside the tomb. The notes accumulate daily, in several languages, and give the church a role in the life of the city that has nothing to do with architecture. Filmed in 4K, with careful attention to gilding, tile, candlelight and gesture, the programme suits strands on sacred sites, religious art and popular devotion.
