A philatelic exhibition dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the first liturgy at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God has opened in Varna, Bulgaria. The exhibition traces the history of one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, from the laying of its foundation stone in 1880 to the present day, according to the website of the Varna and Veliki Preslav Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The exhibition was opened following Sunday’s Divine Liturgy at the cathedral, with the blessing of Metropolitan John of Varna and Veliki Preslav. More than 50 rare postcards, archival photographs and historical documents are on display, including materials that have not previously been shown to the public.

Visitors can learn about the construction and consecration of the cathedral, view historic images of the building and see several church relics associated with its history. The exhibition will remain open through September 30, 2026.

The Cathedral of the Dormition is regarded as one of Varna’s principal architectural and spiritual landmarks. It was the first major monumental Orthodox church built in Bulgaria following the country’s liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878.

The idea of constructing a representative Orthodox cathedral emerged amid the growth of Varna’s Bulgarian population. A building committee was established in 1879 to organize fundraising, and Prince Alexander of Battenberg laid the foundation stone on August 22, 1880.

Construction continued for several years and was completed in 1886. The first liturgy was celebrated on August 30 of that year by Metropolitan Simeon of Varna and Preslav.

The cathedral was conceived not only as Varna’s principal Orthodox church but also as a symbol of gratitude to Russia and all those who contributed to Bulgaria’s liberation. For several decades, it was the country’s largest church, a status it later lost following the construction of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia.

The interior was gradually enriched over the following decades with an iconostasis, murals, a bishop’s throne and stained-glass windows depicting Saints Cyril and Methodius, Clement and Angelarius. A major restoration project was completed in 2022, including the gilding of the domes, renovation of the roof, cleaning of the stone exterior and restoration of the stained-glass windows and carved entrance doors.

Today, the cathedral serves as the official seat of the Metropolitan of Varna and Veliki Preslav and remains one of the most recognizable buildings in Bulgaria’s maritime capital.

Organizers say the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to explore the cathedral’s history through rare visual records and to see how the landmark has evolved alongside Varna over the past 140 years.