site.btaProject to Build First Bulgarian Church in UK Awaits Donations

The St John of Rila Bulgarian Orthodox Parish in London started a campaign to raise funding to build a Bulgarian Orthodox church in the UK capital, the office of Metropolitan Antonii of Western and Central Europe said on Sunday.

So far, hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians resident in the UK, mainly Orthodox Christians, have been able to use only a small chapel housed in a former garage on the premises of the Bulgarian Embassy in London, available for religious worship since the 1990s.

Now, the chapel is to be expanded and upgraded into a church. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has provided two additional rooms for the purpose. The government in Sofia has allocated BGN 800,000 (approximately GBP 350,000) for the future church. The money is not enough as the project costs are estimated at around GBP 1 million, Antonii's office said.

An earlier campaign was launched years ago to raise money from private donors, but it proved unsuccessful. This time, even the starting date of construction has been set (November 7, 2023). This clearly shows that the St John of Rila Bulgarian Orthodox Parish in London, which runs the Embassy chapel, is the only community in the UK which is really working for the building of a Bulgarian church, Antonii said.

The project has been presented to Bulgarians living, working and studying in London. It was designed by Italian architect Carlo Bughi in the style of medieval Bulgarian churches in Pliska, Preslav and Serdika. The London church will have an interior dome, which is a distinctive feature of Orthodox architecture. Inside, there will be colonnades and a marble iconostasis, decorative mosaics and frescoes. A library and a Sunday school area will be built on an upper level around the dome.

The changes which will be made to the existing building have undergone a year-long procedure of approval. The structure is of historical value and forms an integral part of the classical architecture of the historical district of Kensington, just metres from the Royal Albert Hall at the heart of London.

A new entrance from the main street will make the church accessible to all worshippers, including persons with disabilities. Above the entrance will be a round stained-glass window. An Orthodox cross will signify the first Bulgarian church in the UK.

Construction is expected to last between six months and a year. In the meantime, Orthodox Christians can attend Bulgarian services in the Greek Church of St Panteleimon in Harrow, North London or in the St Michael & All Angels Church near Rochester, Kent.

Donations can be made directly via the website of the Bulgarian church in London, the bank account of the church board, or via PayPal.