Bagrati Cathedral, Kutaisi, Georgia
Bagrati Cathedral is a Georgian Orthodox Cathedral located on a hill on the right bank of the river Rioni in the city of Kutaisi, region of Imereti, Georgia. The cathedral was founded by the first king of united Georgia Bagrad III (c. 975-1014) at the end of 10th century. Bagrati Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Georgian medieval architecture and is also inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites.The cathedral was devastated by the invading Turks in 1691 and damaged in 1770 when the Russian Army bombed the Kuitasi. Bagrati Cathedral is under restoration works since the 1950's, while agreement signed by the President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze and the Katholikos of Georgia Ilia II restored the Bagrati Cathedral to the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2001.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, Bulgaria
Foundation stone for Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was laid in 1882 but the cathedral was built between 1904 and 1912. The name of the cathedral was changed to the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral between 1916 and 1920 but the original name was afterwards restored.
The interior of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is decorated with mosaics, stained glass windows, marble, woodcarvings and frescoes. Inside the cathedral crypt is a museum of Bulgarian icons as part of the National Art Gallery. The museum contains Bulgarian icon paintings from the 9th to the 18th century from all over the country.
Nativity of Christ Cathedral, Riga, Latvia
Nativity of Christ Cathedral was turned into a Lutheran church during the World War I and German occupation of Riga but it was restored as Orthodox Cathedral in 1921. The communist authorities closed the cathedral and converted it into a planetarium in the 1960's. The Nativity of Christ Cathedral was renovated and restored as a Orthodox cathedral after Latvia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 but the locals still name it the 'Planetarijs'.
