The museum was established in 1921 as a ceremonial gathering. It acquired a legitimate status in 1923. Then it was open to visit and exposition. It is housed in a representative building on Sveta Nedelya square, which was erected in 1906 as a monument to the church independence proclaimed in 1870. The building was severely damaged by the bombing in 1944, but after the Second World War it was restored. In 1998 the building was declared an architectural and artistic monument of national importance.
The museum is profiled and presents mainly values related to Orthodox history and culture. Its collection includes more than 10000 exhibits - works of church art, church plates, books, carvings, archival documents. Materials for the members of the church-national movement during the Revival, as well as the leading hierarchs of Bulgaria, are strongly presented. It keeps a permanent exhibition and visits with exhibitions in other museums, including abroad.
Translation Yordan Georgiev - trainee
