Renaming of the “St. Alexander Nevski“ Square to “St. Ivan Rilski“ will discuss at its regular meeting today the Sofia Municipal Council (SOC), according to the agenda published on the SOC website, quoted by dariknews.bg.
The submitters of the report to the SOC with the proposal to rename the square in front of the cathedral “St. Alexander Nevski“ are the municipal councilors Vili Lilkov, Ivan Sotirov, Ivaylo Yonkov – from the “Blue Sofia“ group, and Veselin Kalanovski from “Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria“.
They propose that the most representative public space in Bulgaria, which unites Orthodox churches, state cultural institutions and memorials emblematic of Sofia, be named after St. Ivan Rilski, the most revered saint in our country and heavenly patron of the Bulgarian people.
This year marks 555 years since the transfer of the relics of the Rila saint from Tarnovo to the holy Rila monastery. Nearly two centuries after the death of St. Ivan Rilski, his relics have been kept in Sofia, and processions for worship in front of them start from this square. Currently, only one street in Sofia bears his name, the municipal councilors note in their report to the SOS.
They point out that the activities of Alexander Nevsky are not related to Bulgaria and Sofia. He was the Grand Prince of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (1252 – 1263) by the will of the Mongol ruler Batu Khan, due to his loyalty as a vassal of the Golden Horde, and maintained his vassal relations with the Mongol dynasty until his death, as a guarantee of his own power in the country.
Alexander Nevsky, as the winner of the battles on the Neva River and on Lake Peipus against the Catholic military units of the Swedes and the Teutons, embodies Russian identity as a struggle of Eastern Christianity against the influence of Western Christianity. He was canonized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547, the submitters wrote in the report. The city councilors noted that there are no addresses on the square and no change of address registrations is required.