Holy Trinity Church is located in the north of Bulgaria in Svishtov city. It was built by the famous architect Nikola Ficheto in the 19th century, in most of the city back then. The temple was badly damaged after the earthquake in Vrancea in 1977, and the reconstruction of the temple was fully completed in 2004. The Holy Trinity Church is considered one of the brightest examples of ecclesiastical architecture of the late Renaissance.
It was located in the highest part of town back then. It was built with a central dome, three secondary domes and an elongated body with a length of 30 m. Interesting are two columns that rotate around their axis.
In 1865 important citizens of Svishtov thought of building a new large temple to meet their social status, their level of culture and education. In the same year, Master Kolyo began the construction of Belene bridge over the river Yantra. Citizens of Svishtov asked him to take over the construction of the new church. ” St. Trinity ” chronical mentions: ” 1856 April 14 on Wednesday laid the foundation of the new church s One Pazara (Унъ пазаръ) ”
In the two years and four months, the church was completed and named “The Holy Trinity”. For the construction of the church the parishioners have paid 461 613 bani. The result is striking – high above the city rises a majestic nave and two aisles, with four domed temples with a bell tower above the entrance. To animate the huge body of the church, Kolyo Ficheto introduce rhythmic vertical articulation of the facades with semi-thin speakers, associated with a frieze of small blind arches. For the first time in a church building the constructor defies the canon and turns the entire eastern façade into a huge apse, with undulating bends.
The iconostasis of the church is the work of master Anton Peshev, originally from Krushevo, Macedonia, and was done in the period 1870-1872, the length is 16 m and height – in average over 10 meters. Over 100 square meters of perfect symmetry, Anton Peshev created big panels which the famous artist and icon painter Nikolai Pavlovich applied 73 of its icons. His relatives – his daughter and his sisters posed for some of them.
In 1872 the first Bulgarian Exarch Antim I visited the temple and served there. In the same year, the first bishop of Turnovo Svishtov arrives here – Hilarion Makariopolski and celebrates a mass. On June 28, 1877, after the liberation of the city, the Russian Emperor Alexander II attended the service in the church ” St. Trinity” in the memory of the first victims for the Liberation. During his apprenticeship in the temple, the king donated six bells, which are installed in the bell tower built between 1883 – 1886 by Usta Gencho Novakov. On May 29, 1889, in order to celebrate the feast of the church arrives the bishop of the Tarnovo diocese Klement (V. Drumev). At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the important guest gives a lecture in front of the village, which was later used as a pretext for the subsequent events around him – he was persecuted, prosecuted and punished for his pro-Russian attitude.
