Свети Николай, Orthodox church in central Varna, Bulgaria

Sveti Nikolay is an Orthodox church on bulevard Sveti Knyaz Boris I in Varna's Centre district, known as the Sailors' Church. A ship's anchor stands at its entrance, placed there in 2000 as a symbol of seafaring. Inside, the walls were painted over about a month in 1961 by Nikolay Kozhuharov, Dimitar Gyudzhenov, Petar Dzhamdzhiev and Petar Mihaylov.

Built after a vow by the Greek merchant and Russian subject Paraskeva Nikolaou, who in 1858 or 1859 survived a storm on the Black Sea while travelling to Odessa and promised a church and hospital to Saint Nicholas. The church was Greek until 4 July 1906, when activists of the "Bulgarian Patriot" movement seized it and Bulgarian priests began serving there.

Known as the Sailors' Church, it received this role after two Bulgarian sea captains carried an icon from here to the Holy Sepulchre in 1927, had it consecrated and returned it. Until 1944 sailors of Varna took their oaths in the church, and since 2000 a ship's anchor stands at the entrance as a symbol of seafaring.

The church stands at 35 Sveti Knyaz Boris I Boulevard in the Centre district, open daily from 07:30 to 18:00. Services are held at 08:00 (Matins), 08:30 (Divine Liturgy) and 17:00 (Vespers), with Sunday Liturgy at 09:00 and a Paraklesis to the Theotokos on Saturday after Vespers. A ship's anchor placed at the entrance in 2000 marks the spot.

In 1927 two Bulgarian sea captains carried an icon from this church to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, had it consecrated and brought it back. From then on the church was regarded as Bulgaria's naval church, and until 1944 Varna's sailors took their oaths here. Since 2000 a ship's anchor stands at the entrance.