The Cathedral Church of St. Vasilij Ostroški is located in the very center of Nikšić, on the elevation of Petrovica (Saborna glavica), and is an impressive spiritual, historical and architectural feature of the city.
Here are the key details about this memorial temple:
Endowment and memorial temple: The temple was built at the end of the 19th century (construction lasted from 1895 to 1900) as an endowment of Prince Nikola I Petrović Njegoš. It is dedicated to Saint Vasilij Ostroška, and it was built in memory of all Montenegrin and Herzegovina heroes who gave their lives in the liberation wars against the Ottomans from 1875 to 1878.
Architecture and designer: The church was designed by the Russian architect Mikhail Mihailovich Preobrazhensky. It was built in the Russian-Byzantine style from hewn stone. With its magnificent domes, bell tower over 30 meters high and position at the top of the dominant staircase, it is one of the most beautiful sacred buildings in Montenegro.
Memorial plaques to fallen heroes: In the interior of the temple, on the walls, there are marble memorial plaques with engraved names of more than 3,000 fallen warriors (Montenegrins and Herzegovinans) from the liberation wars, which makes the temple a unique monument to the heroes of that era.
Art and interior: The iconostasis is the work of famous Russian masters and is a gift of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Romanov imperial family, which greatly helped financially to build this temple.
The spiritual center of Nikšić: The Cathedral is the central temple of the Eparchy of Buda-Nikšić in Nikšić. Valuable relics are kept in it, among which are icons and liturgical objects from the time of consecration.
Traditional litany: Every year on the feast of St. Basil of Ostrog (May 12), after the solemn liturgy in the Cathedral Church, a magnificent national litany passes through the streets of Nikšić in which tens of thousands of believers and devotees from all over Montenegro and the region participate.
