The golden domes of the church still shine from afar. It was built in the Moscow Baroque style in memory of the war dead during the defense of the Shipchen Pass. Their bones are kept in 17 marble sarcophagi in the crypt of the church. For 57 years, Bulgarian and Russian icon painters and artists painted the inside of the church. The wall paintings are interesting, in which, in addition to the obligatory biblical scenes, historical figures and events from Bulgarian and Russian history are present.

The Church of the Nativity of Christ, also known as the Shipka Monastery Church, was built between 1886 and 1902 in Bulgaria as a memorial to those who perished in defense of the Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. It honors Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Moldovan, Finnish soldiers and officers, as well as Bulgarian volunteers. The idea for the church came from Olga Skobeleva, the mother of General Skobelev, a war hero, and the renowned diplomat Count Nikolay Ignatiev. The church is a three-aisled basilica built in the style of Russian church tradition. The domes’ roofs are gilded, and it features three altars dedicated to the Nativity of Christ, St. Alexander Nevsky, and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Its iconostasis was crafted in Saint Petersburg, and the icons were painted by Russian monks from the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos. The bell tower houses seventeen bells, with the largest weighing nearly 12 tons. Seventeen marble sarcophagi in the crypt hold the remains of the fallen warriors. Regular religious services take place in the church, and every morning and evening, a requiem prayer is offered for the deceased. The Church of the Nativity of Christ attracts thousands of foreign and Bulgarian pilgrims and tourists.