Saborna crkva Sv. Vasilija Ostroškog

Predstavlja memorijalni hram posvećen crnogorskim i hercegovačkim junacima poginulim u ratovima od 1875‐1880. godine. Njihova imena su upisana na bakarnim pločama koje se nalaze na južnom i sjevernom zidu. Na 35 ploča upisano je 3075 imena. Prvi pomen o gradnji bilo je Nikolino obraćanje okupljenim Nikšićanima 1885. godine, u kome ih je obavijestio da je naručio plan za gradnju velike Saborne crkve.

Po predlogu Josipa Sladea komisija je prihvatila Petrovu glavicu kao najbolje mjesto za podizanje crkve. Kamen temeljac je postavljen 4 jula 1895. godine. Gradnja je trajala 5 godina.

Saborna crkva Sveteog Vasilija Ostroskog u Nikšiću se u svojoj koncepcijskoj postavci naslanja na prethodnu tradicionalnu gradnju, ali se u svom procesu projektovanja i gradjenja idzvaja kao jedinstvena cjelina i predstavlja kvalitativni pomak u gradjenju pravoslavnih hramova na teritoriji Crne Gore.

Do crkve se dolazi iz pravca kružnog toka krećući se Vučedolskom ulicom. Na kraju ove ulice nailazi se na trg, koji je dobio ime po vojvodi Šaku Petroviću, prvom guverneru Nikšića po oslobođenju od Turaka i vođi Narodne strane (klubaši) u crnogorskom parlamentu. Na trgu se nalazi skulptura Presvete Bogorodice, a u njenom zaleđu se uzdiže 34 metra visok hram, do kojeg se dolazi dugim stepeništem.

Arhitekta Preobraženski je projektovao Sabornu crkvu po uzoru na vizantijske Crkvene osnove upisanog krsta. Izgradnju su materijalno pomogli Sveti sinod Ruske pravoslavne crkve i ruski

car Nikolaj II, kao i Dvorac i Carev most.

Od pokretnih predmeta saborna crkva svetog Vasilija Ostroškog sadrži jastuk svetog Vasilija, krst sa česticom Časnog krsta i mošti Prevlačkih mučenika.

U postupku revalorizacije kulturne vrijednosti kulturnog dobra Saborna crkva svetog Vasilija Ostroškog, na osnovu utvrđenih svojstava osobenosti i značaja kulturnog dobra, stručno tijelo smatra da kulturno dobro posjeduje kulturne vrijednosti od nacionalnog značaja (autentičnost i integritet; stepen očuvanosti, arhitektonski, ambijentalni, vaspitno obrazovni značaj) jer:

• ima izuzetan značaj za društveni, istorijski i kulturni razvoj Crne Gore;
• svjedoči o istorijskom periodu i značajnim ličnostima;
• predstavlja jedinstveni primjerak stvaralaštva svog vremena;
• ima umjetničku i estetsku vrijednost;
• ima veliki uticaj na razvoj kulture;
• svjedoči o društvenim pojavama, odnosno o uslovima kulturno‐istorijskog razvoja u određenom razdoblju;
• ima izuzetni ambijentalni i pejzažni značaj u okviru grada Nikšića.

The Cathedral Church of St Basil of Ostrog 

The Cathedral Church of St Basil of Ostrog on Peter’s hill was built in 1900 by Prince Nikola I and designed by the Russian architect Mihailo Mihailovic Preobrazhensky. The church project was presented in 1892 and already in 1894 its foundation stone was laid.

It represents a memorial temple dedicated to the Montenegrin and Herzegovnian heroes who died in wars from 1875 do 1880. Their names are inscribed on copper plates on the south and north walls of the church. 3075 names are inscribed on the plates. The building was first mentioned in the Prince Nikola’s address to the assembled citizens of Niksic in which they were informed that he had ordered a plan for a grand cathedral church.

The commission accepted Josip Sladea’s suggestion of Peter's hill as the best place for raising the church.

The foundation stone was laid on 4 July 1895. The construction took 5 years. The Cathedral Church of St Basil of Ostrog in Niksic in its conceptual setting relies on the previous traditional manners of construction, but in its design and building process it stands out as a single entity and represents a qualitative step forward in building Orthodox churches in Montenegro.

The church can be reached from the direction of the roundabout moving along Vucedolska Street. Square named after the Duke Sako Petrovic, the first governor of Niksic after liberation from the Turks and the leader of the People party (klubasi) in Montenegrin Parliament, is at the end of this street. There is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the square and in its hinterland 34 meters high temple rises, accessed by a long staircase.

Architect Preobrazhensky designed the church on the model of Byzantine ecclesiastical inscribed cross base. The construction was materially supported by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian Czar Nicholas II, as well as the construction of Emperor's Castle and Emperors Bridge.

The Cathedral Church of St Basil of Ostrog contains the pillow of St. Basil, the cross with a particle of the Holy Cross and the relics of the martyrs of Prevlaka.

In the process of cultural revaluation of the cultural property The Cathedral Church of St Basil of Ostrog, on the basis of defined properties and characteristics of cultural significance of the cultural property, professional body believes that this cultural property possesses a cultural value of national importance (the authenticity and integrity, the degree of preservation, architectural, ambience and educational importance) because: 

• it is of great importance for the social, historical and cultural development of Montenegro;

• it is the evidence of the historical period and significant figures;

• it represents a unique example of creativity of the period;

• it has an artistic and aesthetic value; •

it has a great influence on the development of culture;

• it is the evidence of the social phenomena, the conditions of cultural and historical development in the given period;

• it has exceptional importance for the ambience and landscape of the town of Niksic.