St Lazar's Church, Bournville

Serbs have been associated with Bournville since Dame Elizabeth Cadbury sponsored thirteen Serbian refugee children of World War I. Church was built for political refugees from Yugoslavia after World War II, with the support of the exiled Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia.

Built in traditional 14th-century Byzantine form by Serbian architect Dragomir Tadić and Bournville Village Trust, it is a replica of a church in Serbia using the same materials from sacred places of worship. Completed in 1968, it is of brick and stone with three sets of bronze doors and a candelabrum from Serbia. It has no seats, which is usual for Orthodox churches. Moreover, the interior has a full scheme of traditional Byzantine decoration. The dome contains the image of Christ Pantocrator, and the hemi-dome of the apse contains that of the Virgin Mary. At the bottom of the walls are the warrior saints, above these are patriarchs and priestly saints, and at the top are the apostles and…