The Church of the Nativity of Christ was built in memory of those who died for the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. It is one of the most popular places to visit among both tourists and locals. The church is located in the vicinity of the town of Shipka. It is designed in the Russian style of the 18th century and features a cross-dome structure with a square naos, three apses, and five gilded domes. The solemn opening of the church took place in 1902.

There are three entrances to the church, and above the central western entrance rises a multi-tiered tent-shaped bell tower. It houses 17 bells, the largest of which weighs 11,643 kg and was gifted by Emperor Nicholas II. The interior walls of the church are adorned with ornaments, and the iconostases are made of carved gold. The church has 34 marble slabs with the names of military units that participated in the battles for Shipka, as well as the names of Russian soldiers, officers, and Bulgarian volunteers. Nearby, there is an abandoned Russian cemetery.

On August 5, 1934, the church and adjacent buildings were transferred from the USSR to Bulgaria. On October 30, 1945, the church came under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. On January 1, 1948, it was handed over to the Ministry of Defense of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. The Russian parish existed until November 10, 1952, and the last Russian priest, Father Joseph (Gordeiev), served until September 1968. In July 1967, the church was transferred to the Committee for Art and Culture of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and on December 27, 2004, it was handed over to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The interior frescoes of the church were completed in 1959 under Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and all Rus by artist N. E. Rostovtsev and his team, funded by the Moscow Patriarchate. In 1970, the monastery was declared a cultural monument of national significance by Bulgaria.