On 18 August the Bulgarian Orthodox church marks the Assumption of St. John (Yoan) of Rila, the most revered Bulgarian saint, protector of Bulgaria, also called the miracle-worker of Rila. John of Rila is one of the most prominent figures of the Middle Ages having influenced the entire Christian Orthodox world.
Born in 876 in Skrino village in the foothills of Mount Osogovo, he lived in the time of Prince Boris, his sons Vladimir and Tsar Simeon the Great, and his son Tsar Peter. This period is known as the Golden Age, when Christianity became an official religion for Bulgarians, a period of flourishment of Bulgarian culture and literature.
While still a young man, John, who longed to devote his life to God, left the village where he was born and entered a monastery. Once he became a monk he left the monastery in search of solitude in Mount Rila. There, he founded Rila Monastery, and spend his life in prayer and solitude.
He died in 946 and is buried in the small monastery church of Rila Monastery.
On 3 April 1860, during the solemn Easter service in the Bulgarian St Stephen's Church in Istanbul, Metropolitan Hilarion of Makariopolis intentionally did not mention the name of the Ecumenical Greek Patriarch . Instead of the name of Patriarch Cyril..
Catholics in Bulgaria and around the world celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. The largest Catholic communities live in the Plovdiv and Svishtov regions. At midnight on Sunday 31 March, the Catholic churches in Bulgaria were filled with the..
It has taken the Ministry of Culture almost a year and a half to declare the St. Nicholas church in Veliko Tarnovo, built by Kolyo Ficheto, a monument of national significance, BNR’s correspondent in Veliko Tarnovo Zdravka Maslyankova reports...
An innovative museum site opens its doors in the military cemetery near Tutrakan. The "Tutrakan Epopee - 1916" memorial is situated in..
"Man does not know the way to heaven, but the horse does," says an ancient Thracian proverb. That is why the Thracian kings were necessarily sent to the..
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Rain
Mostly Cloudy
Overcast, rain
Cloudy
Occasional showers