St. John of Rila Church, Targovishte
Encyclopedia
St. John of Rila Church is an Eastern Orthodox church
building in Targovishte
. It is named after the Bulgarian Saint John of Rila
(876 – c. 946) who was the first Bulgarian
hermit.
The construction of the church started in 1912 but soon after that it was stopped because of the Balkan War. Finally it was completed in 1936. In 1961 unique wood-carved chancel-screen was made by professor Petar Kushlev. During the Seventies it was completely repaired and reconstructed with the donation from His Eminence Andrey, Metropolitan of New York
who was the diocesan prelate of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia
. Once the schoolboy in the town of Targovishte he was buried in the church - narthex
after his death in 1972.
The building is situated in the north part of the town-center near the central market-place.
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
building in Targovishte
Targovishte
Targovishte is a city in Bulgaria, capital of Targovishte Province. It is situated at the northern foot of the low mountain of Preslav on both banks of the Vrana River. The town is 335 km away to the north-east from the capital Sofia and about 125 km to the west from the city of Varna...
. It is named after the Bulgarian Saint John of Rila
John of Rila
Saint John of Rila was the first Bulgarian hermit. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. The legend surrounding him tells of wild animals that freely came up to him and birds that landed in his hands. His followers founded many churches in his honor, including the famous Rila...
(876 – c. 946) who was the first Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
hermit.
The construction of the church started in 1912 but soon after that it was stopped because of the Balkan War. Finally it was completed in 1936. In 1961 unique wood-carved chancel-screen was made by professor Petar Kushlev. During the Seventies it was completely repaired and reconstructed with the donation from His Eminence Andrey, Metropolitan of New York
Andrey, Metropolitan of New York
Andrey, Metropolitan bishop of New York was the diocesan prelate of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia during the years 1947-1972....
who was the diocesan prelate of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia is one of fifteen dioceses of the Church of Bulgaria. The diocese is led by Metr. Joseph.-History:...
. Once the schoolboy in the town of Targovishte he was buried in the church - narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
after his death in 1972.
The building is situated in the north part of the town-center near the central market-place.