Birth of Holly Mother
The third church in Elena is the church “Birth if Holly Mother”. Its faith was similar to the faith of the church “St. Nikola”. In 1812 a chapel was built under the leadership of Hadji Jordan Bradata. The ground was granted by three brothers- Hdji Pnayot, Hadji Jordan Bradata and Hadji Dimityr Razsukanov. Someone decided to reveal about the building of the chapel because they were building it without a screed from the sultan. In a similar way Hadji Jordan masked the construction. He ordered the people to put cribs and tie up horses in order to look like a stable. The chapel and the cells around it were used as a girls’ monastery. There, according to the legend Hadji Jordan Bradata’s wife became a nun after his hanging. The people who took part in the Velchova Zavera swore in. front of the icon brought from God’s grave.
On 20th of July 1859 the walls of the chapel didn’t stand the fire. That’s why they started building a church which was completed in 1865. It was built by the young master Kolio Petkov, student of Kolio Fitcheto. In 1866 in the rooms, built next to the church was founded a girls’ monastery, that worked to 1894. On 22th of November 1877 during one of the bloody battles of the Russian-Turkish war, the church was used as a storehouse for wheat. When the people from Elena returned in the town they managed to save some of the wheat that was burning. They were given a half of bushel from it for the coming winter.
One of the relics of the church is the icon, drawn by Stanislav Dospevski. It expresses Cyril and Methodius, entitled “Prosvetiteli Bylgarskii”. The icon has stayed in the church for 15 years and then was given to the school. Now the icon is in “Daskalolivnitsa”. It has a deep symbolic content. The power is in the words- Communion for the Bulgarians, above their heads there is a sun with ten shining rays - symbol of science.
The church is operative and you can visit it freely. There they do different rites- weddings, baptismals etc.
Addres: Town of Elena 5070, "Ivan Kirilov" str. 7
Facebook: Рождество Богородично Елена
GPS: 42.930521,25.877436
Tourist
information center
information center
Elena 5070
«Il. Makariopolski» Str. 4
Tel.: 0879910622
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