site.btaTroyan Keeps Memory of Revolutionary Archimandrite Hadzhi Makariy Alive 194 Years On

The memory of Archimandrite Hadzhi Makariy, a revolutionary cleric who played an important role in Bulgaria's liberation, is still alive in the Troyan region 194 years after his birth.

Archimandrite Hadzhi Makariy, born Minko Ivanov Moshekov in Cherni Osam village, joined the Troyan Monastery as a novice and later became its abbot. He was a close associate and protector of revolutionary Vasil Levski. In 1871, when the revolutionary committee of Troyan was established, Makariy became its deputy chair. In January 1872, the monastery became home to the only monastic revolutionary committee in Ottoman Bulgaria, with Makariy as its leader, said Totka Stancheva, librarian at the Troyan community centre and Archimandrite Stefan, deputy abbot of the Troyan Monastery.

After Levski's death, revolutionary leaders including Stefan Stambolov, Panayot Volov, Stefan Peshev and Toma Hitrov continued to find refuge in the monastery. Makariy raised funds, purchased weapons and gunpowder, and hid them near the monastery in Milencha neighbourhood. During the April Uprising, he led 70 to 80 monks and laypersons to successfully defend the monastery from repeated attacks by Ottoman irregulars and Circassians.

Later in 1876, after the committees were uncovered, Makariy was arrested and imprisoned first in Lovech, then in Tarnovo, where he was severely tortured. While imprisoned, he met Zahari Stoyanov, who later documented their encounter in his Zapiski po bulgarskite vastaniya [Notes on Bulgarian Uprisings]. Stoyanov portrayed Makariy as a deeply spiritual person who, when he saw Stoyanov barefoot and injured, offered him his own shoes and gave him a blessing.

Initially sentenced to death, Makariy was eventually pardoned and returned to Troyan Monastery, where he continued his work for Bulgaria’s liberation. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, he provided critical intelligence and logistical support to General Kartsov’s Troyan detachment during their harsh winter crossing of the Balkan Mountains. Makariy organized caravans of pack animals, provided the troops with daily bread and cooked meals, and set up a monastery hospital for injured soldiers. Russian memoirs later praised his invaluable assistance.

After the Liberation, Archimandrite Makariy dedicated himself to developing the monastery, constructing a large dining hall, pilgrims' quarters, a fulling mill, and a sawmill.

In 1885, Makariy convened a monastic council, contributing 40 cattle, 40 sheep, and 3,000 groschen privately collected by the monks for the Red Cross to support Bulgaria’s new army, Stancheva added.

Archimandrite Hadzhi Makariy died on February 6, 1906, having witnessed Bulgaria’s liberation and unification—fulfilling his lifelong dream, said Archimandrite Stefan, deputy abbot of Troyan Monastery. "The legacy of Archimandrite Hadzhi Makariy is noble but challenging, as it requires us to dedicate our lives for others, precisely as the Holy Gospel teaches," he said.

Today, an imposing monument in his honour stands in his native village, and a hall named after him at the Troyan Monastery hosts spiritual discussions, gatherings, concerts, and other events.