Culture Minister Visits Rila Monastery, Gets Briefed on Restoration Activities

Nikolay Zabov

Caretaker Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov (left) and Bishop Evlogios of Adrianople inside Rila Monastery's church, November 14, 2024 (Ministry of Culture Photo)

Sofia,

14.11.2024 19:20

(BTA)

Caretaker Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov visited the Rila Monastery in Southwestern Bulgaria on Thursday, his Ministry reported. Todorov was briefed on the current state of the building and on the restoration activities, which are nearing completion this season and will continue next spring.

The Minister spoke with the hegumenos of the stauropegion, Bishop Evlogios of Adrianople, who shared that the library collection of the monastery holds more than 60,000 volumes of literature.

The monastery, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, is the most significant spiritual and literary centre of the Bulgarian national revival, with an unbroken history from the Middle Ages to the present day. It was founded in the first half of 10th century by Saint John of Rila. It was destroyed by fire in 1833 and then reconstructed between 1834 and 1862.

/RY/