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The monastery is also known for “Monastery of Obradovo” – named after the old village Obradovo, now a neighbourhood in Sofia. In the ancient time it was a part of Mala Sveta gora in Sofia – a zone of monasteries and churches, that surrounded our current capital city.

Legends are told about 40 chapels and a church that were destroyed by the Turks. Peasants discovered the remains in 1927 – a channel of the Vladayska river was excavated and it began to carry bricks and tiles. From 1942 began the restoration of the monastery, which lasted until 1945. Then the church, a residential building and a several chapels were built. All objects of the interior of the temple – vessels, chandeliers, icons, carpets, etc. are donated by worshipers. Currently the chapel is used as a winter church. In the front of the miraculous Sveti Mina`s icon in Sofia people pray for healing from serious illnesses, for children and for a life companion.

Saint Martyr Mina was of Egyptian origin, who lived in the 3rd century. He was injured in the 304 by the city of Alexandria. In his life he was a military commander of the Roman Army in the city of Cotuan. Because he publicly confessed his Christian faith, he was subjected to many tortures during the time of Diocletian when the persecution of the Christians was very fierce. At that time many martyrs suffered, among them St. Martyr George, Dimitrius and many others. Because of the faith in Christ, and because he did not want to sacrifice the pagan gods and to bow before the idols, Mina was first cruelly beaten, then his wounds were rubbed with ragged rags of rough cloth so that his skin could fall as well. He was dragged on hooks and nails that further injured his body. In its present form the church of St. Mina is the oldest building of the monastery. It was built immediately after the Second World War and in 1945 was illuminated. All the other buildings are of a newer age, but the fact that are of a newer age is not an obstacle for people to worship and to pray to God mostly because of the Miraculous icon of St.Wondermaker Mina.

The miraculous icon of St. Martyr Mina was painted by the Russian artist Mihail Maletsky and was brought to the monastery in the early 1950s. Mina had appreared in the artist`s dream by wishing to be painted. Maletsky was a secular artist and did not deal with ecclesiastical iconography, so he did not pay attention to the dream at the beginning, but it occurred again. Then the man realized that he really had to paint the saint. The saint in the dream had wished to be painted and had wished the icon to be taken to the monastery of Obradovo in Sofia. The donation of the icon to the monastery coincided with the day of the celebration of St. Mina on the 11th of November, without the artist knowing that it was the feast of St. Mina. As soon as the icon was brought to the monastery, it showed a sign of miraculousness – a blind child started to see almost immediately.

A direct visit would the best way for the students to learn something new and very precious about the story behind this sacred place.