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Klisura monastery “ St. Cyril and Methodius”
9 KM FROM THE TOWN OF BERKOVITSA
RELIGIONS Orthodox
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELIGIOUS SITE
DESCRIPTION Among the splendid mountain valley of the Vrešitsa River, the Rovna River and the Baki, lies the Klisura World Cloister. From the north is Chiprovtsi Balkan, to the south are Vergeshki mineral baths, and to the west - the beautiful Todorini dolls. Nearby are the picturesque villages Spanchevtsi, Tsvetkova Bar, Yagodovo, Slatina. Around the monastery are the roads to Vratsa, Varshets, Sofia, Berkovitsa, Montana. The Klisura Monastery is situated at the foot of the northern slopes of Stara Planina mountain, under Todorini Kukli peak and near the town of Berkovitsa. The so-called “live water” was found in 2000 in the holy spring of the Klisura Monastery. It flows of the Todorini Kukli mountain peak. The spring water is low-mineralized and is believed to be curative.
HISTORICAL RELEVANCE Klisura Monastery was founded in 1240 as at that time it was named Vreshetski. The monastery was devastated by the Ottoman conquerors in the 15th century and consequently it remained uninhabited for a long period. It was renovated in 1742 by donations of Klisura’s residents. However, 40 years later it was destroyed once again. Nevertheless, the monastery for consecutive time has been brought to life because of the efforts of monks and local residents.
INTER-RELIGIOUS RELEVANCE Chronicles of this bourgeois end keep one day of Magic. The day of St. St. Cyril and Methodius in 1862 was celebrated with joy and chanting. At the peak of the folk celebrations, when the monastery is full of men, women and children, the bashbizuka of the Berkovian Pasha Yusuf Bey is overwhelmed. More than a hundred and twenty people were killed, the monastery was demolished, and the monks were burned alive in the ruins. For a few years only the relatives of the perished came in this day. But on a joyous day, the monastery in 1867, it was sanctified and restored. So the events continued until the April Uprising. The opponents once again attacked the monastery, but this time the local population defended their spiritual fortress with weapons.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE The Klisura Monastery was renovated in 1869 and its present-day Renaissance appearance is a result of the help of the archimandrite and church-donor Antim Damyanov. The church “St. St. Kiril and Metodii” was officially consecrated in 1891 by the Vidin’s Metropolitan Bishop. At present, the Klisura Monastery is fully operational and it consists of two churches, residential and farming buildings. A few years ago a new, but significantly smaller church, the chapel “St. Nikola” has been built. Many precious objects such as old icons, books, church plates are kept in the Klisura Monastery, but the most valuable ones are the saints’ relics. The holy cloister of the Klisura Monastery is declared to be a monastery’s complex.
HOW TO USE WITH THE STUDENTS The students should visit this holy place.
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