An ensemble from the church of St. Demetrius and the Hilendar convent

Overview

The Metropolitan Church of St. Demetrius is the oldest house of the Lord in the city of Stara Zagora. It was built in 1859-1861. from the Bulgarian Stara Zagora Church Municipality, which is also the first contributor to the construction of the Rila Monastery.
During the Turkish slavery it was known as the "Popska Kushta" or "Papaz Evi", as it was used both as a church and as a school. People began to settle around it and a new neighborhood was created. Saint Demetrius managed to unite the people in this difficult time and for them to trust in the faith. Many important historical events that take place in Stara Zagora are connected with the church.

During the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation 1877-1878, during the burning of Stara Zagora on July 31, the church was half-destroyed. Hundreds of laity, hiding from the Turkish sword, died there in the most cruel way.

On the walls of the temple there are interesting and radically different murals, which are in disagreement with the canon. They are the work of the people of Stara Zagora, Prof. Dimitar Gudzhenov and Prof. Nikola Kozhuharov. Secular figures who take part in the events in the history of the city are painted. On the west wall next to the entrance there are frescoes showing the young Vasil Ivanov Kunchev - when he was a student in Stara Zagora and a deacon in the same church. Here is depicted the meeting of the Russian liberation troops by the Bulgarian volunteers and the jubilant people, led by the first mayor of liberated Stara Zagora - the poet Petko Rachov Slaveykov. These unique frescoes were made during a large-scale restoration in 1959-1960 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the church.

Since the construction of the temple, the second throne has been assigned to the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius. This can still be read on the south wooden gate of the church. A few years ago, by decision of Metropolitan Galaktion, the throne was replaced by "St. Ignatius of Stara Zagora", which has a separate church holiday on October 5. There is also a separate chapel "Holy Martyr Mina", whose holiday is on November 11.
In 1979 in the yard of the church was restored the building of the convent of the Hilendar Mount Athos monastery, which existed in Stara Zagora in the XVIII-XIX centuries and was one of the centers of spiritual revival in the city. The convent presents a material-documentary exposition "Levski in Stara Zagora", which traces the three-year stay of the Apostle of Freedom in the city (1855-1858) and his work on building local revolutionary committees.

In the courtyard there is a Memorial to the priests and employees of the church who died during the communist terror (1944-1989).

For many years the church of St. Demetrius was a cathedral for the Stara Zagora diocese. As such - since 1975 it has the status of immovable cultural property of national importance - type of ensemble. At the suggestion of the Diocesan Council of the Stara Zagora Diocese and by decision of the Holy Synod, from September 2018 St. Nicholas was declared a cathedral, and "St. Dimitar ”- for metropolitan.