Kremikovtsi Monastery of St George

Overview

Kremikovtsi Monastery is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery located on the southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains, 4 km north of the Kremikovtzi district of Sofia, in the Gradishteto area.

The monastery was built during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, probably under the rule of Tsar Ivan Alexander, but destroyed in 1382 by the Ottomans. In 1493, the Sofia ruler, Duke Radivoy, restored it with his own funds, in memory of his two deceased children, Theodore and Dragana. The old church in the yard of the monastery dates from that time, and in 1926 a second church was built. In 1503 the roof of the vestibule of the monastery was destroyed in an earthquake. From the donor's inscription, it is clear that the old church was renovated in 1611.

The north, south, and west walls of the narthex were painted in the 17th century. Among the frescoes stand out the images of Archangel Michael, Saints Constantine and Helena, the warrior saints Procopius, Theodore Stratilat, and Theodore Tyrone, as well as moments from the life of the Virgin and St. George.

During the Soviet occupation, the old church was used as a stable for the Soviet Army. In the fifties of the 20th century, the premises of the monastery housed soldiers who remained there for eighteen years.

After the relocation of the last two nuns, the monastery is no longer active, but a popular tourist destination, a pilgrimage destination and a place for a celebration of St. George's Day on the meadows in the courtyard.

The monastery hosts children's religion camps, and workshops on different projects, with the idea to form a spiritual center together with two other neighboring monasteries.