Osenovlashki Monastery "Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary"

Overview

The Osenovlashki Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Holy Mother of God), also known as the Seven Thrones, is an active Orthodox male monastery in the Sofia Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, located in the Balkan Mountains, near the village of Elenov Dol, Svoge Municipality, Sofia District , near the border with Vratsa region.

The monastery buildings include: a church, a bell tower, a three-storey residential building (church school) and a two-storey residential building with monastic cells and a granary. Of special historical and architectural value is the ancient monastery church "Nativity of the Virgin". There are 7 smaller churches (thrones) built into it under a common roof, whence the name "Seven Thrones".

According to legend, the monastery was built during the Second Bulgarian State 12 - 14 century. The monastery certainly existed in the 16th century. Legend has it that Tsar Peter Delyan (Peter II, 11th century) died in the monastery, which was temporarily the capital of Bulgaria. The brother of the Bulgarian ruler became the first abbot of the holy monastery.

The monastery is better known by its unofficial name "Seven Thrones" because of its unique church. Legend has it that 7 boyars created 7 settlements near the monastery - Osenovlag, Ogoya, Ogradishte, Bukovets, Leskovdol, Zhelen and Lakatnik. There are 7 thrones in the church - experts claim that such is not found anywhere else among the Bulgarian Christian religious buildings.

North of it there is a town and the remains of a fortress. The locals call it the Latin Fortress, a few remains of which (parts of a stone wall) can still be seen today, after taking a steep path starting from the monastery. Today's gate of the Seven Thrones was taken from these remains.

Another legend says that in Turkey the monastery was destroyed and burned. Valchan gathered the voivodes. They decided to build the monastery. There were seven voivodes: Valchan Voivoda, priest Martin, Spyros Dimitar, Malenko the Serb, Emin Bey, Ali Bey and Peter. In their honor, the church was built with seven thrones. Valchan thought of everything to hide the entrance to the dungeon of the fortress. There was a Roman treasure in the dungeon.

In the monastery resided and served the liturgy and St. Sophrony of Vratsa, bishop of the Vratsa diocese, in whose diocese the monastery belonged at that time. The monastery was a favorite place of worship of the Bulgarian classic Ivan Vazov, who wrote the poem "The eyelid beats" for him. Among the landmarks of the monastery is the tomb of the famous Bulgarian children's writer Zmei Goryanin (1905 - 1958) in the yard behind the church.

The current monastery was formed during the restoration in 1970. A cell school was built next to the monastery in 1848. The monastery was a spiritual and religious center of special importance for the development of the surrounding villages during the Ottoman rule.