Orthodox Church of the Holy Mother of God, Topolovgrad

Overview

This is the largest and most representative Eastern Orthodox church in the region. Today's church rises on the site where in the eighteenth century there was an Orthodox chapel. With the permission of the Turkish authorities, in 1800 the inhabitants of Kavakli (the old name of Topolovgrad) built a larger temple to meet their religious needs. The old church was dug a few meters into the ground. In 1934, the church board, together with the municipal council and the citizens, decided to build a new, even bigger and more beautiful one on the site of the old one. Under the leadership of Father Yani Pophristov and the master builder Bozhin Penchev, for two years 1936-1937 the church was built, covered, plastered inside and equipped so that worship could be performed in it. In the church “St. The Mother of God ”from 1934 to 1987. Father Yani Pophristov, who is highly respected throughout the region, served. After his death in 1987, Father Ivan Yanchev Mihalev, who is also a deputy bishop, was appointed priest. Under his leadership, the church was renovated and repaired, a church fence was built, and a churchyard with a fountain was formed. The representative interior of the church is mostly due to the beautiful carved iconostasis (made in 1966 by Petar Kushlev and local carpenters) and the richly painted walls (work of Angel Malyaev and Toma Popyanchev). In recent years, local artists and craftsmen have restored the murals and made a new carved bishop's throne.