Church "Saint Petka" Tvarditsa city

Overview

The church "St. Petka ”(St. Paraskeva) is located in the northern upper part of the town of Tvarditsa, in front of the entrance to the gorge of the river Tvardishka.

Due to the lack of sufficiently reliable historical sources, the information about the early history of this temple is legendary. According to legend, today's parish church "St. Petka ”in Tvarditsa is the heir, and was built after the demolition, of a medieval church near the fortress“ Gradishteto ”located about 1 km to the north, which bore the same name -“ St. Paraskeva ". The latter was destroyed during the final destruction of the fortress by the Ottoman invaders at the end of the 14th century.

After the local Bulgarian population came under Ottoman rule, a large part of them began to to guard the road to Tarnovo, passing through the Tvardishki Pass. In exchange for their service, the villagers enjoy certain privileges, and hence a higher social status compared to other disenfranchised and landless peasants. This allowed them to obtain permission from the High Gate in Constantinople to build a Christian temple, as well as to set aside funds for its construction. According to the legends, the new church was built on the place where the relics of St. Petka Epivatska spend the night, during their solemn transfer on the way to Tarnovo (1238).

According to the chronicle of the church, the church "St. Petka" was built in 1570. Not long after, around 1600, a church school was opened next to it, the pets of which were taught by priests. One of the famous teachers at the school is priest Nyagol, who before becoming a priest in his native village was a monk in the Bachkovo Monastery. He assisted Sofroniy Vrachanski in raising money for the publication of his book Nedelnik (1806).

Throughout its centuries-long existence, the Tvarditsa church has been closely connected with the spiritual life and aspirations of its parishioners. For example, during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, volunteers gathered in the churchyard to support the Russian troops, invited by the leader of the Tvarditsa hinge (detachment) Stoyan Truhchev. Kotel-born captain in the Russian army Georgi Mamarchev also gave a short speech at the event. Unfortunately, after the unfortunate outcome of the war, after the Russian troops withdrew, and with them a large part of the population of Tvarditsa, in the spring of 1830 the church became a refuge for the remaining rebels in their native places. But then Turkish troops surrounded the temple of God and a shootout ensued, as a result of which several rebels were killed, and the priest Priest Koyo was hanged on the century-old elm tree in front of the church, where the corpse hung for several days. After the Turks allowed the dead body to return to the church, the latter was set on fire by order of the Turkish aga Mahmudoulu, in revenge for the help they provided to the Russian general Dibic-Zabalkanski. It is known from Kondika that decades later, in 1875, Mahmudoolu confessed and confessed his hellish deed to the school teacher Zlati Ravanov and the mayor Todor Koev and to purify his soul, he donated 300 pounds to the church. Ironically, this money was used as a bribe to the investigator for the release of teacher Stefan Stoykov, who was locked up for rebellion.

After the cremation of the temple, the Christ-loving population of Tvarditsa immediately began to restore it. The necessary funds were raised and in 1834 the church was finally restored, and with it the school. In 1870 a new building with two rooms for a class school was built next to it.

It is known from local knowledge that during the preparation of the April Uprising the church was visited in 1868 and 1871 by Vasil Levski.

A number of priests and figures of the Revival pass through the spiritual and educational school of the Tvarditsa church and school. Until the construction of the Kozarevo church "St. Archangel Michael ”in 1843, it is the largest and only spiritual center in Tekneto (Tvardishka valley), where the Bulgarians from the surrounding villages worship. It is known that around 1830 the Tvarditsa parish was headed by the priest from Kozarevo, priest Pascal, who later emigrated to the Dobrudzha village of Ezi Bey. Before him, with the withdrawal of Russian troops (1829), three Tvarditsa priests emigrated to Moldova: Shegev, Vlaykov and Danail. After the eviction of the latter and the murder of priest Koyo, the parish of the church "St. Petka ”was orphaned for several years. In the spring of 1837, teacher Stoyan Mihailov arrived in Tvarditsa, originally from Elin Pelin, but born in the village of Golyamo Selo, Karlovo region. He was ordained a priest in the church in Tvarditsa by the Bishop of Stara Zagora and served in it until 1877, for 40 years. Later, in the 1860s, due to the growing needs of the flock, the young priest Nyagol Georgiev, born in 1826 in Tvarditsa, came to the aid of priest Stoyan, but in 1830 his parents took him to Moldova. , after which he graduated from junior high school in Odessa and returned to Bulgaria, where he taught in Elena and the village of Buynovo, and after 4 years of service he was ordained a priest in the last village. From there, after being invited by a teacher from Tvarditsa, he came to officiate in his native Tvarditsa. It is remarkable that the priest Nyagol combines church activity with the fight against tyrants - he participated in the preparation of the April Uprising and in the guerrilla activity. Three years after the death of Father Nyagol, the former teacher Stefan Stoykov (1885) became a priest in the church, who, unlike his predecessors, had a much higher education and a rich culture. Sociable and kind to everyone, he gathers the curious every day and reads the Bible, books and fairy tales to them. As one of the greatest educators in his native village, as well as an ardent revolutionary and participant in the liberation struggles, Stefan Stoykov stubbornly instilled in the minds of parishioners his high patriotism. Priest Stefan leaves his earthly journey too early, during a service on the feast of St. In 1894, when he was very cold, Nikolai caught a severe cold and soon after died (at the age of 48). The vacated parish was inherited by the Tver teacher Luko Todorov, who led it for 40 years. He also serves selflessly and enjoys great public recognition. After the First World War, priest Luko organized a collection of donations for the church, and with the funds raised the western part of the church building was expanded with an emporium (the so-called women's ward), a bell tower was erected and the church was decorated with many new icons. In 1920, on the initiative of priest Luko, a Church Board of Trustees was founded at the church "St. Friday. On September 9, 1944, he found Father Luco in bed, learned of the events, blessed the new government, and died a few days later. After the death of Father Luko, the parish was taken over successively by his two sons - Alexander and Boris Poplukovi, and after them - by the priest Yordan Hristov and others.

Today (2014) the church "St. Petka ”is active and is served by the young and ambitious priest Ivan Stoyanov.

In terms of architecture, the church "St. Petka ”is single-nave, single-apse and half-dug in the ground. Its entrance is on the south wall, and the roof is gabled, with the south facing forward, so that a canopy is formed. On its western side there is an additional emporium - a women's ward. The construction of the building is solid and massive.

The entire interior of the temple is painted with frescoes. In 2001 a study and restoration of the artistic decoration was started by the company "Rest Art" Ltd. - Sofia. Then, hitherto unknown early frescoes were discovered, dating from the middle of the 19th century, but repeatedly plastered. The frescoes of the temple cover three periods. In the first one an ornamental inscription was made by an unknown author. In the second period, a painting of the God of Hosts was performed by the evangelists, also by an unknown author. The third period (first half of the XX century) of the painting of the temple is the most significant, with the most scenes and decorations. The executor of the last murals is Stefan Kanchev from Kalofer (famous graphic artist and author of the trademark of "Petrol"), and the ornaments are painted by Georgi Tsanev himself or according to his templates. The artist has selected gospel scenes with dramatic moments: "Carrying the Cross" and "Pilate's Court" (on the north wall); "The Lamentation of Christ" (on the south wall); "The miracle of walking on water" (on the west wall). The frescoes were probably painted in the 1930s. They were painted with great love and various technologies were used, including oil painting. In terms of style, the influence of the Russian church school of painting is clear.

The iconostasis was made in the XX century and does not shine with special artistic value. But the icons in it are well executed, in the style of frescoes. Interesting are the sub-icon panels, which depict scenes from "Six Days" by John the Exarch.

It should be noted that the current condition of the beautiful frescoes in the temple is quite bad - penetrating moisture seriously damages them. Preserving them in the future requires mandatory restoration and conservation.