Revolutionary monastery, the founder of which was cut out by the Russian ambassador and "imprisoned" in the Kiev-Pechora Monastery

12 kilometers from Gabrovo in the area "Sokolova Cave" there is a picturesque monastery with a rich history. Gabrovsky Sokolsky Monastery is called the Assumption of the Bogorodichno.

About founder

This monastery was founded in 1833 by the famous Bulgarian church leader enlightener Archbishop Joseph Sokolsky. By the way, he was born in Gabrovo, but died in 1879 in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. And how he got there, in general, a separate almost detective story.

In short, in 1861, Archimandrite Joseph Sokolski, for some reason decided to change Orthodoxy to Catholicism and was ordained by Pope Pius IX to the Archbishop's rank. Russian diplomacy was very concerned about this and, with the help of the Bulgarian intelligentsia, lured Sokolsky to the steamer to Odessa and brought it to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where he was lodged with all conveniences and even given a pension of 1000 rubles (1868). The archbishop all his life wrote requests to let him go home, but he was refused all the time.

About the monastery

The Sokolsky Monastery was solemnly opened in 1834, and two years later a school began there where the famous Bulgarian aide Neofit Bozveli Hilendarets - the leader of the Bulgarian education - taught. A book center was also opened here.

In 1856, the monastery became a center for the preparation of an uprising against the Ottoman yoke. The partisan detachment of Captain Dyad Nikola was based here, and the Bulgarian angel of freedom Vasil Levski was also hiding.

This cheshma (a well with a dome) is made by the master Kolyo Ficheto and has been standing here since 1862.

In 1876, a partisan detachment of Tsanko Duistobanov hid in the monastery, the Turks then hanged their members on the monastic rocks.

Until 1959, the Sokolsky monastery was a male monastery and 100 monks served in it, but in the same year the communists blew up the “Light Annunciation” monastery in Gabrovo and decided to transfer the nuns to the Sokolsky monastery.

In this monastery there is a museum of the struggle for liberation.

And these are caves in which there were previously office premises, but now they are closed.

And here was the iconostasis.

The temple from the inside.

Visitors are not allowed to climb these stairs.

All windows were new windows.

But some doors are authentic.

Entrance to the monastery is free.

In front of the monastery there is free parking.

The monastery has 75.5 hectares of forests and fields.

All photos are made by me last Sunday.

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All photos in this blog are taken by me unless otherwise attributed.

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