WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

Thu, 02/23/2017 - 14:41

You are inside a major Medieval fort on a hill that many Bulgarians consider a national treasure as it suggest a glorious past.

where in bulgaria are you 125.jpg
© Anthony Georgieff

In fact, the fort was built from scratch in the 1930s. On top of the hill there is a tall Medieval church that was used by the patriarch before the Ottomans invaded in the 14th century. In fact it was constructed in the late 1970s.

The Orthodox Church would not consecrate it because the murals inside were painted to reflect the Socialist Realist way of thinking and have nothing to do with the religious cannon. Yet, in recent years, the local authorities have "resurrected" Jesus Christ's resurrection festivity on that very spot, and the priests do murmur mass though they do it under the sky rather than go into the un-Orthodox church. There are other peculiarities as well. Torches are being used instead of candles, and at midnight there is a fireworks display. Of course it has nothing to do with Easter or Christianity, but many locals and some tourists are fascinated. And fascinating it should be because the whole affair is quite a spectacle.

Where in Bulgaria are you?

Issue 125

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