News

Ideal weather can make a beautiful site spectacular – and such was our experience when visiting Sokolski Monastery, about 12km south-east of Gabrovo.

In fact, at present, it is not a monastery, but an active nunnery – though with only two nuns resident, it is hard to call it thriving. But it’s still referred to as a monastery. Sokolski Monastery Assumption of the Blessed Virgin prides itself on its flourishing gardens and peaceful mountainous setting. To assist the two ladies resident, there are about 40 volunteers for random tasks.

A plaque at the entrance describes it and its history as follows:

“In 1832, architect Yosif Sokolski and archmandrate Agapii (monks at the Troyanski Monastery) built a wooden chapel with a sanctuary apse in the cliffs of Sokol. The modern-day structure was built in 1834 over three months (from May to August) and was consecrated on August 15 1834 with a ceremony led by the Greek bishop from Veliko Turnovo Ilarion Kritski. The frescoes are the work of the priest Pavel and his son Nikolai, both from Shipka, in the Kazanluk region. The iconostasis was replaced with a new one made by an unknown artisan in 1864. In 1836 architect Sokolski founded a school in the monastery, in which learnt Neofil Bozveli. In 1850 near the central church, Father Superior Yosif build a small church – an ossuary, for which Felix Kanitsa enrapturedly described in his diary the work of a single Italian artisan. On August 15 1851, Petar H Palaouzov from Gabrovo (resident of Odessa) gifted the monastery with a Russian bell. In 1856, at the monastery, Captain Dyado Nikola stayed with his detachment. Vassil Levski was one of the important guests of the monks’. The construction genius Kolyu Ficheto built for free the beautiful octagonal fountain in memory of the eight revolutionaries who had been apprehended and hanged. Through the memorable year of 1876, the monastery was a gathering point of the Gabrovo revolutionaries who, on May 1, took an oath in the church and set off towards the Balkan Range, led by the voivoda (leader of a unit of Bulgarian insurgents) Tsanko H Dyustabanov, whose sabre is kept at the monastery. During the Russo-Turkish war for liberation, a military hospital was built.

“The tall pine, its majestic silhouette towering over the monastery’s courtyard, was planted in 1932 by Father Superior Yosif Solkoski, who stayed in that position until 1860, after which he went to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra until he finished his earthly days on September 30 1879.

“Once having crossed the threshold of the monastery’s heavy door, the visitor is seized by the magnificence of the flowered gardens, by the whiteness of the verandahs, the murmuring of the water running into the drinking-trough. And they cannot overlook, and they can not get enough of the proud beauty the enchanted eyes of the visitor-pilgrim.

“‘God, how beautiful it is!’”

Worth remembering is that Zahari Zograf, the noted artist from Samokov active during the time of the Bulgarian National Revival, painted the icons in the chapel – Jesus Christ, and Mary with the Baby Jesus. (“Zograf” means “iconist”.) And, “sokol”, the word from which the monastery took its name, means “falcon”.

Note that sometimes, the place is referred to as Gabrovski Monastery (Габровски манастир) instead of Sokolski Monastery (Соколски манастир).

According to information on the Bulgarian Culture Ministry’s website, this is the only monastery in the country with a fountain (and one built by Bulgaria’s master architect from the mid-1800s) facing the main gate instead of a church.

I spoke with Sister Melania about possibilities of staying at the nunnery and what goes on there for Easter. A sweet-voiced woman, she said that the weeks before the holiday are filled with cleaning of the gardens for spring and preparing and decorating them for Easter guests. Along with this are daily services at the chapel.

On Easter itself, or, more so, the midnight of the Saturday going into Easter Sunday, there is held the traditional Easter service with candles and a priest and the proceeding around the church three times. Though I did not think to ask how, exactly, the procession takes place, as the chapel itself is down in a lower area, and somewhat on a cliff. It does offer a nice view of the Yantra River, however.

How to get there:
There is a bus transport from Gabrovo, or you can walk to the nunnery from Etara open-air museum along a marked path – it would take about an hour to an hour and a half.

If driving, go to Gabrovo. From there, the way to the nunnery is signposted.

For general contact, call 066/ 801 763 or 088/ 772 99 06.

Staying at Sokolski Monastery:

There are 15 guest rooms each with private bathrooms, available for 15 leva a person a night. To make reservations, contact Nikolai at 088/ 630 80 17.