Bulgaria
Preobrazhenski Monastery, north of Veliko Turnovo, 1999
Iriney at Preobrazhenski Monastery
Over 70 monasteries adorn Bulgaria’s forest-covered mountains. I frequently took weekend sabbaticals, journal in hand, to explore these spiritual gems. Getting there was half the adventure. My train pulled into the medieval capital Veliko Turnovo in northern Bulgaria—a region with nearly 20 monasteries built by kings, each providing cultural and spiritual refuge. I headed to Preobrazhenski monastery, a holy place that barely survived a 1913 earthquake. As bands of mist floated between mossy boulders, I zigzagged along a path through tall linden trees. Entering a clearing I caught sight of the monastery tucked beneath a cliff. Sunshine filtered through a canopy of grape vines into the courtyard where I was greeted by a gentle monk named Iriney. He asked where I had left my horse and buggy and I smiled and told him I came by foot.
We sat near the richly colored frescos of the central church. Iriney came when he was seven and for 60 years has rarely been away. He told me the story of the massive white rocks resting oddly near the bell tower and church. In 1991, a gigantic boulder fell from the cliff above and broke into smaller pieces before crushing a few monastic cells. One large chunk split in two and the pieces miraculously ended up on either side of the central church. Fortunately, no one was hurt. ‘God’s will,’ he said, looking skyward.
I savored Iriney’s company and reflected on how life here has remained unchanged, in spite of the political system in the capital. As this peaceful Balkan country continues to shake off nearly 50 years of totalitarian rule, its monasteries remain eternal.
Brent Hurd, Peace Corps/Bulgaria, 1996-99, tourism development. Now Voice of America reporter, Washington, D.C.