Ivanovo

Ivanovo: Holy Virgin’s Rock Church and six surrounding churches

Entered into the list of the UNESCO’s world cultural heritage sites in 1979, Archangel Michael’s big rock monastery includes six churches and chapels which are carved into the cliffs of northern Bulgaria’s Carpathian Mountains. It is because of the murals, which are remarkably well-preserved, that the rock cloister near the town of Ivanovo was included in the UNESCO sites. They were built in the style of the Byzantine churches in Cappadocia (Turkey).

It was in 864 AD that the Bulgarians converted to Christianity, but it wasn’t until centuries later that the rock monastery was built. The murals in the Holy Virgin’s Rock Church are the best preserved. This church was constructed and covered with frescos under the rule of Tsar Ivan Alexander, and during the 13th and 14th centuries it was an important religious and cultural center that enjoyed the support of the Bulgarian tsars and patriarchs.

Holy Virgin’s Church was rediscovered in the 1920’s by a French scientist named Andre Grabor. A new door was added in 1930 to replace the original entryway overlooking the cliff, which is 38 m. (115 ft.) above the roadway. It was turned into a museum 30 years ago, and special permission is needed to visit the site. It is not possible to visit the other five churches, which are found on an opposing cliff across a wide divide. The frescos from these churhces are preserved in the History Museum at Rousse; only the frescos from Holy Virgin’s are still intact in their original location. Work has been done to restore their original coloring.

Holy Virgin’s Rock Church consists of two small rooms, about 16 m. (48 ft.) long and 4 m. (12 ft.) wide, along with an adjoining small chapel. Its murals represent the “greatest preserved achievement of the medieval Bulgarian art in the 14th century. They are painted by unknown artists who obviously had wide creative potentials.” The images on the walls and ceiling portray scenes from the life of John the Baptist, the Passion Week, and Christ’s last day. The faces are three-dimensional, which is more typical of the pre-Renaissance era, and not of medieval-era art, in which the faces are flat. Certain frescos depict the naked body, which is evidence of the influence of Antiquity in medieval art.

The murals in the chapel show scenes of the life of early Christian hermits from Syria. In fact, 14th century Bulgarian Orthodox hermits greatly admired Syrian hermits. Several animals from the latter country are depicted. The hermits of this time period were supported by the Bulgarian kings and Byzantine emperors. The church also has portraits of saints and of the donor tsar and his wife, patrons of the church.

The murals in this rock church are a testiment to the high level of culture that was attained in medieval Bulgaria. They are expressive, colorful, and vivid. A lot of the detail is still evident.

Archangel Michael’s monastery is unlike traditional monasteries with many monks; it was hermits that lived here. There were less than 100 monks total in all of the churches. The surrounding cliffs hide the monk’s cells. They slept in the caves which are carved into the sides of the cliffs. There was even a fortification system, with a bridge that could be raised up to protect the community from an outside threat.

Today, buses bringing tourists come to visit the site during the summer months, and many Bulgarians come by bicycle. It is quiet the rest of the year, and until now, there have not been any environmental or other problems caused by the tourists.

The rock churches high in the cliffs against the backdrop of the remote mountainous countryside is a truly breathtaking sight. It is not hard to understand why the monks chose this spot to get closer to God. They are closer to the sky. It is a little piece of Heaven on Earth.