Patriarchy

Царевец

The Bulgarian Patriarchate is the second largest architectural complex of Tsarevets, occupying an area of about 30 decares. During the excavations from 1960 to 1965, it was established that the Patriarchate, like the royal palace, was an independent fortress in the form of an irregular polygon, surrounded by fortress walls, gates and towers. The entrance was on the west side - reinforced with two consecutive doors. Two battle towers rose from the south and north. Also there, attached to the fortress wall, were the residential, economic and service premises.

In the central part of the complex, on the highest point of the hill, stood the Patriarchal Church of the Ascension. It was built on the foundations of an early Christian church, dating from the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 6th century, representing a three-nave basilica with one apse. The Patriarchal Church was built in two stages:

first - at the beginning of the 13th century as a single-nave church with a semi-cylindrical vault;
second - in the 14th century, when the expansion and reconstruction was carried out and in a cross-domed, three-apsed church with two narthexes.

Царевец

Next to the southern wall, three rooms were discovered, the middle of which is a belfry tower - a rare phenomenon in the church architecture of the Balkans. The patriarchal church was richly decorated inside and out. During the excavations, many decorative panels and four-leaved rosettes, decorated in various colors, and thousands of pieces of wall plaster with frescoes were found.

Further research, restoration and conservation of the medieval monuments on Tsarevets hill, as well as preparations for their exhibition, are taking place in connection with the implementation of the Veliko Tarnovo-1300 program adopted in 1978, which includes two main stages - the first until 1981 and the second until 1994. During the first stage, according to the projects of the architects Boyan Kuzupov, Iliya Levterov and Teofil Teofilov, the gates, the fortress walls, the patriarchal church "St. Ascension of the Lord" and the bell tower to it. The restoration of the Patriarchal Church was carried out on the basis of the data from the archaeological surveys and the information from the medieval documents (maps, miniatures) and after the public discussion of the models made on the spot.

Царевец


The decorative and artistic design of the interior of the Patriarchal Church is the work of the artist Teofan Sokerov. Since the Patriarchal Church is a complete reconstruction, it is not frescoed according to the church canon. The church is a temple monument in which, through the means of modern monumental art - large-scale figurative compositions, the artist traces the rise of the political and cultural development of the medieval Bulgarian state.

A special role for the emotional perception of the wall paintings and the overall atmosphere in the interior of the Patriarchal Church is played by the special lighting and sound system. The realization of the murals is the work of the artist Teofan Sokerov and his assistants, the artists Ivan Ivanov, Ivan Vasilev, Kolyo Yonchev and Nayden Naydenov. The Patriarchal Church, one of the sites of the 800-year anniversary of the uprising of Asenovtsi, the liberation from Roman rule and the restoration of the Bulgarian state, was opened for visits in November 1985.

In addition to the work on the Patriarchal Church, conservation of the residential and other premises around the Patriarchate was also carried out. Restoration work on Tsarevets Hill was generally completed in 1985. There is still work to complete the excavation and conservation of the southern slope of Tsarevets, which will connect with the site around the southeastern battle tower, and the restoration of the main entrance to the royal palace.

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