Glozhene monastery

One of the most interesting monasteries in Bulgaria – “St. Georgi the Victorious” is rising in the marvelous Teteven Balkan in Stara Planina Mountain on the top of a unapproachable rock.
It is known as Glozhene monastery and looks more like medieval temple. It is situated 100 km away from Sofia.
The monastery was found by the prince Georgiy Glozh who came from South Russia chased by the Tatar hordes. The Bulgarian king let him build Glozhene village and started the construction of the monastery. At first the monastery was built in the Gradishteto site and was named “Transfiguration”. But as it was built the edifice started to ruin and the miraculous icon of St. Georgi the Victorious which the Russians had brought disappeared. Later it was found at the foot of Kamen Lisets peak. It was a sign that the monastery should be built at this place. For short period of time there were two monasteries connected by a tunnel.
The monastery is closely connected with the Bulgarian history and the liberation struggles.
The monastery brotherhood developed serious enlightened activity and the revolutionary Vasil Levski often visited the temple as he founded a revolutionary committee in Glozhene village. Many times he ran from the Turks trough the tunnel which is covered up now. The destiny of the great social person - metropolitan Kliment is also connected with the monastery. His mundane name was Vasil Drumev. He was send into exile here by Prince Ferdinad after his speech in defence of Orthodox Christianity. He left in the monastery for 9 months and the merciful monks gave him food through an inappreciable hole on the ceiling.

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