In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

4. The Orchestration of a Grassroots Cultus The church “Sveta Bogoroditsa” (“Holy Virgin”) in Karlovo cuts a handsome profile with its blue and white bell tower. The bell tower is relatively new, from 1897, but the church building, as the inscription above the western entrance tells us, dates from 1851. Before they began constructing this new building in 1847, there had been a rather insignificant structure erected in 1839 in the place of the older church of the Holy Virgin that had burnt down in 1813. This latter church, about which little is known, is believed by some to have been built already at the end of the fifteenth century, at the time of the founding of the little town of Karlî-ova, later Karlovo. In any case, the names of priests serving in the church have been preserved at least from the eighteenth century on. Although the construction was completed in 1851, the events of the Crimean war and lack of funds delayed the furnishing of the church, and its consecration did not take place until May 20, 1858. Levski’s biography is intimately linked with this church because it was here in 1859 that he was ordained as a deacon; here he sang at all the liturgies in the course of several years; and here again he reappeared after he had cut his hair on Easter 1864.183 As used to be the case with the majority of churches built in the Ottoman period, the exterior is simple and modest, the walls of unpolished stone, the joints unfilled, the decoration kept to a minimum.184 A plain wooden arcade was added later, encircling the western part of the church with the main entrance, and bending to reach the north and south entrances. In 1997, a rather significant change occurred on the northern wall. A fresco of the Holy Virgin with Child was painted above the entrance. It had been commissioned by the church’s Board 183 The information on the church comes from a local publication: Anka Racheva , Khramît “Sveta Bogoroditsa” v Karlovo. Istoricheski ocherk, Karlovo: Izdatelstvo “Helikon”–Kazanlîk, 1998. 184 The exceptions are the richly decorated exteriors of monastery churches, like the ones in the Rila or Bachkovo monasteries. 430 The National Hero as Secular Saint: The Canonization of Levski of Trustees, and was the work of the local artist Anna Kozinarska. The more dramatic addition was a large fresco covering the northern wall under the arcade. It had been commissioned and financed by the Karlovo section of the Bulgarian (Obshtobîlgarski) Committee “Vasil Levski,” in agreement with the ecclesiastical Board of Trustees. Again, it had been painted by a local artist—Dechko Todorov—and represents the taking of the holy orders by Vasil Levski. The accompanying inscription explains: “In Anno Domini 1859, in this temple Deacon Ignatii (Vasil Levski) was ordained in the rank of deacons by Metropolitan Paisii of Plovdiv.” This fresco was opened and consecrated on July 18, 1997 (Levski’s birthday) by the former Metropolitan of Plovdiv, Arsenii.185 (See Plate 16.) The main decoration of the interior of the church, which is a basilica with a nave and two aisles, is the iconostasis separating the nave from the sanctuary. Carved from walnut, it encloses icons from the celebrated nineteenth-century master Stanislav Dospevski, among them the Holy Trinity, the Holy Virgin, St. John the Baptist, St. John the Theologian, and Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The sanctuary, which is closed to persons not consecrated to the service as in all Orthodox churches, contains the altar of the Holy Virgin, as well as an additional one dedicated to Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the southern niche.186 The latter we learn from Anka Racheva’s little guide. What the little guide does not say is that the sanctuary houses the portrait of Levski, hung on the wall above a wooden chest immediately opposite and to the right of the main door of the sanctuary. Visiting Karlovo in July, 2000, a few days before Levski’s birthday , I received the program for the festivities on July 18. They were to open with a Holy Liturgy dedicated to the 2000 anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ and the 163th anniversary of Levski’s birth, and performed by Arsenii, the Metropolitan of Plovdiv. This was to be followed by laying flowers at the grave of Gina Kuncheva, Levski’s mother. After this, a poetry performance would take place, followed by a book opening. At...

Share