Burgas

In 1829 Burgas had just one Orthodox church – ruined during the Russian-Ottoman war. By 1878 the city had four Orthodox churches. One of them is preserved to this day. At the time it was of respectable size. This is the church "Assumption". Its construction probably dates back to at least the 18th century. ^[1]

In the early 1860s Bourgas has a Greek (Orthodox) Church, but without a bell (in place of a bell a "wooden clapper" was used) and a Catholic church with two bells. For this reason, in 1861, the Greek vice-consul in Burgas Kumbis turns to the Russian consul in Varna with a request to provide at least one bell for the Orthodox church in Burgas. ^[2].

Until the 1860s the church of "Assumption" continues to serve all Orthodox Christians in the city - Greeks and Bulgarians - and remains in a rather poor condition. At one point its condition was badly undermined by fire caused by lightning, after which small repairs were made. Full renovation of this temple was made with the initiative and intercession of Kaimakam Hamdi Bey. In the 1860s the old wooden church was replaced by a massive stone building, constructed with funds collected through extraordinary taxes imposed on farmers, artisans and traders in the city. It is assumed that the construction of the new building began in 1840, in 1853 it was already built, and in 1869 was completed and consecrated. Master builder was someone Ivan. The newly-built temple is a basilica with three naves separated from one another by two rows of six marble columns. In its original form it did not have a bell tower. It was consecrated by Metropolitan Basil. ^[3]

In 1869 the Bulgarians of Burgas set out to build their own separate church dedicated to "St. St. Cyril and Methodius ". The credit for this belongs to both the Bulgarian community in the city and personally the first Bulgarian priest in Burgas Georgi Dzhelepov. The first service in the temple took place on 20 April 1869. Originally the church was small, but in 1895 the old building was demolished and a massive stone building was erected in its lace which today houses the city’s Cathedral "St. Cyril and Methodius "in Burgas. The construction of the new building began in 1897 and ended in 1907. ^[4]

The oldest church in Burgas, which is also the oldest building in the city preserved until today in reconstructed form is the Armenian Church "Surp Hach". It was built in 1853, probably in the same place where previously existed an Armenian chapel. ^[5]

Until the construction of a Catholic church in Burgas, the few Catholics used for the purpose of worship a chapel, located in a private room provided by Nicolas de Matthew, consular agent of the Austrian "Lloyd". Easter service of 1858, held in this chapel, was visited by 21 Italians. Meanwhile, the Catholics tried to obtain a permission to build a Catholic church in the city. On July 26, 1859 the necessary sultanic order to Burgas Kaimakam was issued. That same year, the head of the Capuchin mission in Trebizond arrived in Burgas and blessed the foundation of the Catholic church in the city. In the next year Father Joseph from San Remo, Italy, completed the construction of the church, by which there was a house for the priest. The Catholic Church in Burgas existed until the 1930s. ^[6]

On the island "Sv. Anastasia ", located in the Burgas Bay, the monastery "St. Anastasia" was built. Historical sources (patriarchal certificates) show that in the 16th century the monastery of "St. Anastasia "was directly dependent on the monastery" St. John the Baptist ", located near Sozopol. It subsequently acquired stauropegial status – i.e. it passed under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchateof Constantinople. In the 17th century, Evliya Çelebi mentions it as "rich monastery on the island, where once a year gather many Christians and celebrate." The monastery attracted large donations, but became the object of attacks and devastation. In the 1770s - 80s Ottoman troops were quartered there. In 1778 they landed on the island, conquered the monastery buildings, seized a major part of the monastery property, closed the existing school and drove out his disciples. Donations to the monastery were made not only by locals but also by people from different parts of the Black Sea and the wider region - from Sevastopol, Ganos (close to Istanbul on the Sea of Marmara) and others. The chief founder of the monastery "St. Anastasia " was someone Hadji Matthew from Kotel. In 1802 he paid for the development and gilding of the iconostasis of the monastery church. ^[7]

[1] Иванов, М. Една хипотеза относно църквата „Успение на Пресвета Богородица” в Бургас (подготвено за печат). Бургас, 2009; Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 158–159.

[2] Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 111.

[3] Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 115, 158–159.

[4] Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 75–76, 116, 128–131, 207–208.

[5] Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 75, 161–162.

[6] Карайотов, И., Ст. Райчевски, М. Иванов. История на Бургас. От древността до средата на XX в. Бургас, 2011, с. 116, 165.

[7] Карайотов, И. Остров Света Анастасия. Бургас, 2004.