St. Demetrius of Thessalonica is one of the most revered saints in Bulgaria. There are many churches in this country, built in honor of the saint who died a martyr's death in the 4th century, because of his refusal to persecute and punish the Christian believers. During the Second Bulgarian State (1185-1396), the Bulgarians regarded Saint Demetrius as the heavenly protector of the capital city of Tarnovo.
According to historical records, in 1185 an icon of St. Demetrius miraculously arrived in Tarnovo. The icon came from a basilica that was looted during the Norman invasion in Thessaloniki where the relics of the saint were kept. The icon's arrival was a sign for the Bulgarian rulers that the saint will protect the recently restored Bulgarian state. In honor of the saint, a magnificent church was built at the foot of the Trapezitsa fortress. Until the third decade of the 13th century, it served as the leading church of the Bulgarian state. It was there that Archbishop Basil I became the head of the restored independent Bulgarian Church following Byzantine rule. All Bulgarian rulers who reigned between 1186 and 1241 received the insignia of their royal dignity in the Church of St. Demetrius.
The tradition of building churches dedicated to St. Demetrius continues to this day, reinforcing the saint’s enduring role as a protector of Bulgaria. The beautiful white church of St. Demetrius in the Pancharevo district of Sofia is one such example. The local residents did not have their own church for many years, but even before Bulgaria became a free state, large-scale construction of a church began in the then village of Pancharevo, situated near Sofia. The building was finally completed in 1882 and solemnly consecrated on October 26, St. Demetrius Day. The church is located in the historical center of Pancharevo and is designated a cultural monument of local significance.
"The church was built through the efforts of the entire Pancharevo community, embodying the dream of a free and united Bulgaria", Archpriest Krastin Apostolov says. In the 17th-19th centuries, at the end of the Ottoman Empire, Pancharevo was a remarkably diverse place, inhabited by refugees from Macedonia and Thrace, as well as Circassians. The settlers gave the name of the settlement, which is believed to derive from the old Bulgarian word "panitsa”, meaning a bowl and the Turkish word “çare”, meaning "resort", in reference to the healing mineral springs in the area, which have been known since antiquity.
"Many of the Bulgarians who fled from Macedonia had ties to Thessaloniki, the center of the geographical region of Macedonia, so choosing St. Demetrius as the patron saint was a natural decision. In a way, this church heralded the emergence of a free Bulgaria, not only because of its beautiful appearance but also because it became a gathering place for the people who would go on to build modern Bulgaria. One of the first hydroelectric power plants, not only in this country, but in the entire Balkan Peninsula, was built here. This happened a few decades after the church was built, but the people who constructed the power plant came from France and Italy and some of them settled in the small village of Pancharevo. In the beginning of the 20th century the population rapidly increased and the church became the gathering place for both newcomers and long-time residents."
"Today, the situation in Pancharevo is not much different from what it was 140 years ago, when the temple was built", Archpriest Krastin Apostolov adds.
"The church was built in a multicultural environment. That is why, I personally feel responsible for continuing the work of those who managed to build such a majestic and iconic temple before the Liberation and within the framework of the Ottoman Empire - a true symbol of a new and free Bulgaria."
Read also: