Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova visited Bachkovo Monastery on August 23 on the occasion of the closing of the 12th Iconographic Assembly, which was once again hosted by the historic monastery.
President Yotova was welcomed at the entrance by Bishop Sioniy of Veliki, Abbot of Bachkovo Monastery, members of the monastic brotherhood, Asenovgrad Mayor Dr Hristo Grudev, and supporters of the monastery.
Bishop Sioniy accompanied the President to the monastery’s main church, where he presented the miraculous Bachkovo Icon of the Mother of God and the relics of Saint Patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo, explaining their significance for the monastery and the faithful. President Yotova was presented with a copy of the miraculous icon as a commemorative gift.
The visit coincided with the presence at the monastery of the Cambridge-based choir “Eikosi” (“Twenty”). The British singers performed two sacred hymns, in Church Slavonic and English, in honor of the President and the assembled guests.
President Yotova and Bishop Sioniy then proceeded in procession, accompanied by the monastic brotherhood and choir members, to the iconography exhibition. Addressing the participants, the Bishop and the President congratulated the iconographers and encouraged them to continue expressing Orthodox spirituality through sacred art.
Yotova highlighted the particular importance of church iconographers in an increasingly technology-driven age, describing ecclesiastical art as an authentic means of reaching the hearts of the faithful and as a firm support for Bulgaria’s national and spiritual identity.
Bishop Sioniy presented the President with the “Bachkovo Monastery Charter,” dedicated to the establishment of the feast commemorating the glorification of the relics of Saint Patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo. The charter is written in both Bulgarian alphabets—Glagolitic and Cyrillic—which played a foundational role in the development of Orthodox Slavic civilization.
On behalf of the participating artists, the president of the exhibition, Elena Digboyushka, thanked the monastery and Bishop Sioniy for their hospitality and support. She presented Bachkovo Monastery with an icon of the Baptism of Christ and a carved medallion depicting the Prophet Elijah.
Source: Patriarchate of Bulgaria
