Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Dmitry was built in the eastern part of the city of Kyustendil during the Bulgarian Renaissance.
The name of the temple is associated with the name of St. Dmitry, also known as the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki the Wonderworker. He was born in Thessaloniki in the 3rd century in the family of a proconsul. His parents were Christians, they secretly baptized their son and raised him within the framework of their faith. When, after the death of Father Dmitry, Emperor Galerius appointed him to the post of proconsul, he openly began to profess Christianity and converted many people to the Christian faith. For his faith, he was first thrown into prison and then executed.
The church was erected in the years 1864-1865. The initiator of the construction was the Kyustendil teacher Daskal Dimitri. Funds for the construction and decoration of the temple were provided by wealthy residents of the city, representatives of the clergy, teachers, craftsmen and others. Around 1865, a school was opened here, called "Dolnomakhalensko", the main teacher of which was Dimitri.
The temple is a brick building with whitewashed walls, a wooden porch and a small bell tower on the roof. Visitors to the church can get acquainted with samples of icon painting belonging to the brush of one of the most famous Samokov masters - Ivan Dospevsky.
