Description of the attraction
The monastery of St. Fyodor Stratilat is located about 1.5 km northeast of the village of Balsha and 10 km northwest of the town of Novi Iskar. It is located at the top of the southern slope of the Sofia Mountains (part of the Western Balkans).
Until now, it has not been precisely established when the monastery was founded, and little is known about its early history. Scientists draw scant information about the monastery from local legends, which say that it was built in the XII century. According to some researchers, the monastery arose in the XIV century, while others believe that it happened later - during the period of Ottoman slavery. From time immemorial this place has been known to the people as "Manastiro". Today, here you can see the ruins of an old church, which was destroyed before the 19th century, the foundations of the walls of various structures - residential buildings, agricultural buildings, etc.
Unfortunately, no archaeological excavations have been carried out in this area so far that could shed light on the history of the monastery. There is an assumption that the monastery was built on the site of a disappeared medieval settlement. Judging by the size of the complex, up to 500 monks could live here at the same time.
In the XX century, the monastery was restored and several nuns settled here, but after their death it fell into desolation and soon the building where the novices lived collapsed.
The construction of the modern monastery began in 1977. First, the church was rebuilt, and then the living quarters. The Orthodox Church is a one-nave, domeless church with an apse and a vestibule.
A new stage in the development of the monastery of St. Theodore Stratilates began after November 10, 1989, when the church council, headed by Archpriest Kirill Tanchov, decided to revive it. In the restored church, a new carved iconostasis was installed, which became the decoration of the temple, and a specially cast bell was installed in the tower, towering on the roof of the building. For six years of construction and repair work, thanks to donations from wealthy citizens and local residents, the former grandeur of this cultural and historical site has been fully restored.
