Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Paraskeva Friday is a late medieval Bulgarian church located in the village of Belchin, near the town of Samokov, Sofia region. The building was built of river stones fastened with a special solution, supported by wooden supports. The temple was erected in the 17th century on the foundations of an old church from the 13th-14th centuries. and went through the difficult years of Ottoman rule, when religious buildings were often burned or plundered. Inside, the building was decorated with frescoes and icons, but, unfortunately, they have not survived to this day. Traces of early decoration were found during archaeological excavations in 2007.
Many valuable icons have been preserved in the Church of St. Paraskeva Friday, the oldest of which were painted in 1653, two centuries before the Bulgarian Renaissance. Particularly impressive are the icons “Jesus on the Throne with the Apostles” (1653), “Theotokos with the Child on the Throne with the Prophets”, “Saint Nicholas” (17th century), “Three Saints” (17th century). The iconostasis of the temple (XVII-XIX centuries) is an important monument of monumental woodcarving. Applied over the years, it is a whimsical combination of floral motifs with images of dragons and birds.
The first restoration was carried out in 1967. In the following decades, the church began to deteriorate and the icons were transported to museums, private collections and other churches in the village of Belchin. In the period from 1991 to 2005, the roof of the building was destroyed and the church practically turned into ruins. In 2006, a complete renovation began, the aim of which was to recreate the original church in the smallest detail. The restoration was initiated by the Bulgarian businessman Simeon Peshov and his two sons, as well as the Belchin Revival Foundation. An ethnographic complex was also built next to the church.
In 2007, the restored church was consecrated by Bishop John and the original old icons were transported there, which had been kept elsewhere until that time.
