Description of the attraction
The Peter and Paul (Lyaskovsky) Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul is one of the fourteen that are located around Veliko Tarnovo, built during the era of the Second Bulgarian State. It belongs to the best preserved monasteries of this time. It was founded in the 12th century. It is still active, no more than a dozen nuns live in the monastery.
From Veliko Tarnovo, the Peter and Paul Monastery is located 6 kilometers to the north-east. Located on the banks of the Yantra River above the town of Lyaskovets, from the cliff where the monastery stands, a panoramic view of the Balkans and the Danube plain opens up. Researchers call the 14th century the time of the greatest flourishing of the monastery's religious and cultural life.
The Peter and Paul Monastery, like most monasteries in Bulgaria, is distinguished by very restrained architectural techniques, this is primarily due to the fact that during the Turkish slavery the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt several times. This fact explains the inaccessibility of the monastery, which, however, did not stop the invaders.
Historians believe that the monastery was founded by the Asenovites. These are three brothers who began to rule Bulgaria after the liberation from Byzantine oppression. The important historical role of the Peter and Paul Monastery in the preparation of the national uprising against Byzantium in 1185 is emphasized. Burned in 1393, rebuilt in 1422, burned again in 1598, after which it was rebuilt until 1662. A bell tower with a height of 31 meters was built on the territory of the monastery, which resembles a medieval castle.
The Peter and Paul Monastery also occupies a prominent place in the history of the Bulgarian liberation movement. For three years, Vasil Levsky, an enthusiast and ideologist of the Bulgarian revolution, the founder of the Internal Revolutionary Organization, hid here. In 1873, Vasil Levsky was executed by the verdict of the Ottoman court. Also, from 1869 to 1871, the monastery was visited by Bacho Kiro, Matei Preobrazhensky and others. During the preparations for the April Uprising, this place became a refuge for revolutionaries.
The theological school (the theological school of Saints Peter and Paul) was opened in the monastery in 1874. The Peter and Paul Monastery is acquiring an important educational value. Four years later, an orphanage was established here.
