{{coord, 42, 10, 34, N, 22, 56, 54, E, type:landmark_region:BG, display=titleThe Ruen Monastery St John of Rila ( bg, Руенски манастир Свети Иван Рилски) is a

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canoni ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

part of the

Dupnitsa Dupnitsa, or Dupnica ( bg, Дупница (previously ), ), is a town in Western Bulgaria. It is at the foot of the highest mountains in the Balkan Peninsula – the Rila Mountains, and about south of the capital Sofia. Dupnitsa is the second ...

vicarage of the Sofia eparchy of the

Bulgarian Orthodox Church The Bulgarian Orthodox Church ( bg, Българска православна църква, translit=Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria ( bg, Българска патриаршия, links=no, translit=Balgars ...

. It is situated near the village of

Skrino Skrino ( bg, Скрино) is a village in the municipality of Boboshevo, Kyustendil Province, western Bulgaria. As of 2013 it has 66 inhabitants. Geography The village is located in the Ruen mountain, the northernmost part of the Vlahina moun ...

, municipality of

Boboshevo Boboshevo ( bg, Бобошево ) is a town in Western Bulgaria. It is located in Kyustendil Province and is close to the towns of Kocherinovo and Rila. The town of Boboshevo is situated around to the south of Sofia and from Bulgaria's prime ...

Kyustendil Province Kyustendil Province ( bg, Област Кюстендил, trl ''Oblast Kyustendil'') is a province in southwestern Bulgaria, extending over an area of (constituting 2.7% of the total territory of the Republic of Bulgaria), and with a populat ...

Location, history, architectural and artistic features

The monastery is situated in a beautiful countryside near the small town of Boboshevo at around 8 km to the west of the

European route E79 European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...

between

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. ...

and

Kulata Kulata ( bg, Кулата , , el, Κούλα or Κούλατα) is a village in Petrich Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province, in southwestern Bulgaria. it has 892 inhabitants and the mayor is Dimitar Manolev. The village is a major border c ...

, at 2,5 km to the north of the village of

– the birthplace of

John of Rila Saint John of Rila, a.k.a. Ivan of Rila ( Bulgarian: Свети преподобни Йоан Рилски Чудотворец, Svеti prеpodobni Yoan Rilski Chudotvorеts; English: Saint (monk) John of Rila the Wondermaker) (876 – c. 946) w ...

. The monastery was restored over the ruins of the old church in 1999. A path from the monastery leads to the cave where Saint John of Rila first began with his hermitage. RuenMonastery

The monastery was named after the most famous Bulgarian saint, John of Rila (876-946), patron of the Bulgarian people and founder of the

Rila Monastery The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery "Sveti Ivan Rilski" ( bg, Рилски манастир „Свети Иван Рилски“), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situat ...

– the largest

stauropegic monastery A stauropegion, also spelled stavropegion (from el, σταυροπήγιον from σταυρός ''stauros'' "cross" and πήγνυμι ''pegnumi'' "to affirm"), is a monastery or a parish which depends directly on the primate or on the Holy Syn ...

. He lived during the reign of

Boris I Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail (Michael) and ''Bogoris'' ( cu, Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ bg, Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. A ...

, Simeon I and

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...

during the First Bulgarian Empire. The day of the saint is celebrated on 19 October.

External links

Site of the Ruen Monastery

Ruen Monastery - publishing
Christian monasteries in Bulgaria Bulgarian Orthodox monasteries Buildings and structures in Kyustendil Province