The famous Boyana Church near Bulgaria’s capital Sofia entered the UNESCO world heritage list due to its wonderful medieval frescos. However, the Church of St Peter situated at the left bank of Nishava River, some 1 kilometer west from the village of Berende (Dragoman Municipality), does not share the same destiny. Its exact age is still unclear, but there are two main suggestions regarding the period of its construction. The first one reads that it dates back to the time of King Ivan Assen 2 at the beginning of the 13^th century. According to the second hypothesis, the church was built during the reign of King Ivan Alexander in the mid 14^th century. Despite its small size, the church building keeps some of the best preserved frescos dating back to the 14^th century. Due to its artistic compositions, the church frescos in the village of Berende are mentioned in all books featuring the medieval arts in the Balkans. Unfortunately, these works are currently in a very bad state, as they have been damaged by humidity and mould, although the church was declared a cultural monument back in 1927. Some of the works were protected from obliteration and are now being kept at the crypt of the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia. This is in brief the history of one of the forgotten Bulgarian treasures which was brought back to life by the Rediscover Bulgaria Expedition.

A photo of these exceptional wall-paintings from the village of Berende can be seen on the Lovers’ Bridge near the National Palace of Culture in Sofia until May 6. The Rediscover Bulgaria Expedition shows fifty eight new photographs of its finds over the past twelve months.

Hidden historical relics, spots situated away from the big tourist routes, mysteries and places where new finds emerged or previous ones were renovated, will light the enthusiasm of history fans and those who keen on traveling. Mysterious megalithic structures near the town of Yakoruda, the Red Basilica in Belovo (Pazardjik district) and the Thracian Vault in Pomorie are part of the open-air exposition. The photos were taken by Evgeniy Dimitrov (the main initiator of the Rediscover Bulgaria Expedition), Tihomira Metodieva, Ivan Vasilev and Vladimir Alekseev. The exhibition was organized by the Cultural Projects Association in partnership with BulFoto agency and the Culture Directorate of Sofia Municipality.

The official opening was accompanied with the sweet sound of Theodosii Spassov’s shepherd’s flute. Theodosii Spassov told Radio Bulgaria that he was mostly impressed with the Demir Baba Teke (Vault) near the village of Sveshtari and the Asenovgrad Fortress where he held concerts with the Rhodopes Orchestra.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov