Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Day of holy martyr Zlata Maglenska - patroness of Bulgarians around the world

Photo: bg.wikipedia.org

On this day, Orthodox Christians pay homage to the Holy Great Martyr Zlata Maglenska. She lived during the Ottoman rule in the second half of the 18th century and sacrificed herself for her faith in Christ.

Zlata Maglenska was born in a poor Bulgarian family in the village of Slatino, Maglenska Diocese - today within the borders of Greece. She was a beautiful, but humble girl, known for her piety and pure heart. One day a young Turk kidnapped her, demanding that she renounce her faith, convert to Islam and marry him. However, the girl remained adamant, even when her family was threatened with death.

Zlata Mаglenska was tortured for a long time. Finally, she was hanged and her body cut into pieces. With a soul purified in suffering, she presented herself before the Lord on October 18, 1795.


Saint Zlata Maglenska is declared a great martyr and is revered throughout the Orthodox Christian world.
Following a proposal of the historian Prof. Plamen Pavlov, since 2009 Saint Zlata Maglenska has been chosen as the heavenly intercessor of Bulgarians abroad. 

The Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad has established an award for Bulgarian Woman of the Year in her name, which is awarded to Bulgarian women who have contributed to the preservation and development of the national consciousness and cultural identity of the Bulgarian communities around the world.

Translated and published by Rositsa Petkova


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The oldest Cyrillic manuscript preserved in Bulgaria exhibited at the National Library

Many citizens of Sofia took advantage of the opportunity to see the Enina Apostle and the Argirov triod manuscripts which were exhibited today for two hours at the National Library "St. Cyril and Methodius".  The event took place on the..

published on 1/20/25 2:03 PM

Partiarch Daniil celebrates St Athanasius the Great in the temple of the saint in Gorni Lozen

On the eve of St Athanasius' Day, one of the churches on the outskirts of Sofia is already preparing to welcome His Holiness the Metropolitan of Sofia and Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil , who this year will celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the church in the..

published on 1/17/25 5:34 PM

The Feast of St. Athanasius – between Christianity, rituals and beliefs

Atanasovden, also known as Midwinter in our folk calendar, is a holiday on which the Orthodox Church and our folklore pay tribute to St. Athanasius the Great – Archbishop of Alexandria and a fighter against Arianism (church heresy which rejects the..

published on 1/18/25 6:05 AM