HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Church doings had never been aside from the Bulgarian and the national ones. They had their roots deep inside the Bulgarian customs and traditions and the four decades-lasting suggestion of atheist conceptions had outside more than inside dimensions. All this explains the great interest in virtues, preached by Church of people, belonging to generations, who knew the freedom of following the religion, and also generations, whose natural needs had directed them to these virtues.

At the beginning of 18^th century the influence of Greek clergy in Bulgaria became stronger – it has all the clerical authority. At that time Bulgarian obeyed the Istanbul patriarchate. There started a movement against the Greek influence and it found a great reaction in Sliven. Followers of Ilarion Makariopolski and Neofit Bosveli became Ilia Nedialkovitch, Dimitar Dobrovitch, Hadji Mina Pashov, Dobri Chintulov-the Teacher and others. The one, who first dared to read the  Gospel in Bulgarian was priest Hadji Dimitar. The culmination was the coming of the Greek bishop Kiril in Sliven in July 1985 / according to “ Anniversary Book of “St. Dimitar” Cathedral church in Sliven, 1831-1931”/. Then the young people, who had gathered together in the “St. Dimitar’ Church denied to pay the tax to the bishop and they expelled him from the town.

After long-lasting negotiations with the Sublime Porte, at last in 1870, 28^th November, the Grand vizier Ali Pasha handed in the Bulgarian representatives signed by the Sultan Decree for the foundation of the independent Bulgarian exarchy. Under article 10 of the Decree the Exarchy was divided in fifteen eparchies, among which was the Sliven district, excluding Anhialo / nowadays named Pomorie/ and Mesemvria / named nowadays Nessebar /, which were associated to it in 1906. Sliven was a major town-residence of the Metropolitan bishop. Although the Exarchy Decree of the Church ecumenical council in Istanbul in 1871 for its organization and control, the Greek patriarch did not recognize it – the bishops, who served the liturgy for Epiphany in Bulgarian in Istanbul in 1872 were deported to Nikomedia. Five thousand people got together to support the Bulgarian bishops in the yard of “St Dimitar” Church in Sliven – an initiator of the movement for church freedom of people of Sliven / at that time the town of Sliven had about 23 thousand inhabitants/.

The first Sliven Metropolitan bishop Serafim was elected in 1872, but because of numerous church and administrative obstacles he was officially welcomed in Sliven on 3 June 1873, in fact this is the date, on which the Sliven eparchy was officially found.

After long-lasting struggles for changes in the territory nowadays the Sliven eparchy region covers the town of Sliven South to Topolovgrad, territories to Malko Tranovo and Rezovo village /associated in 1913 /, East to our Black Sea border to Obzor and the East slopes of the Balkan Mountains to Ticha village, Kotel municipality and ends on West side to Biala village, Borov dol and Binkos villages. Totally covers 474 towns and villages.

Little by little life in the eparchy bloomed. Church-educational brotherhoods were found, monasteries became centers of culture and intellectual life. Their relations to schools are unbreakable. They have common doing for a long time – common boards, common cash and, of course, common troubles. Money was never enough, but great part of money they have they gave to schools. Special attention was paid to teachers’ assignment. There were high requirements to their education, intelligence and moral. In 1879 was decided in each school to be one headmaster, one teacher for the elementary classes and two for secondary classes. The salaries of the teachers were paid by the budget of the church boards or by donations, and in 1880 Sliven bishop’s residence made an offer for sponsoring Bulgarian and other minority schools by taxes, paid by the citizens and they discussed the problem of obligatory education of children aged 7 to 14.

At that time Bulgarian emigrants in Romania were too many. All they were patriots, caring about everything, concerning the national self-consciousness. So they help the church with donations for the schools and many citizens of Sliven do the same.

Two church shops were re-constructed for a kindergarten in 1901.

Sliven bishop’s residence together with the church boards in the town tried hardly to help its parishioners. It took money from its budget / aiotdiskos / for helping people, who suffered the consequences of natural calamities, during the Russian-Turkish liberating War, and in some cases gave money for pensions. The refugees – Macedonian, Tracian or Russian were specially treated by it. Poor families and invalids were accommodated into monasteries.

That is why the first Red Cross Society “Faith, Hope and Love” was found in Sliven, whose chairman was Metropolitan bishop Serafim. The bishop’s residence helped the founding and sponsored an orphanage in the “Sveta Petka” monastery in 1925 and gave one of its rooms for the Bulgarian tourist society. Also Bulgarian monasteries in Aton were helped by it.

A recreation centre for healing of priests was built at Sliven spa. There were some proofs that the Klutsohor Bridge / so called Big Bridge / was built by the help of church.

At that time municipalities often helped church boards, but also happened the opposite – the bishop’s residence sponsored the municipality of Jeravna village / Kotel region / in 1907 to finish its proceedings.

During the World War I the families of mobilized church clerks and priests received a half salary, and the church made great efforts in finding captive priests.

As the first community centres were found as places for education and culture the church had unbreakable relations with them. “Zora” Community centre was found in 1859 and it still plays a main part in the social life in Sliven. People, whose idea was the founding of the community centre were famous Sliven public persons like Dobri Chintulov, Sava Dobroplodni, Stefan Gidikov,, Dr. Mirkovich and many other. Sliven bishop’s residence often gave money for buying books for the community centre/ as it also was a library club/. Other community centres in the eparchy were also helped. In a church building was found a community centre in Sozopol in 1934. Community centres were built by the help of church in Karnobat, Balgarovo village /Aitos region /, Nevestino village /Karnobat region /, Dere kjoi village / nowadays Voden, Elhovo region / etc.

But the main aim of Church has always been the pervasion of Christian literature and the care for moral education of people. Great activity in this direction develop church workers and Sliven metropolitan bishops.

Zlatan Gruev, the first Sliven metropolitan bishop Serafim ( 1819-1896 ) was famous for his policy and wisdom. He left a lasting trace in the life of Sliven bishop’s residence. He was one of the first fighters for church independence. He was also famous for being selfless and a patriot, especially during the April rebellion. He was respected by the Turkish authorities in the town for his rationality. By the help of many humiliations and petitions he succeeded to save Sliven from suffering the doom of Boyadjik village, which was burned after the extinction of the rebellion. When he described to Exarch Antim I the cruelty of Shefket Pasha, Serafim – the patriot prevailed over Serafim – the Metropolitan bishop, whose main aim was to preach obedience to his congregation.

Too famous was his successor Gervasii. He graduated schools in Aton, Arap monastery, served in Plovdiv bishop’s residence, was exiled in “Sveta Petka” Moldova monastery, suffered the April rebellion and on 2 March 1897 bishop Gervasii was ordained Sliven metropolitan bishop. He was the man, who denied to sign in 1876 the Turkish Decree /”mahzar”/, which thanks the Sultan for his wise ruling, and at the same time he signed a report,  written by Ivan Geshov and Konstantin Kalchev to the English parliament against the Turkish cruelties saying the words: “ The destiny of people is my destiny too.” But he was also the man awarded a diploma and a medal “Medjidie” –I class by Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1899. There are already live people of Sliven, who remember him as a kind mentor, highly educated, a good Christian and a  pastor of the whole eparchy, ”…he gave all his money to poor people, while he was alive, left to his successors and to the whole generation an excellent sample with his life and doings…” /” Church newspaper”, N 8-9 / 1 May 1919/. Metropolitan bishop Gervasii died on 1 April 1919.

Ilarion became Sliven metropolitan bishop in 1922. He graduated the Kiev ecclesiastic academy with Theology degree. He published religious newspapers and magazines, wrote articles after he was back from Russia. He was a chairman of the patriot “Father Paisii” society for two years, a member of the Holy Synod for two terms. A diligent and erudite preacher, famous for his charity and theology activities, metropolitan bishop Ilarion did not missed any feasts, which he uses as a possibility to educate people and guide them in life, according to requirements of Christian moral. Charity is inbred in people like him, that is why many people thanked him by letters for his charity and help.

He met in Bourgas Tzar Boris III and Queen Joanna as they arrive for the first time in Bulgaria.

He initiated the building of the new Sliven bishop’s residence in 1934. Unfortunately he could not see his last doing finished as he died in 1939.

Sliven met its fourth bishop with great number of people on 15 of July 1939. Evlogii, was born on 3 of March 1890 in Vratsa. He was the youngest among the bishops.  He graduated the faculty of theology at the State University in the town of Cherkovits, Austria. Until his nomination on 1st of January, 1939 on the post of vicar in the Sliven bishop, he was an officе worker and a secretary in the Holy Synod, a teacher at the Priestly school in the Bachkovski monastery, a teacher-educator at the Plovdiv ecclesiastical seminary, preacher’s priest in Vratsa and a Rector at the Sofia ecclesiastical seminary. Аlthough he was for a short time on the throne in Sliven, / he died in 1947/, people in Sliven had the opportunity to familiarize well with him, with his kind character, erudite mind, with his devotion. People recompensed him with much love and respect.

On 6th of July, 1947, at the head of the Sliven Eparhy stood an intelligent, well educated and an erudite person, a modest and a good person, with various cultural interests, who spoke several foreign languages, Nikolai Nikolov Piperov, Bishop Nikodim, who graduated the Oxford University.

The time he was a head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the Eparhy of Sliven was hard. The participation of Church and its clerks in the people’s life was limited gradually. A time of godlessness came. It was difficult for the Bishop to fulfil his own duties. Despite of it Nikodim Bishop continued to work for the prosperity of his parishes.

During all these years he did not stop to do his written work – he wrote articles, together with priest Tsv. Pophristov he wrote “Book of basic theology”, an edition of the Holy Synod since 1934. He edited lectures for the orthodox Christian fraternities named “Evangelistic lectures” and etc.

 He was respected by the priests and as he was the head of the Outside Department at the Church for many years, he was famous and welcomed in all Orthodox Christian world.

He died in 1980 as he was 80 years old.

The establishment of the Sliven Eparhy was a happy event for the people in Sliven and the election of the town for the seat of Bishop, naturally set the question for building a special residence for the Bishop. In 1933 they bought a site and there they started to build the residence, by the project of architect Zahari Iliev, consisting of offices, a room for guests– priests, an apartment for the bishop and one for his assistant.

With voluntary helps and loans, granted from the Holy Synod, the Ministry of Public Works and etc. on the16 of July, 1939, the new bishop’s residence was solemnly inaugurated. There was already place the rich church library and for the registers of the Orthodox Christian fraternities.

After 1944, the situation changed. By numerous party decrees and actions the Church activities were limited. As a result of this country policy in Sliven Bishop’s residence possessed 161 parishes, 184 Orthodox Churches and 8 chapels, 10 Orthodox Christian brotherhoods and 5 church choirs, which were in very bad conditions in 1990.

The noble service of others is the most valuable principle of each God’s servant in his days on Earth. The nowadays Bishop of Sliven Ioanikii is devoted to this principle.

Ioanikii was born on 2 of March, 1939. His name was Ivan Georgiev. He graduated at the Sofia Ecclesiastical Academy and was ordained in high rank given the name Ioanikii.

He graduated a post-graduate course in practical theology at the Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy in 1966, and left for specialization in Bern, Switzerland in Theology Faculty in 1970.

The happiness with which he met the changes in the Eparhy in the last years was great –the editions of the church-orthodox literature increased, the number of people, attending church increased, there were much money for reconstruction of churches. The First Orthodox Sunday Christian School “Saint Dimitar Slivenski” was found in Sliven on 5 of October 1992…

“… Everyone, who fights for the Good wins… The Church won, because the greatest victory, which conquered the world - our faith was with it./ Ist  I 5:4/.