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In this article is being discussed the life of Prof, Kamen Garenov, alaso known as Father Peter Garena to his friends. In it are described some of the problems he encountered in life. Often he has been brought to the point of physical survival. After his ordination in 1990 he undertook a number of dangerous missions in lands inhabited by Bulgarians that were outside the borders of the country. Lands such as the Western Outlands (now in Serbia), Bessarabia, the territories around the Sea of Azov and such around Bitolja, among others. Besides being an author of articles and scholar papers and lecturer at Plovdiv Unversity, Father Garena was also an artist, writer and builder. He restored the abandoned church "St. George" in the town of Kurdzhali, himself taking part in the construction, and he frequently used unorthodox methods for helping people to follow the path of their spiritual revival.
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The cult of the nymphs in the province of Thracia is a subject that has barely been studied and is unpopular as a whole. It is probably due to this circumstance that there are omissions in the discovery and identification of nymphaeums from Roman times. It was precisely in this period that the tradition of building this type of sanctuary by mineral springs was introduced, along with the so-called thermae spas. To date, four such sanctuaries have been identified on the basis of votive materials: Aquae Calidae, Stara Zagora mineral baths, Diocletianopolis and Pancharevo. Another two nymphaeums of the so-called rural type were uncovered on the territory of Thracia - one near Ognyanovo and the private sanctuary by Kasnakovo. A logically founded and clearly supported with arguments hypothesis about the location of the nymphaeum in the thermal complex of Diocletianopolis has been developed by means of comparative analysis of the finds from the former, the architecture of the latter and the clarification of the essence of the cult.
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This article is an attempt to discuss the "conventional" image of Hermes-Mercury in a rather unconventional way. The author has sought the substratum of perceptions that condition the "long" life of a deity in the complex of Indo-European religious beliefs. The aspects relating Hermes-Mercury to the essence of the notion of Ψυχοπόμπος have been pointed out, to which end the author has analysed mythological information, as well as the semantics of part of Hermes' sacred animals. With the help of glyptic and miniature bronze figurine monuments, he has sought the connection with Egyptian, eastern and Asia Minor deities predisposing the "synthesis" to uniform religious perceptions in the period of transition from polytheism to monotheism. In spite of the danger of extreme interpretation, there is also an analysis of some parallels with Mithra, the 'Good Shepherd' and St. Nicholas, which mark the complex semantics and multiple layers of the seemingly 'gradual' and 'natural' process of consolidation that accompanied the age of consolidation of the Christian idea.
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Several early Christian basilicas have been discovered in the region of Karlovo up to now: down the route to the Roman road Oescus-Philipopol at the Roman station Soubradice and the ancient settlement nearby the village of Hristo Danovo, on the lands of the ancient settlement nearby the village of Hristo Danovo, on the lands of the village of Voynyagovo, in the monastery complex of the Medieval stronghold Kopsis nearby the village Anevo. Another Christian church is located down the route of the Balkan Roman road from Serdica to the Black Sea on the lands of the village Iganovo nearby the late ancient settlement. On the lands of the village of Vasil Levski in a late ancient settlement an early Christian basilica - the only one in the region with baptistery and synthronon - has been studied. Religious building found had played a great role for Christianization of the local population, whereas it is suggested to be the Yoanica episcopate during VII-IX century
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Northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast was colonized by the ancient Greeks who created the colonies Odessos (Varna), Dionisopolis (Balchik), Bison (Kavarna) was Tirizis-Acre (Kaliakra). Following the imposition of Roman power in these lands here were disseminated the official Roman cults, and later - Christianity. In Late Antiquity (IV-VI c.) Christianity became the official religion and with agreements of the central government were created Episcopal centers. Despite the lack of written sources it could be assumed that these cities were becoming Episcopal centers in the province Secon Mizia.
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The present preliminary report concerns two churches (Nos 1 and 2) dating from the Middle Ages and located in the Hissarya locality by Dragoinovo village in the region of Purvomai. They are single-naved, single-apse churches with narthexes and entrances from the west. Church № 1 is part of a larger complex including another two Christian churches dated from the second half of the 10-th or the 11-th century, while church № 2 is dated from the 12-th - 13-th century.
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In the begining of the 16-th century, the German states were experiencing one of the unruly and problematic periods of their history. That was the time when these parts of Europe passed through a considerable social and political transformation. It was also then that the situation of the lower social strata deteriorated, which led to varied in type and scope discontent among the population naturally demanding most generally political and social reconstruction, as well as having a negative attitude attitude to the clergy. The negative attitude to the church quite naturally developed into a general desire for reform. German humanism itself "sank" more and more into the problem field of religious, theological and church issues. These were all nuances of the then existing German reality which will help us understand the later inception of the reform movement.
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This paper is a historiographical analysis of Gen. Georgi Vazov's memoire-cum-travellogue titled 'In the Deserts of Central Asia'. It pinpoints the exceedingly valuable information about the history, the ethnic and religious identity of the region and mainly the Russian colonial penetration in Central Asia, the geopolitical relations between the two powers dominant in the region - Russia and the British Empire, and the dynamics of the borders, among others. It also follows the untraditinal approach of the military campaigns as a civilizational phenomenon expanding the outlook and the historical truthfulness of the nation. Parallels are sought between the linguistic and religious identity of Turkmens, Kalmyks, and Tajiks with first-hand tales about the distant ancient land of Bulgarians. Last, but not least, it comments on the participation of the general in the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In conclusion, the paper speaks of Gen. Vazov's contribution to the treasury of Bulgarian historical geography and memoiristics.
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Joseph Stalin died on 05.03.1953. The lack of legitimate mechanisms for the transfer of power caused a continuous crisis related to a heated struggle for his heritage. The fate of the country fell into the hands of the people who were Stalin's closest associates. The most powerful positions were held by G. Malenkov, L. Beria and Nikita Khrushchev. Having abundant information about the situation in the country and heading the Interior Ministry of the USSR, Beria concentrated enormous power in his hands. He, however, had no intention of fighting any of Stalin's "heirs". Beria realized that the established collective leadership, in which there was a certain system of equality, was the most favourable for the implementation of the reforms he had devised. The new documents published from the declassified archives reveal that he became actively involved in both domestic and foreign policy. Beria's reformist activity was doomed from the very beginning. His activity and unpredictability at the solution of the tasks set forth made him a deadly dangerous competition in the eyes of Malenkov, Khrushchev and the other loyal associates of Stalin. The factor that united them was the fear of the "man with the pince-nez". He knew too much about them. The practice from previous years showed them that the most convenient way in which they could dispose of the dangerous adversary was his complete discreditation before the party and the people, and his physical removal.
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As names and part of the system of names, ethnicons are characteristics for both ancient and contemporary societies. In the world of Ancient Greece where two names were used traditionally at the presentation of citizens, their given and their paternal names, these names complement the information about the origin of the persons which are also indicative of their native land. With the gradual establishment of Greek settlers in various parts of Thrace, after the age of antiquity these traditions also infiltrated Thracian territories. In the time of the Roman emperors, rising monuments with inscriptions spread among broader strata of the Thracian provincial population in Macedonia, Thrace, Moesia, Dacia, Bithynia and elsewhere. In these conditions, epigraphic heritage also began to include elements and influences coming from the living Thracian language. Against the backdrop of those processes and in relation to the different factors necessitating the use of ethnicons or other similar means to present origins, we see a tradition that is characteristic of Thracians and the Thracian language. The ethnicons that have reached to us are such that can be linguistically defined as Thracian in origin. The sources show that the Thracians also had their tradition in the use of ethnicons based on a model typical of their language. Those were twofold names with first or second root Dentu- or -dentes.
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The article follows the issue of the spiritual outlook of Europe in the context on the continental literary traditions, the role of the saintly brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples, of Prince Boris and Tsar Simeon, coming to the conclusion that, if we try to ask ourselves what is Europe today, what defines it most precisely is Graeco-Roman Antiquity, Christian culture and the three main alphabets - Latin, Greek and Cyrillic - by means of which our Old World has carried its heritage and memory through the centuries.
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This study summarises the author's way of finding the initial contents of the famous translated anthology of homilies by and excerpts from John Chrysostom. It was compiled by educated Bulgarian ruler, Tsar Simeon the Great (893-927) and was translated in the 9th century, after 893. The exceedingly apt title of 'Zlatostruj' (literary 'Golden Stream') is a symbolic expression of the blessed word of Chrysostom and the book surely has the objective to transform the unenlightened Bulgarian people by means of persuasion, not by force, as it was until 893. The initial translation features 45 homilies. This thesis is confirmed by two Vilnius copies of the 'Zlatostruj' from the Monastery of the Annunciation in Suprasl, currently located at the library of the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in Vilnius, Lithuania.
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This paper discusses the Afterword of 907 added by Preslav monk Tudor Doks to the Four Orations against the Arians of St. Athanasius of Alexandria translated by Bishop Constantine and copied by him. The orations were translated and copied by order of Prince Simeon, who was probably a relative of the monastic writer. Tudor's Afterword, rich in cultural and historical evidence, is analysed in the discourse of the short Byzantine chronicles and Old Bulgarian epigraphic sources, the Nominalia of the Bulgarian Khans and the afterwords to the 10th century works from Preslav. It is concluded that Tudor's Afterword is a sort of chronicle of the creative works of the family of the princes Boris-Michael and Simeon which ruled Bulgaria. It is assume that the Afterword is written in the so-called family monastery of the rulers from Preslav, located in the direct proximity to the Round (Golden) Church.
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The Peresopnitsia Gospel (PG) is manuscript created in the second half of the 16th century in the contact zone of two traditions, the West and the East. The manuscript was made in a way that allowed it to be used by representatives of both the Roman and the Byzantine rites, which is evidenced by several type of textual breakups: liturgical, one approaching Byzantine lectionaries in the large chapters also continues the Latin tradition reflected in Gennady's Bible (GB) and other manuscripts related to it.
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The paper describes the main peculiarities of the Stanimaka (Asenovgrad) subdialect in the first half of the 20th century based on a literary text written by Hristo Daskalov. A comparison with some neighbouring sub-dialects has also been made.
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Ivailo Petrov's novel 'Wolf Hunt' is a dramatic saga with a story covering a long and contradictory period of Bulgarian history, from the first years after World War II to 1965. The fates of Ivan Shibilev, Mona Zhendo, Kalcho, Nikolin, Stoyan Kralev and their sons and daoughters intertwine and grow apart in passions and conflicts. This book is the story of people who are born during a totalitarian regime or die, frequently because of what they love. The hunt is the symbol of their thirst for revenge, the Old Testament 'an eye for an eye', with the outcome/redemption being presented as a pain of the soul caused by the loss of human happiness. The study discusses the presence of biblical motifs and images and the manner in which the author of the novel works with them. The moral categories through which each individual considers his/her life are skilfully woven in the book by the careful use of biblical symbols and messages. The characters in 'Wolf Hunt' fully experience the passions and sufferings of the Old Testament characters, thereby redeeming the original human sin.
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This article focuses on the Christian interpretation of Atanas Dalchev's poetry, which would reveal not only to the abundance of religious images and motifs of the critical reviews of Dalchev's poetry in Bulgaria is offered, as well as a definition of Christian outlook in modern art and concrete works of Dalchev containing key Christian concepts.
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