Where did Vanga live in Bulgaria on the map. Bulgarian village of Rupite: the most mysterious place on the planet, where Vanga drew her strength from

The Rupite protected area is one of the most famous places in the Balkans. Rupita owes his popularity to mineral springs, an extinct volcano Kozhukh Mountain, as well as the fact that it is the birthplace of the Bulgarian seer Vanga. The Rupite area is located near the Bulgarian town of Petrich near the village of Rupite on a rocky volcanic hill; the entire area is considered the crater of a huge ancient volcano.

Since 1962, part of this territory, measuring about half a hectare, has been a natural attraction. Mineral healing springs have average temperature 74°, give up to 35 liters per second. The floodplain natural forest mainly consists of white poplar. The transitional-Mediterranean climate that prevails in the area allows the herbaceous vegetation of the Mediterranean to grow here, as well as the development of some species of heat-loving animals.

There is a huge variety of snake species here, one of them is the rare cat snake, 201 species of birds, including Mediterranean ones, which you will not find anywhere else in Bulgaria - Mediterranean mockingbird, masked and black-fronted shrikes. During the wintering and migration period, you can find the small cormorant here, which is listed in the World Red Book.

On the southern side, as well as at the foot of the volcanic hill, are the ruins of an ancient ancient city, which bore the name Heraclea Sintica and was the main city of the Sinths, an ancient Thracian tribe. The existence of the city dates back to the 4th century BC. to 6th century AD

On the territory of the area there is a temple of St. Petka Bulgarian, which was erected in 1994 with the money of the prophetess Vanga, two years before her death. Vangelia Gushcherova was born in 1911, and she spent her last years in Rupite in a small house, next to which the temple was built. Svetlin Rusev, the famous Bulgarian artist, covered it with frescoes in a realistic style that goes beyond the boundaries established by Orthodox canons.

It is known that Vanga lost her sight in early childhood, after which her unique abilities were discovered. The prophetess believed that this area had unique energy, and the water from the springs was truly healing. Vanga’s world fame attracts thousands of believers and curious people here every year.

From the hotel guide we bought a full-day excursion to Rupite, the Rozhen Monastery and the city of Melnik for 70 euros and the next day we went to the very south of Bulgaria.

Our path flowed along narrow mountain gorges among low mountains covered with deciduous forest. At first the mountains were covered with snow, but as they moved south the snow disappeared. Then the mountains moved apart and receded into the background, and on both sides there were already green fields of bright winter crops.

And here is the turn to Rupite - the place where I spent last years life fortuneteller Vanga. So to speak, a world-famous Bulgarian character (when the conversation came up about which famous Bulgarians we could name, we only remembered Cyril, Methodius and Vanga).

The place Vanga chose is truly unusual. This is a wide valley at the foot of the Kozhukh volcano destroyed as a result of the eruption. Steam from hot springs rises above the ground, and streams with hot water snake among the green grass.

In the 4th century BC. was located here antique city Petra. Having existed for 10 centuries, it was buried under lava during a volcanic eruption. A cross was laid out on the slope of the volcano in memory of the dead people.

As the guide told us, in this place it is always several degrees warmer than in the surrounding area, and we soon confirmed this.

Indeed, it was warm, the grass was green, the sun even appeared in the sky.

In 1992, at the expense of Vanga, the Church of St. Petka of Bulgaria was built here. It was consecrated only 2 years later; it was very different from an ordinary church.

Strange paintings at the entrance, a strange iconostasis with huge faces. There was something painful and unpleasant in the drawn figures and faces, causing internal rejection. As if not people, but alien creatures.

Portrait-icon of Vanga

They once said on TV that this church was consecrated for a large bribe. I remember the church in Talashkino near Smolensk, built according to Roerich’s design - our churchmen never consecrated it, although outwardly it was not as out of line with church canons as this one.

Next to the church is Vanga’s grave.

And across the river is her modest house, where she received people.

In general, the whole complex is decorated very nicely: white benches, a carved bridge, along the banks of the river there are thickets of young green bamboo, southern conifers are planted throughout the territory: thujas, junipers, cypresses, cedars.

Near the largest thermal lake, guinea fowls walk in a fenced-off corner. Near the thermal lakes there are warnings: “Mineral water is 75 degrees. Kupaneto has been taken away." In this hot water There are also special algae. Both water and algae, we were told, are extremely beneficial and cure a lot of diseases.

Then we went to the Rozhen Monastery.

We should have left green valley Rupite how good weather and the sun ended, the sky became clouded with low clouds, and it began to snow. The road climbed higher and higher, and behind the windows on both sides high sandy outcrops appeared - the Melnik pyramids. They seemed simply a miracle of nature, something on the verge of the impossible. In appearance, it is made of ordinary sand, of various shapes, created as a result of the weathering of sandstones. Some of them reached high altitude. There is, say, a finger of sand stretching into the sky, or a narrow pyramid, and for some reason it does not collapse.

At a small parking lot we left the bus and walked up the mountain.

The path to the Rozhen Monastery

From the high plateau there was a wide view of the sandy steep walls. We were almost at the same height as them.

The Rozhen Monastery is located on a gentle peak. It was first mentioned in 890. His good location- far from the roads, on the top of the mountain - served as some guarantee of safety from the Turks, nevertheless, it was burned several times, and it was restored again.

The walls of the monastery are like a fortress, and the entrance is completely inconspicuous and cramped, from the corner.

In the center of the narrow courtyard is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, along the perimeter are monastic cells of two or three floors with open wooden galleries.

A grapevine stretches from the church to the gallery, providing thick shade in summer.

Inside the church there are frescoes of the 17th century and an amazingly crafted carved iconostasis (kept separately, it was specially opened for us). The main shrine of the temple is the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary. Since the monastery was a “branch” of one of the Athonite monasteries, most of the paintings were made in Athonite traditions.

Only 3 monks live in the monastery.

5 km from the monastery, almost on the border with Greece, is the town of Melnik, the smallest of the existing Bulgarian towns. Its population is about 200 people. The town is extremely picturesquely built into the surrounding landscape: a narrow gorge divided by a river, sandy cliffs of the Melnikov Pyramids and at the foot of the cliffs - white houses, one above the other.

There are many mechanics, we had lunch in one of them. And we went up the gorge, where almost at the very end of the town on a hill stands the Kordopulova kyshta - the house-museum of a wealthy wine merchant. Down along the path are the ruins of an ancient temple.

The lower level of the house is a large hall for wine tasting and the entrance to an extensive network of caves in which barrels of wine are stored.

Above are spacious living spaces.

On the roof there is a terrace paved with stone, from which you can see the entire town, tightly squeezed by the mountains.

The town is like a museum. The unexpectedly large school building indicates that Melnik knew and better times and life in this wine-growing region was in full swing. In the 13th century, he even visited the capital of the independent region of the despot Alexy Slav. At its peak there were 70 churches. Silent witnesses of the past are the vast 800-year-old plane trees along the banks of the river.

In general, we liked the excursion, we visited the south of the country, saw three interesting places, each of them is unique. And such fancy rocks I didn’t even expect to see sandstone, this is an undeclared bonus over and above the program.

We spent the remaining days on the slope, but there was little joy from skiing. We tried to arrive at the lift early, so we usually only stood (!) for about an hour. We found a route where it was possible to ski without a queue - on Chalin Volog: this is an intermediate station, a small peak between Bansko and Banderishkova Polyana. At the beginning of the route there is a steep ice couloir, which for many was an insurmountable obstacle, so there were few people skiing on this route. In the end, I overcame this couloir, one might say, in one breath, without even slowing down. And after it a good red track began. After 3 o'clock in the afternoon the queues usually ended at the top, so you could ski there too. And at the end of the skiing - the obligatory “May Day demonstration” after turning off the upper ski lifts, when all the skiers of Bansko found themselves on the same track and rolled down in a single stream.

On the slopes of Todorka

Queue for the lift

Crowded conditions and bare ice on the slopes gave rise to injuries, and we often saw motorized sleighs with stretchers rushing after (or already with) another victim. And at dinner, you look, one has a broken nose, another has his forehead covered with a plaster, the third has his arm tied up.

I was very surprised a large number of British. And before that, in the fall we were in Turkey, there were so many of them there that prices for goods were first of all indicated in pounds, and only then in Turkish lira and other currencies. Here's a riddle. They don’t seem to be poor people, why do they gravitate so towards places cheap holiday? And to the question: “Where are you from?” they will never say: “From Great Britain”, but always: “From Scotland” or “From Wells” or “From England”.

On the eve of departure, we decided to go see the Rila Monastery in the afternoon. The main argument for the trip were the words of the guide with whom we went to Melnik: “The Rila Monastery is the same attraction for Bulgaria as the pyramids are for Egypt.”

The drive there takes about two hours. The turn to the monastery is almost immediately after Blagoevgrad. And soon, far ahead, in the haze, the snowy peaks of Ril appeared, as if floating in the air.

We passed a narrow winding gorge and stopped at the high stone walls of the monastery. Not even tall - tall, like a good 5-6-story building.

Rila Monastery

The monastery itself is built on a spacious mountain ledge. Once upon a time, the Monk John of Rila retired from the world to these remote places, and by the 10th century, a monastery was built here by the hands of his associates and disciples. In the summer, tourists are taken to the cave in which the holy hermit lived.

Through the arch we entered the wide monastery courtyard. In the center of the courtyard there is an elegant, brightly decorated Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, along the perimeter there are monastery buildings: cells, a refectory, a library, a museum; along all floors there are galleries with arches.

Hrel's Tower (XIV century) with belfry

The main decorative element of the monastery is the arches. They frame the residential buildings along the contour, surround the church on three sides, and there are also two arches on the tower in front of the bells. The gallery in front of the entrance to the church is painted very colorfully and it feels like it was just the other day.

Everything inside the church is also rich and elegant.

They showed us the cells of the monks - I had never seen such sybaritic cells before. At first we entered a small (but quite comfortable and not cramped) room, and I thought that this was a cell. But no, it turned out that this room was for a servant, and the next, more spacious and comfortable home was intended for the monk. By the way, in Bulgarian churches (as well as in Greek ones, however) you can sit during the service.

In general, the monastery gave the impression of being a little toy-like and unreal, very beautiful, all brand new. I liked the abandoned Rozhen Monastery much more; it had some kind of authenticity. It stands there, hidden high in the mountains, surrounded by strange sandy rocks. Detachment and silence. And in Rilskoye it’s very hectic.

In the evening we bought more souvenirs and prepared to leave.

The main Bulgarian souvenir is rose oil and cosmetics based on it. In the Kazanlak Valley (also called the Valley of Roses) a special variety of oilseed rose grows, from which oil is pressed.

Leather goods are inexpensive here, such as wallets, belts, bags. Lots of original ceramics.

For some reason, dolls - hooligan Baba Yagas - are very common. When you clap, they begin to laugh hoarsely, sparkle their eyes, and move. They say they drive out evil spirits. These brawlers were made in China.

Local wine is quite good and cheap. A lot has been written about food and food, the food here is really excellent, just a paradise for food lovers.

In general, I must admit, Bulgarians give the impression of being hospitable, friendly and open people. Our languages ​​are similar; if you want, you can always understand a friend, although sometimes you get into trouble because of the so-called “false friends of the translator.” For example, the word “to the right” means “straight”. “Bulka” is a bride, “T-shirt” is a mother, and words starting with “chur,” including “chicken,” are obscene. Even more misleading is their head nodding, which means “no,” and their negative shaking, which actually means “yes.” You ask in a museum: “Is it possible to take photographs here?”, in response they nod their heads approvingly and say, “It’s not possible.” You ask in a cafe: “Bring me some beer.” The girl shakes her head as if with some regret and immediately brings beer. You even begin to wonder if they are as simple-minded and sincere as they seem at first glance.

By the way, although the Bulgarians expressed gratitude in every possible way to the Russians, who freed them from the 500-year Turkish yoke (after all, 300 thousand Russians died), however, in both world wars, Bulgaria, a Slavic and Orthodox country, acted as an ally of our enemy - Germany.

When we were in Greece, we were told that during the war (World War II) there were three zones of occupation: German, Italian and Bulgarian. The Italians did not cause much harm to the Greeks and are remembered mainly for their numerous romantic relationships with local girls. The German occupation is classic, like ours. But those who were occupied by the Bulgarians had the worst of it. This is all from the words of our Greek guide.

The country is not rich in attractions. The general pattern for all countries that were under the Turks is that in cultural life The country has been a scorched spot throughout the entire period of Turkish rule. And in present-day Turkey, the main excursion sites (in addition to natural ones) are ancient Greek and Roman ruins.

Now Bulgaria has become a member of the European Union. It is expected that by October 2011 it will enter the Schengen zone. The question of the country's entry into the euro zone is not yet raised. We were told that the average salary in Sofia is about 250 euros, and in the country - 150 euros. Therefore, people travel to other countries in search of work.

The next morning, still in the dark, a bus picked us up with our things, and we went to the airport. I immediately fell asleep, and when I opened my eyes, our bus was descending from the pass along a steep and narrow gorge.

Then the mountains ended and the endless steppe began. And this steppe, judging by the map, extended all the way to the Black Sea.

And in Plovdiv our green plane was waiting for us, all alone on a huge airfield.

We immediately climbed into it and flew to Moscow.

In general, I don’t recommend going skiing to Bulgaria, especially on New Year. And not for the New Year either, since in the low season you can go to Austria for about the same money as to Bulgaria. Or, better yet, I won’t recommend anything, because everything, of course, is subjective, and I myself read reviews of people who were in Bansko at the same time as us and were satisfied with the skiing.

So take note and decide for yourself!

I have always wanted to visit where the famous prophetess once lived. This area is called Rupite. But in summer it’s not easy to get there from the coast; excursions are either not offered or are incredibly expensive. And it’s tiring to spend two days on the road. But in winter it’s quite possible. From Bansko to Rupite it is only an hour and a half drive. Of course, I couldn’t miss this opportunity then! The place is exceptional, with some special energy. Apparently, it was no coincidence that Vanga chose it to receive the suffering - it is very quiet and peaceful there...

And so, two years later we returned to Vanga. My husband is with tourists (I don’t know how many times he went there this winter), I am with him for company.

Here, in this area, “The Prophetess received those in need of her help, here she took away their pain and suffering, here she gave them faith and hope.” These are the words written on one of the tablets in Rupite. It's big here now memorial Complex.

This is a panoramic view of the Sveta Petka Church, the bell tower and the Vanga monument, erected quite recently.

The monument to Vanga was erected last year in honor of her 100th birthday. Sculptor Emil Popov immortalized the prophetess sitting on a chair.

On the right you can see the house where Vanga received her. “From a small house a large complex will grow,” the prophetess said. A stork nest is visible above the house. In Bulgaria there is a belief that a house over which a stork’s nest is built is protected from troubles and misfortunes.

And this is the same house of the prophetess. There is a sign near the house that says the following. The house was built in 1970; for 25 years, Vanga received guests here during the day, and at night she went home to the nearby town of Petrich. And only the last year of her life, due to deteriorating health, she lived here permanently.

Unfortunately, you cannot enter the house. Only its opening as a museum is expected (it was expected two years ago and is still expected now). But the windows of the house are not curtained, you can look inside and, if you try, it’s quite possible to take photographs.

This is the room where Vanga received guests.

Temple-monument "Sveta Petka Bulgarska". Erected in 1994 with funds from Vanga and donations from the people.

The temple evokes mixed reactions from visitors. Especially his paintings and iconostasis. In no case do I presume to judge. Some people like it, some don't. But due to its non-canonical nature, the temple was not consecrated by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Vanga dreamed all her life of building a temple in Rupite, so that Rupite would become a place of physical and spiritual healing and a home for all believers, regardless of their nationality and religion.

Bell tower of the temple.

The prophetess bequeathed to bury her in the courtyard of the house where she received her. She wanted to help people after death, so that everyone could come to her grave for strength and hope.

However, Vanga rests near the church.

Opposite the temple, not far from the grave of the prophetess, grows... bamboo! And visitors to Rupite hang martenitsa on it.

Vanga was once asked why she chose Rupite? She said that “this place is special. It serves as her battery, here she draws her energy and strength. Once upon a time, a terrible fire burned in this place, and the ridge above us hides a big secret.”
Rupite is located in the crater of the extinct Kozhukh volcano. Scientists say that the last eruption here was 1 million years ago. However, probably, some underground processes continue to this day. And the hot mineral springs are proof of this.

The water temperature is 75 degrees Celsius. In Rupite there is a campsite with a mineral pool; those who wish can take a swim; the water is healing.

The forty-meter Cross was built in 2009 according to the will of the prophetess in memory of the victims of the volcano.
When this eruption took place, how many people died - only Vanga knew. She said that “the dead want a memorial. Thousands of years ago there was a terrible eruption of the Kozhukh volcano, the huge city of Petra was buried under its fiery lava. The population of this city was educated and religious. The volcano took thousands of lives then, and now the burning abyss is returning money to us through warm springs. And these springs are healing, so that we can be healed. That's what Vanga said.

However, today a great catastrophe occurred in the skies above Rupite. On July 27, 1955, an Israeli passenger plane was shot down while violating air space Bulgaria. All passengers and crew members were killed. Apparently, the pilots hoped to reach the Greek border; they had only a few kilometers left. Bulgaria was convicted by the Hague court and paid compensation to the relatives of the victims.

Rupite is located in the warmest part of Bulgaria, which is influenced Mediterranean Sea. The surroundings of the long-extinct volcano have been declared a protected area; some atypical or rare representatives of flora and fauna live here. And the vegetation blooms here earlier than other regions of the country.

Vanga Temple is located in the village of Rupite, in Bulgaria. Church Church "St. Petka of Bulgaria". The name of this small town does not say anything at all, you won’t see palaces or anything else there, neither will there be nature or ancient ruins. This small village was famous for the fact that this place was the birthplace of the seers Vanga - Vangelia Pandev-Gushcherova and it was there that her temple was built. Vanga was very hurt by the fact that not all people believe in God and commit all sorts of unpleasing and unrighteous deeds. The split of the Bulgarian church was received with particular pain. Therefore, building a church was the dream of her whole life, which could unite all believers; she had to cherish this dream for twenty whole years. Vanga always maintained that it would not be she who would build the temple, but the government, the people themselves, and not a foundation named after her. She always had a piggy bank on her table, which everyone who came paid attention to. It was there that she put money for the temple, so it can be argued that the temple was built with her personal funds. She liked to repeat that she was not building a church, but a path to God. And finally, in October 1991, construction of the temple began. Krasimira Stoyanova told how confident and enthusiastic her Aunt Vanga was about realizing her dream. She chose the location herself and also took part in laying the foundation. The Vanga Foundation decided to move the construction site. After the completion of the temple, church authorities refused to consecrate the temple, when Vanga received this news, tears flowed from her eyes. Local residents even began to threaten that I was destroying an unconsecrated temple, then the church authorities made concessions and consecrated the altar in 1994, where the relics of St. Harlampius still rest. Metropolitan Nathanael of Nevrokop consecrated the temple. At first they refused to consecrate the temple due to the fact that it was not built according to Christian customs and canons. The architecture is indeed quite unusual; the architects decided that medieval buildings are already a thing of the past. The foundation’s rulers insisted to everyone that they wanted to build a “universal European church.” Appearance The building even caused particular bewilderment: everything was white, both the building and the roof. In order for at least something to give the church a canonical Orthodox look, local residents brought many icons here; they are still there and decorate the interior. The temple was named St. Petka of Bulgaria; in Russian this name sounds like Paraskeva. That was the name of Vanga's mother. The main place is occupied by portraits of Vanga in the interior decoration of the temple. Many religious people put their skill, soul and effort into decorating the room to make it look beautiful and unusual. The famous Bulgarian artist Svetlin Rusev took part in the construction and decoration; he worked on the portrait of the seers for several months. Also, woodcarver Grigor Paunov and sculptor Krum Damyanov, many masons, carpenters and painters and other craftsmen, all made efforts. The temple appears as a symbol of holiness and purity for many tourists and pilgrims, all because of the snow-white color of the temple. But there is also controversy because the walls are decorated with portraits of Vanga, because they say that the temple hastened the death of the seer. There is an old belief that the person who built the temple should not only not enter it, but also his shadow should not fall on the building. The controversy has not subsided, and some clergy are even afraid to say Vanga’s name out loud, because they consider her a witch. But time has yielded positive results and the Church of St. Petka is a favorite place among tourists; they even get married and baptized there, right between two portraits of Vanga and Christ. There is a belief that if you baptize a baby near Vanga’s portrait, he will live a happy life. Vanga had no children of her own in her life, but she became godmother to more than 5,000 girls and boys from all over Bulgaria and other countries of the world. Vanga had two houses - Rupite and Petricha - she transferred them to the state, the will was drawn up in the name of Dr. Napoleonov, this is the oldest public figure of Petricha. The doctor disposed of the property and real estate as Vanga wanted, and often recalled and quoted her words: “A person comes into this world as a beggar, a beggar and leaves.”

At the entrance and exit to the church territory, near the parking lot, local residents set up a small market where you can buy local products such as oil, pepper, honey and others. Not far from the temple there is a house in which Vanga received all her visitors. People throw coins into the well located here for good luck. If you go a little further you can stumble upon a mineral spring in which the water temperature is about seventy-five degrees.

Vanga called Rupite the source of strength of the entire earth.

Among the huge number of mysterious and mystical places of our planet, there is one that became famous thanks to the gift of foresight of the world-famous soothsayer Vanga.

In addition, this city is considered anomalous zone It’s not for nothing that the famous seer Vanga once chose this place for her work and life. Her house was still located near the sacred hill of Kozhukh. Today it has been turned into a museum, which is visited by a huge number of tourists.

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Monument to Vanga, who lived the last years of her life in Rupite

She often talked about Rupita, calling him the fontanel of the Earth and the source of strength. According to her, there is a person buried underground at the foot of the volcano. powerful eruption volcano IV-VI centuries BC beautiful ancient city. She saw in her predictions the people who lived in it and claimed that they were giants who wore silver ethereal clothing.

Whether this is true remains a mystery, but the area here is truly impressive and mystical in itself. She has amazing energy. Every tourist who comes here with some kind of excitement immediately forgets about it and his soul becomes light and calm.

In the village of Rupite, in Bulgaria, where she lived for the last 20 years of her life, the soothsayer built Orthodox church Saint Petka in front of his house with his own savings and donations from people.

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In Rupita, using savings and donations from people, Vanga built the Church of St. Petki

Construction of the temple began on October 17, 1991. When it was completed, the church authorities refused to consecrate the temple, and at the news of this, tears flowed like hail from the sightless eyes of the seer.

Local residents began to threaten that they would destroy the structure, and then the churchmen made concessions, and in 1994 they consecrated the chapel where the relics of St. Harlampius rest.

The clairvoyant was very religious, despite the fact that the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church for her recognition of reincarnation they called her a pagan.

The fact that the walls are decorated with portraits of Vanga still causes controversy.

Among local residents There are rumors that it was the construction of the temple that accelerated the death of the prophetess. After all, according to a belief that comes from time immemorial, even the shadow of the person at whose expense the temple was built should not fall on its walls.

In addition, the image of the clairvoyant and pictures of her life occupy the main place in the interior design of the temple. The Bulgarian artist Svetlin Rusev worked on her portraits.

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The main place in the interior design of the church of St. Petkas are occupied by images of Vanga

Nowadays, the Church of St. Petka is one of the most favorite places to visit for tourists. It is where weddings and christenings take place - right between two portraits: Vanga and Jesus Christ.

There is a belief among tourists that to baptize a baby near the image of Vanga means to ensure a happy life for him.

Vanga bequeathed to bury herself near the Church of St. Petka.

Also, the Rupite area itself is famous for its healing mineral springs and white poplar forests.

In addition, this village is considered a refuge for various types of snakes, including a rare species of cat.

Many expected that after Vanga's death on August 11, 1996, something would happen. But Bulgaria was not hit by any natural disasters, catastrophes or other disasters.

Fans of the clairvoyant believe that Vanga’s spirit protects Bulgarians from troubles and misfortunes.

The name of the famous Bulgarian clairvoyant is directly connected with Rupite and is on the minds of many people on our planet.

“She who brings good news” is how the name of the soothsayer, Vangilia Pandevu Gushterov, is translated from Greek. For some it was good, for others it tasted bitter, but for sure, it became known over time that her lips always spoke the truth.

The fortuneteller left behind many teachings and predictions, including a small letter in which she noted that the future belongs to good people who will live in wonderful world, which is now difficult for us to imagine.