ABOUT CHURCH “HOLY ASCENSION”
The church “Holy Ascension” is built over the foundations of an old cult building in 1848 at the time when the first most perfect models of a three-nave domeless church appear. The church is one of the most impressive buildings in Bulgaria in the 70s of the 19 century.
In the end of the 30s of the 20 century the church is reconstructed and a belfry is attached to its western façade. The “Holy Ascension” church was built with donations from the craftsman organizations in Vratsa. The iconostasis covered with fine woodcarving was made by the famous master from Debar – Anton Stanishev and the big icons are result from the mutual work of Dimitar Zograf, also called “The masterful” and his also very talented son Stanislav Dospewski. These icons are valuable because they are masterpiece of art and also because of the donators’ inscription covering them. In 1893 the pottery craftsman union donates the church 11 exquisite silver icon-lamps made by master-goldsmith Mishon Kotzov.
The “Holy Ascension” church is connected with many remarkable events from the national liberation movements of Bulgaria. On 28 August 1872 the temple is resounded with the marvelous singing of the Apostle of freedom – Vasil Levski. In the night of 18 to 19 May 1876 when the uprising in Vratsa began, the local rebels waved a flag sanctified in the church in the yard of the church.
The “Holy Ascension” church is part of the Ethnographic-renaissance complex
“Sofronii Vrachanski”. A permanent exposition called “Old Bulgarian art from the Vratsa region”is arranged in the complex. The exposition includes icons, woodcarving and jewelry from XVII – XIX century, part of the historical and artisitcal heritage of the Vratsa region.
Description
