The Bulgarian community in Istanbul marked Bulgaria’s Day of National Awakeners — a celebration of culture, spirituality, and remembrance of the nation’s educators and enlighteners — with a solemn event: the consecration of the fully restored Church of St. John of Rila, Bulgarian news agency BTA reported.

The Day of National Awakeners (Den na narodnite buditeli), celebrated annually on November 1, honors Bulgarian writers, educators, spiritual leaders, scholars, and freedom fighters who helped preserve the nation’s identity and moral values. Established in 1923 by decree of Tsar Boris III in memory of Saint Paisius of Hilendar, the holiday was suppressed during the socialist period and officially reinstated in 1992.

The Bulgarian community in Istanbul dates back to the 19th century, when Bulgarians sought ecclesiastical independence from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Church of St. John of Rila, dedicated to Bulgaria’s heavenly patron saint, was built more than a century ago and has now been meticulously restored.

The consecration liturgy in the renovated church was led by Archimandrite Haralampiy Nichev, head of the Bulgarian Orthodox churches in Istanbul, with the participation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The event was both a religious and cultural milestone — ancient icons were restored, the interiors renewed, and new pews and liturgical furnishings installed.

The ceremony was attended by Bulgarian Minister of Labor and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov, Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media Chair Toshko Yordanov, Bulgaria’s Consuls General in Istanbul and Edirne, as well as members of the Bulgarian community and guests from Sofia.

Patriarch Bartholomew expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian Orthodox community for its devotion and highlighted the historical bonds between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He also announced that Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel is expected to visit Istanbul officially in December, calling him “a messenger of peace and love.”

Following the service, Archimandrite Haralampiy thanked numerous benefactors from both Bulgaria and Turkey whose contributions saved the historic church from decay. Minister Gutsanov described the occasion as “an inspiration of patriotism and pride,” while Yordanov emphasized that “the revival of a Bulgarian shrine in the heart of Istanbul is a symbol of our living national spirit and fidelity to historical memory.”