Price: Ustrem monastery is located in the Sakar Mountain around 3 km from the village of Ustrem . He is active and is the largest preserved monastery in Strandansko - Sakar region . The first stage of the new building of the monastery at the end of XVIII century are now maintained rural food unit and part of the monks' cells to the main gate. Today's look of the monastery acquired in the 30s of the XIX century, when developed the largest long construction .
A curious fact about this place is that it continues to keep the tradition centuries ago . One time at a temple festival "St. Trinity " in Monastery Vakavskiya , as it is known it has held a big fair. It came merchants from near and far corners of the Ottoman Empire , Greece, and even Egypt. Sale all kinds of farm implements , livestock, food . Organized and wrestling , wrestlers who came from Edirne and Istanbul. Nowadays, every year the Christian holiday of Pentecost in the vicinity of the monastery again held council "St. Trinity " . It organize singing competitions and struggles , favorite local sports with deep traditions.
In the middle of the courtyard of the monastery is located church "St. Trinity " . It was built in 1836 interesting is the story of an older church "St. St. Peter and Paul , " that is built into the new one. For it there is legend. During the iconoclasm in Byzantium ( 725-843 ) The cave , located near today's monastery secretly gathered for a prayer of Christians from the region and hiding her two icons of the Apostles Peter and Paul and the Holy Trinity. goatherd One day an old man dreamed that it comes St. Peter. He carried in his hands the keys and asked the old man why keep icons in the cave. " Here we gather and pray . - replied the goatherd , and adds - who are you ? " " I am St. Peter, who opens and closes the churches . " ' Give me a key and I can open a church " - begged the old man . St. Peter gave him he sold the goats and with the help of local people erected a church " St. Peter and Paul ." centuries later we can get in the current church "St. Trinity" , under which the ossuary . Beside it is down the stone stairs and in the south there are compartment royal gates and the altar room in honor of St. Peter and Paul .
According to some data that are not historically proved , the monastery "St. Trinity " is the successor of the famous medieval philosophical school of Gregory of Sinai - Byzantine Orthodox priest and writer. It was declared a saint and was one of the biggest Hesychasts , ascetics and spiritual teachers in the Balkans.
Important to mention is that until 1909 Ustrem Monastery " St. Trinity " was male , but the same year the village of Studena, Elhovo hermitage came about fifty nuns and manager was selected nun Evpraksiya . In 1910 the abbess died and her successor become nuns - Calliope , Agatha Irina Haritina , Evfimiya and Philothea who sacrificed much of their lives for the welfare of Ustrem Monastery .
To get to the monastery , use the ramp on the way to the village of Topolovgrad Ustrem . Ustrem monastery welcomes guests all year round and has a capacity of 40 beds.
- Monastery
