Boyana Church

Saint Nicholas and Saint Panteleimon Church, commonly known as Boyana Church, is well-renowned for its medieval paintings. The church is a UNESCO-protected cultural site, having been listed on the World Heritage List in 1979.

Saint Nicholas and Saint Panteleimon Church, commonly known as Boyana Church, is well-renowned for its medieval paintings. The church is a UNESCO-protected cultural site, having been listed on the World Heritage List in 1979.

The structure of Boyana Church exhibits many distinct periods of construction. Between the tenth and eleventh centuries, a modest cross-domed church known as the Old church was constructed. It underwent restoration in the 12th century. A narthex and a modest upper-floor chapel were erected to the western front of the Old Church in the 13th century. In the mid-nineteenth century, a two-story anteroom dedicated to Saint Nicholas and Saint Panteleimon was erected. Until 1954, the Boyana Church was in operation.

In the church narthex, the donor’s inscription in Old Bulgarian shows the year (1259) when the church decoration was finished, the names of the donors, and the familial connection of the local feodal-donator to the Bulgarian Tsar and Serbian King.

The freascoes in the nave are from the 13th century and adhere to the main rules of Christian canon for church mural art. The apse is dominated by a magnificent picture of Christ Pantocrator. The drum’s inside has artwork of angels and the four Evangelists. The Holy Virgin Enthroned, Melismos, the Annunciation is shown on the altar conch. On the walls and arches, scenes from Christ’s life are depicted.

Saint Nicholas’ life is depicted in 18 compositions in the narthex (probably a burial chapel). Sebastokrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava, the Bulgarian Tsar Constantin-Asen Tikh and Tzaritsa Irina, as well as the earliest known picture of Bulgarian Saint Ivan of Rila, are represented here.

The paintings on the second level of Saint Panteleimon’s chapel are from the same time but are stylistically distinct. Fragments of the Annunciation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and episodes from Saint Panteleimon’s life have been preserved.

Boyana church is remarkable in its range of hues, adaptability, and psychologically complex imagery. The frescoes, which date from 1259, exemplify the Turnovo School of Painting’s 13th-century traditions. The anonymous master adheres to the iconography’s classical composition. His creative work is bright and concise; the paintings exude vibrancy and a deep spirituality, and the portrait features of the featured donors are highlighted. Saint Nicholas and Saint Panteleimon church was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a result of the master painter’s creative approach.

The restoration of the church of Saint Nicholas and Saint Panteleimon began in the mid-twentieth century and was finished in 2006 as a result of a fundraising effort organized by the National Museum of History.

History and architecture of Boyana Church

The Boyana Church was constructed in three stages: in the late tenth to early eleventh centuries, in the mid-13th century, and in the mid-19th century. The earliest component (the eastern church) is a modest one-apse cross-vaulted church with cruciform supports integrated into the walls. It was constructed in the late tenth or early eleventh centuries.

The second part, which connects to the eastern church, was commissioned in the mid-13th century by Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava. This structure is a two-story tomb-church. It comprises of a ground-floor family sepulchre with a semi-circular vault and two arcosolia on the north and south sides, as well as an upper-floor family chapel similar to the eastern church in form. The façade is ornamented with ceramics.

The last piece was constructed in the mid-19th century with contributions from the local people. In 1954, the church was closed to the public to allow for conservation and restoration. It reopened in 2006, although barely partly.

As a precaution, air conditioning was installed to maintain a temperature of 17–18 degrees Celsius (62–64 degrees Fahrenheit) and low-heat lighting was provided. Visitors in groups of up to eight are allowed to remain for ten minutes. The edifice, which has been put under the care of the National Historical Museum of Bulgaria, was completely reopened to the public on October 2, 2008, by Culture Minister Stefan Danailov.

Frescoes

First layer

The initial layer of paintings comes from the 11th-12th centuries and originally filled the whole eastern cathedral. Fragments of these paintings have been survived in the lower portions of the apse and north wall, as well as in the upper portions of the west wall and south vault.

Second layer

The second layer of frescoes, according to the donor’s inscription on the north wall of the second part, dates from 1259. These paintings were painted over the previous layer by an unknown artist team, who also adorned the building’s two storeys, which Sebastocrator Kaloyan commissioned.

The Boyana Church is famous around the globe for its paintings from 1259, which showcase the extraordinary accomplishments of mediaeval Bulgarian civilization. The bulk of the almost 240 people presented here demonstrate uniqueness, extraordinary psychological understanding, and vigor. The paintings are painted in accordance with the canon of icon painting set by the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 787.

The oldest portion of the church has exquisite paintings, including a wonderful image of Christ Pantocrator in the dome. The drum below depicts a swarm of angels, with the pendentives depicting the Four Evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Christ Emmanuel; Christ, The Ancient of Days; and the acheiropoietic (“created without hands”) Holy Mandylion and Holy Tile decorate the face of the arches. Following that are scenes from the Major Feast Days and Christ’s Passions. Among the top tier’s full-length depictions of saints are eleven warrior saints. In the altar conch, the Virgin Enthroned is shown flanked by archangels. St. Gregory the Theologian, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and Patriarch Germanus are shown below. The deacons Laurentius, Euplius, and Stephen, as well as St. Nicholas, patron of the church’s ground floor, are shown in the paintings flanking the altar. St. Nicholas is one of the most prominent saints and is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, and bankers.

Working hours and Prices

Everyday from Monday till Sunday

• November– March, 9.00 a.m.– 5.30 p.m. (Ticket sale till 5.00 p.m.)
• April-October, 9.30 a.m.– 6.00 p.m. (Ticket sale till 5.30 p.m.)

Individual visits:

• Adult – 10.00 lv.
• Students – 2.00 lv.

Combined tickets with one-month duration:

• Boyana church – NMH – 12.00 lv.
• Boyana church – NMH – Zemen monastery – 14.00 lv.

Group visits:

• Groups of 10 or more Adults – 7.00 lv. per person
• Groups of 10 or more Students – 1.00 lv. per student

Guide Tours:

• In Bulgarian – 5.00 lv.
• In foreign language – 10.00 lv.
• In Bulgarian with a foreign language interpretation – 6.00 lv.

Free admission:

• Disabled people and their assistants
• Children under school age
• Every Last Monday of the month after 15:00 o’clock