Boyana Church "St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon"

Boyana Church "St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon", known for its medieval frescoes, was included in 1979 in the list of world cultural heritage under the protection of UNESCO.

There are several construction stages in the Boyan temple. In the 1954th - XNUMXth centuries, a small cross-domed church was built, renovated in the XNUMXth century. In the XNUMXth century, a porch was added to the western facade of the old church, and above it - a small chapel. In the middle of the XNUMXth century, a two-story vestibule "St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon". The church was an active temple until XNUMX.
A founder's inscription in Bulgarian in the vestibule of the church indicates the year of its complete inscription (1259), the names of the donors and the kinship of the local feudal founder with the Bulgarian tsar and the Serbian king.

The frescoes from the XNUMXth century in the nave follow the scheme of this type of church: Christ the Almighty is depicted in the dome, below him are angels and the evangelists; in the altar niche are presented "Theotokos on a throne", "Adoration of the Sacrifice", "Annunciation"; on the walls and arches are scenes from the life of Christ.

In the vestibule (probably a burial chapel) there are 18 life scenes dedicated to the patron St. Nicholas. Here are also presented the portraits of the donors - Sevastoprator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava, of the Bulgarian king Constantine Asen Tych and queen Irina, as well as the first known image of the Bulgarian saint Ivan Rilski.
The frescoes in the chapel "St. Panteleimon' on the second floor are from the same period, but differ in style. Parts of: "Annunciation", "Communion of the Apostles", "Crucifixion", "Resurrection", life scenes of St. Panteleimon have been preserved.

The Boyan church is unique with the variety, the colorful solution and the deep psychological interpretation of the images. The style of the frescoes from 1259 is related to the traditions of the Tarnovo school of painting from the XNUMXth century. The unknown master follows classical iconography. His painting is bright and saturated, the images are lively, rich in spiritual nuances, the portrait characteristics of secular people are emphasized. This innovative approach ranks the church "St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon" in the list of world cultural and historical heritage.

The restoration of "St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon" began in the middle of the 2006th century and ended in XNUMX as a result of a donation campaign organized by the National History Museum.
Since 2003, the Boyan Church is a branch of the National History Museum.