Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos
The church in Tsarevo
The Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos stands alone on the southern peninsula of the town. It is located in the Vasiliko district, where the town of Tsarevo originally emerged. After a major fire in 1882 it was moved aside, but in time the old town was restored and today it is a district of Tsarevo.
The church was built in the mid-19th century. There are no exact data for the period of its construction, but the year 1858 carved on the external pillar is considered the year of construction. Blagoy Stoichovski in his work “Pianechka Republic” gives 1856 as the year of construction.
The church is a three-nave basilica and is not painted. The icons are by Dimitar Papradishki, Grigory Petsanov and other authors. The icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos is by master Dimitar Zograf from Magarevo, dated 1858. The Greek inscription reads: “Δία χειρος Δημητιριου Ζωγραφου εν Μεγαροβο τω Βιτωλιων 1858 Ζεμώτκω 20.” Most of the iconostasis icons are also his. Dimitar was a skilled master and although the forms are overly stylised, they are rendered with high artistic sense. The iconostasis is made of wood. In 1904 the northern wall of the church was destroyed by an earthquake. Later the church was renovated. The first school in Tsarevo village was located in the churchyard; the building is preserved.