Plakovski Monastery "St. Prophet Iliya"
The Plakovski Monastery "St. Prophet Iliya" is located about 18 km south from Veliko Tarnovo, near the villages of Plakovo and Velchev , two kilometers away from Kapinovski monastery "St. Nicholas". According to the legend it was built during the Second Bulgarian State, within the rule of tsar Assen.
Like many Bulgarian monasteries and this was destroyed after the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule, but later (1450) was restored. At the time of its existence after the monastery was plundered and burned many times (1595, 1706, 1794).
The Plakovski monastery is related with the national liberation struggles of Bulgaria. In 1835 here have conducted a series of secret meetings known as Velchova Zavera (Velchova Conspiracy) aimed at organizing a liberation uprising. Unfortunately, the organization fails because a betrayal, the participants were killed and the monastery destroyed again. Today,
about the events reminds a large marble slab, placed below the monastery bell, on the occasion of 100th anniversary of the events. There is an inscription on it:
"Glory to the heroes gathered a hundred years ago and died for the freedom of his nation: Velcho Atanasoff Djamdjia from V.Tarnovo, Ivanaki Yonkov Kurkchiyata from Vratsa, Father Hadji Sergey, abbot of the monastery "St. Elijah", Nikola Gaytandzhiyata from V.Tarnovo, the master Dimitar from Sofia, Hadji Jordan Bradata from Elena, teacher Andon Nikopit from Macedonia and many other patriots, led by captain George Mamarchev from Kotel, inspirer and organizer of the zaverata.
Bulgarian National Committee, Sofia, Easter, 1935"
Restoration of Plakovski monastery began in 1845 when there was built the church" St. Elijah" which is constructed in the so-called Athonite style, typical to the period of the Second Bulgarian State. Church has dimensions of 19 x 7,5 m, with one nave, one apse, six massive columns with capitals and an open, vaulted narthex.
In 1865 the great Bulgarian builder Kolyu Ficheto built a magnificent 26-meter bell-tower with a beautiful decorative masonry, a stone fountain and residential buildings. The residential buildings were destroyed by fire in 1949.
In the monastery are preserved old manuscripts and early printed books and an icon by the master Zachary Zograf.
Nowadays the Plakovski monastery is declared a Monument of culture.
