Болярската църква „Св. Николай“, разположена в сърцето на Враца, е истинско скрито бижу за любителите на историята и културата. Като една от най-старите подземни църкви в града, тя притежава уникална и богата история, която чака да бъде открита. Църквата се намира в двора на митрополитската катедрала „Св. Николай Мирликийски Чудотворец“ и е на един хвърлей разстояние от оживения площад „Христо Ботев“.

A living piece of history: the Boyar Church "St. Nicholas" in Vratsa

The construction of the Boyar Church dates back to the end of the 16th century and was built according to the strict requirements of the Ottoman Empire. The height of the church is only 4 meters above ground level, which was necessary to avoid being discovered by the Ottoman authorities. The original dimensions of the church were 10 meters long and 3.8 meters wide, but unfortunately, the western part of the church was destroyed over time. Historical records indicate that the church was built by a rich boyar (nobleman) named Georgi, whose daughter married a rich Turkish merchant in Istanbul.

With tears in her eyes, she asks her father to build a church where she can pray for the sins she committed by converting to another faith.

From Ruin to Restoration: The Legendary History of the Boyar Church

In the 18th century, the Boyar Church was used as a place of worship and preaching for St. Sophronius of Vrachan, who served as the city's bishop. However, after more than 70 years of disuse, the church was abandoned and falling into disrepair. It was only in the 1940s that a local resident named Petar Buczynski undertook to restore the church and it was consecrated by Bishop Paisius, head of the Vračan Metropolis.

Unfortunately, during the communist regime, the Boyar church was once again abandoned and left to crumble. But in the 21st century, the idea of restoring the church was brought back to life by another prominent resident of Vratsa, Hristo Iliev. With the help of friends and family, he managed to restore the church to its former glory in just one year. The church was officially opened in 2017 with the blessing of Vratsa Bishop Grigoriy and with the support of Mayor Kalin Kamen.