St. John of Rila Church, Targovishte

The St. Ivan Rilski Church is a church of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Targovishte. It bears the name of the first Bulgarian hermit, St. Ivan Rilski. 1912, the construction was started but discontinued shortly thereafter due to the Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913.

In 1936 the church was completed. In 1961 the unique Holzschnittikonostase Petar Kuklew was installed. In the 1970s the church was thoroughly restored and renovated with the help of a donation of Metropolitan Andrey from New York. He was the Metropolitan of the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia from 1947 to 1972 and spent his school years in Targovishte, so he was closely associated with the city. After his death in 1972 he was interred in the narthex of the church.