Locality

The Center for Human Resource Development and Regional Initiatives is located in the area of ​​Gradishte, along the picturesque southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains.

In close proximity is Kremikovtsi monastery. It is believed that it was founded during the reign of Ivan Alexander (1331 - 1371), but certain information about its existence dates from the end of the 15th century.

Among with other dozens of churches and monasteries in Stara Planina and Vitosha, it is part of the so-called. Sofia World Forest. In 1382 Sofia fell under Turkish domination and the monastery was destroyed. A hundred years passed and in 1493 the notorious boyar Radivoy with the active cooperation of Sofia Metropolitan Kaleviti restored the small church "St. George". Several times it has been upgraded, strengthened and written. Preserved until today and declared a monument of culture in 1969.

In the 16th century the monastery's cell lives and works pop Bozhko, who writes "... Hurry up, my poor soul! Hurry to knowledge, to truth, to perfection. " Many religious books were copied here, and the monks understood the significance of the monastery to preserve the spirituality of the Bulgarians. Here was the second flag-bearer of the detachment of Hristo Botev - Dimitur Stefanov - Kazaka from the town of Sliven. After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1879, a dozen refugee nuns from Maleshevsko arrived in the monastery, contributing to the revival and popularity of the monastery. In 1897 Ivan Vazov visited the monastery and wrote a wonderful travel book for him. A welcoming host of young and older nuns and the maid of honor are welcomed - "a good old lady with a long rosary and glasses, a sweet-hearted and kind character." Vazov sees a nice church, a building with a veranda and cells for the nurses, looms for weaving, and in the forages, horses and a monastery carriage, but the most important is the "appliance, purity and dignity". In 1901, the construction of a new large church, "Shroud of the Most Holy Mother", began. It was completed in 1907. The iconostasis of the great church has a richly crafted carving. Other residential buildings were built in the thirties of the 20th century. Until 1947, there were 32 nuns working in the field of animal husbandry and agriculture. Afterwards, the monastery buildings were housed and the nuns were sent to other monasteries. Many valuable relics have been preserved in Kremikovtsi Monastery. Undoubtedly the greatest interest is the Kremikovski Gospel. This is a valuable manuscript written on the order of Sofia Metropolitan Kalewitz in 1497. It is presented by the residents of Sofia Petko and Peyo. It contains 307 pages of the four Gospels. It is written very carefully, in large font and beautiful vignettes and capitals. It has long been used as a liturgical gospel in the Monastery. In the 16th century he was made of silver gilding. On the reverse side is depicted the crucifix scene with the figures of Christ, the Virgin, Mary Magdalene, John the Theologian. Now it is stored in the Central Intelligence Agency in Sofia.

In the 1980s, - 2003 the restoration of the frescoes in the small church was carried out by a team led by Lyuba Krassovska.