{"id":14388,"date":"2024-01-30T19:00:29","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T19:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/bgdv_listing\/sunken-church\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T13:25:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T13:25:47","slug":"sunken-church","status":"publish","type":"bgdv_listing","link":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/en\/bgdv_listing\/sunken-church\/","title":{"rendered":"The Erased Village from the Map of Bulgaria and the Submerged Church!"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row us_custom_e7f5d98a height_auto\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2><strong>Episode BG53. The Erased Village from the Map of Bulgaria and the Submerged Church!<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Hello, Bulgaria! \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddec<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"137\" data-end=\"667\">The submerged church near the Zhrebchevo dam is one of the most powerful visual and symbolic paintings in Bulgaria. Abandoned, ruined by time, but still resisting the waters and the wind, it is the last remaining witness of the obliterated village of Zapalnya. Built at the end of the 19th century with donations and labour from the local inhabitants, the church survived the submersion of the village in the 1960s &#8211; and to this day still emerges mystically from the water in the dry seasons. It is not just a temple, but a silent monument to an injustice left in the shadow of concrete progress.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_small\"><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs style_default switch_click accordion type_togglable has_scrolling\" style=\"--sections-title-size:inherit\"><div class=\"w-tabs-sections titles-align_none icon_chevron cpos_right\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section new_tab_links\" id=\"l1fe\"><button class=\"w-tabs-section-header\" aria-controls=\"content-l1fe\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-title\">\ud83d\udea9 Timecode for quick access to video moments<\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section-control\"><\/div><\/button><div  class=\"w-tabs-section-content\" id=\"content-l1fe\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content-h i-cf\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>You can navigate directly to a desired moment in the video by clicking on the timer\ud83d\udc46<br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">0:00<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; Intro<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q&amp;t=70s\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">1:10<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; Where is it?<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q&amp;t=157s\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">2:37<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; Trailer Bulgaria DropView <\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q&amp;t=178s\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">2:58<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; The Church and the Village<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q&amp;t=306s\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">5:06<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; St. John of Rila and St. Ivan of Rila<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q&amp;t=339s\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">5:39<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; The Story<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q&amp;t=684s\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">11:24<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; Final Thoughts<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"><a class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lYEku3ogf3Q&amp;t=766s\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">12:46<\/a><\/span><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\"> &#8211; What to Expect in the Next Episode<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section new_tab_links\" id=\"o2b0\"><button class=\"w-tabs-section-header\" aria-controls=\"content-o2b0\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-title\">\ud83d\udc49 Links and references to other videos<\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section-control\"><\/div><\/button><div  class=\"w-tabs-section-content\" id=\"content-o2b0\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content-h i-cf\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>\ud83d\udca1 Other interesting places nearby:<br \/>\nNone<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 References to other episodes:<br \/>\nNone<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row us_custom_e7f5d98a height_small\" id=\"summary\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2>\ud83d\udccc What will we look at in this article?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong><a href=\"#summary\">\ud83d\udcdd Episode Summary<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"#highlights\">\ud83d\udd25 The most interesting moments<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"#location-rating\">\u2b50 Location assessment\u200b<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"#final-conclusion\">\u2705 Final conclusion<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row us_custom_e7f5d98a height_auto\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\" id=\"summary\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2>\ud83d\udcdd Brief summary of the episode<\/h2>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 &#091;&#093;\">The Church &#8220;St. Ivan Rilski&#8221; was built in 1891-1892 by 80 families in Zapalnya and remained the only surviving object after the submersion of the village during the construction of the Zrebchevo dam. The village was officially wiped out by decree in 1965 and its inhabitants forced to demolish their homes and move out &#8211; without compensation. The temple survived thanks to the priest Dragan Stoykov, who refused to leave it until the last moment. Today, the church looms over the water at low dam levels and is a symbol of human faith and state insensitivity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator hide_on_default hide_on_laptops hide_on_tablets hide_on_mobiles size_small\"><\/div><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_none hide_on_default hide_on_laptops hide_on_tablets hide_on_mobiles\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_11\" href=\"#summary\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">\u041e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043d\u043e \u043a\u044a\u043c \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u0438\u044f\u0442\u0430<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row us_custom_e7f5d98a height_small\" id=\"highlights\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2>\ud83d\udd25 What will you see in this episode?<\/h2>\n<p>The story of the submerged church is linked to the tragic fate of a village wiped off the map in the name of industrialization. A decree of 1961 ordered the inhabitants of Zapalnya to demolish their homes and leave in order to build the Zhrebchevo dam. The only building that remains is the St. John of Rila&#8221;, whose name has even changed in the language of the people. After years of vandalism and destruction, the temple remains a grim but majestic skeleton of a place that was once full of life. A memorial plaque with the names of those who fell in three wars remains, and the iconostasis itself has been transferred to a church in Tulovo.<\/p>\n<p>In this episode, we travel to the Submerged Church near the Zhrebchevo Dam. Despite the gusty winds and technical challenges, from the air you can see the scale of the place and the empty space that was once a village. The series traces the fate of the church &#8211; built by locals in 1891 and the sole survivor of the Zapalnya flood in the 1960s. It shows how the village priest stayed in the church to the last, which is why it was not destroyed. The story of the iconostasis being brought to Tulovo is also told, as well as the destruction and vandalism after the eviction. The views reveal the dramatic interplay between water, architecture and memory that makes the place so evocative.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator hide_on_default hide_on_laptops hide_on_tablets hide_on_mobiles size_small\"><\/div><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_none hide_on_default hide_on_laptops hide_on_tablets hide_on_mobiles\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_11\" href=\"#summary\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">\u041e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043d\u043e \u043a\u044a\u043c \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u0438\u044f\u0442\u0430<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row us_custom_e7f5d98a height_auto\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\" id=\"location-rating\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2>\u2b50 Location assessment<\/h2>\n<p>The assessment is entirely based on my personal impression and is made according to several main criteria considered separately. I use a 5-point scale where (1\/5 &#8211; Very bad, 2\/5 &#8211; Bad, 3\/5 &#8211; Average, 4\/5 &#8211; Good, 5\/5 &#8211; Excellent)<br \/>\n<!-- SECTION 3 BUTTONS TOP --><\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x: auto;\">\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f8f8f8;\">\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: left; width: 10%;\">Criterion<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: left;\">Personal impression<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: left; width: 15%;\">Rating<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: center;\"><strong>Accessibility<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 24px; display: block; margin-top: 4px;\">\ud83d\ude97<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">The Submerged Church can be reached directly by car, parking literally metres away when the dam is low.<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px; color: #ffd700;\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: center;\"><strong>History<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 24px; display: block; margin-top: 4px;\">\ud83d\udcdc<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">The church is the only remaining memory from the village of Zapalnya, which was wiped out during the construction of the Zhrebchevo dam. Built in 1891, it survived thanks to the priest who refused to leave it. Today it is a symbol of erased memory and defiance of oblivion.<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px; color: #ffd700;\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: center;\"><strong>Condition<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 24px; display: block; margin-top: 4px;\">\ud83d\udee0\ufe0f<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">The church is almost ruined &#8211; without a roof with severely destroyed walls and traces of vandalism. However, it stands stably and makes an even stronger impact with its ruin.<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px; color: #ffd700;\">\u2605<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">\u2606\u2606\u2606\u2606<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: center;\"><strong>Conveniences<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 24px; display: block; margin-top: 4px;\">\ud83d\udebb<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">There are absolutely no amenities on site. There is only one sign telling the story.<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px; color: #ffd700;\">\u2605<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">\u2606\u2606\u2606\u2606<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: center;\"><strong>Price<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 24px; display: block; margin-top: 4px;\">\ud83d\udcb0<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">The visit is free of charge. No entrance, no fences &#8211; just free access to a memory of times gone by.<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px; color: #ffd700;\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u041e\u0431\u0449\u0430 \u043e\u0446\u0435\u043d\u043a\u0430 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 15px; padding: 12px; background-color: #f3f3f3; border: 1px solid #ddd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center;\"><span><strong>Overall rating:<\/strong> 3.4<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ffd700;\">\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span><span style=\"position: relative; display: inline-block;\"><span style=\"position: absolute; left: 0; width: 40%; overflow: hidden; color: #ffd700;\">\u2605<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2606<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2606<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator hide_on_default hide_on_laptops hide_on_tablets hide_on_mobiles size_small\"><\/div><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_none hide_on_default hide_on_laptops hide_on_tablets hide_on_mobiles\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_11\" href=\"#summary\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">\u041e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043d\u043e \u043a\u044a\u043c \u0442\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0438\u0442\u0435<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row us_custom_e7f5d98a height_small\" id=\"final-conclusion\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2>\u2705 Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1905\" data-end=\"2359\">The village of Zapalnya no longer exists, but its church stands &#8211; as if refusing to be forgotten. Access is unmarked, there are no amenities, and sometimes the waters swallow it up. But when it reappears, it stands as a warning and a prayer. There is no entrance here, no infrastructure, no signage. Still, the feeling is stronger than any paid attraction. The submerged church is a place for reflection &#8211; for memory, for roots, for the things we can&#8217;t erase even when they&#8217;re gone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you like the content we share, don&#8217;t forget to subscribe to the channel and support the project &#8220;Bulgaria one click away!&#8221;. Thanks to everyone who shares and spreads the beauty of our homeland!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator hide_on_default hide_on_laptops size_small\"><\/div><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_none hide_on_default hide_on_laptops\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_11\" href=\"#summary\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Back to article<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Episode BG53 takes us to one of the saddest places in Bulgaria &#8211; the Submerged Church of the obliterated village of Zapalnya. Although it is not the only such place, it is here that history emerges from the waters of the Zhrebchevo dam with a weight that should not be forgotten.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13474,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14388","bgdv_listing","type-bgdv_listing","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bgdv_listing\/14388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bgdv_listing"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bgdv_listing"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulgariadropview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}