It is right here, in this holy place, that the The Patriarch of Bulgarian literature Ivan Vazov wrote the classic novel "Under the Yoke". Here Deacon Levski – the Apostle of Freedom had repeatedly found refuge, as the father superior was chairman of the local revolutionary committee. The priest id=s famous for ending the masses and rites with the following words "Pray, for our Lord is patient! The Turkish reign will end soon."

 

The monastery has always been associated with such powerful messages and enlightening events. The village of Georgi Damyanovo is located in the Chiprovtzi part of Stara Planina. At first, there was a monastery, built during the Second Bulgarian Empire, but it was destroyed during the Ottoman invasion. In the 19^th c. local people and monks from the town of Chiprovtsi rebuilt it and at present it remains impressive with its architecture, stone sculptures and iconostasis. The Lopushanski monastery church is the third largest in Bulgaria and actually it represents a scaled version of the Rila monastery, as was the intention of Dionysus – the man who has been credited with rebuilding and rejuvenating the cloister. Later on, he established a school here and offered refuge to revolutionaries and fighters against the Ottoman rule. From 1924 to 1931 the monastery was an active convent. At present, it is a male monasteryy anew and offers accommodation – simple rooms with beds only and a joint kitchen. The monastery guards a miracle-making icon of Our Lady. "St. John the Baptist " was proclaimed a monument of art and architecture.