Tsarev Brod - the extraordinary history of an international village

published on 3/5/24 12:46 PM

Photo: Veneta Nikolova

Tsarev Brod has long been known as an international village, and its residents take pride in being descendants of Tatars, Germans, Turks, Banat Bulgarians, White Army members, Albanians, Czechs, etc. Three religions are practiced in this village located near the town of Shumen. That is why there are three temples in Tsarev Brod- an Orthodox church, a Catholic church and a mosque. "We are like a small society of nations", jokes Mayor Stefan Zhivkov, adding that the local people still preserve their customs and the memory of their ancestors.

Located between the old Bulgarian capitals of Pliska and Veliki Preslav, Tsarev Brod was once situated exactly on the road along which the kings used to travel. In the mid-19th century, after the Crimean War, a large group of Crimean Tatars engaged in cattle breeding settled here, said the village mayor. A little later, Germans arrived in Tsarev Brod.

''In 1900, Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg-Gotha settled around 50 German families from Austria-Hungary, more precisely from Banat, as well as Banat Bulgarians. They were given land. They brought with them modern farm machinery and started to develop modern agriculture. There were also 2 Albanian families producing boza (fermented cereal beverage). After the October Revolution, White Guard members arrived here, driven out by the regime in the USSR", Mayor Stefan Zhivkov said for Radio Bulgaria.

The Orthodox Church St. Demetrius was built in 1928

The lesser-known community of Banat Bulgarians living in Bulgaria

This year the Catholic Monastery of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus celebrates its 110th anniversary

Tatar and German speech once prevailed in Tsarev Brod. Besides, there were two mosques in the village - Turkish and Tatar. Next to them stood two churches – an Orthodox and a Catholic church. Children attended the Tatar school and the German school. The Bulgarian school emerged later, in 1920. In the early 20th century, the Benedictine Monastery Tsarev Brod was founded. The monastery is active and four Benedictine sisters from Bulgaria, South Korea, Germany, and Tanzania take care of it. Sister Elizabeth from Germany has more:

Sister Elizabeta

''In 1914, the first four sisters came from Germany because there was a German Catholic colony, and the priest requested that nuns from Germany be sent here to establish a school and take care of spiritual life. But when World War II started, most Germans returned to Germany".

In 2024, the monastery celebrates its 110th anniversary. Everyone who comes to Tsarev Brod stops by to get the unique marigold ointment based on an ancient recipe. Sister Nadya has more:

Sister Nadya

''There was a nun named Burkharda who was the village doctor. She used to treat people with herbs because there weren't many other things available at that time. She used to make various potions. We have preserved the recipe for the cream containing marigold and lard. We cultivate marigold here in the garden. The cream is nourishing and is used for various skin problems, including burns after radiotherapy", Sister Nadya explains.

Today, Tsarev Brod is a thriving village with around 1,300 permanent residents. There is almost no unemployment here. Recently, property prices have risen significantly because young families with children have started to settle down due to the opportunity for telecommuting, tranquility, clean air, and the healthy lifestyle."

The village mosque

''There isn’t and there has never been any religious and ethnic tension. We don't have separate shops and we all celebrate Easter and Christmas together", concludes Mayor Stefan Zhivkov.

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: Veneta Nikolova

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