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Sights in the region of Patalenitza – Batkun

 

"St George" Chapel

 

"St George" Chapel

 

  
The Plovdiv Metropolitan Arseniy sanctified the "St George" Chapel on 27th July 2002 in the "George’s Church" place. This chapel was built only in one-year work by donations and volunteer labour. Nobody remembers the old chapel. Only the foundation reminds that there was a spiritual hearth. But the people from Patalenitza could not forget it. For a long time there were fairs in "George’s Church" place. The people met there to have feasts. On the St. George’s day the residents of the village lit candles on the stones of the destroyed chapel.
The idea for the restoration of the chapel arose in 1989. Deceased Nadejda Valchinova was the first woman who knuckled down the work. She managed to raise some money but she could not do anything else. In summer 2001 Angel Nalbantski and Krastyu Dermendjiyski started a new campaign and thanks God, their initiative was come to the successful end.
The turning of the first sod was made on 20th July 2001. The beginning was difficult. People did not believe that there would be a
chapel. But when they saw that the construction made some progress they started to help with whatever they could – labour, money, materials.

 

The residents of the village of Patalenitza have built a chapel.

 

BTV News, 30th March 2003

 

"The White Pigeon" was the name which the residents gave to the chapel of St. George and which they built with their resources. The idea came from one villager who managed to convince two other men to start this good deed.
About a year and a half ago, Angel Nalbantski decided to carry out one of his dreams – to restore the "St. George" Chapel which was destroyed, according to the residents of the Patalenitza, during the Turkish Domination.
In the beginning people were suspicious to his idea. "In the beginning they named us Don Kihot, crazy people but after that the things made a progress, the people believed us and together, for exactly one year we made this white pigeon" said Angel Nalbantski. The money, raised by them, was 4000 levas. All the other things were made by volunteer labour.
The iconostasis, the holy gates, the cross – all is made and donated by the villagers from Patalenitza. If a person has a desire and belief in his success nothing will make him stop a good initiative.
"If anybody does his business we will go
 

Krastyu Dermendjiyski and Angel Nalbantski organized the restoration of the chapel

 
out of this miserable condition. We got used to this –somebody will make it in our stead, somebody will think for us. And the crowd carried us along. However Patalenitza was woken up and went out of this situation" summarized Angel.