Moving around a very large files especially Virtualbox Virtual Machines or other VM formats between Windows host and OneDrive might be a problem due to either Azure Cloud configured limitations, or other reasons that your company Domain Administrator has configured, thus if you have to migrate your old Hardware Laptop PC Windows 10 to a newer faster better Harware / Better Performance Notebook Computer with Windows 11 and you still want to keep and move your old large files in this short and trivial article, will explain how.
The topic is easily and most of novice sysadmins should have already be faced to bump into something like this but anyways i found useful to mention about Git for Windows, as it is really useful too thus wrote this small article.
The moved huge files, in my case an experimental Virtual Machines Images which I needed to somehow migrate on the new Freshly installed Windows laptop, the Large files were 40 / 80 etc. Gigabytes or whatever large amount of files from your PC to the Cloud Onedrive and of course the most straight forward thing i tried was to simply add the file for inclusion into the Onedrive storage (via OneDrive tool setup interface), however this file, failed due to OneDrive Cloud file format security limitations or Antivirus solutions configured to filter out the large file copying or even a prohibition to be able to include any kind of Virtual Machines ISOs straight into the cloud.
With this big files comes the question:
How to copy the Virtual Machines from your Old Hardware Laptop to the Cloud (without being able to use an external SSD Hard Drive or a USB SSD Flash drive, due to Domain policy configured for your windows to be unable to copy to externally connected Drive but only to read from such.) ?
Here are few sample approaches to do it both from command line (useful if you have to repeat the process or script it and deploy to multiple hosts) or for single hosts via an Archiver tool:
1. Using split command Git for Windows (Bash) MINGW64 shell
Download Git for Windows – https://git-scm.com/download install it and you will get the MINGW64 bash for Windows executable.
Run it either invoke bash command from command line or trigger Windows Run command prompt (Windows button + R) and type full path to executable
C:\Program Files\Git\git-bash.exe
Use the integrated program split and to cut it into pieces use:
# split MyVeryLargeFileVM.vdi -b 800m
To split the .VDI virtualbox file to lets say 5 Gigabite pieces:
# split MyVeryLargeFile.vdi -b 5g
The output files will be named pieces will be named as in a normal UNIX / GNU split command in the format and each piece of 5GB will be named like:
xaa xab xac xad
If you want to get a more meaningful name for the spilitted files you can set a generated split file prefix with suffixes to be 5 digits long:
# split MyVeryLargeFile.vdi MyVeryLargeFileVM-parts_ -b 5g -d -a 5
the -d flag for using numerical suffixes (instead of default aa, ab, ac, etc…),
and the option -a 5 to tell it I want the suffixes to be 5 digits long:
2. Split large files by Archiving them with Winrar (ShareWare) tool
If you have already Winrar installed and you don't want to bother with too much typing from the command line, You can use good old WinRAR as a file splitter/joiner as well.
To split a file into smaller files, select "Store" as the compression method and enter the desired value (bytes) into "Split to volumes" box. This way you can have split files named as filename.part1.rar, filename.part2.rar, etc.
3. Split files with 7-Zip (FreeWare)
Assuming you have the 7-Zip installed on the PC, you can do the archiving of the Big file to a smaller pieces one, you can create the splitted file from 7Zip interfaces menus:
Or directly cut the single file into multiple volumes, directly from Windows Explorer by Selecting the file and using fall down menus :
Sum it up what learned ?
What we learned is how to cut large files into multiple single consequential ones for easy copy between Network sides, via both Git 4 Windows and manual copy paste of parted multiple files to OneDrive / DropBox / pCloud or Google Drive. There is a plenty of other approaches to take as there is also file GUI tools, besides using GNU Win / Gnu Tools for Windows or Cygwin / Gsplit GUI tool or some kind of the many Archiver toolsavailable for Windows, another option to split the large files is to use a bunch of PowerShell and Batch scripts written that can help you do the file split for both binaries files or Text files. but i'll stop here as I believe that is pretty much enough for most basic needs.
Our baby Ekaterina becomes 6 months on 17 of May, 5 days after our boy Dimitar become 4 years. Sum it up my year 2023 lessons learned.
This article is a bit late in time but I started writing it quite a long time ago in the beginning of 2024. But as my various duties as a husband, employee, a volunteer in the Church and computer hobbyist as well as the attempts to still keep up some normality with all the stressful kind of wife that is in the large cities as Sofia. I could post it just today and what has reminded me is simply our daughter Ekaterina has a half birthday today. Below I'll pinpoint some important things that happened through the year, starting with a harsh and gloomy Intro
A bit of Overview, things globally seem to be worsening
Life is ticking fast. Life is more boring than thought. Finding a cell people to hang on around is a difficult and almost impossible task. Real People are becoming less and less. Consumerism is already the only thing that matters for most people.
Love between people (unconditional love) is almost gone. Money are the ones dictating what people should do. No real communities anymore exists (COVID-19) has messed up the heads of people. Christianity is severily partitioned as schisms are seen to plague even the True Christian faith of Eastern Orthodoxy, a hidden persecution against the true pastors is ongoing in many orthodox Churches. War in Ukraine a total disaster for everyone. Politicians as usual using Church to force their own agenda lead by territory and monetary interests. There is a brutal onging economic crisis turmouling the world noone speaks seriosly about. The usual work duties requirements are increasing but sallary payments decreasins.Life expenses are gradually raising as the World Economic Crisis is firing.
People who has suffered COVID numerous times has certainly bad effects on health, many people who have survived COVID and the rest of numerous viruses that has hit us over the past had worsened vision and hearing.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) starts to kicks and puts even more mess in the already messy world especially as it is some kind of another marketing baloon similar to the WWW Domains business baloon. The AI such as ChatGPT, WormGPT, Google Bard said to outsmart our professions (though the facts are still not encouraging enough as the Hype is great, plus the results with collaboration with AI seems to not be fact proof enough yet). The Rapid evolution of technologies has put many moral dilemas and life is becoming harder to bear as the stress of using techonlogies and the higher expectations by humans and their constant requirement to collaborate with technologies (Smart Phone, Tablets Computers, ATMs, Terminals, Cars, Banks, Cards, Virtual currencies and complex systems which claim to simplify life of man makes the human body more fragile sick.
The lack of good and ecologically brew food is also a great factor, as most people who live in large cities eats mostly industrial quality food (and there is no real way to find out whether a food is really ecological even if it is sold as such). In Todays more and more tech inter connected world between People noone can live a normal private life (as often our datas shared on line are leaked to hacker groups after a resource or system is hacked), that poses a number of other challenages and dangers. Privacy has also become almost impossible task, as we don't have a real or full knowledge on how much of our data seen or processed on our phones is staying at our side and how much shared with Security agencies such as CIA, Musad and KGB etc.
Everything is steering us Camares, Phones, Photos, Social Networks and loneliness is often felt so real. Most people living in economic slavery, even though doesn't really even recognize the cell they live in due to the smartphones and many virtual false options given. Complexity of life is increasing as one should have too much skills to manage even simple tasks. Lack of people to fill in open gaps about professions and work, same time generally not too much work capacity or willingness to do people is also a great of issue.
The world is more and more starting to look like it is described in anti-utopias books like Brave new World, 1984, Animal Farm.
Even though this hardships and birth pains, that are typically described by Saint Evangelist John in the Book of Reveleation,
The Birth of Ekaterina on 17th November 2023 another hope for the World
With every new kid coming to this earth it is a God blessing for everyone and another oportunity for individuals to grow and raise another meaningful person, that might make the world a little bit of a better place. Even though today is scary to have a kid because of the harsh situation, it is better to stay helpful for the best and share the joy to have second kid born.
i'm happy for God blessed me with second child a baby Ekaterina born on 17 of November 2023.
Day of Discharge of the Sheinovo Child Birth Hospital, Sofia with Little Baby Ekaterina
During birth Baby Ekaterina was born around 3300 gr of weight, thanksfully the birth of wife was a natural birth. But sadly I had to in parallel take care about the other kid Dimitar, (since he did not attend the Kindergarden for some time), Clean up the house and prepare everything for the acceptance at home of new baby, and buy threats to treat multitude of people who are close and nearby. I'm thankful to Vasil Kolev and Mitko for attending the Official hospital Discharge.
Below is another picture of the now grown baby Ekaterina 4 months later for a one day trip to Balchik (sea resort) near my home city Dobrich
During this year personally review the 2023, Helped as Alter server (ipodeacon) in the Holy Liturgies in Saint George (Dyrvenica) https://www.svgeorgi.com as a ipodeacon, on many services, together with Archimandrite Father Flavian. Summery time i was able to Visited many monasteries nearby
Sofia with Father Flavian. Just to name a few of the multitude of monasteries visited, The 7 Thrones, Praveshki Monastery Saint Teodor Tiron, Seslavski Monastery near Sofia, Saint Petka (near Bankia), Etropolski Monastery, Rilski Monastery, Troyan Monastery, German Monastery, Kremikovski monastery, Glozhenski monastery, Tetevensky monastery Saint Ilija Travelled to Teteven and many others. Just for reference the monasteries and holy places one could visit in Bulgaria are thousands and this makes the country quite interesting to travel around. The high spirituality which the nation had in the past has left a lot of spiritual inheritance for us. Which however nowadays, we do not value and protect …
Has visited multiple times, monastery of Saint Marina situated near village of Krumovo in between Dobrich and Varna. Also visited Ahtopol (i won't say i'm too impressed – maybe i was in the wrong season and with a pregnant woman) and Tsarevo, Pomorie and Nessebar (for the Feast of Dormition of Holy Theotokos).
To speak the truth has been a heavy and hard year a lot of spiritual sorrow, sicknesses and lack of direction, internal family problems between me wife, my nerves totally strained and I have no clear direction as eyes sems to be deteriorating and I often though about leaving it all behind and going to a monastery. Quite disappointed from the realities I've seen. Bulgaria is very beautiful country but everything seemed too messed …
Also i've had too many temptations, drived a lot our old minivan KIA Carens 2006, which helped me to significantly increase my car driving habits, and hopefully now I become a better driver . Middle of May had to pay car taxes and expenses in SDI, paid for standard Vignette starting from June as prior year.
Tried to read my prayers daily Morning and Evening prayers + (rule), that turned to be much harder than thought as it takes up to 30 minutes morning and 1 hour evening times (with some of the additional prayers I try to keep). Also had been blessed to be able to receive the Holy Communion many, many, many times.
Tried to bring the Kid Dimitar regularly on a Church services in Holy Trinity Church (the Slatina (an ex-village) and Sofia district main temple), situated 10 minutes from Svetlostruy where we live currently, as well as bring him to Dyrvenica regulary, and thanksfully he also took part in Christ misteries for many, many times throughout the year.
Spend and I have to say perhaps lost a lot of time hanging with Alexander (The singer), drinking beers – that was a bad idea but as this helped me a bit to get away my focus from sad stuff and cheer me up, it had a positive effect as well. Health, seems to be critical, especially with the high stresses I experienced before and near birth of our daughter Ekaterina. I was also heavily involved in taking care for our kid who is now 3.8 years next year 12 of May to become 4 years.
Also I sung a lot on services as a main singer mainly Evening services as often due to the lack of people to sing the service there is necessity to sing services, sing also a few times a Holy Liturgy and as usual sung every Monday and Friday for the Sanctification of Waters and on a Akathist prayer to the Holy Theotokos (Mother of God). Lately don't have enough time to read too much books. My Work computer notebook (failed to apply) Windows Updates shipped by WL and I've been sent a new laptop which came early 2024. Exchanging work computer due to failing update is funny and absurd but I survived this one too … In the begining of 2024, our beloved colleague Dimitar Paskalev has left our team in Worldline and that also one of the hardships, we have to bear an extra amount of things to do when he is gone as he is an excellent system administrator, programmer and business consultant consultant.
People's knowledge thought increasing makes things hard to be fixed more and more. As finding a solution becomes more expensive or sometimes impossible to resolve software issues on a hardware that cannot be tracked it is way easier to simply exchange the hardware. Same is true nowadays for both computers, cars and pretty much everything. If it breaks don't fix it but exchange it with a new, that seems to be valid more and more.
This is product of hardcore consumerism society, we humanity turned out and this is going to destroy the planet obsiously but seems noone really cares, even with the International Summits for reduce of Emitions etc., i'm pretty convinced from what I see is done that is just a pure marketing for countries as well as simple populism. Ecology is something people has to seriously think about though, because the life style with driving cars everything as we did and hyper consumption is destructional for both people, environment (nature), animals, this is pretty clear observing how the natural environments gets destroed more and more due to conustruction works and industrial waste etc.
The news read about Ukraine and Israel has been mostly troubling and together with the techonlogization and degradation of Society has convinced me the hope for this world is almost gone. Doesn't look like there is any "Road Ahead" as some "visionaries" are foreseeing (i'm talking about the insane book of Bill Gates, called the "Road Ahead", which is picturing a great future with a lot of developments due to technology (what a blatant non-sense). It seems what we observe is starting to become quite opposite to Bill Gates, Ilon Musk and the rest of "visionaire" idols of the world visions as all is falling apart more and more and unresolvable issues are much more.
The technological enslavement of people has been continuing, though it has been presenting as this is making people much more free and happy, it is exactly the opposite, prople become more and more dependent on technology and on the road to become a subordinates of technology than controillers. Most young people are suffering completely of addictions to technology, has very low literacy and I'm noticing most of teenagers couldn't properly express themselves, quite sadding. A lot of young people seeing the sad reality are turning to sub-culture, just like it was in the end of 1990s but the difference is now, people are separated each one hanging in his tech device and community across the common problem of isolation of the individual, that was sharing and communing with others is not really too much possible in the 21 century.
Many good peoples in the Church has passed away, I've suffered a lot during the summer from the heat, hardly beated. After the COVID seems to have passed through a long COVID and some depressions, which I don''t know whether managed to deal with even now, the Church has helped a lot to keep on track as feelings were overwhelming, most likely due to the nightmare war between orthodox Russia and Ukraine (remember The Gospel says it God''s punishment becomes from his own people). We Bulgarians are at mind wars, as some people take Russia's' positions and others Ukraine (Pro and Anti-Russian attitudes) prevail, everywhere. The same is I guess among all ex-USSR countries The Patriarch Neofit become quite sick. In terms of Work the first part of Year up to end of Summer has been more heavy, but mainly stress at work is not from work complexity but the messiness in the Company Worldline. In end of Autumn passed all required company trainings. Tried also to blog as regularly as I could but blogging is becoming harder and harder task, as my eyes degrades. Tried to play some Arcades as that has been funny for me but nowadays don't have too much of a free time to play on the handheld consoles. Life in Sofia is quite heavy as distances are putting its toll ((though there is pretty much everyhing) the amount of stress is destructionary for the personality.
I did not have much of achievements this year at work but I guess with years, the energy of person is reducing (just like the motivation due to the messy stuff that is unvailing in the world). With age seems one can do less and less except if he is not some kind of mania mode. Also the lack of recognition for what is done at work and the type of Corporate stuff that is mostly like a (Social) Socialist company, makes one to be not much motivated to complete much, the other issue is it seems times ticks too fast (just as Christ says in the Gospel because of lawfulness of people, time will be shortened this prophecy seems to be fulfilling and for those who can see it they can see how time reduces and one can do much less than he could some years ago). Days are flying quickly. There are too many experienes all the time and due to information overburn, the mind becomes very unfocused. Having any even simple kind of focus becomes a luxury nowadays, as we''re bombarded from everywhere with false preaches of advertisement and people's idea and stereotypes of the world.
I remeber about my youth and how simple we lived with my grand parents, and how much happiness was in that and compare to noaways over-stressed and complex world and often, miss that old times (that even though) physically harsh has been much more graceful than today.
In terms of technology I have the desire to go out of the Technological slavery but for that you need to have a co-minded person ( wife), which agrees to live a more simple wife, which i don't have in the moment.
Why I saw technological slavery, well it is what it is, in the past technology was really making the life of one easier and even today, many technologies are doing so. However being online 10 to 12 hours a day is no longer a conforting, especially if about 6 to 8 hours of your midful time is to be hired at work and stay on a chair in front of the computer and to do complex mind stuff, that after 10-15 to 20 years, destroys the psyche and the body .
Being intelligent is also a big problem in the 21 century as you see much more of the usual people and you see most interactions between people are simply manipulative and dictated by the desire to attain something. The communication between most people is based on "receive" as much as you could and give out as little as possible and on the principle of always do gain in everything. People do things to receive and not to give including me … that is totally the opposite of the teaching of Christ who says "It is more blessed to give, than to take".
About entertainment for the year was mostly traveling and going for a Night dinners in Emilian with Angel, Alexander and gathering together with Vasil Kolev (A researcher in the Bulgarian Academy of Science BAN, specalist in the field of Frequencies and Signals) and a very good Christian and man who helped a lot together with Emilian and Angel. Perhaps part of the entertainment was our after-work stuff we did with Dimitar Paskalev and Georgi Stoyanov which was more happening in beginning of 2023 and has deteoriated as I had a lot of personal issues and did not have enough time to do computer stuff together after work.
Silvia also helped me a lot with the kid, as I needed help, and suffered with informational and physical overload, perhaps that is common for those with kids.
As said we got born our second baby who my wife decided to name Ekatherina after Saint Ekatherina (St. Catherine of Alexandria), a good selection for name as saint Ekatherina is a great woman martyr saint I love much and that helped me in hardships many times.
Have to say, i am very sad that I don't see people to love each massively, this has to be endured but it is hard. Also I feel sad I can't do much my to change the world for better both by work and action and my weak prayers. Near end of year I had severe pain and left leg inflamation, after having a multtiude of health disturbances in parallel with the pregnancy of Svetlana. Also often i feel very disconnected from everything, perhaps I'm seeing much harsh reality than expected and being raised more or less in the spirit of idealism it is really hard to accept the reality as it is. Also with the aging it is a common and well known fact that we become much less flexible as in the youth age past. Thanks God the year has passed and in the new year 2024, I hope for the best as everyone but as the monks say Spiritual life is based on the two columns of "Ora" and "Labora" = Work and Prayer, so the coming year depends heavily on my perseverance to do this two and of course follow God's main commandments love God with all my heart and all my being and love my neighbor as myself !
One very notable event to say is early in 2024 Metropolitan JOANIKIJ (Joanichius) of Sliven has passed to Christ aged 82 on 9 of January (The day on which passed my beloved grandather Marin passed away), This year it turned 20 years since my beloved grandfather Marin has passed. He used to be a man of honor and goodness that was rare for the 20th century and he is among main persons for example to follow the good path of helping everyone and love everyone.
Let God have mercy on his soul and receive him in Heaven.The brother of Patriarch of Bulgaria Neofitos (The Proto-Psalt and director of the Cathedral Choire of Saint Alexander Nevsky Proto-Psalt Dimitar passed) as well as a lady called Violeta who was helping in Holy Trinity Church and suffering multiple diseases passed to Christ.
The times of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ seem to be really near, this is clear from the facts that the corruption and people's degradation has reached a state, where no truthfulness is existing neither in the worldly organizations Countries, governments, parliaments, courts, institutions, companies and even in the Most Holy Church of Christ which he has consecrated by his Holy Blood, through the Crucifixion and Death on the Cross for our sins.
It seems today, neither the low ordinary people neither the high and eligible and most honored Bishops and even Metropolitans are in a such a bad careless state, that they only care about their own wordly interests and the interests of a few of other servitudes nearby, neglecting the interest of the Holy Church of Christ (which is the Assembly of believers in the Lord Christ Jesus, who breath and live being in the world but , “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”John 18:36.
What happens now about 2000 years, later in Christ Church is absotely the same. Just like Jesus, his true followers has been rejected to be accepted by his own people. In same way his true people are always, being rejected to take their ruling place, but instead in the world the Lies and manipulations are taking place to crucify the true servents of God.
The Holy Gospel seems to repeat itself again and again all the time through the ages. This time the stage is different this is not ancient Israel with the Assembly of Synodrion and the Old Testament's Church of God and his People the Israelites. But the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church with his people the new Israel the Christians.
Get to know the facts on Bulgarian Church Scandal Escalasion for New Metropolitan of Sliven voting – situation as of 24th April 2024
The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church has made another and strange untransparent decision once again, right after the Enormous Scandal with the cassation of legal choice of People of Sliven for best candidates Ierotey and Mihail (amongs which Ierotey is preferred), as the Metropolia of Sliven is still mourining on the beloved pontiff his holiness Metropolitan Ioanikij, less than 3 months before his blessed passing to Christ.
Map of Spiritual Eparchies in Bulgaria of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Bulgarian Patriarchy (BPC-BP)
Territorial Map of Sliven Eparchy according to the Local Spiritual districts belonging to Sliven Metropoly
Shortly after, it was decided to stop the legal procedure for choosing between bishop Ierotey and bishop Michail and overwritte the Synod accepted and agreed own legal document to follow on different church casuses, the ' the Church statuses regulations (Устав на БПЦ Българска Патриаршия = Bulgarian Orthodox Church Regulation Rules document decided to be followed by everyone in the Church including the bishops and metropolitans on a National Church Assembly) rightduring a procedure for enthronization of next Metropolitan of Sliven.
The new "regulation" they tried to push "in the shadows (illegally against the Church statues)" was written in a way to make the choice of new Metropolitans to be done only by Metropolitan assembly the Synod, without taking in considerating the christian people preference for such, something scandal as this was not so during the last 150 years since we have restored the Bulgarian Church Excharchy.
Out of this a great number of discussions started by Christian laity in facebook, viber and in the media of multitude of people, priests and cleargy from Sliven Eparchy complaining and protesting first infront of the Metroplitan Palace in Sliven
Sliven Church Priests, Monks and Layman gathered in front of Sliven Eparchy Metropolitan governing building
As this protests were not considered seriously by many of Elders of the Synod, the same protest with much more participant occured in front of Synodal Palace (the ruling ministry of the Bulgarian Church seat place) in Sofia as well as purely physical by presence with Prayer Vigils to the Holy Synod because of their unwillingness to accept the Synod unargumented decision to stop the procedure for choice of new metropolitan.
Peaceful objection Vigil Prayer in front of Holy Synod by Sliven Clergy and Laymen, Poster reads: "Do not exchange our Good shepherd, which gives his soul for the sheep with a mercenary, we do not know !" Second Poster on the background is "Against the New Order", meant the new Order to not venerate People's choice during voting of new Metropolitans
The outcome of the protest in front of the Synodal bulding palace in Sofia, Bulgaria was to cancel the votings for Metropolitan and do the whole voting procedure from the beginning. The people accepted the decision of the Synod even though the synod took this decision to not put in place 'new order' in favour if existing norms of the Churh statuses on the background of multitude of protesting priests, monks and layman from Sliven Eparchy and other eparchies which is well documented well in below video.
Synodal Prayer Vigil against the cassation of choice for future Metropolitan of Sliven
On the protests along with Church people and clergy from Sliven was present people from other Eparchies as well as key well known priests and monks that are from Sofia and the Sofia Metropolitan to tell their unwillingness for overriding the Church established rules "Statuses", as well as to express their support for Sliven Eparchy whose Church people will is to have venerated their up to the rules selection of Bishop Ierotey to become the next Vicar (Metropolitan) of Sliven.
On many TV medias this protest was not shown and the organized fake "contra-protest" of Metropolitan Nikolay and his people who were anti-protesting against people will was shown as it was paid for that (another proof for lack of enough freedom of speech and transparency of Bulgarian mass medias).
The contra-protesters from Plovdvid Eparchy that came with buses from Plovdiv eparchy enforced by Metropolitan Nikolay, very much in the old spirit of manifestations during the totalitarian regime of communism (notice the obviousness of the protest is fake from the exactly same looking slogans held mainly by priests)
As a result people from Sliven Eparchy accepted the fact that the Holy Synod decided to finally cassate (cancel) the procedure for choice of new Sliven Metropolitan and organize a new list of Worthy and dostopochteni (venerable) Bishops among which Sliven's people should make the choice again. The people accepted this as they hoped the Holy Synod elders, might have been misled by the false accusation reports of the two brother priests Silvester and Evgeny Yanakievi (who by the way are very active on facebook) against Ierotey, and thus by organizing the choice once again officially the choice will take case in a transparent way and according to the Church rules statuses and then they can again vote for bishop Ierotey and double verify their initial choice.
However what happened now is far from that. Contrary to any logic (and as provocation), the list of venerable Bishops was made by the Holy Synod, during the Great Lent on 22 of April, a time in which people should concentrate on their repentance and spiritual growing and spiritual preparation to accept the Fest of Feasts, The Resurresction of Christ Easter.
Contrary and again unvenerating the Church clergy and people's will of Sliven the new list of Bishops does not included neither Ierotey nor Mihail and included only 6 Bishops claimed to be venerable !!!
Here is a tiny biographies and only few rumored things about the Bishops, synod have been included and listed them according to seniority on when they become bishops.
1. The first listed Bishop Sionij (Velichki) completed Cherepish Spiritual Seminary (Academy) in 1990. Become monk in 1991. Completed Theology in 1994 in Saint Kliment Ohridski. 1995-1996 specialezed in Erlangen Germany. Become monk from Metropolitan Dometian (Vidinski) in Klisurski Monastery soon after become hieromonk. In 1992 – 1995 has been abbot of Klisura Monastery. In 1996 has become deacon of Sofia's Theological Seminary Saint John of Rila (he was later removed because of scandals, a boy died and accused by pupil parents for pedophilia, a sad fact that was hidden with time, due to many publications you can find online …). In 1998 has been raised to archimandrite by Patriarch Maxim in Dolni Lozen Monastery St. Peter and Paul. In March 2007 has been ordinated as Bishop Velichki in Saint Alexander Nevski Cathedral. In 2009 become vicar of Vidin Metropolitan Dometian In 1 May 2014 become an abbot of Troyan monastery, 3rd April 2019 he has become an abbot also to Bachkovo Monastery. Bishop Sionij is among the most scandalous persons in Bulgarian Orthodox Church, many media scandals assigning his name tо pedophilia and homosexuality through the time. It is claimed by medias he is involved with mafia (and especially with Church mafia). There was even a person who says to have been involved in this affairs with him that publicly has given interview for "Tzanov"'s self financed youtube channel Napred i Nagore" (video titled: "The Church of Sin"). Currently paradoxically he is an abbot of 2 of the biggest and 2 second richest monasteries in Bulgaria Troyanski and Bachkovki.. His family is known in Sofia for years for being one of the most richest people in Sofia. Currently aged 56 yrs.
2. Second one Arsenij gruaded high school 2006 in Stara Zagora in village Osetenovo. Completed Saint John of Rila seminary in 2006, was student in Saint Ohridski Theology and continued his education in Plovdiv University, saint Paisios of Hilendar, said to have graduated 2009. Tonsured monk in 2007, became hierodeacon and consequentially same year 2008 hieromonk. 6th December he was raised by Metr. Nikolay to Bishop. He has been a director of Plovdiv's Orthodox TV since 2009 and Plovdiv Seminary 2010 (seminary initiated again by by Metr. Nikolay). In 2012 he was given to be a head of Metropolitan cathedral in Plovdvid saint Marina. On June 2014 he was raised to bishop after offer was to the Holy Synod, by Metr. Nikolay. Hierotony was made by then very old Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Sliven in collaboration with Metropolitans Dometian of Vidinsky (now deceased), Grigoriy of Velikotarnovsky, Ignatius of Pleven and Nikolay of Plovdiv.
Iinterestingly he is titled as protegee of Metr. Nikolay who orchestrates the decisions in the Holy Synod for the last years (fact known by most people who even had a slight idea of what is going on internally in the Church). The backstage ruling of the Synod and the place is said to be easy for the Metr. Nikolay, since patriarch Neofit was severely sick and in practice inactive as patriarch. According to official information that leaked from Synod, it was exactly Arsenij the choice of Metr. Nikolay and his group of metropolitans (most of whom doesn't have the necessery support from anyone such as DS (Dyrzhavna Sigurnost) to which Metr. Nikolay is said to have the support and in which Metr. Nikolay's father was important ranked person). Thus according to different medias the legative choice of Sliven people was cancelled by the Synod by Metr. Nikolay and his group in attempt to install the already pre-chosen Arsenij in any means.
Bishop Arsenij is known amoung the clergy in Church for becoming a bishop officially against the Church statuses, not having the Statuses set fulfilled years, becoming bishop before his 30s in 28 years, according to Church rules of statuses regulations of BPC-BP he should have had been at least 35 years, 2 more years than Christs age of crucifix. The other break of Church statuses regulations with his hierotony was that he did not have 10 years as a clergy person in Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Currently 37 yrs old (has 10 years served as Bishop)
3. Bishop Gerasim (Melnishki) is famous for having a professional Actors education, before deciding to become monk and start his new career in the Church. He has not have officially any Theological Education diploma till the moment he decided to walk the spiritual path, but received such by specialization in Moscow 2 years in a newly created faculty by Metropolitan Ilarion Alfeev (faculty created 2012) and no longer existing. The Diplomas from Russia are not really considered officially by Bulgarian Government due to legislative reasons. Even though that he managed to be chosen somehow and become the Secretary of Holy Synod, and have signed documents that he has a higher Theological education which he at that time doesn't. He seemed to have served as a head of saint Alexander Nevsky and in this service He is said by some medias to have closed his eyes and signed the documents for requirements of higher education for the job of Synodal Secratary as a preliminary to the function of Secratary. He is known to often serve Liturgy in the Russian Church among which was a lot of scandals last year and which kept closed for quite some time, due to clergy in the Russian Church Clergy in (Sofia) Bulgaria being accused for serving for FSB (Russian Secret Services). He is also accused by medias for organizing an official business dinner for donation to collect money from businessmen for the sake of restoration of Biggest Cathedral in Bulgaria St. Alexander Nevsky. It should be said his service in saint Alexander Nevsky as a head of it for some years was okay, no big scandals like the previous head archim. Dionisij Mishev. Have to say it is strange why such a cathedral as Saint Alexander Nevsky, has to collect donations for its restoration, especially since the Bulgarian church Sofia Metropoly has a lot of land properties and stores on the city center that given for rent and should be bringing money to mitropoly along with the so called "vladichnina" amount of whole profit which every Church on territory of eparchy has to pay to the metropoly, especially as the Church st. Alexander Nevsky is a common tourist destination in Sofia for people all around the world and that should be supposably another way to collect money for its restoration. He is neither famous nor infamous and that is perhaps his main places of service was Saint Alexander Nevsky and as Synodal Secretary. Currently he is aged 44 yrs. Served as Bishop 8 yrs.
4. Bishop Pahomij (Branicki) has been made a monk and hieromonk again by Metr. Nikolay, his elder was proto-abbot Benedict from Holy Mount Athos Zograph in Divotinski Monastery, near Bankya in 2002 in 2004 he become abbot of Divotinsky Monastery. For 2004 till 2010 he had managed to gather brotherhood and helped to recover a Chapel Saint Anna and rerecover the 70 Apostles Church buildings and the Main Church Holy Trinity (which is considered his greatest achievements) his fame amount the Orthodox christian youth has been positive as he managed to have a good charisma and attract young people in his monastery during his abbotship. In 2015 he become hieromonk. bishop (hierotony by current Metropolitan of Vratza and some other bishops who is temporary substitute for patriarch Neofit's passing till the new choice of patriarch completes.). In 12.06.2017 he was made a bishop in Rila Monastery, again – according to some sources he did not have the Higher Theological education at that time for the post of bishopship, requirement according to Statuses of Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Currently he is aged 45 yrs. Served as Bishop 7 yrs
5. bishop Makarij (Glavnicki) has completed Plovdiv's Spiritual Seminary (whose deacan at that time was Bishop Evlogij Adrianopolski), finished Theology school in Bucharest in 2004 and Master degree in Thessaloniki (Solun) completed in 2010. In march 2007 become a novice monk in Rila Monastery Saint John of Rila. In 2008 during Lent become Hierodeacon, by bishop Evlogij. April 2011 become a hieromonk (priest monk). In March 2017 become a bishop. After becoming metropolitan he is now a vicar Bishop of Metropolitan Naum. He is perhaps among the most educated bishops of Bulgarian Church at present. Due to his studies in Greece, some people which play a kind of rloe of 'whisle-blower' but also do distribute some false mirrors, he might be a man of the Ecumenical patriarch. It is interesting fact that his hierotony as bishop did not happen in Saint John of Rila monastery but in Troyan Monastery (The Old Practice of Bulgarian Orthodox Church was to create new bishops in the Capital Sofia in Saint Alexander Nevsky – nowadays changed – some speculate this is done to escape from the anaxios (unworthy) that someone might scream during the services of new hierotony to stop the ceremony). In Troyan monastery as of time of writting this article the abbot is bishop Sionij Velichki. Also it is a bit strange the person who pushed his career forward Bishop Evlogij of Rila Monastery did not take part in the hierotony in Troyan monastery. Current aged 42 yrs. Serves as Bishop 7 yrs
6. Bishop Isaak (Velbyzhdski), started and completed aged 13 in Saint John of Rila seminary in Sofia, which he complated in 2001. In 2001 he started working in Seminary administration. Completed Sofia, Theological School saint Kliment Ohridski in 2008 (Bachelor). In 2009 in Vidin he become monk by Dometian of Vidin under spiritual guidance of Biship Sionij Velichki. In 2010, was raised to hieromonk in Saint Nicolas Church and in parallel works in Sofia Seminary as а tutor (ethnical bulgarians living abroad). In 2011, with blessing of Metr. Dometian he has become episcopal vicar of Lom Spiritual district. In 2012 in Dormition of Theotokos Chapel (which he headed) he was raised to archimandrite. In 2012 he started studying postgraduate studies in Moscow. In June 2023 he was raised to bishop with the title Bishop Velbyzhdski and given the role of second patriarch Neofit's vicar, as first is Bishop Polikarp. According to rumors, he is said according to some media news to have some connections with FSB due to his studies in Russia (and the common Russians practice to try to recruit their students to work for Russian agencies). Also according to some medias he had public appearance speach, staying behind Russia's official position for holy war, held against the evil (Russia as a Third Rome idea which currently Russian Church embraces). Serves as Bishop 1 yr
Bishop Ierotey Agathopolski (Kosakov)
The Seventh Bishop that is excluded from list, Ierotey (Agathopolski) was selected by Sliven Eparchy Priest, Monks and Laity to become the 7th Metropolitan of Sliven is Ierotey (The Voice of the People, The Voice of God) !
Bishop Ierotey (Agathopolski) in 2003 completed, Parallel course of Sofia Theological Seminary. December 22, 2003, Metropolitan Ioannikiy (Nedelchev) of Sliven tonsured him as a monk in brotherhood of the Holy Great Martyr George in the city of Pomorie. Archimandrite Theodosius (abbot of) Pomorie monastery at that time became his spiritual mentor. May 11, 2004, Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Sliven in the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Burgas ordained hierodeacon. On May 16 of the same year, Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Sliven in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Nessebar was ordained to the rank of hieromonk. On January 1, 2005, he was appointed abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr George in Pomorie. He made a significant contribution to the development of the Pomorie monastery and its influence on Christian life in the region. Christian children's camps were organized annually at the monastery, a week of Orthodox singing introduced. Many hopeless and lonely and people with problems found a hospitality and spiritual help and resort in the monastery. On May 6, 2008 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. In 2010 he graduated Master Degree of Theology of Shumen University, Bishop Konstantin Preslavsky. September 18, 2014, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, he was elected vicar of the Sliven diocese, bishop with the title of Agathopol (Agathopolski). October 1 was chiratonized to Bishop rank by Metropolitan Ioanikij (Nedelchev) Slivenski, Metropolitan Grogorij (Stefanov) of Tarnovo, Metropolitan Starozagorsky Galaktion (Tabakov), Metropolitan Nikolay Plovdivsky (Sevastyanov), Metropolitan Ambrosij (Ambrosius) Dorostolsky (Parashkevov), Metropolitan of Nevrokop Seraphim (Dinkov), Bishop of Trayanopol Cyprian (Kazandzhiev), Bishop of Znepol Arseniy (Lazarov). Served as Bishop 10 years
I believe there is nearly no person who has even encountered to meet Ierotey (Kosakov) Bishop Ierotey and interacted and doesn't have a good memory of that time, or have some bad impression. Not that I know him presonally but that person has always tried to help everyone in everything, this is really rare in our mostly egoistical world. Perhaps only envious and people obsessed with money or material goods can criticize him for the reason, he lives a true monk, and as every true monk and as Saint John of Rila adviced in His Covenant, "From all the things, most beware of money, for they are the root of all evil.".
It happens Slivens Eparchy is full of material goods due to its strategic location nearby see and due to tourism, and of course this eparchy is interested to be at the hands of businesses who can built freely and sell for cheap to big investors lands for the sake of increasement of tourism in the region, as Bishop Ierotey might be a factor against that (as he has refused to cooparete in building of 200 rooms Hotel accomodation at lands of Pomorie Monastery to Silvester Yanakiev, now there are some people leading fierce company to remove him from the vote and destroy his good name reputation.).
From the Holy Synod, there is no official explanation on why Bishop Ierotey is removed from the vote list during the new choice, but for everyone who has even the slightest idea of what is going on in the Church higher stages of power it is fully clear.
The wing of Metropolitan Nikolay and his protegees Metropolitans has risen their voices against the inclusion of Ierotey in the list. In order to make it not clear that Ierotey is the real target, few others were also removed who were in practice "un-votable" as their personal life has spots.
This just like the first time of decision to halt the process of voting even thugh two candidates for metropolitan were chosen (none of which that seems to fit the desires of the Dark Cardinal of the Bulgarian Church Metr. Nikolay and his synodal group of dependent people who are kept silent and obedient due to compromates against them or with financial donations).
It is not secret and not new the backstage dictation of Metropolitan Nikolay to his band (Synodal wing) of bishops many of whom are known to have a lot of homosexual (homophilia) and even pedophilia and other abnormal sexual activities, as well as activities related to the dark business schemes in bulgarian businesses and money laundary for which people know from mouth to mouth information spreading for years in the Church.
What is now stunning is that these people has become so unscrupulous, that they're ready to get over any person or group of people and even against a whole Eparchy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church that perhaps nominally might be around 1 million people !!!
These peoples's believe, that us the ordinary believers of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church are stupid and easily managable and they can do with them whatever they want because they're a higher class and very few of people are really regularly going to Church or actively parcipating in the Church Mysteries (Holy Communion and the other 7 sacraments).
What is striking, the Synodal elders are shameless, they think they're the Church, forgetting the word Ecclesia meaning.
"Ecclesia (or Ekklesia) in Christian theology means both: a particular body of faithful people, and the whole body of the faithful."
Seems like now our many of our Synodal Elders understand the Church (Ecclesia) as them and the servitude of faithful to Christ people who should obey them for the only reason, they have taken the seat of the Holy Apostles (that is the metropolitan seat = bishopship seat + administrative obediences).
It is interesting to say the modern understanding of Ecclesia in Western Modern Catholicism does well fit the understanding that the powerful of the day in the Synod that are trying to push out their agendas against the people will and choice, below is a definition.
Christian understanding of Church
If one speaks of the whole body of Christian faithful, then there are included not only the members of the Church who are alive on earth but all who were members of the church before. Some churches therefore describe the Church as being composed of the Church Militant (Christians on Earth) and the Church Triumphant (Christians in Heaven). In Catholic theology, there is also the Church Suffering (Christians still in purgatory).
The Christian family, the most basic unit of Church life, is sometimes called the domestic Church.[2]
Finally, 'The Church' may sometimes be used, especially in Catholic theology, to speak of those who exercise the office of teaching and ruling the faithful, the Ecclesia Docens, or again (more rarely) the governed as distinguished from their pastors, the Ecclesia Discens.
What else is really not Okay with how the selection of Bishops are reduced from 10 to 6 venerable to take the seat of Sliven Metropolitan
All this events happen during the Great Lent and for every True Christian it is well known the old Church practice, that important decisions should not be taken during the great Lent period as usually such decisions are wrong and could create havoc, due to the highest degree of temptations that are let around by the Almighty God for the spiritual grow and healing of his faithful childs the Christians.
It is up to Christian people to now proof them once the Great Lent is over after the Glorious Resurrection Day they're wrong and that people will not let the God given eparchy of Sliven to be ruled by dependent Metropolitan to Metr. Nikolay.
It is up to us to proof we're not sheepsand that people's will on matters of higher hierarchy of Church and their deeds should not be unmonitored and unpunished as it was in a higher degree over the last years !!!
People should rise of their indifference and show they still care about the Pureness of the Church and the legitimity of the Church Law of Selection of new Highest Hierarchical heads of the Church. It is last time and last chances until we still have Church, especially considering the Apocalyptic times in which we seem to be living.
If you dear brothers and sisters in Christ not react and not fight for the truthful selection of a list with really venerable bishops that is transparent and argumented as it should be, another satellite Metropolitan will be installed to fit the plans of the ex-communist DS (Dyrzhavna Sigurnost) and the Ruling elite. If that happens soon we'll not only have a Real Orthodox Church Hierarchy chosen according to canons and due to Church Statues as it should be but an Assembly of Pseudo Hierarchs who acts in secrecy and conspiracy schemes in the same way as any Masonic Lodge.
In other words, we'll have Church but a faked artificial business and party like organization, where decisions are not taken by the Creator of the Church the Lord Jesus Christ and his true followers the Apostles (that are the Bishops and Metropolitans), but we'll have a secular organization with Big beauty Church temple (museums without real cleargy) and a Monasteries full of pedophiles, gays and people who want to live an easy life and enjoy themselves instead of spiritually persevere and lead the hard spiritual fight and pray for the well-being of Bulgarians, Bulgaria and the Rest of the Christians.
Lets pray fervently until the end of the fasting, that the Metropolitans who took that bad decision will change their mind and put back in the list the real venerable people and not have a list of people who are dependent and unworthy due to lack of Higher education, a personal scandals, they were involved like Bishop Sionij or have another kind of spots, that can be easily researched even by a simple few Internet searches in Google.
Nomatter who is worthy or not, the main thing is that Sliven Eparchy should be headed by a person who is wanted in the Eparchy and such person according to the clear votes of Eparchical electors is Ierotey, the problem is that Ierotey is not playing well with the dark businesses and does count the interest of people, and does not randomly do what is being asked for with the only goal to make money and he doesn't follow blindly rules by Metr. Nikolay or whoever else that is not working for the good of True Church of Christ (the assembly of all people believing in Jesus Christ as we theEastern Orthodox believe) and thus he is automatically becoming unworthy. As worthy is considered those who serves the Business and the Internet of the powerful authorities of this day.
Patriarch Neophyte (Simeon Nikolov Dimitrov) was born on October 15, 1945 in Sofia from a highly pious family. His father was a simple railway man and his mother a maid (cleaner). His Mother was a famous in the Church as a good christian who was singing on the Church choire in some churches and had a great perseverance and love for the Christian faith, she was the one to push further his two boys Simeon and Dimitar to take the spiritual path within the Orthodox Church. One of them the older brother Dimitar Nikolov Dimitrov to later become A Proto-Psalt and Director and Head of Sofia's Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Church choire for many years (the most prestigious place for people who graduated Church music) and the other to become our 7th Patriarch in order from the times of Physical Liberation of Bulgaria From Turkish Slavery and Spiritual liberation from the dictatorship of the Greek Orthodox Church with the restoration of the Bulgarian Church with the Bulgarian Exarchate.
At the age of twenty in 1965, he graduated from the Sofia Theological Seminary "St. Ioan Rilski / Saint John of Rila" (then the seminary moved due to communist party decision) at the Cherepish station nearby the Cherepish monastery, Vrachansko. He served two years of military mandatory service, and in 1971 he graduated from the Theological Academy "St. Kliment Ohridski".
After his specialization at the Moscow Theological Academy in Russia, where he received the title of "Candidate of Theology (COT)" in Church Music (COT equal to our Bulgarian "Phd / doctor") , in 1973 he was appointed a teacher of Choral Church Singing and became the conductor of the student choir at the Theological Academy.
He began his monastic journey under the Spiritual eldership of Archimandrite Gelasius then abbot of the Troyan Monastery.
His monastic ordination in monkship was performed on August 3, 1975 by the previous Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim on the feast of Assumption of the Virgin Mary,August 15, 1975 , he was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon immediately, on March 25, 1976, Annunciation, he was raised in the Church hierarchy to hieromonk, and on November 21, 1977 ., Presentation of the Theotokos (The Entry of Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple), was raised to the Archimandrite dignity.
He then was assigned the obedience to be Protosyncellus (Protosingel) of the Sofia Metropolia in years 1981 to 1985.
On December 18, 1985, he was ordained as the Bishop of Lefkias (Levkijski) a title earlier held by the all famous Levkijski Bishop Partenius (Partenij) in the Patriarchal Cathedral "Saint Alexander Nevsky" and was appointed as vicar bishop of the Metropolia of Sofia.
In 1989, he became rector of Sofia Theological Academy part of (Sofia University at that time), and in July 1991, when the Theological Academy returned to be the pre-revolutinary Faculty of Theology of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", was elected the first dean of the restored Faculty of Theology.
Since January 27, 1992, he has been the chief Secretary of Holy Synod (A prestioug position) until March 27, 1994, when Bishop Neophyte was elected Metropolitan of Dorostolo-Cherven.eparchy (which is now separated in two separate aparchies (The Eparchy of Ruse and Eparchy of Dorostol – the ancient Roman area Dorostorum)
By decision of the Fifth Church-People's Council in 2001, with the consent and approval of the Holy Synod Assembly of metropolitans, the diocese was divided into two (the Dorostol diocese was separated with the city of Silistra -the Ancient Istrum (Histria ancient city) and he began to be titled Metropolitan of Ruse. In the function of metropolitan he has won the respect of both church and authorities.and he was given the respectful medal "Respected citizen of Ruse".
In 2008 metropolitan Neophyte received the very prestigious academic title "doctor honoris causa" of the Sofia University "Saint Kliment Ohridski". More about it here.
On 22 June 2010 he was given a medal "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" as a respectful act for his big contribution to development of Bulgarian Music and Culture.
On February 24, 2013, a Patriarchal Electoral Church Council was convened in Sofia and the people and all people were mostly troubled on who will be the next Patriarch in this muddy times.
Soon after his arise to patriarchical throne in 2013 he was given another medal he received "Glory and Honour" in 2013 by Russian Orthodox Church. Every Church member of that time was troubled about the future of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and everyone felt a big relief as The Synodal Elders elected Metropolitan Neophyte of Ruse to become the 7th Patriarch of Bulgaria after the restoration of the BPC-BPBulgarian Church (Bulgarian Patriarchate) after so many years of being under the yoke of Byzantine Church and after liberation of Bulgaria, due to politics delicions and the harsh and anti-bulgarian activities of the Greeks in attempt to own the Church the church suffered its schism and returned its full communion to the family of national members of Holy Eastern Orthodox Church. After his election His Holiness Patriarch Neofit is titled Metropolitan of Sofia.and Patriarch of Bulgaria.
Patriarch Neophyte has the fame of being one of the best church singers in Bulgaria and one of the best and most famous Church Hymns has been circulating throughout the public space the Internet / TV and Radio for the last 10+ years as they are invaluable due to the unique voice qualities of the Patriarch. I guess there is no person in Bulgaria and outside of it who did not heard his Paschal (Katavasia and Stychorions) Hymns.
Resurrection of Christ Katavasios and StychorionPlaylist with Patriarch Neophytos (Sung) Famous Eastern Orthodox Hymns Patriarch Neofit passed away on 13 of March 2024 after a months of sickness after being hospitalized on 29 November 2023 in VMA (Army Medical Academy) due to pulmonary disease (later to understand it is a cancer in its latests stages). In his last days in hospital, the Holy Synod summoned all the Churches and people to pray fervently for the quick recovery of the patriarch through a miracle. Patriarch Neofit passed away silently his clean holy Soul to Christ on 13 of March 2024. His brother Proto-Psalt (associated professor) Dimitar also passed on on 11 January 2024.
Patriarch Neophytos and his brothre Proto-Psalt Dimitar
Protopsalt Dimitar Dimitrov a brother of the Patriarch passed just 2 days after a famous Metropolitan of Joanichius has passed away to Christ on 9 January 2024 in 82 years of old.
His Holiness Metropolitan Joanichius
Patriarch Neofit and Metropolitan Joanichius
The personality of Patriarch Neophytos was non-conflict, a lover of peace and compromises, anti-war (i would say pacifist in modern terms) and was among the few patriarchs not being in fear or influenced by the overall Church politics of the Russian Church and he publicly condemned the war as a great evil in his Theophany preach.
"The Lord God and the Holy Church bless only that army that does not show aggression, and whose sole purpose is to protect and defend its people and country within its internationally recognized territorial borders," said the patriarch for the feast of Epiphany water sanctification and sprinkling of battle flags.
The patriarch position was to try to reconcile the clergy and try to heal the misunderstandings and human conflicts between his God given flock of Priest, Monks, Bishops and Clergy with true fatherhood love, prayer and a lot of patience that we the people of 21 century miss so badly. With a lot of sadness we send our beloved Patriarch Neophytos (Neofit) of Bulgaria to the All Mighty God and Pray if he has received a Grace from God to Pray fervently and Always for us his poor pupils and childs!
God Have Mercy on the Soul of Patriarch Neophytos ! Blessed and Eternal to be his Memory ! Amen !
Recently we had an inteteresting Monitoring work task to achieve. We have an Application that is constantly simulating encrypted connections traffic to a remote side machine and sending specific data on TCP/IP ports. Communiucation between App Server A -> App Server B should be continous and if all is working as expected App Server A messages output are logged in the Application log file on the machine which by the way Runs Windows Server 2020.
Sometimes due to Network issues this constant reconnections from the Application S. A to the remote checked machine TCP/IP ports gets interrupted due to LAN issues or a burned Network Switch equipment, misconfiguration on the network due to some Network admin making stoopid stuff etc..
Thus it was important to Monitor somehow whether the log is growing or not and feed the output of whether Application log file is growing or it stuck to a Central Zabbix Server. To be able to better understand the task, lets divide the desired outcome in few parts on required:
1. Find The latest file inside a folder C:\Path-to-Service\Monitoring\Log\ 2. Open the and check it is current logged records and log the time 3. Re-open file in a short while and check whether in few seconds new records are written 4. Report the status out to Zabbix 5. Make Zabbix Item / Trigger / Action in case if monitored file is not growing
In below article I'll briefly explain how Monitoring a Log on a Machine for growing was implemented using a pure good old WIN .BAT (.batch) script and Zabbix Userparameter key
1. Enable userparameter script for Local Zabbix-Agent on the Windows 10 Server Host
Edit Zabbix config file usually on Windows Zabbix installs file is named:
[ zabbix_agentd.win ]
Uncomment the following lines to enable userparameter support for zabbix-agentd:
# Include=c:\zabbix\zabbix_agentd.userparams.conf
Include=c:\zabbix\zabbix_agentd.conf.d\
# Include=c:\zabbix\zabbix_agentd.conf.d\*.conf
2. Create folders for userparameter script and for the userparameter.conf
Before creating userparameter you can to create the folder and grant permissions
Folder name under C:\Zabbix -> zabbix_agentd.conf.d
If you don't want to use Windows Explorer) but do it via cmd line:
3. Create Userparameter with some name file ( Userparameter-Monitor-Grow.conf )
In the directory C:\Zabbix\zabbix_agentd.conf.d you should create a config file like: Userparameter-Monitor-Grow.conf and in it you should have a standard userparameter key and script so file content is:
4. Create the Batch script that will read the latest file in the service log folder and will periodically check and report to zabbix that file is changing
REM "SCRIPT MONITOR IF FILE IS GROWING OR NOT" @echo off
set work_dir=C:\Path-to-Service\Monitoring\Log\
set client=client Name
set YYYYMMDD=%DATE:~10,4%%DATE:~4,2%%DATE:~7,2%
set name=csv%YYYYMMDD%.csv
set mytime=%TIME:~0,8%
for %%I in (..) do set CurrDirName=%%~nxI
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set "line1=findstr /R /N "^^" %work_dir%\output.csv | find /C ":""
for /f %%a in ('!line1!') do set number1=%%a
set "line2=findstr /R /N "^^" %work_dir%\%name% | find /C ":""
for /f %%a in ('!line2!') do set number2=%%a
IF %number1% == %number2% (
echo %YYYYMMDD% %mytime% MAJOR the log is not incrementing for %client%
echo %YYYYMMDD% %mytime% MAJOR the log is not incrementing for %client% >> monitor-grow_err.log
) ELSE (
echo %YYYYMMDD% %mytime% NORMAL the log is incrementing for %client%
SETLOCAL DisableDelayedExpansion
del %work_dir%\output.csv
FOR /F "usebackq delims=" %%a in (`"findstr /n ^^ %work_dir%\%name%"`) do (
set "var=%%a"
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
set "var=!var:*:=!"
echo(!var! >> %work_dir%\output.csv
ENDLOCAL
)
)
To download GROW_LOG_MONITOR-USERPARAMETER.BAT click here. The script needs to have configured the path to directory containing multiple logs produced by the Monitored Application. As prior said it will, list the latest created file based on DATE timestamp in the folder will output a simple messages:
If the log file is being fed with data the script will output to output.csv messages continuously, either:
%%mytime%% NORMAL the log is incrementing for %%client%%
Or if the Monitored application log is not writting anything for a period it will start writting messages
%%mytime%%mytime MAJOR the log is not incrementing for %client%
The messages will also be sent in Zabbix.
Before saving the script make sure you modify the Full Path location to the Monitored file for growing, i.e.:
set work_dir=C:\Path-to-Service\Monitoring\Log\
5. Create The Zabbix Item
Set whatever service.check name you would like and a check interval to fetch the info from the userparameter (if you're dealing with very large log files produced by Monitored log of application, then 10 minutes might be too frequent, in most cases 10 minutes should be fine)
6. Create Zabbix Trigger
You will need a Trigger something similar to below:
Now considering that zabbix server receives correctly data from the client and the monitored log is growing you should in Zabbix:
%%mytime%% NORMAL the log is incrementing for %%client%%
7. Lastly create an Action to send Email Alert if log is not growing
While we were building a new machine that will serve as a Haproxy server proxy frontend to tunnel some traffic to a number of backends, came across weird oddity. The call requests sent to the haproxy and redirected to backend servers, were being written in the log twice.
Since we have two backend Application servers hat are serving the request, my first guess was this is caused by the fact haproxy tries to connect to both nodes on each sent request, or that the double logging is caused by the rsyslogd doing something strange on each received query. The rsyslog configuration configured to send via local6 facility to rsyslog is like that:
$ModLoad imudp $UDPServerAddress 127.0.0.1 $UDPServerRun 514 #2022/02/02: HAProxy logs to local6, save the messages local6.* /var/log/haproxy.log
The haproxy basic global and defaults and frontend section config is like that:
global log 127.0.0.1 local6 debug chroot /var/lib/haproxy pidfile /run/haproxy.pid stats socket /var/lib/haproxy/haproxy.sock mode 0600 level admin maxconn 4000 user haproxy group haproxy daemon
defaults mode tcp log global # option dontlognull # option httpclose # option httplog # option forwardfor option redispatch option log-health-checks timeout connect 10000 # default 10 second time out if a backend is not found timeout client 300000 timeout server 300000 maxconn 60000 retries 3
listen FRONTEND1 bind 10.71.80.5:63750 mode tcp option tcplog log global log-format [%t]\ %ci:%cp\ %bi:%bp\ %b/%s:%sp\ %Tw/%Tc/%Tt\ %B\ %ts\ %ac/%fc/%bc/%sc/%rc\ %sq/%bq balance roundrobin timeout client 350000 timeout server 350000 timeout connect 35000 server backend-host1 10.80.50.1:13750 weight 1 check port 15000 server backend-host2 10.80.50.2:13750 weight 2 check port 15000
After quick research online on why this odd double logging of request ends in /var/log/haproxy.log it turns out this is caused by the
log global defined double under the defaults section as well as in the frontend itself, hence to resolve simply had to comment out the log global in Frontend, so it looks like so:
listen FRONTEND1 bind 10.71.80.5:63750 mode tcp option tcplog # log global log-format [%t]\ %ci:%cp\ %bi:%bp\ %b/%s:%sp\ %Tw/%Tc/%Tt\ %B\ %ts\ %ac/%fc/%bc/%sc/%rc\ %sq/%bq balance roundrobin timeout client 350000 timeout server 350000 timeout connect 35000 server backend-host1 10.80.50.1:13750 weight 1 check port 15000 server backend-host2 10.80.50.2:13750 weight 2 check port 15000
Next just reloaded haproxy and one request started leaving only one trail inside haproxy.log as expected 🙂
Largest part of body holy relics of the saints are kept in the town of Lod city 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv in the Central District of Israel. Back in the history due to the emerging veneration for saint George by both Christians and Muslims the town was temporary holding the name Georgioupolis, while his head relics is kept in Rome. There is a coptic monastery in Cairo pretending to hold personal belongings of saint George. In Saint Catherine Monastery (Mount of Sinai) are kept the three fingers of the arm of st. George. Churches dedicated to the saint started being built across the Roman empire even in the fourth century quite soon after his martyrdom, highest concentration of monasteries in his honor were born in Palestine. Biographics (Living) of saint George are written by the Byzantine authors saint Andreas of Cretes (written in 8-th century), Arcadius of Cyprus, Teodoris Quaestor, saint Gregory of Cyprus, saint Saint Symeon the Metaphrast (written 10th century).
Saint Simeon Metaphrast (μεταφράξειν – translator and a historian of Byzantine empire passed on to Christ, 960 year famous for collecting and systemizing biographies of many saints, his works are important source of history on Byzantine empire)
Hundreds of Apocrypths are dedicated to the glorious living of the saint and his amazing miracles, written mainly in Latin, Greek, Syrac, Arabian, Coptic, Ethiopian and other multitude of other languages. The most famous apocrypha on saint is so called "Greek Vienna's Palimpsest" (5th century). as well as the "The Deeds of Saint George" (from 6-th century., as well as "The Martyrdom of George" etc. The Apocrypha's text are evidently full of hyperbolas and many unhistorical facts different from the true living facts of the saint. The fallacies and apocryphas have been condemned by the Decretum Gelasianum ( thought to be Decretal of the prolific Pope Gelasius I, bishop of Rome 492–496 ) as heretical and blemish for the memory of the saint.
The miracle of Saving the Princess from the Dragon (one of the many apocryphas tradition about st. George) – Depiction Decani Monastery Serbia
Saint great martyr George together with The Holy Theotokos Mother Mary is a protector of Georgia (the country near Russia and not the State of the US :)).
Georgian Metal carved ancient icon of saint George
In Georgia the local verbal tradition assigns a family relation with the first missionary and Baptizer of Georgia saint Nino. The first Church dedicated to saint George in Georgia is built in year 335 ! by King Mirian on the burial place of Saint Nino. In 1098 year saint George has been proclaimed protector of England, after appearing in a vision to the participants to Crusades of that time. One hundred years later during reign of Richard the Lion Heart the status of protector of the Army becomes an official in the West. In year 1222 The Synod of Oxford decides, that saint George is to be venerated throughout the whole kingdom of England on 23 of April (old style calendar) – 6th of May in the current Gregorian public calendar we use – still venerated on the same date in Bulgaria even to this day, while the remembrance day of the saint has been publicly proclaimed as labor free.
In 14th century he is proclaimed a protector of England. In the beginning of 20th century the creator of the Scout MovementLord Baden-Powell choose saint George for a protector of the Scouts. Saint George is considered protector of Moscow and Catalonia, until 18th century he was officially venerated as a protector of Portugal. In Greece he is venerated as agios Georgios, in Russia he is venerated under alternative names Jurij / Yurij (Юрий) and Egorij (Егорий). In year 1030 Grand prince of Kiev Yaroslav established in Kiev and Novgorod monasteries in honour of saint George (Yuriev Monastery) and gives an order the remembrance of saint George to be considered throughout Russian on 26th of November. The saint has been commonly depicted in Kings coins and seals. In Islam Saint George is famous under the name Djordjis (Djordjic).
His Living is translated in Arabian in the beginning of 8th century and through Arabian-Christians becomes popular among Arabian-muslims. In Arabian apocrypha text his biography is included in "The History of Prophets and Kings" from the 10-th century, where he is presented as a pupil of one of the apostles of Isa Īsā ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary). In the Islamic apocrypha st. George is said to have been put to tortures, but even though killed multiple times he always have been resurrected by Allah as a faithful servent. In some Arabian icons on the horse of saint George there is a small human figure with a muslim clothes and a water vessel at hand.
The iconography depicts also the miracle in Ramela that happened during a Church being built in dedication of Saint George, where one of the bought from far a stone pillar for the Church by a poor widow has been transferred by saint George miraculously via the sea by his all powerful prayer and placed to be the second Church holder right sight holder as well as the miracle when a Saracen Muslim soldier shoot towards the icon depiction of st George as an attempt to show that the saint icon is nothing more than a painted tree and immediately onwards his hand started unbearable hurting.
Saint George's (Aravijska)'s Miracle Making icon of Holy Mount Athos Zographous Monastery St. Mrtr. George the GloryBringer
The healing of the unberable came only after a Christian priest give the adive to the soldier to light up a sanctuary lamp in front of the same icon of saint George and to annoint himself with the oil from the burning chancel-lamp. After the miraculous healing the soldier confessed to be Christian and has been immediately punished with a maryrdom death. The name of the martyr is not preserved but the miraculous event is depicted on the arabian ancient icons.
Saint George the glorybringer in Church of saint George village Zlatolist (Bulgaria)
The Famous Miracle making icon of saint George from Hadji-Dimovo Monastery Bulgaria
Another interpretation of why there is depiction of a figure on the backside of the horse of saint George is the so called "Miracle of saint George with the Paphlagonian" that is connected with my homeland Bulgaria. The history says a young-man of Paphlagonia, who has been taken as acaptive by the bulgarians and given as a slave to a wealthy bulgarian nobleman from Preslav. Once when the slave was carrying vessel with a hot water to his master towards the second floor of the house, out of nowhere appeared saint George, he put him backwards on his horse and bring him back to Paphlagonia. In Paphlagonia at this time his parents were already serving a Memorial service for the forgiveness of the sins of their boy thinking he has been already killed in captivity. Being reunited with his parents the youngster thought he has been dreaming to see his parents again out of a sudden and what show him that the miracle translation of the boy from one location back to his parents was a reality was the vessel with water which was still held in his hand, thus as a remembrance of the miracle the boy is depicted on the back of saint George's horse.
There is much more to be said about this glorious saint, as there is plenty of miracles and stories monasteries and Churches events and venerations facts over the last 21 centuries in which the East and The World become Christian, but as the Gospel says it looks all the books on the world written won't be able to contain it.
Fix Oracle virtualbox Virtual Machine inacessible error in Linux / Windows Host OS
Say you have installed a Virtual Machine on a Host OS be it Windows 7 / 10 or some GNU / Linux / FreeBSD OS and suddenly after a PC shutdown / restart the Virtual machine shows as it couldn't be run by Ora Virtualbox anymore with a message of VM Machine "inaccessible", what is causing this and how to fix it?
This error is usually caused by the Guest Operating System's forceful behavior or an OS system crash such as sudden hang due to kernel error or due to sudden electricity drop. Whatever the reason if improper sending of termination process signals to Oracle Vbox are not properly handled this is causing the VBox to not recreate its own files and kill (close) the application of Oracle Virtualbox program in gracious way.
On Windows Virtualization Host OS the common files that needs to be tampered by Virtualbox are found under Virtualbox VMs\Name-of-VM:
If you have CentOS7 installed instead it will be under
C:\Users\\VirtualBox VMs\CentOS7
Usually under this dir you will find files which are with .vbox extension.
The virtual box files with extension .vbox contain metadata the virtualbox hypervisor requires to resolve the guest virtual OS' configuration. If the main .vbox file is corrupted (i.e. reporting that it is empty) then use the backup .vbox-prev file to recover the contents of the original file.
How to solve the Virtualbox inacessible weird error:
Usually under the Virtualbox VMs\VM_name you'll find a directory / filestructure like:
1. Considering .vbox is empty Rename the empty .vbox files a temporary name (e.g. rename VM_Name.vbox to VM_Name-empty.vbox). If you're unsure whether it is empty you can check by opening the file in a text editor and make sure it is empty.
2. Then make a copy of the backup file VM_Name.vbox-prev, where the copy will have the same name as the original but with the word "copy" appended to it (i.e. VM_Name.vbox-prev is renamed to VM_Name_copy.vbox-prev) as well as copy VM_Name.vbox-tmp to VM_Name_copy.vbox-tmp.
! Note that it is important to retain the original backup .vbox-prev file it should not be altered or itself renamed.
3. Now go rename the copy of the newly created .vbox-prev file VM_Name.vbox-prev to the name of the empty .vbox file (VM_Name.vbox).
Now that this is done you may add the .vbox file (guest os) back into the VBOX hypervisor.
If for some reason this did not work and you have a proper working copy of the Virtual Machine under VM_Name.vbox-tmp another approach to try is:
1. Go to your Virtualbox folder i.e. C:\Users\hipo\VirtualBox VMs\Ubuntu
2. Check for file extensions files Ubuntu.vbox-tmp or Ubuntu.vbox-prev needed are there.
3. Overwrite Ubuntu.vbox file with the -tmp one, Just rename file from Ubuntu.vbox-tmp to Ubuntu.vbox
4. Exit from Virtual Machine and Power it on again.
Hopefully this should recovered the state and snapshot of the "inaccessible" guest VM and you should now see error gone away and VM will work as before.
Saint Markianos (Saint Markian) and Martyrios are little known saints in the Western realm and there is too little of information in English about this two early martyrs who lived circa year 340. What is special about them is that besides being a strong confessors of the True Eastern Orthodox faith, they served in the Church as simple 'reader' and 'sub-deacon'. This two designations were very much respected in the early Church as sub-deacons were usually the ones who have served in the Church inseparable as a Church service helpers to the patriarchs or some high clergy as Metropolitans and Bishops. We have many saints in the Church that are from a simple warriors as Saint Georg and Saint Dimitrios the Wonderworker (The MyrhBringer) to monks, bishops, patriarchs and pretty much all kind of people from the society from the begger to the richest and most famous kings and queens. However it is rare to meet in the ( Act of the Martyrs – latin: Acta Martyrum), to find canonized saints that were in the lowest step in Church hierarchy as a simple 'psalm' and holy writtings reader or a sub-deacon. A Sub-deacon for those who don't know is a pearon that is a like a servant helper to the priest or bishop) that has been responsible for helping with the Church service and resolution of material and administrative needs of the christian community. Usually in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the church reader or sub-deacons were and asre still called hipodeacon or "ipodiakon" in Greek / Slavonic church language), they didn't have the right at that early ages of christianity to publicly teach on faith matters or do apologetics (defendings of faith), however this 2 saintly man Markianos and Martyrios seem to have been a burning with the power of the spirit of God in their heart and the situation they were put in when the Church was under persecution and the patriarch Paul of Constantinople I(was patriarch from 340 ~ 350 AD). Saint Paul removed from his Church headship sent to Exile in Armenia and some time after drawned. He is commemorated in the Church on 6th of November. Hence considering situation St. Markian and Martyrius had to either defend and die for the faith or be scared and run away far in the caves or distant places of the empire such as villages on the outskits far away from the center city Rome …
The Heresy of Arius has been the most modern and the new modified faith claiming Christianity gathering followers in a viral way, and due to that the Arians have been in position where most of the public authorities in the Roman empire has been on their side against the Orthodox Christians.
Due to that in the church communities in near and distant lands of empire, the Arians were fiercely persecuting the Orthodox, and for a time even Emperor Saint Constantine The Great were deceived by their hypocrisy. It was terrible times for true confessors of faith. But not only Arians were persecuting Christians, as paganism were still deeply rooted in many of the lands and the Edict of Mediolan who gave equal rights to the religion in AD 313 was not strictly followed and senators of Roman regions with Paganist beliefs, were also harshly raising persucutions against their enemies the Christians who according to them are destroying the ancient culture and beautfy of paganism, not venerating the old pagan gods and against the wicked debauchery customs who were followed by pagans in 3rd / 4th century.
Practically everyone who have admitted publicly Jesus Christ as a Creator of the World and a Son of God one hipostasys of the Holy Trinity God The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, were captured put to prison and quickly executed, if they don't turn out from their christian beliefs.
Arians has taken a lead even more with the set on the throne of Emperor Constantius II the son of Constantine I-st, as he has also fallen in the Arianism* heresy and who has taken in the court as a close advisory Eusebius and Philip who due to their half-pagan half-arian half superstitious understanding of the world have led a fierce war against Christianity and did a lot of evils to Christ Church.
* Arianism – believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God the Father, and is distinct from the Father (therefore subordinate to him), but the Son is also God the Son but not co-eternal with God the Father. Arian theology was first attributed to Arius (c. AD 256–336), a Christian presbyter in Alexandria of Egypt. saint-Markian-and-Saint-Martirios-cleargymen-church-martyrs-3rd-century.jpg Until dethronment of Patriarch Paul I, St. Markianos and St. Martyrios have been a notaries of St. Paul (a typist to the patriarch and a kind of personal secretaries of the Patriarch) besides serving as Church reader and sub-deacon. They were famous for their time with their warm preaching of the Words of God – the Gospel of the Christ following the example of the apostles. Due to the raising heresies they also take an active part in writting many documents against the heretical "arians" and so called "macedonians" who teached anti-christian teachings who were newly invented and unknown to the ancient church teachings. They've had a special gift from God to be able to speak in a way to defend the faith so noone with his knowledge or high-education couldn't stand overcome them in disputes on church matters and many times they have disputed with Arian heretics exposing their fallacy (delusions) putting them to shame.
After the exile of Patriarch Paul heresy-archs arians turned their poisonous hatred against the patriarch two pupils Markianos and Martyrios. Craftly acting they acted slyly with a craftul lie and promised them a lot of gold a good place in the emperor's court, to raise them in the church hierarcy (in the part of the church which was already confessing arian heresy) and give them a lot of privileges from the king with the condition to accept, support and confess arianism.
But God's servents despised everythingfrom this world, rejected the offered golden gifts, preferred eternal Heavenly honors than short and vain worldly and even laughed at them.
As Arians saw nothing can't convince them to their malice teaching, heretics condemned them to death, which was desired by the confessors (which remembered well the exile and the manly martyrdom of their teacher St. Patriarch Paul) and with all their being desired to be with Christ in the Eternal prepared palaces, where life will be without end in never ending bliss as promised by Christ in the Holy Scriptures. They preferred Christ more than the temporary life enjoyments.
When brought to the place of the execution of their false made accusement and sentence for being blasphemers of Christ, two saints asked for a small time to pray. Brough up their eyes to the heaven and prayed with the words:
" – Oh Lord, who have unseenly created our hearts, who arrange all our deeds – "He formed the hearts of them all; he understands everything they do." (Psalm 33:15), receive with peace the souls of your servents, because we're mortified for your name – "Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." (Psalm 44:22). We're joyful that you give us such a death, we depart from this life because of your name. Let us to participate in the eternal life in You, the source and giver of life."
Praying with this words, they bowed their holy heads and under sword and was killed by beheading by the unfortunate arians because of their confession of the divinity of Christ as true uncreated Son of God who existed before all ages before the creation of the world as we Christians believe to this date.
Some of the Christians took their holy relics and buried them outside the Melandissia Gate of the Constantinople. Later Saint John of Chrysostom built a church in their name over the place of their miracle-working relics. There the sick for many ages received divine healings of different incurable diseases by the prayers of the holy martyrs of God, Praised in Trinity in all ages.
By the prayers of your Holy Martyrs St. Markianos and Martyrios Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us !
The inhabitants of Thracia are of a great and royal origin and due to recent historical studies, Thracians have been one of the most developed nations for its time they're developments and achievements especially in crafts such as vessel creation even up to day are perhaps the most unique. It is still unknown of the exact technology used to create such a elegant and precise vessels. A little is known of the Thracians society as they have reached their bloom in a high speed and the place of the later Roman Empire province Thracia has been in a place where it was destroyed to the ground and robbed at multiple times eradicating unique piece of one of the best created ever forms of art. Territories of Thrakia has been geographically today located in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea to the east.
Territy of Thracia shown on a contemporary European (Balkans Maps)
One of the most famous piece of such art is the World Famous Thracian's Treasuary.
The thrakians Empire and civillization has its bloom from 5th – 4th century before Christ era (B.C.). Saint Petka of Epivates region Thrakia was of a Bulgarian origin and lived much later in Xth – XI-th century A.D in Thracia. It is known she was of Bulgarian origin (her mother and father was of Bulgarian origin.) of the first generations who has received in 9-th century Baptism, in the times of the Baptism of Bulgaria conducted by the Apostle equal Saint King Boris I the Baptizer of Bulgaria in year 864 AD. Thracians as an ancient and a blessed nation in craftship and arts was among the nations who received baptism on a good 'soil', as the seed of beauty and goodness has already been in their civillization.
The short Living of Saint Petka of Bulgaria (of Epivates)
Out of this Christian atmosphere has rised Saint Petka also known as (Parashkeva). Saint Petka name means literally translated Friday and due to being born in Thracia on today territory of Balkans she is been venerated highly not only in Bulgaria but across all Orthodox Christians nations on the Balkans – Bulgarians, Romanians, Serbs, Greeks, Macedonians. Due to that Saint Petka is also famous as "Saint Petka of The Bulkans". Saint Petka could be therefore heard to be called often Petka of Serbs (of Belgrade), Saint Petka of Moldova (of Iași), Mother Paraskeva / Parashkeva, Parascheva the New, Parascheva the Young, Ancient Greek: Ὁσία Παρασκευὴ ἡ Ἐπιβατινή, Greek: Οσία Παρασκευή η Επιβατινή ή Νέα, Romanian: Cuvioasa Parascheva, Bulgarian / Serbian : Света Петка / Sveta Petka or Петка Параскева / Petka Paraskeva, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, Parascheva of Tirnovo).
The first information about her living is found in a local educated person (writter) which as of the time were too little and writter in Greek in short. It did not follow the Church cannons and due to that by an order of Patriarch of Constantinople Nikolas IV Musalon of Constantinople deacon Vaslik has described in a more well systemized way her living, the Greek original unfortunately is now lost. At the time of writting her biography, she has been mostly popular in the realms of Byzantine Empire Thracia.
The Bulgarian Empire during the reign of Ivan Asen II. Atlas of Dimitar Rizov year 1917
Since the time of King Ivan Asen II a new biogprahy of saint has been written in Bulgarian which included narration of the transfer of her holy relics to Medieval Capital of Bulgaria Tarnovo. However peak and the key towards the immerse veneration to St. Petka that is evident to this very date has played the biography written by last Bulgarian Patriarch also a saint – st. Euthymius of Tarnovo. in year 1385 AD short before the fall under Turkish Slavery of Bulgaria in y. 1393.
Saint Patriarch Eutymious was the last person who in 1393 has actively parcipated in the protection of the fortified Tarnovo and see with his eyes the fall down of the city (by treachery).
When asked by the terrified people 'To whom do you leave us holy father, when the Turkish were taking him away?' He replied heart tearingly 'To the Holy Trinity The Father, The Son and The Holy Trinity our God I leave you and to the most Blessed Mother of God Theotokos now and For Eternity !!!'
Saint Patriarch Eutymius (Evtimij) blessing the people in Medieval Bulgarian city Tarnovo for a last time before the Turkish took him away for imprisonment Picture source Pravoslavieto.com
St Euthymius of Tarnovo work is one of the most unique bibliographies and a precious piece of medieval literature it is innovative for its time and spectacular, emotion rich creation, who become famous far before the borders of Bulgaria in the whole Slavonic world of that time, especially in todays territory of ex soviet countries Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and even far Russia.
Saint Patriarch Eutymious of Bulgaria Picture source Pravoslavieto.com
The veneration of Saint Petka of Bulgaria as a protector of family and a warm prayerer for all those who venerate her in this country has slowly spread in the coming centuries by pupils of St. Euthymius of Tarnovo who according to some historians whose works came to us in the form of the a bit more standardized Church Slavonic used in the Eastern Orthodox Churches as a fruit of the works of St. Euthymus.
The Living of Saint Petka Parashkeva
Saint Petka Parashkeva Picture source Pravoslavieto.com
Tropion 4-th voice
Desertous and silent living you loved after Christ your groom, diligently you ran to and his good yoke you took in your younghood, with the Sign of the Cross against the thought enemies you have manly armed, with fasting feats and prayer and with tear drops the coals of passions extinguished oh highly famed Paraskevo. And now in the Heavenly halls with the wise virgins you stay in front of Christ, pray for us who venerate your holy remembrance.
Kontakion, voice 6
Let us piusly sung our reverend mother Saint Petka, because by living the corruptable in live, received the imperishable in eternity, becoming holy intercessor for all in trouble and exhausting from the evils of life. For the reason she received from God imperishable fame, glory and grace to be a wonder worker.
NB ! St. Petka of Epivates has not to be confused with Saint Petka (from Inokia who lived in 303 AD venerated on 28 of October) or St Petka the Roman (feast day 26 July).
St. Petka's has been born in city of Epivates in Byzantium (today city called Selim Pasha nearby Odrin's Aegian City) in 10-th Century from a famous and respectful family, her father Nikita has been very rich landowner.
She lived in the second part of X-th century. According to hear living by Patriarch Eutymious, her smaller brother Eutymious who become a monk has been a Metropolitan of Maditos for 40 years and in year (989 – 996) died aged 81 and is shortly after canonized as saint, his younger sister St. Paraskeva passed away after him in the new 11-th century and is aged at least 85 in the time of passing in the city of Kallikrateia.
The living continues that near the age of 10 year old she heard in a Christian temple a voice by Jesus Christ himself in resemblance to Saint Apostle Paul and said the Evangelical New Testamental words: "Whoever wants to walk after me, let him deny himself, to take his cross and follow me !".
The unexpected vision convinced the young Paraskeva to immediately exchange her new clothes to a beggers to leave all her belongings to the poor and live a silent living similarto begger for a time in work and prayer, though she did not leave her parents home. On a few occasions all she had worked for has been distributed to the poor.
Greek typical depiction of Saint Petka of Epivates
When her parents died, her brother as already a monk and Bishop. St. Petka leave her house and travelled to Constanople and received a nun tonsure and as a nun she lived for 5 years near the deserted Church of the "Protection of the Virgin Mary" in the capital suburb of Heraklia. She travelled to the Holy lands visiting Jerusalem and Church of Holy Sepulchre. Following the example of the blessed famed Saint Mary of Egypt, she lived in Jordan's desert many years till eldership.
Feeling and foreseeing her death, she travelled back through Constantinople to city of Epivates. Settle near the Church "Holy Apostles", where after 2 years of living in deep prayer and fasting labours living in solitary in holiness passed away silently to Christ in heavenly life. Compassionate Christians immediately buried her body of the nun outside of the city walls as a foreigner. A shortly after numerous miracles started happening on her grave.
Saint Petka Parashkeva Bulgarian Icon from Klisura Monastery located nearby Sofia Bulgaria
In 1230 King Ivan Asen II the most powerful South-eastern European ruler demanded from the the Knights of the Crusaders to submit him her holy relics who are found still in Tracian city Kaliakratea ruled at that time by the Holy Latin Empire. King Ivan Asen II together with the patriach Joachim the first receives her holy relics with honor and settles her incorruptabilities into the newly creates Church in honour of herself St. Petka behind Tsarevets Fortress. Saint Petka became from that point considered as a protectress of the city, the throne and the country. Her holy relics arrived from Kallikrateia in Tarnovo, the Capital of Second Bulgarian Empire in year 1230 AD, she has been thus called Paraskeva of Tarnovo and has been venerated as a protectress of the Tarnovo city the Bulgarian nation and the country. The attitude towards Saint Petka Tarnovska as a protectress of Bulgarian nation and contry is been clearly seen by the mention in the Bulgarian and International acts (documents) and manuscripts of that XII – XII century.
Romanian Monks and Priests venerate the holy relics of Saint Petka of Epivates in Iashi Romania
In subsequent years, St. Petka Paraskevi’s holy relics were transferred to various churches in the region.
In 1393 due to the fall of Bulgarian capital to save them her holy relics were transferred to fortress of Bdin today city of Vidin Bulgaria, but 3 years later 1396 Vidin's fortress also fall under the ungodly yatagan of the muslim enslaver and to protect the relics they were again transferred to Belgrade, specifically the Ružica Church. When Belgrade fell to Ottoman forces in 1521, the relics were transferred to Constantinople. In 1641, the relics were transferred to Trei Ierarhi Monastery, in Iaşi, Moldavia (nowadays, eastern part of Romania). In 1888, they were transferred to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Iaşi.
Since 1888 they are kept in Romanian city of Iaşi and are a target of pilgrims from all around Romania, Bulgaria and other Orthodox Christian countries of the Balkans. For the day her memory is remembered in the Romanian Church usually about 200 000 people mostly from Romania and others travel to Iaşi's Cathedral in the Trei Ierarhi Monastery (Three Hierarchs – saint John Crysostom, St. Basilius the Great and St. Gregory the Great) of the for a blessing and to beg the saint for her families, personal issues, curings especially of eye diseases
A severe drought in 1946-47 affected Moldavia, adding to the misery left by the war. Metropolitan Justinian Marina permitted the first procession featuring the coffin containing the relics of Saint Paraskevi, kept at Iaşi since then. The relics wended their way through the drought-deserted villages of Iaşi, Vaslui, Roman, Bacău, Putna, Neamţ, Baia and Botoşani Counties. The offerings collected on this occasion were distributed, based on Metropolitan Justinian's decisions, to orphans, widows, invalids, school cafeterias, churches under construction, and to monasteries in order to feed the sick, and old or feeble monks.
In the historical document with Venezia as of (year 1347), King Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria swears in the name of most holy considered matters, the document says – quote "in the name of God, The Most Holy Theotokos, The Holy Cross and The Most Holy Paraskeva of Tarnovo".
Since Second Bulgarian Kingdom, St. Petka has been venerated as a main patroness and protector of Bulgarian nation and country, protectress of countries of Moldova, Romania and Bulgarian cities of Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo and Troyan.
In Bulgaria it is an old tradition to name our childs in favour of Saint Petka, my grand-grand mother God Forgive us has also been called Parashkeva in favor of Saint Petka.
Holy Mother Petka Paraskeva (Parashkevo) Pray the Lord Jesus Christ to have mercy on All us the sinners !
