Photo: The set of "The Hermit of Rila" is inspired by the caves inhabited by St. John of Rila above the Ruen Monastery. Photo: Ploshtad Slaveikov

The cave of John of Rila recreated in front of "Alexander Nevsky"

Patriarch Daniil will attend the first performance of "The Hermit of Rila" in front of the temple-monument

Not one, but two caves have been sculpted in front of the Alexander Nevsky temple-monument in the centre of the capital. The caves are part of the spectacular set of the Sofia Opera and Ballet's spectacle "The Hermit of Rila", which will have three performances – on 26, 27 and 28 July. Today the event was presented to the media by the team headed by the director of the Opera Plamen Kartaloff and in the presence of the mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev.

The director of the spectacle Plamen Kartaloff is the author of the scenography – for the outdoor performances a new set was created, inspired by the monastery of St. John of Rila in the rocks above the Ruen Monastery. The assistant of Acad. Kartaloff's assistant in the set design is Nela Stoyanova, it is designed to look like an extension of the temple. The model was designed by Kristian Stoyanov and then produced in the studios of the New Boyana Film Center.

The stage will be located between the two caves, at the bottom of which will be visible the main entrance to Alexander Nevsky. The set will also "come alive" with Electric.me's multimedia.

On the right is the recreated cave of John of Rila in Skrino, explained to "Ploshad Slaveykov" Nela Stoyanova. The rock in which the saint's cave was carved rises 6.5 metres in front of Alexander Nevsky. The cave to the left of the square was inspired by the Albotin rock monastery. The chorus members will be stationed there during the performance. In the middle between the two caves of the stage there will be a winding forest path that leads to the temple (even literally, to the entrance of the Patriarchal Cathedral), to faith and light.

Acad. Plamen Kartaloff also took inspiration from an icon in the Rila Monastery, depicting the meeting between Tsar Peter and St. John of Rila – the two were a great distance apart, on two adjacent hills.

Visualization of the scenography of "The Hermit of Rila" created by Nela and Kristian Stoyanov

Visualization of the set design of "The Hermit of Rila"

A day before today's meeting with the media, Acad. Plamen Kartaloff visited the Rila Monastery to receive the blessing for the venture from the Abbot Bishop Evlogy. And Bishop Cyprian of Stara Zagora will conduct the first two performances in the square – on 26 and 27 July. On the third night, Zhorzh Dimitrov will take the conductor's stand.

"The Hermit of Rila" is a musical poem composed by Father Kiril Popov (Stavrophore oikonomos) on a text by Tihomir Pavlov. The orchestration is by Georgi Strezov.

Father Kiril Popov (in the foreground), composer of the musical poem "The Hermit of Rila", behind him (from left to right) the set designer Kristian Stoyanov, Bishop Cyprian, Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, the mayor of the capital Vasil Terziev, the actor Irinei Konstantinov. Photo: Ploshtad Slaveikov.