The Cave of Venerable Cosmas

This is the cave where in the 14th century the Venerable Cosmas of Zograf lived. It is located about 40 minutes’ walk away on the path to the Hilandar Monastery. After the miracle with the icon of the Mother of God “The Hearer” (Epakouousa), St. Cosmas withdrew into the wilderness, where he lived in a cave. The cave can be reached by steps carved into the rock. It has two rooms. One room has remained unchanged to this day and the other has been designed as a prayer corner. In the first room, there is a tomb, although after the death of the Saint the brothers did not find his body.

Both in this and in the neighboring caves, ruins of cell walls can be seen - apparently, many hermits have lived here over the centuries. Of these, Venerable Pimen of Zograf and Venerable John of Vishnya and Mt. Athos, activist against Uniatism (c. 1630), particularly stand out. The fruits of their immense spiritual labor are still visible today not only in Bulgaria, but also in Macedonia and Ukraine.