The Syanovo monastery “St. Marina” is situated in a beautiful valley close to the village of Syanovo in the Tutrakan region.

According to an old legend, a town called Paskalya, after which the area became known as Paskaluka, was once rising close to the monastery. Three monasteries were situated in the neighbourhood of this town – “St. Marina”, known for its holy spring, “St. Nikola” and “St. Mina”. Their fate remains unclear but it is widely believed that the cloisters were set on fire and destroyed during the Ottoman invasion in Bulgaria. Stone plates, human bones and piece of mortal are still being uncovered in the area during agricultural campaigns.

In 1911, the water of “St. Marina”’s holy spring sprang out again and pilgrims started to return to the holy place. The news about the curative power of the holy spring spread out quickly and the spring was captured. In 1943, Dimitar Mirchev Petkov was appointed as parish priest for the village of Syanovo. During the same year, he, together with two other priests, performed a holy sermon at the spring, and after washing with its waters, Dimitar Petkov was cured from rheumatic pains. After that happened, father Dimitar decided to rebuild the monastery. With the help of donations by Christians who visited the holy spring, a chapel was built above the spring in 1994-1945. Besides, three rooms where pilgrims can be sheltered, were erected, too, with the help of a donation by Donka Hlebarova from the village of Nova Cherna. A civil guard from the village of Stambolovo was also appointed. The guard arrived to the monastery with a paralised arm and a paralised leg, but after a week’s treatment with the waters from the holy spring, he was cured completely and refused remuneration for his service.

On the church’s holiday, July 30, 1945, the day of St. Marina (old style), a holy service was performed by priests from neighbouring villages and other eparchies that was attended by some 5,000 pilgrims. Around the year 1950, a nun named Tekla (with the secular name of Kapka Stoeva Ivanova) arrived at the monastery and took care of it. Unfortunately, the nun was raped and killed in 1960. Her deed was taken over by another nun for a short period of time but soon thereafter, the monastery was abandoned and started dilapidating. The idea for restoration of the monastery resurrected in 1991. The holy spring was uncovered and a new chapel was built over it. A small building was constructed, too. Each year, on the church’s holiday – St. Marina – many a man flock to the monastery from all parts of the country.

During our visit to the monastery in May, 2008, clerical men from the town of Rousse had undertaken (voluntarily, as we understood) large-scale repair works at the main building with the aim of restoring the monastery. At present, the monastery does not have a church, but a small chapel is arranged in one of the rooms, where visitors can light a candle.

Neither food, nor accommodation is offered.

In order to reach the monastery, one needs to take the main road from Tutrakan to Rousse and then drive down an offroad to the left that leads to the village of Syanovo. A dirty, but passable road then leads from the village to the monastery.