The Church of St. St. Peter and Pavel"

The Church of St. St. Peter and Pavel", also called Lyaskov Monastery, is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery, part of the Veliko Tarnovo Diocese. The monastery was built in the 12th century, probably after the reconstruction of a small fortress. In the late 14th century the monastery was destroyed by Ottoman invaders and rebuilt, looted and burned several times. The monastery is closely connected with several remarkable historical events related to the national liberation struggles of the Bulgarian people. In 1874, Bishop Clement of Branitsa opened the first Bulgarian theological school, in 1878 the Slavic Charity Committee established an orphanage in the monastery, and from 1902 to 1912 the monastery was converted into a shelter for the mentally ill. In 1947, Metropolitan Sophrony restored the Мonastic virgin brotherhood, and in 1980 the present bell tower was built. Apart from the building of the Theological Seminary, the other buildings were constructed after the earthquake of 1913.