site.btaHistoric Church Manuscript Donated to Bulgarian Consulate in Edinburgh to Be Returned to Bulgaria

A book of presumed significant historical value, which left Bulgaria by unknown means, has been donated to the Bulgarian Consulate in Edinburgh and will be returned to Bulgaria, the diplomatic mission said on its Facebook page.

“The Consulate of the Republic of Bulgaria in Edinburgh received a valuable donated book that left our country by unknown means and is believed to have considerable historical significance,” the institution said.

The Consulate added that it has taken steps to ensure the relic is returned to Bulgaria and handed over to the competent authorities in Sofia.

“We have done everything possible to ensure that the artifact is returned to the homeland as quickly as possible and transferred to the authorities in Sofia and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the statement further said.

After an expert assessment by specialists, the book is expected to be stored in an appropriate spiritual or cultural centre so that it can be made accessible to the public in Bulgaria and to Bulgarians abroad.

The donated manuscript is a typikon – a liturgical rulebook of the Orthodox Church that defines the order, rules and sequence of services throughout the church year. The typikon contains instructions for daily services, major feasts, fasting periods and liturgical specifics, as well as guidance for priests and church singers.

The Consulate said that the document was consecrated by prominent Bulgarian clergymen from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Gregory of Dorostol and Cherven, Dositheus of Samokov, and Konstantin of Vratsa.

“We will inform Bulgarians abroad where the typikon will be kept and what its future status will be, once the relevant authorities assess the condition of the book,” the Bulgarian Consulate in Edinburgh explained.