The place Rupite is located in southwest Bulgaria, 7 km from the town of Petrich. The main attractions of the area are hot springs, as well as the only long-extinct volcano called Kozhukh, and, of course, a place of power that was revered by the world-famous prophetess Vanga.
Biography. Vangelia Pandeva Gushcherova was born in Macedonia on October 3, 1911 in the village of Strumitsa. Translated from ancient Greek, the name of the fortuneteller means “bringer of good news.” At the age of 12, she lost her sight during a hurricane. At the age of 28, according to her, in a dream she met a horseman who pointed out her future - to predict and help people. After 1970, Vanga chose a valley near Petrich to build a house there. The prophetess received people there, and in the evening she went home to her family in Petrich. There is a Vanga Museum in the city at Petrich, st. “Vanga”, house 10. The museum contains more than 3 thousand exhibits, including gifts for the healer and photographs from the family archive.
In 1996, at the age of 85, Vanga died on August 3 in a hospital in Sofia. She bequeathed her entire house and savings to the Bulgarian state. At first, the house was sealed because some relatives were laying claim to a considerable inheritance. In 2014, the complex was opened to the public. At one time, Vanga predicted many important events, such as the death of Stalin, the terrorist attack of collapsed towers in the United States, and the tragedy of the Kursk submarine. After Vanga’s death, many rumors and unverified facts began to circulate around her story; we will not list them in the article and desecrate good memory.
Memorial Complex. There is a market along the road to the Memorial complex. Bulgarians sell honey (be careful when purchasing), ceramics, and religious goods. There is a free toilet and parking on site. Financial support for the complex is provided by a fund founded by Vanga during his lifetime.
When approaching the complex, a fork will await you. To the right are the mineral springs, to the left is the complex itself with the museum. It is worth saying that immersion in mineral springs is offered on a paid and free basis. Both options look pretty bad at the moment and are in decline. If you want to feel the power of a hot spring, we advise you to dip your hands or feet into the stream on the territory of the memorial complex. In addition, there is the opportunity to get free peeling from tiny fish fry. In general, the water on the territory of the complex is considered highly mineralized, as indicated by numerous signs; it should be drunk very moderately.
Park in the complex. To the left of the entrance you will find a monument to the prophetess; it was made in 2011 by sculptor Emil Popov. Not far to the right of the temple is Vanga's grave, surrounded by a stream and thick reeds of bamboo stems. In this area of the park there is also the well-known church “Sveta Petka Bulgarska”. The architects (B. Tomalevsky and L. Lozanov) completed the construction project completely free of charge. The temple was built with the blessing of the Nevrokop Metropolitan. The painting of the temple presents the viewer with images of people who came to Vanga for help. There is an opinion that the artist (Svetlin Rusev) did not follow the canons of church painting accurately enough, as a result of which parishioners feel the insufficient holiness of the place. In turn, Vanga did not hide the fact that she could not determine what kind of entities help her with the gift of foresight, which is perhaps why the Orthodox Church refused to cover it. Behind the temple there is a large museum “Vangi Exhibition Hall” with archival photographs and video materials on the topic.
Vanga’s house is located in the central part of the park; it is also open to guests of the complex. Nearby there is a pond with turtles and fish, the hot spring allows them to feel comfortable even in winter. Peacocks are bred in the park, but for some reason they are kept in small cages; the birds languish indoors, while park guests feel “unity with nature” and think about beauty.
Working hours. The complex is open daily from 8.00 - 17.00.
At 10.00 on Fridays and weekends you can catch services in the Church of Sveta Petka Bulgarska.