Tags: Saint.
Saint John of Rila (Bulgarian: Свети Йоан (Иван) Рилски sveti Ioan Rilski) (876 – c. 946) was the first Bulgarian hermit. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. The legend surrounding him tells of wild animals that freely came up to him and birds that landed in his hands. His followers founded many churches in his honor including the famous Rila Monastery. One of these churches St Ivan Rilski was only discovered in 2008 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo.
