History of the church community
1952-2000
The building of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has been a church since 1952. The church was called the Resurrection of Christ part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) until 2000 and was founded by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, who at that time was the metropolitan for the Russian Church Outside of Russia in Western Europe. Before that, the building was a school, and before that, the neighborhood cemetery was on this site.
St. John also founded the churches of St. Mary of Egypt (Amsterdam), the Intercession of the Virgin (Arnhem), and the monastery of St. John the Baptist in The Hague. The churches in Amsterdam and Arnhem, and the Monastery are still currently functioning.
2000-2007
In 2000, Father Rumen Kalaidzhiev, at the initiative of President Petar Stoyanov, established the Bulgarian Orthodox Community in The Hague, with the first liturgy being celebrated on June 18, 2000, Pentecost, in the building of the Bulgarian Embassy in The Hague. On November 19, 2000, the church community began to use the premises used by the Russian Church Abroad, and then the first liturgy was celebrated in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church "St. St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel". The church community also received the blessing of the Western and Central European Metropolitan Simeon. The Russian Church Abroad "Resurrection of Christ" in The Hague ceased its activities. At that time, Father Rumen was an attaché to the Bulgarian Embassy in The Hague. In 2007, Father Rumen returned to Bulgaria due to illness. In Bulgaria, he served as a priest in Dobrinishte at the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
2008-2024
In 2008, Father Yoan Manev became the head of the community.
He is a priest of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Community in The Hague St. Paisius of Hilendar at the church "St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from 2008 to 2024. His great merit is to preserve the temple in The Hague as Bulgarian, by building a chapel "St. John the Wonderworker of Rila" next to it.
He was a cleric of our Western and Central European diocese for more than fifteen years until his death on August 2, 2024, and he is credited with finding his own church for our Orthodox community, which was purchased in 2018 with the support of the Bulgarian state and the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony.
In 2018, Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe awarded him the distinction of steward.
Father Yoan Manev was born on June 16, 1966 in the town of Gabrovo to a family of a kindergarten teacher and an engineer. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Hilarion of Trajanopol (later Metropolitan of Dorostol), then vicar of Metropolitan Stefan of Veliko Tarnovo, in the monastery "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker" in the village of Arbanasi in 1993. He took his first steps as a priest together with Father Bogomil Kasabov in the church "St. John the Baptist" in Gabrovo. He served with dignity in the churches "St. Prophet Elijah" in the village of Bozhentsi, Gabrovo, and "St. John the Rila Wonderworker" in the Gabrovo district "Bichkinya", where he is also the chairman.
2018-
By notarial transfer on March 28, 2018, a perpetual right to use church property in The Hague was established for the needs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in The Hague "St. St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel". The contract was signed by the Western and Central European Metropolitan Anthony in the presence of the Bulgarian Ambassador to The Hague Rumen Alexandrov. The parties to the contract are the Municipality of The Hague and the Western and Central European Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate. The owner of the property is the Western and Central European Diocese, which leases the church for management and use to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Community "St. Venerable Paisius of Hilendar" in The Hague.
The acquisition of the property by the Western and Central European Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate was carried out with the assistance of the Bulgarian Embassy in The Hague, and funds for the purchase of the property were provided by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria.
In addition to Metropolitan Anthony, Father Yoan, and the then ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, we should not forget the contribution of Ms. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Kyoseva - legal advisor to the Holy Synod, and Ms. Boryana Petkova - Master of Dutch Law from the University of Leiden which also have merit for this God-pleasing work.
Since the end of 2024, Father Nikolay has been at the head of our church community.