Rila Charter of Ivan Shishman

A pious thing, most pleasing and praiseworthy for every Christ-loving tsar, is this: to love and to hold a burning desire toward the holy and divine churches in which the images of the God-Man and of His saints are painted; for the tsar is adorned with a crown, with many precious stones and pearls, but also with piety and faith toward God and with reverence for His holy churches. Therefore my empire too, which holds by God's anointing and by angelic tradition the throne of the tsars fallen asleep in holiness — for the sake of pious Christianity and warm love toward God, and reverence for His holy churches, His divine image and all His saints, but most of all for the renewal, remembrance and almsgiving of the first-throned tsars of the Bulgarian throne fallen asleep in holiness — for all this my empire was pleased to grant this seemly and ever-present golden-sealed word to the monastery of the holy father John of Rila, which lies at the place called Rila, for all its villages and metochia, and all its possessions and rights, both new and old.

And these are the villages of the holy father John of Rila: the hamlets of Varvara, Chrutov dol, Krachino, Bulgarino, Badino, Driska and Gagan (which is a mountain); Orlitsa, a monastery metochion, up to Bruzhdim, and to the height of Bruzhdim, to the height of Lohotitsa, and down Lohotitsa into the Rila and across the Rila up the mountain of Mareshnitsa, to Buduritsa, to Kamenitsa, down Kamenitsa into the Rila, and up the Rila to Bruzhdim. Besides, also the fields and vineyards lying to the right of Tsarev vir, by the Church of the Mother of God, to St Procopius of the two stones, and down the Rila to Varvara, to St Elijah, to Gabrovets, and along the bank to St George and to St Michael the Archangel, to Driska and up to the fortress, again high above Tsarev vir — all these are the monastery's. And besides, Lomnitsa, the village of Krushevitsa and Armenitsa, and the fields above the village of Pastra up the Rila — all of it the monastery's. Likewise the village of Bozovo, the village of Debar, Ablanovo, Pastra, the village of Gnidobratsko and the priests of Razlog, the village of Leshko, the village of Selishte, the village of Drenov dol, the fort of Tserovo, the village of Dolene, the village of Gradechnitsa — with the people by name: the priest Todor with his children and kin, and Petar Teodosov with his brothers, and all the rights of this place. Likewise the middle mountain whence the Rila flows, to Zlana, to Lepshor, and to the river Iliyna where it joins the Rila, and from Lepshor to Komarevski peak, to Kamen peak, to Tsarev peak, to Shipochen, to the monastery metochion, and to the right of the town of Stob, in the Rila, and down the Rila into the Struma, and up the Struma to the German river, and up the German to Bulgarino, and up Bulgarino to Pesi preskok, to Agupovi kolibi, to Shaak, to the Fish Lake, to Prekukovitsa, and back to the Rila mountain. And over all these lands let this hermit John of Rila hold inalienable authority upon the showing of this golden-sealed word of my empire. And further this: wherever there are hamlets, or hayfields, or mills, or mill-sites, or fisheries, or vineyards, or fields, or any holdings whatsoever belonging to these hamlets and these people under the authority of this monastery of my empire — over all of them let this monastery of St John hold inalienable authority.

My empire, with clean and clear release, frees all the people of this monastery, so that none may trouble them — that is, sevasts, praktors, primikyurs and alagators, nor judges, nor perperakioi, nor grain-collectors, nor wine-collectors, nor tithe-collectors of bees, swine and sheep, nor apodohators, nor komises, nor strators, nor senars, nor billeting-men (mitata), nor falconers (kraguyari), nor houndsmen (kuchkari), nor fort-builders (gradari), nor salt-men, tax-farmers and searchers, nor any other of all the boyars and servants of my empire, great or small, who are sent out at any time for any taxes and services of my empire — none of them may trouble the people of the holy father, nor their fields, whether in the plain or in the mountains, nor take any of his men into service, nor their labourers, nor take their oxen for forced labour, nor their horses, nor their cattle. Further this too: none of them may enter by force into the villages and among the people of this monastery to take bread by force, nor to kill birds, nor so much as to set foot in their yard, but all are to be driven off and kept far away upon the showing of this golden-sealed word. Likewise the town of Stob is to have no authority over the monastery's people or their holdings, not by a hair. Further this: if any of the monastery's people go about with goods for their trade throughout the whole realm of my empire, let him buy and sell freely and unhindered by anyone, and let no toll (kumerk) be taken from him, nor passage-due (diavato), nor anything else. Further this: if any fine (aerico) falls due in the monastery's district, let this monastery of the holy father take it all in full, and let no one else have authority to take it. And so let this monastery of my empire, “Saint John the Hermit,” abide with all the estates listed above, free and untroubled by anyone, as long as the sun shines upon the earth and as long as my empire lives.

When my empire saw the beauty and pure freedom of this monastery of my empire and all its estate, held from forefathers and grandfathers, from the parents of my empire — the tsar Asen and tsar Kaliman fallen asleep in holiness, and from all the Bulgarian tsars, forefathers, grandfathers and parents of my empire — and seeing this freedom, my empire granted this monastery this seemly and ever-present golden-sealed word, when the people of this monastery came to my empire in the land of my empire at Sredets, that no one might force them, not by a hair, but that they be free by the command of my empire in all their rights and every estate, new and old, and abide with all their possessions freely and untroubled by anyone.

But even after the death of my empire, when the Lord God, the eternal King, is pleased to set upon my throne either the beloved son of my empire, or one of the brothers and kinsmen of my empire, let him not think to take away anything, nor to break or trample this grant of my empire, but rather to renew, confirm and add to it, as it is good for Orthodox tsars to do. And whoever among them should attempt, break or annul this golden-sealed word of my empire, and take away anything of what is written here, and begin to trouble the people of this hermit father John of Rila — then let the Lord God try him by His righteous judgement, let him be a companion of Judas the betrayer of the Lord, let him inherit the leprosy of Gehazi, and have the holy father for his adversary, here and in the age to come. Amen.

For this, then, was this seemly and ever-present golden-sealed word of my empire granted to this monastery of my empire, for every manifest confirmation and pure freedom. My empire wrote and signed it with the customary imperial signature, in the year 6887 (1378), the second indiction, the month of September, the 21st day. “Ivan Shishman, in Christ God faithful tsar and autocrat of all Bulgarians and Greeks.”