RELIGIOUS FIGURE

John of Rila

876 - 946

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Saint John of Rila, also known as Ivan of Rila (Bulgarian: Свети преподобни Йоан Рилски Чудотворец, romanized: Sveti prepodobni Yoan Rilski Chudotvorets, lit. 'Saint John of Rila the Wondermaker'; c. 876 – 18 August 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. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John of Rila is the 842nd most popular religious figure (up from 900th in 2019), the 29th most popular biography from Bulgaria (up from 39th in 2019) and the most popular Bulgarian Religious Figure.

John of Rila is most famous for founding Bulgaria's first monastery on the site of a pagan temple.

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Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES

Among religious figures, John of Rila ranks 842 out of 3,187. Before him are Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, Saint Cajetan, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, Mammes of Caesarea, 6th Dalai Lama, and John Nelson Darby. After him are Servatius of Tongeren, Martin de Porres, Antipope Ursicinus, Sadhu Sundar Singh, Antipope Boniface VII, and Stanisław Dziwisz.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 876, John of Rila ranks 2. Before him is Henry the Fowler. After him is Toda of Pamplona. Among people deceased in 946, John of Rila ranks 3. Before him are Pope Marinus II, and Edmund I. After him are Al-Qa'im, Eadgyth, Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, Abu Bakr bin Yahya al-Suli, and Ibrahim ibn Sinan.

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In Bulgaria

Among people born in Bulgaria, John of Rila ranks 29 out of 415. Before him are Tzvetan Todorov (1939), Ratko Janev (1939), Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria (1195), Sylvie Vartan (1944), Boris Christoff (1914), and Fritz Zwicky (1898). After him are Rumen Radev (1963), Kiril, Prince of Preslav (1895), Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria (1350), Bonifacius (350), Vasil Levski (1837), and Peter I of Bulgaria (927).

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Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES In Bulgaria

Among religious figures born in Bulgaria, John of Rila ranks 1. After him are Jeremias II of Constantinople (1536), John XIV of Constantinople (1282), Euthymius of Tarnovo (1317), Neophyte of Bulgaria (1945), Maxim of Bulgaria (1914), Dobri Dobrev (1914), Ivan II of Bulgaria (1300), Cyril of Bulgaria (1901), and Sophronius of Vratsa (1739).

Bulgarian born Religious Figures

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