Day of holy martyr Zlata Maglenska - patroness of Bulgarians around the world

On this day, Orthodox Christians pay homage to the Holy Great Martyr Zlata Maglenska. She lived during the Ottoman rule in the second half of the 18th century and sacrificed herself for her faith in Christ.

Zlata Maglenska was born in a poor Bulgarian family in the village of Slatino, Maglenska Diocese - today within the borders of Greece. She was a beautiful, but humble girl, known for her piety and pure heart. One day a young Turk kidnapped her, demanding that she renounce her faith, convert to Islam and marry him. However, the girl remained adamant, even when her family was threatened with death.

Zlata Mаglenska was tortured for a long time. Finally, she was hanged and her body cut into pieces. With a soul purified in suffering, she presented herself before the Lord on October 18, 1795.

Following a proposal of the historian Prof. Plamen Pavlov, since 2009 Saint Zlata Maglenska has been chosen as the heavenly intercessor of Bulgarians abroad. 

The Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad has established an award for Bulgarian Woman of the Year in her name, which is awarded to Bulgarian women who have contributed to the preservation and development of the national consciousness and cultural identity of the Bulgarian communities around the world.