Eftimi

Euthymius of Tarnovo was an Orthodox patriarch of Tarnovo, Bulgaria, and a significant monastic scholar and linguist. Born around 1317, he became a leading disciple of Theodosius at the monastery of Kilifarevo. Euthymius traveled extensively, engaging in ascetic practices and manuscript work in Constantinople and Mount Athos.

In 1375, he was elected patriarch of Tarnovo and primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. His literary work was instrumental in a late medieval renaissance in Bulgaria. Euthymius revised and translated liturgical and legal texts into formal Old Slavonic, aiming to standardize the language and preserve its grammatical structure. He believed that accurate and well-written scriptures were vital for public morality and theological orthodoxy. His reforms influenced the development of Eastern European Orthodox churches. He died around 1402, having been exiled after the fall of Tarnovo to the Turks in 1393.1