George of Kratovo
Saint George of Kratovo was an Orthodox South Slavic writer and silversmith from Kratovo.
Life
In his 16th century biography, it has been maintained that George was of Serbian origin. The priest Peja wrote the liturgical rite and biography on Saint George between 1515 and 1523. The work was published by Serbian historian Stojan Novaković in 1867, transcribed from a manuscript held in the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade. Milan Milićević also wrote a work on Saint George in 1885.Orthodox Church sources maintain his parents were Bulgarians from Kratovo. He became especially honoured during the Bulgarian National Revival, after Paisius of Hilendar included him in the list of Bulgarian saints, in his Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya. In 1855 Nikola Karastoyanov from Samokov printed the Life of St. George the New, based on a manuscript kept in the metropolitan library of Sofia. At that time he became popular among Bulgarian painters and was depicted in many churches.