Vera Kochovska

Childhood in Kocherinovo

She was born on 27 July 1945 in Pernik. Her father died early, and she entered an orphanage in Kocherinovo. Biographical accounts place a difficult childhood and a later injury before the emergence of the abilities attributed to her.

By the time her name became widely known, she was associated with Pleven. People travelled to her home from across Bulgaria. She later hoped to establish a clinic in the city, an ambition discussed by the then mayor, Nayden Zelenogorski, with BTA after her death.

The face on Vsyaka Nedelya

Stills from Vsyaka Nedelya show Kochovska speaking from Pleven with Kevork Kevorkian in Sofia. In one she has a hand raised; in another she listens. The archive preserves her gestures and expressions during an actual conversation.

BNT also has a programme called The Unfamiliar Vera Kochovska, featuring Hristo Nanev. It offers a longer introduction through the recollections of someone who has studied her life.

A dedication you can listen to

In 2006, Theodosii Spassov dedicated Vyara to her. The project brought folk music and jazz together, adding a musical tribute to the many spoken accounts of Kochovska. BNR reported its return to the stage in 2019.

Pleven says farewell

Kochovska died on 11 February 2011, aged 65. Relatives and former visitors attended the visitation at St Nicholas Church. Artist Svetlin Rusev was among those interviewed in BNT’s report.

Their recollections return to encounters in her home and help explain why her name remains familiar in Pleven. Accounts of predictions and healing are presented here as the testimony of the people who tell them.