The St. Elijah Plakovo Monastery is located near the Plakovo Village, 18 km of Veliko Tărnovo, in Elena Balkan’s. The Monastery was, probably, fouded in 1280, but originally it was located a few kilometers from the monastery today, where you can still see the little old church, but it was destroyed. In the following centuries it is back in recovery and destruction. Restoration of the monastery began in 1845. In 1865, Nikola Ficheto raises a bell tower of 26 meters. The Plakovo Monastery of Sf. Elijah was delcared a cultural monument.

On the current location the monastery was built in the second half of the 13th century, and most monasteries around Veliko Tarnovo city were destroyed during the Ottoman invasion.
Built in 1450, the Plakovo Monastery of Sf. Elijah was rebuilt and subsequently burned repeatedly and robbed. In 1794 Neophyte Bozveli has visited twice the monastery, and he meditated with the monks how how to be prepared and spread in the country the teachers priests who serve in Bulgarian language. At his second coming, Neophyte Bozveli left his work in the convent ” Slavo-Bulgarian Nurse-to-child “. Frequently invited at Plakovo Monastery of Sf. Elijah was also the priest Stojko Vladislavov (Sofronius of Vratsa), who later bcame the abbot of neighboring monastery in Kapinovo. He also left the “Sunday”). In the Plakovo’s asceticism, a visitor was also the abbot of the Transfiguration Monastery – Zotik monk who organized this workshop for weapons and gunpowder for the needs of Bulgarian revolutionaries.
In 1835, in the Monastery of Plakovo St. Elijah’s is organised the Velcho Conspiracy, certified as one of the leaders, and former abbot of the monastery, Father Sergey. After the suppression of the conspiracy, the monastery was destroyed and a large marble plaque remained placed under the bell tower.

Plakovo restoration of the monastery of St. Elijah began in 1845, on the monk Sofronii time. The old church was demolished and in its place was built the present church – The “Sf. Elijah Monastery”. The name of the builder is unknown, but it is assumed that this is the Usta Kolyo Ficheto work , who later built in 1856 also the bell tower of the housing wing. During this period, widely, construction of churches in the region must be followed. At that time, the secret exit that leads from the church in the woods was dugged by the monks, and later in this exit the monks from the monastery left their book “Kiriakodromion” (in translation the Sunday”) underground passage was stopped from the washer.
These exits underground, were used by Vasil Levski.

In 1949, a fire burned much of the housing in the Plakovo Monastery of St. Elijah. Currently, the monastery Plakovo in with permanent activity.