Address: Bansko  
Tel: 0749/ 882 72
Open: every day, 9.00 to 12.00, 14.00 to 17.00
Entrance: three leva adults, 50 stotinki students; a guide is available for an additional two leva

In addition to being a street in almost every city in the country, Neofit Rilski was a person. Born Nikola Poppetrov Benin in 1793 in Bansko, he is known as one of the first figures of educational reform in Bulgaria, publishing in 1835 Bolgarska Gramatika (Bulgarian Grammar) and tablitsa vzaimoouchitelni (meaning something like "tables for co-operative instruction", a method in which students help teach each other). In 1836, he made the first Bulgarian language globe of the world and in 1852 published Slovar Greko-Slavyanskii (Greek-Slavic Dictionary).

Among his peers were Vassil Aprilov, himself a reformer of Bulgarian education, who chose Nikola Benin as the first operations manager of the first Gabrovo Co-operative School. He was also sent to Bucharest to teach the co-operative teaching method.

The house in which he was born, also known as the Benina Kushta ("house") still exists, and can be visited in Bansko. Built in the style traditional for the town at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, it is a historic monument of culture with national significance and became a museum in 1981. The house itself dates to 1749, making it the oldest structure with a known date of construction in the town. Benin lived in it from 1793 to 1811.

He also studied icon painting under the renowned Bansko artist Toma Vishanov, better known as Molera, who was one of the founders of the Bansko art school. Benin went on to paint the famed murals of icons of Rilski Monastery in Rila Mountain, hence he was rechristened "Rilski" when he later became a monk.

It is said that his life was dedicated to education.

Visitors to the house can see about 400 of Rilski's documents and objects such as letters and books, as well as personal items. It's enjoyable to wander around - the two-storeyeed wooden structure forms something of a horseshoe around a central yard and has, at least when we were there, traditional Bulgarian music playing.

The press on which he printed his books is in the Nikola Vaptsarov Museum, also in Bansko.

Neofit Rilski died on January 4 1881 in Rila Monastery.

In September 2007, there ended a 15-year fight between Bansko municipal leaders and descendants of the Benin family over the ownership of the Neofit Rilski House-Museum. Agreement was finally reached and Bansko municipality bought the property for 400 000 leva.