The rocky monasteries by the village of Ivanovo lie at a distance of 20 km south of Russe and 4 km from Ivanovo. They are situated in steep, hard-to-reach limestone rocks along both sides of the river, where the greatest number of natural karst caves are located. During the Middle Ages a numerous groups of hermit-monks settle here to devote themselves to fasting and prayers. They transform the caves into living rooms, rocky churches and chapels. The monasteries are near the bishop's centre of Cherven and the capital Veliko Turnovo. In XIII -XIV c. these monk dwellings become an important spiritual and cultural hearth of the Bulgarian culture. Here are written books, rewritten manuscripts, miniatures, icons and murals are also painted. Today in the region of Ivanovo there are only 5 cave churches with preserved traces of the medieval paintings, known with the names that the local people have given them. The monks' dwellings can be divided into three monastery complexes. The oldest among them is considered to be the monastery in the centre of the Pismata site. At the right bank of the river in a two-layer cave with housing chambers around it, warehouse and other chambers there is a small church with the mane of "Gospodev Dol"/God's Ravine/ . Here are preserved fragments from a picturesque decoration in light colours. According to its style characteristics the paintings can be classified to the artistic traditions from XII c. and the beginning of XIII c.

At a distance of 150-200 m west of "Gospodev dol" in the same rocky wreath, at a height of 15-20 m, there is a region of several floors of cells and two churches with preserved fragments of mural decoration. One of them is known with the name of "The buried church". It is identified with the monastery of "All saint archangels", built with the support of Ivan Asen II. To the east of this church there are remains of another one, which is quite demolished. However, on its northern part can be seen fragments from XIII-XIV c.

At the eastern end of the rocky wreath, on the right bank of the river, at considerably big distance from the other two monasteries, there is another group of cells called "The Dilapidated Church". Its fragments of murals with the images of upright saints and multi-figure scenes and a woman's portrait of a founder date from XIV c.

In the same region, on the left bank of the river, at a height of 30-35m in a steep rocky fang, there is another group of cells with the biggest church know under the name of "The Church". From its mural paintings have been preserved mainly scenes from Jesus holidays and passions such as: "Judah's kiss", "Washing Jesus' feet", "Entering Jerusalem", "Lazar's resurrection" and others. On the northern wall there is a fragment of the founder's portrait of Ivan-Alexander (1331-1371). In its spirit, style and manner the murals of "The Church" are among the most interesting monuments of painting from the XIV c., not only for the Bulgarian medieval painting, but for the European as well. Life at the Ivanovo rocky monasteries has continued until the end of the Second Bulgarian State when the monks have been chased away by the Ottoman conquerors.