The secular name of the Metropolitan Neofit is Simeon Nikolov Dimitrov. He was born on 15 October 1945 in Sofia. In the autumn of 1959 after he finished his primary education, he was a student in Sofia Seminary near Cherepish. He graduated in 1965. Since September 1967 he was a student in the Ecclesiastical Academy St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia, where he graduated in 1971. Since the autumn of 1971 till 1973 he had theological specialization in the Church Singing Department part of the Moscow Seminary. On 1 September 1973 he started work as eastern-church singing teacher and orchestra conductor of the student’s choir to the Seminary St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia. On 3 August 1975 in the Troyan Monastery he became a monk with the name Neofit given by the Bulgarian patriarch Maxim. On 23 March 1976 during the same year, patriarch Maxim proclaimed him a Hieromonk in the Church of Saint Nedelya in Sofia. Since 30 September 1975 he was a conductor of Sofia priesthood choir and from 15 July 1977 he became a senior east-church singing and liturgical practice teacher in the Seminary in Sofia. He kept this position until the end of 1980. From January 1981 till December 1985 Neofit was a vicar of Sofia's bishopric. On 01 December 1989 he was a rector of the Ecclesiastical Academy St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia. On 26 July 1991 he was chosen for first dean of the faculty of theology at the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. He was at this position until January 1992. From 27 January 1992 he was the main secretary of the Holy Synod and the chairman of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral board. On 17 December 2001 by a decision of the Fifth Church National Council in Dorostol - Cherven Eparchy which has been divided into Ruse and Dorostol eparchies, he received the title Ruse Metropolitan.

      In autumn 1908 a government delegation travelling by train from Ruse to the ancient village, led by Alexander Malinov, stopped at the station in Dve Mogili. During their stay, the Prime Minister composed the manifest for the announcement of the Independence.