Belgrade - Decani - Novi Pazar - This year's BLAGO expedition has visited and
completed field archives in three monasteries that are important in
Serbian cultural heritage - Moastery Sopocani, Djurdjevi Stupovi, Peter's Church, as well as part of the Decani monastery.
June 21, 2004
Belgrade - Decani - Novi Pazar - This year's BLAGO expedition has visited and
completed field archives in three monasteries that are important in
Serbian cultural heritage.
Monastery Decani
 Due
to the upcoming elevation to bishophood of Bishop Teodosije, the BLAGO
team's visit to Decani was shorter than originally planned. However,
with the complete support of Bishop Teodosije (Iguman of Decani at the
time) and the whole brotherhood of the monastery, the team was able to
accomplish much of the original plan, including a complete
virtualization of the church and surrounding areas and fresco details
of the lower levels of the interior church walls. Plans were also
created for a future more extensive visit. More than 10 GB of materiel
was collected. The Serbian government's Coordination Center for Kosovo
provided transportation for the crew and equipment to Decani, with
UNMIK providing an armed escort. The brotherhood of the Decani
Monastery was also instrumental in the success of the visit.
Monastery Sopocani
  Situated
in the Raska region near the city of Novi Paza, the Sopocani monastery
is a masterpiece of 12th century architecture and art. It is designated
by UNESCO as a world monument, one of the few located in Serbia. With
the help of the friendly brotherhood of the monastery, the BLAGO fund
was able to create a complete archive of the church, including detailed
images of all the interior frescoes. Due to the high number of visitors
to the monastery, the team often worked during the night. Iguman
Mihajlo was happy to accommodate the team, and helped to ensure
completion of the work.
Father
Vasilije of the Sopocani Monastery demonstrated his "Spiritual
Internet" work, a book in progress, consisting of drawings to introduce
the scriptures to individuals. It was a welcome reminder that
sophisticated equipment is not necessary to create meaningful
contributions to the Serbian cultural heritage.
Peter's Church (Petrova Crkva) and Monastery Djurdjevi Stupovi
Situated
in Novi Pazar, Petrova Crkva dates from the 9th century A.D. and is a
symbol of Serbian Christian faith. St Nemanja, the founder of the
Serbian medieval dynasty, was baptized in this church in the 12th
century. The church is surrounded by a dense 18th century graveyard. An
archive of the few remaining interior frescoes and surrounding area was
completed.
Monastery
Djurdjevi Stupovi has only been inhibited by monks since the year 2000.
It represents a rebirth of the Christian faith after 300 years, and has
received much media attention in the last few years due to high profile
fundraisers and appeals for restoration of the Monastery. The BLAGO
team archived the current state of the monastery and church, including
the frescoes and surrounding architecture.
Cable Factory (FKS) from Jagodina provided transportation for scaffolding and some other equipment.
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