Status of monument -> National monument
Pursuant
to Article V para. 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Article 39 para. 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve
National Monuments, at a session held from 9 to 12 February 2010 the Commission
adopted a
D E C I S
I O N
I
The
architectural ensemble of the church
of St Nicholas in Foča with movable
property is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia
and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National
Monument).
The
National Monument consists of the church, a bell dating from 1923, the
outbuilding in the churchyard, a tombstone in the churchyard, the churchyard
and boundary wall, the former schoolhouse, and movable property.
The new
hall, and the bell tower and two bells dating from 1978, are not subject to
protection under the terms of this Decision.
The
movable heritage referred to in para. 2 of this Clause consists of an
iconostasis with 41 icons, 36 icons, 46 service books, two antimens, a
processional cross, two icons mounted on wooden staffs, two candlesticks, a
pulpit, a bishop’s throne, eight pews, Christ’s tomb, two wooden choirs and an
Adler typewriter.
The
National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot nos. 2976,
2977, 2978 and 2979, title deed no. 1766, cadastral municipality Foča,
Municipality Foča, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The
provisions relating to protection measures set forth by the Law on the
Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National
Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement
for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Republika Srpska no.
9/02, 70/06 and 64/08) shall apply to the National Monument.
II
The
Government of Republika Srpska shall be responsible for providing the legal,
scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the
protection, conservation, restoration and presentation of the National
Monument.
The
Commission to Preserve National Monuments (hereinafter: the Commission) shall
determine the technical requirements and secure the funds for preparing and
setting up notice boards with basic details of the monument and the Decision to
proclaim the property a National Monument.
III
To ensure
the on-going protection of the National Monument on the site defined in Clause
1 para. 4 of this Decision, the following protection measures are hereby
stipulated:
-
all works on the National
Monument are prohibited other than conservation and restoration works and
routine maintenance works, works designed to present the monument, and works
designed to ensure the sustainable use of the property, with the approval of
the ministry responsible for regional planning in Republika Srpska
(hereinafter: the relevant ministry) and under the expert supervision of the
heritage protection authority of Republika Srpska (hereinafter: the heritage
protection authority);
-
infrastructure works shall
be permitted on with the approval of the relevant ministry and subject to the
expert opinion of the heritage protection authority;
-
the dumping of waste is
prohibited;
-
restoration works may be
carried out on the outbuilding in the churchyard, along with its adaptation to
modern needs. The footprint and height of the building may not be altered. The
building should be plastered and painted white to conform with its setting;
-
conservation-restoration
works on the boundary wall of the churchyard are permitted. Urgent remedial
works should be carried out on the part of the boundary wall that is at risk of
collapse. When carrying out these works, the original material and form of the
wall must be preserved;
-
conservation-restoration
works and works to adapt the property to modern needs may be carried out on the
former schoolhouse, provided that these works do not result in changes to the
height or footprint of the building. The original ceiling joists and roof
trusses shall be preserved, as shall the flagstones on the floor of the central
hallway.
In the
case of the properties on the protected area defined in Clause I para. 5 but
not forming part of the National Monument itself, works to adapt them to new
use are permitted, subject that these works do not disrupt the existing
relationships between the buildings in the architectural ensemble. The
construction of new buildings is prohibited.
A buffer
zone is hereby prescribed to protect the National Monument, with a width of
100 metres to the north, south and west and 50 metres to the east of the
boundaries of the National Monument.
In this
buffer zone, the reconstruction and restoration of existing buildings their
adaptation to modern living conditions are permitted, as is the erection of new
buildings, provided that their height, footprint and form of roof do not
compromise the existing proportions in the townscape and that they do not block
the view of and from the National Monument.
The
following protection measures are hereby stipulated for the movable
property referred to in Clause 1 para. 3 of this Decision (hereinafter: the
movable heritage):
-
The Government of
Republika Srpska shall provide suitable physical and technical conditions for
the safe-keeping of the movable heritage;
-
The display and other
forms of presentation of the movable heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina shall be
carried out on the basis of the conditions prescribed by the ministry responsible
for culture in Republika Srpska;
The
following specific protection measures are hereby prescribed with a view
to ensuring the on-going preservation of the movable heritage:
Icons:
-
urgent conservation and
cleaning of the icons;
-
the provision of suitable
conditions to house the icons to prevent further damage.
Books:
-
disinfection, cleaning and
conservation of the books;
-
store the books in
cardboard boxes of the kind prescribed by international standards for the
safekeeping of archive material or other suitable conditions for the
preservation and presentation of the books.
Liturgical articles:
-
clean the liturgical
articles with silver, copper and bronze cleaning substances.
Church furnishings:
-
clean the church
furnishings;
-
treat the church
furnishings for woodworm.
Church fabrics – the antimenses:
-
the antimenses shall be
conserved.
IV
The
removal of the movable heritage from Bosnia and Herzegovina is
prohibited.
By way of
exception to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Clause, the temporary
removal from Bosnia and Herzegovina of the movable heritage for the purposes of
display or conservation shall be permitted if it is established that
conservation works cannot be carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina or can be
carried out to a higher standard and more quickly and cheaply abroad.
Permission
for temporary removal under the conditions stipulated in the preceding
paragraph shall be issued by the Commission, if it is determined beyond doubt
that it will not jeopardize the movable heritage in any way.
In granting
permission for the temporary removal of the movable heritage, the Commission
shall stipulate all the conditions under which the removal from Bosnia and
Herzegovina may take place, the date by which the items shall be returned to
the country, and the responsibility of individual authorities and institutions
for ensuring that these conditions are met, and shall notify the Government of
Republika Srpska, the relevant security service, the customs authority of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, and the general public accordingly.
V
All
executive and area development planning acts are hereby revoked to the extent
that they are not in accordance with the provisions of this Decision.
VI
Everyone,
and in particular the competent authorities of Republika Srpska and urban and
municipal authorities, shall refrain from any action that might damage the
National Monument or jeopardize the preservation and rehabilitation thereof.
VII
The
Government of Republika Srpska, the ministry responsible for regional planning
in Republika Srpska, the ministry responsible for culture in Republika Srpska,
and the heritage protection authority of Republika Srpska, and the Municipal
Authorities in charge of urban planning and land registry affairs, shall be
notified of this Decision in order to carry out the measures stipulated in
Articles II – VI of this Decision, and the Authorized Municipal Court shall be
notified for the purposes of registration in the Land Register.
VIII
The
elucidation and accompanying documentation form an integral part of this
Decision, which may be viewed by interested parties on the premises or by
accessing the website of the Commission (http://www.kons.gov.ba)
IX
On the
date of adoption of this Decision, the National Monument shall be deleted from
the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official
Gazette of BiH no. 33/02, Official Gazette of Republika Srpska no. 79/02,
Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH no. 59/02, and Official Gazette of
Brčko District BiH no. 4/03), where it featured under serial no. 214.
X
Pursuant
to Art. V para 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
decisions of the Commission are final.
XI
This
Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the
Official Gazette of BiH.
This
Decision has been adopted by the following members of the Commission: Zeynep
Ahunbay, Martin Cherry, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Dubravko Lovrenović and Ljiljana
Ševo.
No: 07.2-02.3-71/10-12
9 February 2010
Sarajevo
Chair of
the Commission
Ljiljana
Ševo
E l u c i
d a t i o n
I – INTRODUCTION
Pursuant
to Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of
the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8
of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a
“National Monument” is an item of public property proclaimed by the Commission
to Preserve National Monuments to be a National Monument pursuant to Articles V
and VI of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina and property entered on the Provisional List of National Monuments
of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02) until the
Commission reaches a final decision on its status, as to which there is no time
limit and regardless of whether a petition for the property in question has
been submitted or not.
The
Commission to Preserve National Monuments issued a Decision to add the Church of St
Nicholas in Foča to the Provisional List of National
Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
numbered as 214.
Pursuant
to the provisions of the law, the Commission proceeded to carry out the
procedure for reaching a final decision to designate the Property as a National
Monument, pursuant to Article V para. 4 of Annex 8 and Article 35 of the Rules
of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
Statement of Significance
The church of St Nicholas in Foča was built in 1857 in
the quarter known as Varoš, in the eastern part of the town.
The
significance of St Nicholas’s Church lies in its outstanding furniture, in
particular its iconostasis, bishop’s throne and pulpit, executed in carved,
gilded wood in the late Baroque style.
The
collection of icons is among the finest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing
an overview of the evolution of icon painting from the 17th to the 19th century
in the Serbian, Cretan and Greek traditions.
Most of
the old liturgical books of various kinds (breviaries, Gospel books, ritual
books, typikons etc.) still extant were printed in Church Slavonic in the 19th
century. Of particular note is an “Imperial Gospel Book,” printed in Moscow in 1804, inscribed
to the Piva Monastery in his own hand by Petar Petrović Njegoš.
Also of interest
are two surviving antimenses, which predate the present-day church.
The
school forming part of the Orthodox church complex in Foča, built in the 1830s,
attests to the long history of education among the Serbian Orthodox population
of the area.
II – PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE
In the
procedure preceding the adoption of a final decision to proclaim the property a
national monument, the following documentation was inspected:
-
Documentation on the
location and current owner and user of the property (copy of cadastral plan and
Land Register entry)
-
Data on the current
condition and use of the property, including a description and photographs,
data of war damage, data on restoration or other works on the property, etc.
-
Historical, architectural
and other documentary material on the property, as set out in the bibliography
forming part of this Decision.
The
findings based on the review of the above documentation and the condition of
the property are as follows:
1. Details of the property
Location
The
architectural ensemble of the church of St Nicholas in Foča is located on a
site designated as cadastral plot nos. 2976, 2977, 2978 and 2979, title deed
no. 1766, cadastral municipality Foča, Municipality Foča, Republika Srpska,
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Access to
the National Monument is from the north-east, and to the church is from the
west, through a gateway in the boundary wall of the churchyard. To the north of
the church is the former schoolhouse. The church lies west-east, with the
entrance at the west end and the altar apse at the east end.
Historical information
The church of St Nicholas in Foča was built in 1857 in
Varoš, in the eastern part of the town.
In or
around the 1830s, before the church was built, a schoolhouse was erected close
to the present-day churchyard. “The school remained open until 1918, when the
laws of the Kingdom
of Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes made mixed schools compulsory.”(1)
The land
for the church was donated by Savka Jovićič of the Vlaisavljević family (who
was from Dubrovnik),
who is buried in the churchyard, at the east end.
According
to the inscription over the entrance doorway, the church was built thanks to
the efforts of Metropolitan Grigorije, and consecrated on 20 September 1857.
The
builder was Spasoje Vulić, a native of Tetovo,
Macedonia, as
recorded on the inscription over the portal.
According
to Ranko Bilinac, the church originally had twelve small domes and one large
one. The roof structure was replaced in 1878 after cracks appeared on the
domes, which proved to be too great a load for the structure(2). There are no historical details
of the original appearance of the roof of the church.
The Royal
Doors inside the church were brought here from Trieste. The original Royal Doors still
survive, though no longer on the iconostasis. When the church was restored
after 1995 the doors, which were damaged, were replaced by an exact copy. The
original doors are now in the gallery of the church.
The
church originally had a wooden bell tower in the eastern corner of the
churchyard, which remained in use until 1975.
The
restored church was reconsecrated on 22 October 1978 by Metropolitan Vladislav
of Dabar-Bosna.
Since
1995, a number of works have been carried out on the church, of which the most
significant are changes to the window openings, the construction of a
candle-burning room, the restoration of the roof structure and cladding, and
the installation of radiators inside the church. Some of the pews were moved
inwards to accommodate the radiators on the walls.
The
church is dedicated to St. Nicholas.
2. Description of the church
The architectural
ensemble of St Nicholas’ church in Foča occupies an area of about 4,490 sq.m. The
ensemble is divided into two parts, both with stone boundary walls, on opposite
sides of a pedestrian walkway.
The
churchyard in which the church and an outbuilding stand forms the southern half
of the architectural ensemble. The northern half consists of a courtyard with
the former schoolhouse and reception hall.
Churchyard
The
churchyard is surrounded by a wall of dressed stone, varying in height from 3
to 6 metres according to the lie of the land. The wall is rendered and painted
white, with the stone plinth left exposed along the full length of the wall
(rendered and painted grey on the outside), and is surmounted by a wooden
coping. Indeed, this coping is a particular feature of the wall, with its wide
eaves on both sides and wooden beams that extend down from the coping at
intervals to reinforce the wall. Buttresses have been erected to support
sections of the boundary wall to compensate for the sloping terrain and the
pressure of soil.
The
boundary wall has two gateways. The smaller, on the south side of the wall, is
arched, with jambs and a lintel of ashlar stone and an iron grille gate. The
main entrance to the churchyard is in the north-west side of the boundary wall.
The entrance portal, which is about 2 metres wide and 3 metres high, is of
ashlar stone, with jambs in the form of pillars, with no base and with simple
moulded capitals. The portal itself is arched. The arch is moulded and
decorated with geometric motifs in bas relief, and set in a rectangular panel
with a moulded frame. Between the arch and the frame are bas relief geometric
motifs and Star of David motifs. The year when the portal was built, 1873, is
carved in the axis of the arch. An icon of St Nicholas is mounted above the
frame of the portal. The double gates consist of iron grilles with geometric
decorations, and bear the date 1873 where the rectangular section of the gates
merges into the arch. The portal is accentuated simply on the inside with stone
jambs and an arch that stand slightly proud of the wall face.
The
boundary wall is taller above the entrance section than the rest of the wall. The
eaves of the wall coping on the inside of the entrance rest on three
square-section wooden posts on stone bases.
The church of St Nicholas stands in the middle of the
churchyard. Close to the church are drainage channels lined with stone slabs. The
outbuilding is in the north-west corner of the churchyard, just beside the
entrance.
According
to the parish priest, Father Aleksandar Vidaković, the grave of Savka Jovičić,
who donated the land to build the church, is in the eastern part of the
churchyard, just by the apse of the church.
St Nicholas’ church
In
layout, St Nicholas’ church belongs to the type of elongated triple-aisled
church with nave and sanctuary and a bell tower at the west end. “Stylistically,
the edifice belongs to the neo-Byzantine architectural style.”(3)
The
church lies west-east, with the entrance at the west end, and is basilical in
plan, with the rectangular plan of a triple-aisled basilica. The central nave
terminates in a five-sided apse (as seen from the outside) at the east end. The
building measures about 22 x 16.35 m on the outside.
The walls
of the church are probably built of stone(4). The building is plastered and painted outside and in. On the
outside, it has a stone plinth about 50 cm in height, of ashlar set in cement
mortar.
The walls
terminate in a simple moulded cornice, just below which are five blind
rectangular recesses on each of the side walls, corresponding to the bays
inside the church.
The basic
structural system of the building consists of the longitudinal walls and
massive piers linked by arches on which rest the barrel vault of the nave and
the flat ceilings of the aisles. Wooden beams form braces between the piers and
the walls. The sanctuary is covered by a semi dome. A six-sided drum surmounted
by a dome rises from the roof structure above the ambo.
The
building has a gabled roof, and the apse a multi-paned roof. The roof cladding
is sheet metal.
The
building has three ranks of openings. The first consists of an arched portal in
each of the west, north and south walls. The north portal is set back from the
wall face by 7 cm. The rectangular portal, as measured without the jambs, is
0.95 m wide and 1.94 m high. It is framed by a threshold stone about 4 cm high,
doorjambs 32 cm in width, and a lintel 29 cm in height. The jambs and lintel
are each composed of two ashlar blocks with a depth of 19 cm, and are decorated
in bas relief with geometric and floral decoration. The double-valved door is
of iron, with a central upright decorated with rhombs in relief.
The south
portal is set back from the wall face by 8 cm. The rectangular portal, as
measured without the jambs, is 1.00 m wide and 2.02 m high. It is framed by a
threshold stone about 5 cm in height, door jambs 31 cm in width and a lintel of
29 cm in height. The jambs and lintel are each composed of two ashlar blocks
with a depth of 21.5 cm, and are decorated in bas relief with geometric and
floral decoration. The double-valved door is of iron, with a central upright
decorated with rhombs in relief.
The
second rank of openings consists of arched windows and the entrance to the bell
tower. The north and south façades each have three arched windows without
jambs, set back from the wall face and made of metal mouldings, with six panes
(two from side to side/three from top to bottom) and an arched overlight. The
metal window mouldings on all the windows inside the church were fitted when
the church was renovated in 1995-1996. The windows are noticeably fall,
appropriately to the proportions of the church.
The west
and east end have arched windows, smaller than those of the north and south
façades, and set roughly level with the top of the north and south openings. The
west end has two arched windows and the entrance to the bell tower, surrounded
by plain stone jambs about 10 cm in width. The stone jambs within which grilles
are fitted are now visible only from the inside; on the outside, they are
fitted with windows of metal mouldings, with six panes (two from side to
side/three from top to bottom) and an arched overlight. The window niches are
much larger on the inside than on the outside, on account of their splayed
sides (the difference in height at the base between the outside and the inside
is about 90 cm). The window niches terminate on the inside in markedly shallow
arches.
The
entrance to the bell tower, which is 104 cm wide, is framed by stone jambs and
a lintel that is arched on the outside. The niche of the portal is much larger
on the inside than on the outside, on account of its splayed sides (the
difference in height at the base between the outside and the inside is about 80
cm). On the inside the niche terminates in a markedly shallow arch.
The east
end has three arched windows, identical to those at the west end except that
here the metal window bars are set on the inside of the stone jambs, thus
leaving the jambs and grilles exposed on the outside. These windows are accentuated
by being set back from the wall face by about 3 cm.
The third
rank has a single oculus at the east end, framed and set back from the wall
face. The drum has arched windows. Since the drum is faced with sheet metal on
the outside, it is impossible to say whether the jambs are finished in any
particular way. On the inside the jambs can be clearly seen, surrounded by the
window frame and accentuated by standing proud of the wall face. The frames
show elements of historicism (neo-Classicism).
The bell
tower stands in the axis of the west end of the church. It was built in 1975,
as recorded on a plaque pier of the bell tower by the entrance to the church,
inscribed with the name of the architect and the date it was built. The bell
tower was designed by architect Ratko Popadić of Foča and built by Ratko
Mališević of Bajina Bašta(5). It is
of concrete, rendered on the outside and left exposed on the inside. It stands
clear of the church by 10 cm, and is square in plan, with sides of about 4.15 m(6).
The topmost
stage of the bell tower houses three bells mounted on a metal structure. One of
the bells is from the original bell tower of the church(7), and was cast in the Merkur
foundry in Belgrade.
The inscription on the bell records that it was cast in the autumn of 1923. The
other two bells were purchased in 1978 in the Ferolit foundry of Žalec near
Celje in Slovenia(8).
The
entrance to the church is at the west end, through a portal set in the axis of
the entrance front. The rectangular entrance portal, measured without the door
jambs, is 1.24 m wide and 2.23 m high. The jambs and lintel are composed of
several blocks of ashlar(9), with
simple mouldings and an elaborate floral and geometric decoration in bas
relief. Later the jambs and lintel were further decorated by being painted in
two colours. The double-valved door is iron, with rivets, and a single knocker
on each valve. The central upright is moulded.
Over the
lintel is a simple arched plaque of 55 cm in height and 94 cm in height,
bearing a carved inscription with the name of the builder and the date of the
church – the builder was Spasoje Vulić, a native of Tetovo in Macedonia.(10)
The
interior of the church is about 50 cm below ground level at the main entrance,
with three stone steps in the portal, leading down through the thickness of the
church wall. The massive double-valved arched wooden door is level with the
inside wall face.
The
interior of the church is rectangular, at approximately 19.40 m long and 13.10
m wide, including the sanctuary (the nave is 21.90 m in length).(11)
The floor
of the church consists of evenly-cut flagstones. The interior walls of the
church are plastered and painted in shades of darkish brown and red. The vault
was painted in 1876, when the frescoes of the Holy Trinity and the four
Evangelists were painted by Dragan Bjelogrlić of Novi Sad and Dimitrije – Mita Riđički of
Čurug(12). The
drum is painted light blue.
The nave
of the church is covered by a vault resting via arches on piers; the aisles
have flat ceilings. The roof frame is probably of timber.
Functionally,
the interior of the church consists of the nave and the sanctuary. The north
and south side walls of the church are divided by pilasters into five bays. The
pilasters are about 20 cm deep. The middle three bays each have three arched
windows. The side entrances to the church are in the second bay, as seen from
the main entrance.
The first
bay as seen from the main entrance contains steep L-shaped wooden staircases in
the corners, leading up to the gallery. The gallery is roughly 9.60 m long and
3.95 m wide, with a central balcony jutting out by 1.85 m. The structure of the
gallery consists of wooden beams about 28 cm in height resting on the walls and
piers of the church. It has a wooden floor and an open-work wooden railing.
The body
of the church has eight stone piers, four on each side, forming the central
nave. The piers are square in section, with sides of about 76 cm, except for
the first pair (as seen from the entrance), which are large than the others and
cruciform in section. The piers rise through the entire height of the nave, and
have no bases (except for the first two) and simply moulded capitals. They are
linked lengthwise by arches, and transversely by wooden beams over the
pilasters, joining them to the walls of the church. They are painted in the
same way as the walls of the church.
The
sanctuary is at the east end of the church, and is about 30 cm above the level
of the nave, with two stone steps and a sill. In front of it, set centrally to
the nave, is a circular ambo with a diameter of about 2 m, set about 3.5 m
above floor level and decorated in bas relief. The ambo is set beneath the
hexagonal drum and dome.
The
sanctuary as a whole is 3.54 m in length and 13.10 m in width, or 6.00 m in
length at the apse. It is composed of three sections, with a niche in the north
wall. The central part of the sanctuary is occupied by the altar, which is of
stone, 112 m in height and with sides of 170 and 94 cm. A synthronon [benches
where the clergy sat during Divine Liturgy] occupies the end of the
semicircular apse.
The
sanctuary is separated from the nave by a wooden iconostasis about 13.10 m in
length, with elements of the late Baroque in its design. “The iconostasis, like
the elaborately decorated bishop’s throne and the high pulpit, are from an
unidentified workshop in Vojvodina. Of particular interest among the other
church furnishings are the finely sculpted stone lions flanking the bishop’s
throne, clearly copies of the older and even more finely worked lions in
Studenica and Dečani.” (13)
Description of the murals and
church furnishings
The vault
of the church of St Nicholas in Foča was decorated in
1976, and is not subject to protection(14).
ICONOSTASIS
The
elaborately decorated carcass of the monumental iconostasis rises from the
floor to the top of the sanctuary. It is of carved, gilded wood, and has a
total of 41 icons.
The
iconostasis consists of four register, each differing in decoration. The first
register, nearest the viewer, has a carved ornament consisting of colonnettes
with gilded acanthus leaves. Above the first tier of icons, in separate
vertical panels, are trefoil arches with the left and right arches carving
inwards. Over the Royal Doors and the icons on the deacons’ doors (SS Stephen
and Gabriel) is a separate gilded floral ornament composed of unfurled acanthus
leaves and tendrils interwining to right and left of the sides of the frame.
The frame of the Royal Doors differs, being not only richly carved, but also
bearing in the centre the All-Seeing Eye of God, also gilded.
The first and second registers of
the iconostasis are separated by a horizontal decoration consisting of repeated
incomplete squares with a carved full-blown flower in the centre of each. The
second register features a similar but somewhat less elaborate ornament. The
icons are separated by colonnettes surmounted by capitals decorated not with
acanthus leaves but with densely packed elliptical leaves. As in the case of
the Royal Doors, a gilded floral tendril features above the central icon of the
second tier, serving not only a decorative role but also accentuating the
centre both structurally – the midpoint of the iconostasis – and symbolically,
the Last Supper.
The third
register is narrower than the first two, thereby contributing to the fine
proportions of the composition, which is pyramidal in form. It terminates in a
substantial, elaborately profiled band at the end of which are carved, gilded
clover leaves.
The icons
differ in size and number on each tier(15).
-
The bottom tier has ten
icons, the middle 15 and the top tier 16.
In the
centre of the bottom tier are the Royal Doors, with a scene of the Annunciation(16). To the right are St Nicholas of
Myra, Jesus Christ, the Archangel Gabriel and St Sava, the first Serbian
archbishop; to the left are the Virgin and Christ, St John the Baptist, St
Stephen the first martyr and archdeacon, and St Basil of Ostrog. The faces of
the saints, against a bold gold ground, are treated portrait-style. The icons
are of various sizes(17):
-
Anonymous artist,
Annunciation, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 219 x 82.5 cm (icon
60 x 33 cm), St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Nicholas of Myra, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 135 x 77 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, Jesus
Christ, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 77 x 135 cm, St Nicholas’
church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Stephen the Archdeacon, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 134 x 63
cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Sava,
first Serbian archbishop, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 135 x 77
cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, Virgin
and Christ, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 134 x 74.5 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St John
the Baptist, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 75.5 x 134.5 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Stephen the first martyr and archdeacon 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on
panel, 134 x 63 cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Basil
of Ostrog, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 134 x 76 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
The tympanum of the Royal
Doors contains the scene of the Last Supper. Icons of the Raising of Lazarus
and the Dormition of the Holy Virgin occupy separate panels to the right and
left of the Last Supper. These two icons are flanked by portrayals of the apostles.
-
Anonymous artist, Last
Supper, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, c. 160 x 90 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, The
Raising of Lazarus, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 125 x 90 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist,
Dormition of the Mother of God, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 125
x 90 cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Thomas, 19th century,
oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Andrew,
19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’ church,
Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
James, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’
church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Mark
the Evangelist, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St John
the Evangelist, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Peter, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’
church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Paul, 19th century,
oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Matthew the Evangelist, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm,
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Luke
the Evangelist, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Bartholomew, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Simon
Zelotes, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’
church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Philip, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’
church, Foča
-
An icon of the Resurrection
of Christ dominates the centre of the third tier. To left and right are six
icons in arched panels on each side: Moses (?), St Helena and St Stefan
Dečanski, St Demetrius the Great Martyr, St Stefan Nemanja and the
Myrrh-flowing St Arsenije, archbishop of Peć, and icons of the Nativity and the
Resurrection to the left. Some of the icons on the right hand side could not be
seen on account of their height: Transfiguration, Baptism in the river Jordan, an icon
of the Three Hierarchs (?), SS Constantine and Helena, and two unidentified
saints.
-
Anonymous artist, Moses,
19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St Helena and St Stefan Dečanski, 19th century, oil on
canvas, laid on panel, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Demetrius the Great Martyr, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46
cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, St
Stefan Nemanja and St Arsenius the Myrrhflowing,Archbishop of Peć, 19th
century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, The
Nativity of Christ, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 146 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, The
Ascension, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 185 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, The
Ascension, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 210 x 110 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, The
Transfiguration, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 185 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, Baptism
in the River Jordan, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 146 x 46 cm,
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, Three
Hierarchs (?), 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 146 x 46 cm, St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, Apostle,
19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, [dimensions not given] cm St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, SS
Constantine and Helena, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, [dimensions
not given] cm St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Anonymous artist, Apostle,
19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 80 x 46 cm, St Nicholas’ church,
Foča
-
At the top of the
iconostasis is a carved cross with a painting of the Crucifixion in the cross,
resting on a cornice composed of full-blown flowers and leaves. To left and
right of the Crucifixion, in separate medallions, also carved, are paintings of
the Virgin and St John.
Separate carvings depict a ladder and the sun and the moon.
ICONS
-
Virgin Galaktotrophousa,
18th century, canvas laid on panel, tempera, 115.5 x 48 cm (106.5 x 39 cm
without the frame), St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
rectangular icon is in portrait format. The Virgin is portrayed seated against
a gold background, nursing the Christ Child, embracing him with her right arm
and gently supporting him with her left. The Virgin is looking and the Child,
and Christ at the observer. This is the iconographic type of the nursing or
Galaktotrophousa Virgin, the source for which is to be found in hymnography and
in the Gospel according to St Luke (Lk 11, 27).
-
Georgije Mitrofanović,
Holy Trinity, 1616, tempera on board, 36,8 x 45,2 x 2,7 cm. St Nicholas’
church, Foča (originally in St Nicholas’ church in Rijeka near Foča)
The icon
is described in the decision designating the church
of St Nicholas, Šklopotnice, in Rijeka near Čelebići, as a national monument of Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
-
Serbian zographos, Christ
Enthroned, 1689, tempera on board, 78 x 47, 5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
attribution of the icon of Christ Enthroned was made in the 1970s by Ljubinka
Kojić. Svetlana Rakić has also made a stylistic analysis of the icon,
concluding: “The icon is one of the most representative works of Serbian icon
painting of the late 17th century. It could have been made as the throne icon
for an iconostasis that is no longer extant. In the bottom left corner is a
Serbian inscription in white with the name of the donor and the date of origin,
relating that the icon was paid for by archpriest Ivaniš by caring for
priest-monk kir Nikifor in 1689.” (18)
-
Virgin Hodegetria (She who
shows the way), 16th or 17th century, tempera on board, embossed work, 51.5 x
38.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The icon
is painted on a gold ground. The Virgin is portrayed in half length, with
Christ on her right arm and her left on her bosom, pointing at the Child, in
the type known as the Virgin who shows the way, from the position of her hand,
pointing to Christ: “Here is your Saviour.” The Virgin is wearing a red robe,
symbolizing “glory and lordship,” and is crowned with a silver halo decorated
with interlacing leaves and red semi-precious stones. Her face is carefully
executed, with a long nose, markedly slender eyebrows, a small mouth and dark
lines below the eyes. Christ is looking at his mother.
-
Jesus Christ, 19th
century, canvas laid on panel, 129.5 x 89.5 cm, St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The frame
of the composition cuts across the figure of Jesus at waist level. He is
wearing a chiton (a linen tunic) and himation (a linen mantle
thrown over the left shoulder). The red of the chiton symbolizes his divine
nature, and the blue of the himation his “earthly incarnation.” He is holding
an open book in his left hand, inscribed with a text from the Gospels in Church
Slavonic; his right arm is bent in a gesture of benediction.
-
Epitaphios(19), 19th century (?), oil on canvas
laid on textile (brocade?), overall size 139 x 93.5 cm, image size 94 x 44 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
Christ is
portrayed wrapped in the white shroud in which he was buried after the descent
from the Cross. This treatment of the dead Christ’s body, arms cross on his
chest, denotes the iconographic type of the dead Christ known as the
Epitaphios, portrayed on a catafalque. The edges of the shroud are inscribed
with New Testament texts in Church Slavonic.
-
St. George the Great
Martyr, 18th century, tempera on board, 66 x 40 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
St George
is shown in the foreground on a prancing white horse, in the act of running the
dragon through with his lance. St George is portrayed as a young, beardless
warrior garbed in a chlamys and armour. The wide angle of the composition
includes a landscape with a castle in the background. The link between the
foreground and background is formed by a maiden in a red robe with a blue
cloak. The iconography of this icon is based on the legend of a dragon that
lived by a spring near the city of “Silene,” terrorizing the people, who gave
it two sheep to eat every day. When they ran out of sheep, they sacrificed a
youth or maiden every day, choosing them by drawing lots. One day the lot fell
to the King’s daughter. On her way to meet her death she met St George, who ran
his lance through the dragon, slaying it. The back of the icon bears an
inscription of the donor of the icon: DONATED BY MILAN HATJI VUKOVIĆ OF FOČA,
1952.
-
St. Nicholas with the
Virgin and Christ, 18th century, tempera on board, 52.5 x 45 cm (44 x 36 cm
without the frame). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The icon
shows the half-length figure of St Nicholas in close-up, arms outstretched,
holding the Gospels closed in his left hand, his right hand empty. Jesus Christ
is painted above his right shoulder, leaning slightly towards the saint’s head,
and the Virgin above his left shoulder, arms crossed. The haloes are in embossed
silver decorated with repoussé circles, stylized flowers and crosses. The paint
layer of the icon is badly damaged by molten wax.
-
Virgin and Child, 1863,
tempera on board, 67 x 41 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
figure of the Virgin and Child are portrayed half-length on a gold background.
The Christ Child is on the Virgin’s left arm, holding an orb in his left hand,
symbolizing the sphaera mundi(20). The Virgin is wearing a blue robe and red mantle, and the Child
a white tunic with a gold mantle (appropriate to his status in the heavenly and
earthly Church: his “golden Light.”) The inscription at the bottom of the icon,
in red ink in Old Slavonic, has survived in part: HOLY MOTHER OF GOD SAVE US
(?)/1863.
-
Jesus Christ, late 19th
century, tempera on board, 79.8 x 57.7 cm (69 x 46 cm without the frame). St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The grave
face of Jesus Christ portrayed in half length “shines forth” from the dark
painted surface, wearing a gold crown and halo, holding the orb of the heavens
with a cross in his left hand and giving a benediction with his right. He is
wearing a red tunic with a blue mantle over his left shoulder, and is facing
left.
-
St. Nicholas the Miracle
Worker, first half of the 19th century, tempera on board, gilded, 82.5 X 56.5
cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The saint
is shown seated, in close up, against a gold ground, wearing his bishop’s
robes, with a gold crown and halo. He is portrayed in the usual way, as an
elderly man with a high forehead, grey hair and a short beard. He is holding an
open book in his left hand and giving a blessing with his right.
-
Royal Doors (original):
-
Archangel Gabriel, Royal
Doors, 1857, tempera on board, gilded, panel: 219 x 82.5 cm (icon 60 x 33 cm).
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Virgin, Royal Doors, 1857,
tempera on board, gilded, panel: 219 x 82.5 cm (icon 60 x 33 cm). St Nicholas’
church, Foča
-
Jerusalem (pilgrimage icon)(21), before 1873, tempera on canvas,
149 x 201 cm (138 x 190 cm without frame). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
complex iconographic concept, consisting of scenes from the Old and the New
Testament, is divided into three zones. In the centre is the Holy Sepulchre,
with Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection; to the left is the Virgin
Glykophilousa, in a frame consisting of medallions with scenes from the
Virgin’s life. Below her on a blue ground is the inscription H. GLIGORE
MARKOVIĆ in white tempera, followed by the words PILGRIM TO THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
1873. To the right of the Holy Sepulchre is Christ Pantocrator, also in a frame
composed of medallions, these containing scenes from the life and Passion of
Christ. The Greek words on his gold halo mean: “He who is.” Old Testament
scenes feature in the top left and right corners.
-
Jerusalem (pilgrimage icon), 1806, tempera
on canvas, 98 x 166 cm (89 x 157 cm without the frame). St Nicholas’ church,
Foča
The icon
of Jerusalem is
divided vertically into three sections forming three separate panels. As with
the previous icon, Old Testament scenes feature in the top left and right
corners. The central section contains a schematic scene of the Holy Sepulchre
with the Resurrection, surrounded by scenes of the Crucifixion and of SS
Constantine and Helena with other saints. Above is Christ the Judge in a
medallion surrounded by the apostles and the jaws of a monster, full of demons
(indicating the Day of Judgment). The left-hand section is divided into two
scenes within a frame composed of medallions with scenes from the Virgin’s
life. At the very top is the Virgin as the Life-Giving Source, in a fountain
from which water is welling, surrounded by two angels. Below is the Virgin with
Christ and the apostles, the latter in medallions surrounding the figure of the
Virgin. The right-hand section is treated in the same manner, with Biblical
scenes from Christ’s life and Passion. At the top is a flotilla of ships. Two
icons of the Virgin and Christ are shown on the slopes of the city. Below this
is a scene of the Deesis with the Evangelists. An inscription in red tempera
dating from 1806 was found on the back of this pilgrimage icon.
-
Virgin and Child, St
Nicholas and St Athanasius the Athonite, 1813, canvas laid on panel, 62 x 48.7
cm (54 x 40 cm without the frame). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The icon
is printed on canvas, and shows the Virgin and Christ Child in close-up, with
two angels lowering a crown onto the Virgin’s head. The scene is being observed
by St Athanasius the Athonite to the right of the Virgin and St Nicholas to her
left. Traces of paint can be seen at the bottom of the icon. The frame has been
largely destroyed. The inscription at the bottom, in Greek, gives the date
1813.
-
Dormition of the Holy
Virgin, early 19th century, canvas laid on panel, 76 x 58 cm (70 x 50 cm
without the frame). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The scene
of the Dormition of the Virgin is surrounded by medallions consisting of floral
interlace within which are various saints. Though the paint layer of the icon
is damaged, its various parts can be made out. In the centre, laid on a
catafalque, is the Virgin “asleep.” To left and right of the central scene are
medallions with the Immaculate Conception, the Visitation and St George the
Great Martyr (left, top to bottom) and the Nativity of the Virgin, the
Annunciation and St Nicholas to the right. Below the Virgin’s catafalque is a
printed inscription in Church Slavonic, much damaged.
-
Winged St. John the Baptist with scenes from his
life, 17th century, tempera on board, 42.5 x 33 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The icon
is painted on a gold ground. The composition shows the full-length figure of
the winged St John,
holding a platter with his severed head in his left hand, together with an
unfurled scroll inscribed with a text. His etiolated body occupies the centre
of the composition, with four scenes from his life in the four corners. The two
on the left have been completely destroyed, and show signs of having been
burnt. Above the Precursor’s head is a medallion with Jesus Christ. The colour
palette of the composition and the even brush strokes reveal the hand of a
mature icon painter.
-
Virgin Enthroned, late
17th or early 18th century, tempera on board, gilded, 68 x 50 cm. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
The icon
is divided into two registers. The uppermost, forming a rectangle, portrays the
Virgin on a throne, with two angels to right and left, leaning towards the
Virgin and Child, one wearing red and the other blue, creating a colour harmony
with the colours of the Virgin’s robe. The Christ Child is holding an open
scroll inscribed with a text in Old Slavonic in his left hand, and reaching out
to his mother with his right. The haloes of the Virgin and Child and of the
angels are embossed in silver, decorated with stylized floral motifs. The lower
register portrays St John
the Baptist (?) with four saints on either side of him. The inscriptions by the
saints’ haloes have been partly erased and are illegible, making it impossible
to identify them.
-
Black Virgin, late 19th or
early 20th century, oil on canvas, gilded, 64 x 47.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church,
Foča
The
Virgin is portrayed half-length against a dark ground. The darkness of the
background and the faces is broken up by the gleaming gold haloes surrounding
the harmoniously drawn, long faces, with large eyes, long noses and small
mouths. The Virgin is embracing the Child in her left arm. The images of the
dark-complexioned Virgin originate in the mediaeval tradition of folk piety,
without any complex theological explanation, and it is possible that the motif
derives from the verse in the Song of Songs, which came to be applied to the
Virgin: “I am black, but comely.” (22)
-
Virgin and Child, 17th
century, tempera on board, 53 x 42.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
Much of
the icon has been destroyed. The surviving areas reveal a gold ground with the
Virgin holding the Christ Child on her left arm. Christ is holding an open
scroll inscribed with a text in Old Slavonic. The lines of the face are
distinctive – long nose, slender dark eyebrows, large eyes accentuated by thick
brown lines under the eyes, and a small red mouth.
-
Virgin and Child, 17th
century, tempera on board, 32.5 x 22 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The paint layer is patinated, making the scene of the Virgin and
Child hard to make out.
-
St. Nicholas with the
Virgin and Jesus Christ, late 17th or early 18th century, tempera on board, 33
x 25 cm (27.5 x 20 cm without the frame). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
composition portrays St Nicholas in close up, half length, holding the Gospel
in his left hand and with his right hand bent in a gesture of benediction. Christ
is portrayed above his right shoulder, also holding the Gospels, and the Virgin
above his left, with an open omophor. The iconography of this scene is based on
a story from the life of the saint, “when he slapped the condemned Arius in an
unseemly manner at the Council of Nicaea, in the presence of the Emperor,
resulting in his being removed from his post and imprisoned. He was restored to
office when Christ and the Virgin gave him back his insignia.”(23)
-
Lamenting Virgin, 18th
century, tempera on board, 43 x 31.5 cm (39 x 27.5 cm without the frame). St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The icon
is damaged along the top and bottom edges. The iconographic type of the Virgin
Threnodousa (Greek for “lamenting”) is shown in close up on a gold ground,
grieving as she holds the cross with Christ crucified. The way in which Christ
is nailed to the cross with three nails, the “western manner,” rather than with
four, as is the tradition for Crucifixions in Eastern Christianity, reveals
that the type of the Threnodousa was also typical of Western European art(24).
-
St. Nicholas, St. Elijah
and St. Damian, first half of the 18th century, tempera on board, 53 x 39 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
composition shows the three saints full length. Though the head and halo of one
of the saints are partly damaged, the bishop’s robes and closed book identifies
him as St Nicholas. When determining the stylistic features of this icon,
Svetlana Rakić noted: “The Prophet Elijah, quite badly damaged, is portrayed in
an ochre mantle fastened by a pin, and a blue chiton, giving a blessing with
one hand and holding a rolled scroll in the other. The famous ‘silverless’ St
Damian, usually portrayed with St Cosmas, is holding a box with his medical
instruments in one hand and pointing to it with the other. The anargyroi or
Silverless were incorruptible physicians who would take no payment for their
services.”(25) The
treatment of the saints’ faces and the characteristics of the artist’s hand
have led the icon to be attributed to zographoi from the Boka Kotor workshop of
Rafailović-Dimitrijević.
-
Tomb of St. Spyridon, late
18th century, tempera on board, 46 x 37 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The tomb
of St Spyridon, patron saint of Corfu, is also
the patron saint of sailors and the olive(26). The icon is painted on a gold ground, with the saint’s relics in
a “reliquary of Western Baroque architecture.” Above the tomb are two angels on
clouds, one on each side, one hand holding an inscription, now destroyed, and
the other an open scroll with a text in Latin. Another two angels are standing
by the tomb, backs turned to the observer, holding scrolls with a text in Old
Slavonic (?).
-
St. Nicholas, St. Elijah
and St. Damian, 17th or early 18th century, tempera on board, 35 x 25.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
composition shows the three saints half-length against a gold ground, St Elijah
in the middle, holding an open scroll, with St Nicholas in bishop’s robes and
St Damian to left and right. The treatment of the saints’ faces and the
characteristics of the artist’s hand have led the icon to be attributed to
zographoi from the Boka Kotor workshop of Rafailović-Dimitrijević
-
Emperor Constantine and
Empress Helena, 1757, tempera on board, 31.5 x 24.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church,
Foča
The
background of most of the icon is gold, with an olive-green ground at the base.
The centre of the composition is defined by the double cross, with the crown of
thorns hanging from the lower crossbar. SS Constantine and Helena are portrayed
in close up, full length, wearing their imperial robes, and pointing to the
cross. In the blank space below the cross is an inscription in Greek in black
ink, with the date 1757. The mid section of the icon and the area around the saints’
heads are badly damaged.
-
Crucifixion, with SS Demetrius,
George and Nicholas and the Virgin, 19th century, 38 x 31 cm. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
The icon
with the Crucifixion is covered with patina and is hard to make out. It is
divided into four equal panels forming a cross, with St Demetrius top left, St
George top right, St Nicholas bottom left and the Virgin bottom right.
-
St. John the
Baptist, early 20th century, oil on canvas, 80 x 67 cm (60.5 x 45 cm without
the frame). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Baptism of Christ, 20th
century, oil on canvas, 70 x 56 cm (62 x 46 cm without the frame). St Nicholas’
church, Foča
-
St. Sava and St. Nicholas,
19th century, tempera on panel, 31.5 x 25 (25 x 19 cm without the frame). St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
Traces of a wax seal and a partly legible signature:: ЗЋНА 10. Ф.
JOSIF, icon painter (?)
-
St Sava, early 20th
century, oil on canvas, 86.5 x 73 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
Icon found in a Prologue book
-
Unidentified saint,
tempera on panel, 24 x 9.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
UNFRAMED ICONS
-
St Nicholas, late 19th or
early 20th century, oil on canvas, 52 x 43 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
St. Lazar and the Baptism
of our Lord (double icon), late 19th or early 20th century, oil on canvas, 42.2
x 52.2 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
St Sava, Serbian
archbishop, late 19th or early 20th century, oil on canvas, 60 x 46 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
Collection of old liturgical
books
-
Hymnbook, 1906,
hand-written in black ink, board covers, 23.5 x 15 x 2 cm, St Nicholas’ church,
Foča
The
inscription on the front page reveals that the hymnbook was written in Reljevo
in 1906 by J. Pajković, and lithographed by M. Božić and K. Stanišić.
-
Holy Gospel, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden boards covered with red
leather, 40 x 27.5 x 9.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the Gospels is printed in red and black ink in Church Slavonic. Each gospel
is preceded by a portrayal of the Evangelist and his symbol. The number of
lines to the page varies from 10 to 20. The headers are also decorated with
scenes from the Bible, set in ornamented medallions. The pagination is effected
by inscribing the first few words from the following page at the bottom of the
previous one. The last page bears the inscription PROVINCIAL TYPOGRAPHY OF
SARAJEVO.
-
Holy Gospel, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covered with leather, 36.5 x
23 x 11.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the Gospels is printed in red and black ink. The front page is printed with
the scene of the Resurrection in gold, and the back with a simple cross. The
edges of the covers are decorated with an elaborate border of floral and
geometric motifs. Each gospel is preceded by a portrayal of the Evangelist and
his symbol. There are 6 or 10 lines of text to the page to the page. The pages
are not numbered, but the first few words from the following page are inscribed
at the bottom of the previous one. The metal clasps are not complete.
The front
page bears an inscription in pencil: I HAVE SERVED IN THIS CHURCH SINCE 6
AUGUST 1900. GLORY TO GOD. 21 JANUARY 1917. The signature is illegible.
-
Pentecostarion, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, 35 x 23 x 6 cm. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
The book
is used from Easter to Pentecost. The first and last pages bear the signatures
of the persons who used the book; the earliest dated signature is from 1880.
-
Triodion, 19th
century, print on paper, 24 x 18.5 x 9.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The book
is printed in black ink in Church Slavonic. To protect the pages against wear,
this bulky book is provided with simple leather straps and metal clasps. The
back page has a partly decipherable seal with the date 1867.
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Trebnik (ritual
book)(27), late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covered with leather, 19 x 14
x 2.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
Trebnik is in Church Slavonic on paper in black ink. Most of the text runs to
21 lines to the page. The numbering is effected by inscribing the first few
words from the next page at the bottom of the previous one. Some of the front
pages are missing, and the covers have become detached from the spine.
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Trebnik, 19th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 18 x 12.5 x 5.5
cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the trebnik is in Church Slavonic, mainly in 20 lines to the page, in a
combination of red and black ink. Part of the metal clasp still survives on the
covers. The inscription at the beginning of the book, on different paper and in
biro, relates that the book was donated: THIS TREBNIK WAS GIVEN TO PROTO DANILO
BY THE GRANDSON OF MOMILO LOLOVIĆ VLADIMIR 4 MARCH 2001. The rest of the text
is illegible. The last page bears part of a text with the date 1886.
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Breviary, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with
leather, 19 x 12 x 3 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the breviary is in Old Slavonic, in 20 lines to the page. Particularly
important sections of text are highlighted by using red ink. The covers are
detached from the spine. The pagination is effected as in the previous books,
by inscribing the first few words from the next page at the top or bottom of
the previous one. The headers bear the title of certain readings.
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Oktoechos(28), late 19th or early 20th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 22 x 16 x 4.5 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The Old
Slavonic text of the Oktoechos is in black ink with 24 lines to the page. The
first page is simply decorated with a medallion showing Jesus Christ with an
open book set in floral tendrils in the centre of the header. Part of the metal
clasps survives on the covers.
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Service book(29), 19th century, print on paper,
board slipcase, 25 x 21.5 x 5.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
liturgies are printed in a combination of red and black ink in Church Slavonic.
The front cover bears a tooled Russian cross, and the metal clasps are still
intact. The text is in about 20 lines to the page. Part of the metal buckles
survives. The last pages of the book are signed with the names of the priests
who used it. The earliest identified date is 1865. The spine has been mended
with black sellotape to hold the front and back covers together.
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Synodal typikon(30), late 19th or early 20th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 33.5 x 22 x 11.5
cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
Most of
the text of the typikon is printed in black ink. The lettering is uneven, but
most pages have 19 or 20 lines. The front page bears a floral ornament
surrounding a medallion with a depiction of the Holy Trinity. The initials are
in red, with modest decoration. The metal clasps and leather strap have
survived in part.
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Srbljak, 19th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 33 x 23 x 5 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
covers and some of the front pages of the Srbljak have not survived. Inside is
the text of services for Serbian saints, printed in a combination of red and
black ink, in 38 to 40 close-set lines to the page. The headers of the various
chapters are marked in red ink. The pagination is achieved by inscribing the first
few words of the following page in the corners of the preceding one. The book
includes an engraving with the figure of St Stefan Dečanski.
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Holy Gospel, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covers, 26 x 21.5 x 4 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the Holy Gospel is printed in black ink within a simple frame, in Church
Slavonic, at 25 lines to the page. The pagination is achieved in the same way
as in the previous books.
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Trebnik, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covers, 19.5 x 14 x 6 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
As the
seal on a piece of cloth found under the spine reveals, the book was imported
from Palestine
(Importé de Palestine). Part of the Church Slavonic text is printed in black
ink and part in red. Most of the pages have 18 lines of text.
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Breviary, 19th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 21 x 13 x 3.5 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
breviary is in poor condition, with a number of the front pages missing and the
spine completely detached. The text is printed in red and black ink in Church
Slavonic, at 18 lines to the page. The covers bear a variety of signatures, the
earliest date being 1853.
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Psalter with prayers, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with
leather, 20 x 12.5 x 4 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
prayers are printed in Church Slavonic in black ink, at 20 lines to the page.
The metal clasps and leather straps are still intact. The top of the spine has
come away from the book. The headers give the titles of the various chapters,
and the bottom right or left corners contain the first few words of the
following page.
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Gospels and Acts of the
Apostles, late 19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers
overlaid with leather, 21 x 16.5 x 8 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The book
is printed on paper in black ink in Church Slavonic, with the text within a
simple frame of parallel lines of varying thickness. Each page has about 22
lines. The pagination is effects as in the previous books.
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Irmologion(31), late 19th or early 20th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
The text
of the irmologion is in 17 lines to the page, in Church Slavonic, most of it
printed in black, with the initials of the various sections in red. The headers
include the title or part of the chapter to be read. The front page depicts a
scribe holding an open book in which he is writing. Above his head is a
medallion with his name: St John of Damascus.
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Troparia(32) and psalms, late
19th century, print on paper, board covers, 19 x 13 x 2 cm. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
The book
of troparia and psalms is badly damaged, with some of the front pages missing,
and the spine and front cover detached from the rest of the book. The text is
in Church Slavonic, in black ink, with 25 lines to most of the pages. The
headers give the name of the liturgical reading, and the bottom right/left
corner the first few words of the following page. The first and last pages bear
the name of the person who used the book: VELJKO KOČOVIĆ, 1890/28/8. The
signature of the same person with the same year, 1890, also appears in the
middle of the book.
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Breviary, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covers, 19.5 x 12.5 x 3 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
header of the front page bears a depiction of the Holy Trinity, below which is
the text in a simple frame. The initial is composed of tendrils, and is in red.
The entire text of the breviary is printed in a combination of red and black
ink, in Church Slavonic. The number of lines to the page varies from 19 to 20. The
pagination is effected in the same way as in the previous books, with the first
few works given in red. The pages – 323 of them – are also numbered in black
ink in the left-hand corner.
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Dopolniteljni trebnik, 1887,
print on paper, board covers, 24 x 16 x 3 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
page of this enlarged trebnik states that it was printed in Novi Sad in M. Dimitrijevič’s printing house,
with the blessing of Sir German, the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch and Archbishop
and Metropolitan of Karlovci. The header bears a depiction of the Holy Trinity,
and the later addition in pencil of the words PROPERTY OF THE CHURCH IN FOČA.
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Imperial Gospel, 1804,
print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 52 x 36.5 x 8 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The book
of the Imperial Gospel has been carefully protected by finely worked metal
clasps applied on leather. The clasps are in the form of a leaf, within which
is the head of a mythical being or an angel. The top part is decorated with a
red semi-precious stone on each clasp. The edges of the pages are gilded, and
when the book is closed, it reveals a stylized floral motif. The front page is
divided into two sections:
-
an ornamented frame with
an interlace of flowers and leaves within,
-
the header, composed of
two acanthus leaves framing a depiction of the Holy Trinity.
The text
of the Gospel is printed in a combination of red and black ink, with the number
of lines per paging ranging from 14 to 18. It was printed in Moscow in 1804, and some of the pages bear
Njegoš’s dedication to the Piva monastery. A drawing of the relevant Evangelist
features at the beginning of each chapter, with an open book and his symbol.
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Universal meneon(33), late 19th or early 20th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
The front
cover of the meneon bears a simple tooled, gilded cross. The front page
consists of 12 rows of text in Church Slavonic, in black ink within an
ornamental frame. The rest of the book is rather more closely printed at 32
lines per page, in a combination of red and black ink. The pagination is
effected in the same way as in the previous books.
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Oktoechos, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with
leather, 39.5 x 28 x 4.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
Like the
previous book, the front page of this oktoechos bears a simple tooled, gilded
cross. The oktoechos is printed in a combination of red and black ink, with red
used for the initials or the first words of the various sections. The Old Slav
text is closely packed into 36 to 40 lines to the page.
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Oktoechos, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with
leather, 39.5 x 27 x 4.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
page of the oktoechos is divided into two sections – the heading, with a
medallion depicting the Holy Trinity, and a floral interlace below with the
title of the book. The text is in red and black ink at 35-36 lines to the page.
-
Typikon, 19th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 36 x 24 x 7 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the typikon is printed in red and black ink. The initials, sections or
passages are designated in a different colour. Each page has about 33 lines.
The names of the people who used the book are inscribed at the beginning, with
the earliest date being 1880. The book also contains the partly preserved
signature of a teacher for 1894/5 – 895/6 – 896/7.
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Oktoechos, 19th
century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 35 x 22.5 x 7 cm.
St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
oktoechos is written in red and black ink in Church Slavonic, with 32 lines to
the page. Most of the initials are in red ink, and the header contains the
title of the passage for the weekly reading. The covers bear three dates: 1876,
1878, 1894. The book is damaged, lacking the back cover and half the spine
-
Typikon, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather,
36 x 23.5 x 7 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
page of the typikon is decorated with the figure of Jesus Christ with an open
book in the header. Below is the title of the book, in letters formed within
small squares filled with red branchlets. The Church Slavonic text is printed
in red and black ink with 32 lines to the page. The pagination is effected in
the same way as in the previous books. The front cover is coming away from the
spine.
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Oktoechos, 1-4,
late 19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with
leather, 33 x 21.5 x 7 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
One of
the metal clasps on this oktoechos is still intact, but the other is missing. The
text is printed in red and black ink, with certain chapters or passages in red.
The pages each have about 29 to 30 lines. The headers give the title of the
passage for the weekly reading.
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Anthologion svjetoslov, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covers, 36 x 23 x 5.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
cover of the Anthologion bears a gilded tooled scene of the Resurrection. The
Church Slavonic text is printed with 28 lines to the page, in a combination of
red and black lettering. Some sections are decorated with simple floral
interlace. Both metal clasps are intact.
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Pentecostarion, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covers, 36 x 23 x 5.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
cover bears a gilded, tooled scene of the Annunciation. The metal clasps are
intact and in use. The text is printed with 28-30 lines to the page in red or
black ink.
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Oktoechos, 1-4,
early 20th century, print on paper, board covers, 36 x 23 x 5.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
cover of the oktoechos bears a tooled, gilded figure of Jesus Christ. The two
simple metal clasps are intact. The text is printed with 30-32 lines to the
page, with the initials, first words or lines in red and the rest of the text
in black. The pagination is effected by inscribing the first few words of the
following page on the bottom corners of the previous one.
-
Oktoechos, 5-8,
early 20th century, print on paper, board covers, 36 x 23 x 5.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The book
is from the same printing press and the previous one and bears the same
features.
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Unidentified book on the
Nativity of Christ, before 1789, print on paper, board covers, 30 x 20.5 x 8 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
page bears an unusual decoration of an arch with pillars within which is a
depiction of the Holy Trinity crowning the Virgin. The corners of the page bear
medallions with hunters and horsemen, and two unidentified scenes. Below the
arch is a third pillar without a capital, with to the left two horns (musical
instruments) and to the right two plaques. The text is in Church Slavonic in
black ink within panels with a simple frame, at 24 lines to the page. The
headers are separate, and bear the title of the chapter or reading. The
initials are decorated with floral ornament. The book has a signature in ink
with the date 1789.
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Trebnik, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with
leather, 34.5 x 23 x 6 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
page is decorated with an elaborate ornament of flowers and leaves. The header
bears the figure of Jesus Christ in a medallion, holding an open book in his
left hand and giving a benediction with his right. Below is the title of the
book, in red capital letters. The blank space bears an inscription in black
ink: THIS TREBNIK WAS GIVEN BY MY GODFATHER NIKODIJA KANDIĆ PRIEST .... FOČA
AUGUST 1930. PARISH PRIEST OF FOČA ARCHPRIEST-MONK MILAN B. KUJUNDŽIĆ.
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Lenten Triodion, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with
leather, 35.5 x 24 x 8 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
cover bears a scene of the Annunciation. Parts of the metal clasps have
survived. The book is printed in red and black ink, with 31 lines to the page.
The headers give the title of the reading, and the bottom corners bear the
first few words from the following page.
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Holy Gospel, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with purple
cloth, 32 x 22 x 8.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
wooden covers of the Gospel are overlaid with purple cloth, and bear a stamped
silver medallion with the Resurrection in the middle and the four Evangelists
with their symbols (eagle, ox, lion and angel) in the corners. The back cover
bears a Crucifixion.
-
Anthologion (for
Palm Sunday), late 19th or early 20th century, print on paper, board covers,
24.5 x 22.5 x 8.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
covers are tooled with a gilded scene of the Annunciation. The clasps have
survived in part. The front page is decorated with an elaborate floral ornament
of flowers and leaves, which also separate some of the sections.
Jesus
Christ is portrayed in a medallion on the header of the front page. The text is
printed in red and black ink at 30-32 lines to the page.
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Meneon, III, IV, V, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with cloth,
34 x 22.5 x 7.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The front
page of the meneon is divided into the header, with a depiction of the Holy
Trinity in a medallion within floral tendrils, and the rest of the text below,
in a simple frame. Unlike the other books in the church in Foča, this meneon is
printed in two columns, in red and black ink, with about 40 lines to each
column. The language is Church Slavonic.
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Meneon, IX, X, XI, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with cloth,
34 x 22.5 x 10 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
header of the front page bears a medallion formed by bold, evenly-spaced
leaves, within which is a scene of the Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John. The text of this
meneon is also printed in two columns in red and black ink, in Church Slavonic.
The number of lines to a column varies from 30 to 40.
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Prologue, 19th
century (?), print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 31.5 x 22 x 8
cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The book
is in poor condition and badly damaged. It is bound in cloth and twine. The
front and back pages are missing and the wood of the front cover has split into
two. The spine is also damaged and coming away from the book. The text is
printed in large lettering in black ink, at 19-20 lines to the page. There are
marginal notes by some of the sections. A small icon with an unidentified saint
was found in the book, executed in tempera on panel, and measuring 24 x 9.5 cm.
-
Book (front
and back missing), print on paper, covers missing, 32 x 22 x 4.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the book is in Church Slavonic in black ink. There are 29 lines to the page.
The headers are marked with the title of the section (March, April) and the
bottom corners of the pages bear the first few words of the following page.
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Meneon, XII, I, II, print on
paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 34 x 22.5 x 9 cm. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
Above the
title of the book on the front page is a medallion with the figure of Jesus
Christ holding an open book. The text is printed in two columns, and some
sections are indicated in red ink. Each column has 26 lines. The language is
Church Slavonic.
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Meneon, VI, VII, VIII, late
19th or early 20th century, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with cloth,
32 x 20.5 x 9 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
header of the front page depicts the Holy Trinity. The text of the meneon is
printed in Church Slavonic in two columns in red and black ink. Most of the
columns are of 40 lines.
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Prologue, III, IV, V, before
1831, print on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 34 x 22 x 8.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The text
of the prologue is printed in black ink with 29 lines to the page. The book
once had metal clasps, but these are now missing. The header of the front page
is decorated with a medallion containing the figure of Jesus Christ giving a
benediction with his right hand and holding an open book in his left. The front
and back pages bear the partly preserved signatures of the persons (priests)
who used the book, the earliest date being 1831, followed by 1870. The front
cover is coming apart from the rest of the book.
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Prologue, XII, I, II, before
1835, print on paper, wood overlaid with leather, 34 x 22 x 6.5 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
leather covers of the prolog still bear their partly preserved metal clasps.
The text is printed in black ink at 29 lines to the page. The language is
Church Slavonic. The front page bears a partly legible signature: WRITTEN BY
PRIEST ... 1843, MONTH OF NOVEMBER. A signature with the date 1835 has also
been found.
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Certificate of ordination, 1900,
paper, written in black ink. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
The
certificate is calligraphed in black ink. The bottom right corner bears the
seal of the Metropolitan of Herzegovina and Zahum. The text states that on 6
and 7 August, Vasilije Kandić, a native of Foča, was ordained as a deacon and
priest in the “New Cathedral church of the Holy Trinity in Mostar – by stages
and officially.”
This is
confirmed by signature no. 57: ISSUED IN THE NEW METROPOLITAN’S RESIDENCE IN
MOSTAR ON 12 AUGUST 1900, signed by THE ABOVE-MENTIONED BEATITUDE METROPOLITAN
SERAFIM.
The
inscription on the reverse reads: DONATED BY DUŠKA VITAS, NÉE KANDIĆ, 3.01.
1980.
-
Certificate, 1900,
paper, written in black and red ink, overall size 58 x 41 cm, area of text 47 x
39.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
The text of the
certificate is written in red and black ink in Church Slavonic within a simple
red frame. This certificate, signed by pastor Vladimir Gvozdenovič prior to
ordination, approved the above document, and is certified at the bottom by a
seal, in Mostar, 5 August 1900. The inscription on the reverse reads: DONATED
IN MEMORY OF MY LATE FATHER BY DUŠKA VITAS, NÉE KANDIĆ, 3.01. 1980.
CHURCH FURNISHINGS
Some of
the original church furnishings dating from the time the church was built have
survived: pews, the archbishop’s throne, the pulpit, Christ’s tomb and two
choir stalls.
-
Church pew, 1876,
polychrome wood, 186 x 66 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča. Inscription on the
backrest: AG 1876.
-
Church pew, 19th century,
polychrome wood, 178 x 68 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Church pew, 19th century,
polychrome wood, 182 x 72.5 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Church pew, 19th century,
polychrome wood, 186 x 64 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Church pew, 19th century,
polychrome wood, 195 x 69 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Church pew, 19th century,
polychrome wood, 219 x 74 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Church pew, 19th century,
polychrome wood, 212 x 71 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Church pew, 19th century,
polychrome wood, 212 x 71 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
Inscription on the backrest, later painted over and hard to make
out: JELKA DRAKULIĆ
-
Christ’s Tomb, 19th
century, polychrome wood, plinth measuring 20 x 157 x 158 cm, overall size 124
x 105 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Pulpit, 19th century,
polychrome wood, gilded. St Nicholas’ church, Foča. The monument pulpit has two
stages; from the first the deacons lead the prayers and from the second the
Gospel is read.
The
pulpit in St Nicholas’ church in Foča is an unparalleled example of church
furniture and carved woodwork in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rises in
two stages around the substantial pillar that carries the canopy. Wood was used
for both the structural and the decorative elements. The elaborate decoration
of the railing is similar to that of the iconostasis. The sides of the railing
are dominated by an ornament consisting of stylized flowers and tendrils. The
lower register is decorated with rhombs and acanthus leaves forming a regular
pattern with a rhomb in the centre flanked by gilded acanthus leaves. In
somewhat modified form (the rhombs set vertically, and the acanthus leaves
replaced by barley-twist colonnettes) this ornament is repeated at the top of
the pulpit, where is a free-standing sculpture of an eagle and hand. This part
of the pulpit is more richly gilded than the rest.
-
Archbishop’s throne, 19th
century, polychrome wood, gilded, 500 x 98 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča. The
throne stands on a plinth consisting of two steps. To left and right are the
free-standing carved figures of two lions affrontés (“a copy of the older and
much more finely worked lions in Studenica and Dečani”)(34). The choice of ornament and the
execution suggest it was made in the same workshop as the wood carving on the
iconostasis and the pulpit. The sides of the pulpit [sic – presumably meaning
the throne. Trans.] are decorated with a variety of ornaments. The lower
register bears a carved decoration mounted within vertical rectangles; in the
centre is a vase with a bouquet of acanthus leaves and full-blown roses.
The
armrests terminate in volutes. Below them is a vertical gilded acanthus the
front of which rests on a medallion with a flower, while the tip curves
inwards. The upper part of the sides of the pulpit [sic] is decorated with a
gilded tendril motif twining around a deer on its hind legs.
The top
of the throne is in the form of a baldachin, elaborately decorated with ornate
medallions resting on volutes and acanthus leaves. The pyramidal canopy is surmounted
by a gilded crown with a cross.
CHURCH TEXTILES
-
Antimens(35), 1779, print on fabric (linen?),
45 x 49 cm. St Nicholas’ church, Foča
1779. DONATED BY JOVICA KOČA, the rest of the text is illegible.
-
Antimens, late 18th or
early 19th century, print on fabric (cotton?), 49.5 x 59.5 cm (45.5 x 55 cm
without its frame). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
LITURGICAL ARTICLES
-
Processional cross, 1887,
wood, metal bound and fixed to a sheet of metal, 159.5 x 22 cm. St Nicholas’
church, Foča
The metal
section bears an embossed inscription: THIS CROSS WAS DEONATED TO THE CHURCH OF
ST NICHOLAS IN FOČA ON 8 MAY 1887 BY RISTO ČUNB(G?)URIKA
-
Two icons mounted on
wooden staffs, late 19th or early 20th century, wood, metal, 184 x 34 cm. St
Nicholas’ church, Foča
-
Two candlesticks, late
19th or early 20th century, wood, metal, 140.5 x 13 cm. St Nicholas’ church,
Foča.
The
wooden handle of the candlestick is fitted with a shallow metal container with
embossed decoration.
-
The church also owns an
Adler 7 typewriter(36) dating
from the early 20th century (1903?).
Outbuilding
The
outbuilding is in the northwest corner of the churchyard. It is rectangular in
plan, and consists of two sections. The treatment of the façade suggests that
it was built in two stages. The older section is plastered and painted to match
the courtyard wall. The newer section is of yellow brick left exposed.
It has a
gabled roof forming part of the coping of the boundary wall.
Tomb of Savka Jovičić
The tomb
of Savka Jovičić is in the eastern part of the churchyard, just by the apse. The
rectangular stone sarcophagus measures 176 x 78 cm, with a height of 20 to 30
cm, depending on the lie of the land. The sarcophagus bears a cross at the west
end, measuring 77 cm in height, 46.5 cm in width and 12 cm in thickness. The
cross ends in three relief “apples.” The top of the cross bears a Greek cross
in bas relief and a floral motif. Below this is the epitaph in Cyrillic, giving
the name of the deceased, her age at death – 75 – and the date of death, 22
March 1874. The tombstone was erected by her son Aleksej.
North courtyard(37)
The north
courtyard is surrounded by a wall of hewn stone in cement mortar and left
exposed. The height of the wall varies from about 1.5 to 4 m, depending on the
lie of the land. The stone wall is topped by cut stone posts between which is
an iron railing.
The
entrance to the north courtyard is in the south boundary wall. The entrance
portal, which is about 2 m wide and 3 m high, is of ashlar stone, and is almost
identical in finish to the entrance portal of the churchyard. The jambs are in
the form of pillars, without bases and with simple moulded capitals. The arch
of the portal is composed of voussoirs and is moulded and decorated with
geometric motifs in bas relief. The arch is surrounded by a rectangular panel
defined by a moulded frame. Geometric motifs in bas relief occupy the space
between the arch and the frame. The year when the portal was built, 1876, is
carved in the axis of the arch. The double gates are iron grilles with
geometric decoration. The year 1876 features at the transition from the
rectangular to the arched section of the gate.
The
portal is simply accentuated on the inside by stone jambs and an arch set
slightly back from the wall face. It is covered by a gabled roof.
Both the
portal and the boundary wall were restored in 2002. During the course of the
restorations, an open-air terrace with a gabled roof was laid in the north
corner of the courtyard.
The
restoration of the portal and boundary wall of the north courtyard carried out
in 2002 entailed dismantling the portal and reassembling it with all the
original parts in their proper place. Damaged parts were replaced by new ones
made as exact copies of the originals. The boundary wall was reconstructed in
the same manner as the original, but using new stone and binders. A fountain
was also installed by the portal on the inside.
The
former schoolhouse, now a kitchen and the deacon’s flat, is in the
north-western part of the north courtyard. The western boundary of the courtyard
consists of the hall.
Former schoolhouse
“In 1828
an education fund was established for the Serb school next to the church. Safet
pasha, the vali of Bosnia,
contributed 12,000 groschen to the fund. Among the first teachers at the school
was one Stefan, who signed his name in the Prolog of 1831.” (38)
The
former schoolhouse was built in or around the 1830s. It has retained its
original height and footprint, fenestration and pitch of roof and, to some
extent, its layout.
It was
built as a two-storey building, rectangular in plan, and is rendered.
The
window openings are rectangular on the outside, and form two ranks. The
ground-floor windows have a relieving niche on the inside. The outward
appearance was slightly changed during alterations to the building in 1999. The
window structure was originally on the outside; the windows have now been
replaced by new ones, and fake lintels and sills have been made on the outside
in the plaster.
The
building has a hipped roof with a wooden frame. The wall plate, which is the
same length as the building, about 16 m, still survives.
The
entrance to the ground floor is on the south façade. The ground floor has a
central rectangular hallway paved with flagstones, with a single large room on
either side. The room to the right still has its original wooden ceiling
resting via moulded head trees on wooden posts. The posts, which are square in
section, stand on small stone bases. The ceiling in the central hallway is
identical. The hallway also leads to a utility room, the layout of which was
altered during the recent adaptation. The staircase at the end of the central
hallway has been removed, and access to the first floor is now via an outside
staircase at the back (north) of the building.
As
Bilinac states, the primary school had four grades, and the pupils occupied two
rooms.(39)
Hall
“The
courtyard of the old Serb school contained a hall measuring 20 x 10 m, probably
built before the establishment of cultural and educational societies, and was
used for classes and for celebrating the feast of St Sava, the end of the
school year, and rehearsals. It was demolished after World War I and a new one
was built on the site, measuring 20 x 7 metres, with two first-floor flats.” (40)
The
original hall was probably built before 1880(41).
When the
new hall was being built in 2002, four stone bases of pillars were found. Now
in the churchyard, the bases are about 30 cm high, square in section at the
base, with sides of about 20 cm. The corners are chamfered, making the base
octagonal in section at the top. The holes for the spikes onto which a wooden
post would have been fixed can be seen at the top of the base.
The new
hall is a two-storey building with a ground-floor hall linked by a covered
passageway to the former schoolhouse (the present-day kitchen), and two flats
on the first floor.
It is built of brick block,
reinforced concrete and brick, and has a gabled roof with jutties.
3. Legal status to date
St
Nicholas’ church in Foča is on the Provisional List of National Monuments
of Bosnia and Herzegovina
under serial no. 214.
Pursuant
to a ruling by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, no. 1315/50 of 9 October 1950, the church of St Nicholas in Foča was placed under
state protection as a cultural monument. By decision of the Institute for the
Protection of Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina on the registration of immovable
cultural monuments, no. 02-853-3 of 18 April 1962, St Nicholas’ church in Foča
became a protected monument.
By ruling
of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of NR Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the following icons were placed under state protection:
-
Icon of St. Spyridon
(ruling no. 298/54 of 13 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1269-3 of 16 May 1962),
-
Icon of St. Spyridon in
the sepulchral chapel of the Serbian Orthodox parish in Foča (ruling no. 295/54
of 13 March 1954),
-
Icon of Jesus Pantocrator
(ruling no. 296/54 of 13 March 1954),
-
Icon of Jesus Pantocrator
(ruling no. 299/54 of 13 March 1954),
-
Icon of Jerusalem I (ruling no. 300/54 of 13 March
1954 and ruling no. 06-1274-3 of 16 May 1962.)
-
Icon of Jerusalem II
(ruling no. 301/54 of 13 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1275-3 of 16 May 1962),
-
Icon Jesus Pantocrator II
(ruling no. 06-1273-3 of 16 May 1962),
-
Icon of the Virgin
Galaktotrophousa (ruling no. 297/54 of 13 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1271-3
of 16 May 1962),
-
Icon of Jesus Pantocrator
(ruling no. 06-1270-3 of 16 May 1962),
-
Icon of the Deesis (ruling
no. 294/54 of 13 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1268-3 of 16 May 1962),
-
Icon of the Virgin and
Christ (ruling no. 06-1277 of 16 May 1962),
-
Icon of St. Nicholas the
Miracle Worker (ruling no. 302/54 of 13 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1276-3 of
16 May 1962),
-
Icon of St.
John the Divine (ruling no. 292/54 of 12 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1266-3 of
16 May 1962),
-
The Virgin Hodegetria
(ruling no. 291/54 of 12 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1265-3 of 16 May 1962),
-
Etching of the Death of
the Virgin II (ruling no. 290/54 of 12 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1264-3 of
16 May 1962),
-
Etching of the Death of
the Virgin I (ruling no. 289/54 of 12 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1263-3 of 16
May 1962)
-
Icon of SS Nicholas,
Elijah and Damian (ruling no. 293/54 of 12 March 1954 and ruling no. 06-1267-3
of 16 May 1962),
-
Virgin and Christ (ruling
no. 303/54 of 13 March 1954).
4. Research and
conservation-restoration works
Works
have been carried out on the architectural ensemble of St Nicholas’ church in
Foča on a number of occasions since it was first built.
The first
major intervention to the building must have been the replacement of the roof
structure. According to Ranko Bilinac, the church originally had twelve dome to
the sides and a single large central dome. The twelve small domes were “removed
by the Austro-Hungarians, who stripped off the lead cladding which, in their
view, was too heavy for such a building.” There are no other references to the
existence of twelve domes or to their replacement in 1878, and there are
no signs of them now.
Between
1960 and 1995 the following works were carried out on St Nicholas’ church in
Foča, according to the available documentation:
-
1960: the
church was wired for electricity
-
1975: a new
bell tower was built. The original one was wooden, and stood apart from the
church, in the north-east corner of the courtyard. The present bell tower,
dating from 1975, was designed by architect Ratko Popadić. The erection of the
bell tower caused no damage to the church. The entrance to the bell tower is
from the gallery, through a newly-opened doorway, probably where there had
originally been a window
-
1976: the
church was painted
-
1978: the
bells were hung
According
to the priest of the church, Father Aleksandar Vidaković, since 1995 the
following works have been carried out on the architectural ensemble of St
Nicholas’ church in Foča, necessitated by damage to the materials and the needs
of the owner:
-
1995-1996:
replacement of the windows of the church by aluminium windows with isopan glass
-
1997:
renovation of the roof structure and cladding of sheet copper
-
1998:
construction of a candle room inside the church
-
1999-2000:
adaptation of the former schoolhouse and restoration of the courtyard –
renovation of the façade of the schoolhouse, moving the staircase, restoration
and reconstruction of the courtyard wall and portal
-
2002 to date:
construction of a new hall in the north courtyard to a new design, in line with
the current needs of the owner
-
2009:
installation of electric radiators inside the church.
5. Current condition of the
property
The
findings of an on-site inspection conducted on 19 December 2009 are as
follows
-
Condition of the
properties in the architectural ensemble:
-
the church is in good
structural condition. No cracks were observed on the walls. Minor cracks were observed
on the stone door and window jambs. The plaster around the windows and doors is
also damaged in several places or has fallen away. The stairs to the gallery
need restoring, since the wooden treads have become over-dry. Though the roof
cladding was recently replaced, there are clearly some problems with the
guttering, as suggested by the large icicles hanging from the roof
-
the boundary wall of the
churchyard is in relatively good structural condition except on the east side,
which urgently needs remedial work, as it is leaning and at risk of collapsing.
It is possible that the loss of stability of this part of the wall has resulted
from the construction of a road just before the retaining wall, causing the
land on which the church was built to shift
-
the former schoolhouse is
in good structural condition
-
the hall is currently
under construction.
-
Condition of the icons:
-
while drafting the
Decision designating the property as a national monument, the icons in the
collection that were placed under state protection by Ruling of the Institute
for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of NR Bosnia and Herzegovina were
identified. The list of the remaining icons was drawn up on the basis of an
inspection of the current condition of the collection
-
most of the icons are well
preserved, though showing traces of wear and patination, woodworm, filigree
decoration falling away, the paint layer falling away, etc.).
-
Condition of the books:
-
most of the liturgical
books are in poor conditions (some are quite badly damaged, affected by damp,
lacking their covers and their front and back pages, etc.).
-
Condition of the
liturgical articles:
-
an inspection of the
condition of the liturgical articles revealed that they are very well
preserved.
-
Condition of the church
furnishings:
-
an inspection of the
condition of the church furnishings revealed that they are very well preserved.
-
Condition of the church
fabrics:
-
an inspection of the
condition of the church fabrics – the antimenses – revealed a satisfactory
state of preservation (repairs and patching of the fabric can be seen).
III – CONCLUSION
Applying
the Criteria for the adoption of a decision on proclaiming an item of property
a national monument (Official Gazette of BiH nos. 33/02 and 15/03), the
Commission has enacted the Decision cited above.
The
Decision was based on the following criteria:
A. Time frame
B. Historical value
C. Artistic and aesthetic value
C.i. quality of workmanship
C.ii. quality of materials
C.iii. proportions
C.iv. composition
C.vi. value of construction
D. Clarity
(documentary, scientific and educational value)
D.i. material evidence of a lesser known
historical era
D.ii. evidence of historical change
D.iv. evidence of a particular type, style or
regional manner
D.v. evidence of a typical way of life at a
specific period
E. Symbolic value
E.i. ontological value
E.ii. religious value
E.iii. traditional value
E.iv. relation to rituals or ceremonies
E.v. significance for the identity of a group of
people
F. Townscape/ Landscape value
F.i. relation to other elements of the site
F.ii. meaning in the townscape
F.iii. the building or group of buildings is part
of a group or site
G. Authenticity
G.i. form and design
G.ii. material and content
G.iii. use and function
G.iv. traditions and techniques
G.v. location and setting
G.vi. spirit and feeling
G.vi. other internal and external factors
H. Rarity and representativity
H.i. unique or rare example of a certain type
or style
I. Completeness
I.i. physical coherence
The
following documents form an integral part of this Decision:
-
Ownership documentation
-
Copy of cadastral plan,
c.p. 29676, 2977, 2978 and 2979 (new survey), c.m. Foča, scale 1:100, issued on
24.12.2009 by the Department of Geodetic and Proprietary Rights Affairs, Foča
branch, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
-
Title deed no. 1766,
issued on 24.12.2009 by the Department of Geodetic and Proprietary Rights
Affairs, Foča branch, Republika Srpska,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
(document no. 21.41/952.1-3785/09 of 24.12.2009)
-
Documentation on previous
protection of the property
-
Letter from the Institute
for the Protection of Monuments of the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport
ref. 07-40-4-4610/098 of 23.12 2009
-
Photodocumentation
-
Photographs of the
property taken on 19.12.2009 and 12.01.2010 by historian Aleksandra Bunčić,
using Canon PowerShot SX10IS digital camera, and architect Amra Šarančić Logo,
using Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W120 digital camera
-
Technical documentation
-
Technical drawings of the
property (ground plan of the church, details of the portal) measured and
surveyed on 19.12.2009 by architect Amra Šarančić Logo, drawings by Amra
Šarančić Logo
Bibliography
During
the procedure to designate the church
of St Nicholas in Foča as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following
works were consulted:
1980. Opća enciklopedija Jugoslavenskog leksikografskog zavoda
(General encyclopaedia of the Yugoslav Lexicographical Institute). Zagreb: Grafički zavod
Hrvatske, 1980.
1984. Brkić, Nemanja. Tehnologija slikarstva, vajarstva i
ikonografije (Techniques of painting, sculpture and iconography). Belgrade: University
of Art, 1984.
1998. Rakić, Svetlana. Ikone Bosne i Hercegovine (16-19. vijek)
(Icons of Bosnia and Herzegovina
[16th-19th Century). Belgrade:
Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, 1998.
2002. Ševo, Ljiljana. Pravoslavne crkve i manastiri u Bosni i
Hercegovini do 1878 (Orthodox Churches and Monasteries in BiH to 1878). Banja Luka: 2002.
2008. Bilinac, Ranko. Stara pravoslavna crkva u Foči (The old
Orthodox church in Foča). Foča Parish and Svet knjige Belgrade, Foča-Belgrade, 2008.
http://www.tv-avala.biz/vesti-tv-avala/drustvo/5421-sutra-je-sveti-nikola
(1) Bilinac,
Ranko, Stara pravoslavna crkva u Foči, Foča Parish and Svet knjige Belgrade, Foča – Belgrade,
2008, 58. Translator’s note: “mixed”
here presumably means “non-confessional” rather than “co-educational.”
(2) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 46.
(3) Ševo,
Ljiljana, op.cit., 2002, 145.
(4) It is
impossible to say precisely what material was used to build the walls of the
church, since they are plastered inside and out. The assumption that they are
stone-built is based on the date of the church and the thickness of the walls.
(5) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 48.
(6) The structure
of the bell tower rests on four massive piers, above which are four stages. The
ground floor is accentuated by string courses at two levels, standing proud of
the wall face, set at the ends of the piers level with the capitals and at the
transition to the next stage of the tower. Arches accentuated by brick are set
on all four sides. An arched opening accentuated by a brick frame rises through
the first three stages of the bell tower.
The fourth stage rises above the roof ridge of the church, and has
three arched openings on each face. The top of the walls of the bell tower is
accentuated by regular arches standing proud of the wall face. The bell tower
is surmounted by a dome
(7) The
supports of the original bell are still in the bell tower.
(8) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 48.
(9) Since the
jambs and lintels have been painted over with oil paint, it is not possible to
say exactly how many blocks were used to compose them. The only block that can
be clearly identified is the key stone of the arch.
(10) “The
builder, Spasoje Vulić of Tetovo, wrote his name on the inscription recording
the erection of the church in the lunette over the west portal. He also began
building the Saborna [Orthodox cathedral] church in Mostar, but his work there
was completed by master-builder Andrija Damjanov of Veles.” Ševo, Ljiljana,
op.cit., 2002, 145.
(11)
Translator’s note: these measurements are puzzling; it is not clear how the
nave can be 21.90 m long but the church only 19.40 m long including the
sanctuary.
(12) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 48.
(13) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 45-46.
(14) The vault
of St Nicholas’s church in Foča is decorated with evenly-spaced “twinkling”
gold stars on a light blue ground, and with the four Evangelists, the Holy
Trinity and the All-seeing Eye. The Evangelists are portrayed with their
symbols, writing the opening verses of their Gospels:
-
St Mark and the lion, holding an open book with the words
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son...”
-
St Luke, back turned to the observer, with a winged ox
lying in front of him. The Evangelist is seated on a cloud, holding a pen and
an open book with the words “For as much as many have taken in hand to set
forth in order a declaration of those things...”
-
St Matthew, resting on a cloud observing from afar an open
book held by an angel: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of
David.”
-
St John has laid down his pen and is looking up.
An eagle is hovering above a book with the words: “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God.”
(15) The
drawing of the iconostasis with measurements is by Nermin Katkić BScArch.
(16) The Royal
Doors are not an original part of the iconostasis, but are early 21st century
replacements. The original Royal Doors with the scene of the Annunciation are
now in the choir gallery of the church.
(17) Anonymous
artist, Annunciation, 19th century, oil on canvas, laid on panel, 219 x 82.5 cm
(icon 60 x 33 cm). St Nicholas’ church, Foča
(18) Svetlana
Rakić, Ikone Bosne i Hercegovine (16- 19. vijek), Belgrade: Republic Institute for the
Protection of Cultural Monuments, 1998, 121.
(19) The
Epitaphios symbolizes the shroud in which Christ was laid in the tomb. It is
removed from the sanctuary only on Good Friday, and is placed in the nave on
Christ’s symbolic tomb on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, and is then placed
on the altar until Ascension Day. Its use and symbolism has altered over the
centuries, and in mediaeval times it was also known as the iliton or eiliton.
It is also used to cover the altar during the liturgy, and with the passage of
time this liturgical use acquired the symbolic meaning of the aër. Zoran M.
Jovanović, Azbučnik pravoslavne ikonografije i graditeljstva, Belgrade:
Dina, 2005, 238. [Translator’s note: Aër. (The largest
of the three veils used for covering the paten and the chalice during or after
the Eucharist. It represents the shroud of Christ. When the creed is read, the
priest shakes it over the chalice, symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit ]
(20) The orb of
the heavens or sphaera mundi, globe or “apple” (the “royal” or “imperial”
apple) has the same symbolism in Christianity as the circle – infinity and
totality, the universe and the universal, eternal power and authority of the
Divine concept. Its depiction in Christ’s left hand denotes him as the ruler of
the Heavens and the Earth, the Cosmocrator, regardless of whether he is
portrayed as a child in the Virgin’s arms or as an adult. Zoran M. Jovanović,
op.cit., 2005, 456.
(21) In her
analysis of three pilgrimage icons, Svetlana Rakić notes: “Scenes of Jerusalem
constitute a large group of popular icons with scenes associated with the holy
sites of Palestine,
which pilgrims would bring back with them as a reminder of their time there. In
the 18th and 19th centuries members of the new bourgeois class, mainly artisans
and traders, set off from Sarajevo and other
towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina
to join the many pilgrims to Christ’s tomb in distant Jerusalem, so earning the title of hatji. They would bring back with them large
canvases with scenes of the Holy
City and a great many
miniature portraits and scenes from the Old and New Testaments. . . . These
Jerusalems, with the holy places of Palestine, especially those relating to the
life on this earth of Christ and the Virgin, were produced in local workshops
in Palestine. . . the Jerusalems belong to the world of folk art, vividly
depicting the spirit of Orthodox piety. Their value lies in their mass of
narrative detail, in the Biblical stories they depict so naively, with an
immediacy of experience, and in the Christian legends.” Svetlana Rakić, op.cit.,
1998, 296-298.
(22) Zoran M. Jovanović,
op.cit., 2005, 97.
(23) Svetlana Rakić,
op.cit., 1998, 98.
(24) Zoran M. Jovanović,
op.cit., 2005, 92.
(25) Svetlana Rakić,
op.cit., 1998, 138.
(26)
Translator’s note: he is usually also described as the patron saint of
potters.
(27) Trebnik
(Old Slavonic, ritual), a liturgical book in the Orthodox Church with rituals
and prayers for baptisms, marriages, burials, confession, the dedication of
houses etc., known in Greek as a Euchologion and in the Western Church
as a book of offices. The euchologion
was translated into Old Slavonic by Cyril and Methodius; a Glagolitic trebnik
dating from the 11th century is still extant in St Catherine’s monastery, Sinai
(a Sinaian euchologion of Macedonian origin, consisting of a trebnik and
service book). The oldest hand-written Serbian trebnik dates from the 14th
century, and the oldest printed one from the Crnojević press, dated about 1495
(surviving only in fragments). From the 18th century on, Russian trebniks were
in use, and three kinds were distinguished: the Greater, Lesser and Dopolitelni
Trebnik. Opća enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog leksikografskog zavoda, Vol.
6, Zagreb: Grafički
zavod Hrvatske, 1980, 280.
(28) An oktoechos
is a liturgical anthology of the Orthodox Church. The Great Oktoechos or Paraklitiki
contains the canons and hymns of liturgical prayers for every day for the cycle
of eight weeks beginning at Easter. Each week has its own appropriate melody,
based on the formulae typical of one of the eight “modes” [of Byzantine music].
After the eight weeks are over the cycle begins again. The Lesser Oktoechos
consists of the hymns for Sundays . . . The oktoechos was translated into Old
Slavonic at an early date. The first Slav oktoechoi were printed in Cetinje in
1494. Opća enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog leksikografskog zavoda, Vol 6, Zagreb: Grafički zavod
Hrvatske, 1980, 164.
(29) A service
book (služebnik or, in Old Slavonic, služabnik) is a liturgical
book in the Orthodox Church, containing three liturgies and the services for
Matins and Vespers, and is used by a priest or deacon for church services. It is known as litourgikon in Greek. In the Greek Orthodox Church the euchologion
of the old type is also used, where the litourgikon is combined with the
euchologion. Opća enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog leksikografskog zavoda,
Vol 7, Zagreb:
Grafički zavod Hrvatske, 1980, 532.
(30) A typikon
is a liturgical book containing instructions about the order of the various
church services and ceremonies and the lives of monks in the monastery in the
form of a perpetual calendar. The oldest typika are those of Theodore the
Studite (Theodore of Stoudios) and Sabba of Jerusalem, which were adopted from Byzantium by the Slav
peoples. The typikon of Theodore the Studite was translated into Slavonic as early
as the late 9th century. Sava Nemanjić compiled the Carian typikon (1199), the
Chilandar typikon (after 1200) and the very similar Studenica typikon, rules
for the monastic life modelled on the typikon of the Evergetid monastery in Constantinople, and
Archbishop Nicodemus translated the typikon of Sabba of Jerusalem for church
services in the 14th century. From the
19th century on, Russian typika were used, and later reworked. Opća
enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog leksikografskog zavoda, Vol. 8, Zagreb: Grafički zavod
Hrvatske, 1980, 217.
(31) Translator’s
note: an irmologion is a liturgical book of the Eastern Orthodox Church
and those Eastern
Catholic Churches
which follow the Byzantine Rite, and contains texts for liturgical singing in
Church. Specifically, it contains irmoi (introductory hymns) for the various
canons which are chanted at Matins and other services.
(32) Translator’s
note: a troparion is a short liturgical hymn relating to the feast of
the day
(33) Meneon
(from the Greek, meaning monthly), liturgical book of the Eastern Church,
divided into twelve volumes, one for each month, with the lives of the saints
and other readings. The oldest surviving meneon dates from the 8th century, and
the finest and artistically most valuable is the Vatican menelogion, housed in
the Vatican, made in about
the year 1000 in Constantinople for the
Byzantine Emperor Basil II, decorated with 430 polychrome miniatures on a gold
ground. Also known as a menelogion. Opća enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog
leksikografskog zavoda, Vol. 5, Zagreb:
Grafički zavod Hrvatske, 1980, 489, 428.
(34) Bilinac,
Ranko, Stara pravoslavna crkva u Foči, Crkvena opština Foča i Svet
knjige Belgrade, Foča – Belgrade, 2008, 46
(35) In the
Eastern Church an antimens or antiminsiion is a rectangular piece
of cloth sewn with the relics of a saint and the scene of the Deposition in the
Tome. It is laid over the altar and used for dedicating gifts. After the 12th
century it was decreed in the Eastern Church that the liturgy must be performed
on an antimens. The first antimenses were simple, with hand-made decoration on
cloth. From the end of the 17th century it became customary to use printed
antimenses. Opća enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog leksikografskog zavoda,
Vol 1, Zagreb:
Grafički zavod Hrvatske, 1980, 195.
(36) For a
detailed description of the Adler 7 typewriter with photographs see the
official web site, http://www.typewriter.be/adler7.htm (13. 01. 2010.).
(37) The north
courtyard and the buildings in it have undergone extensive renovation and
extension since 1999. The description is of their present condition.
(38) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 52.
(39) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 56.
(40) Bilinac,
Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 59.
(41) This
assumption is based on the statements by Bilinac Ranko quoted above and the
statement that “in the late 19th century Orthodox Foča had several Serb
cultural institutions.” Bilinac, Ranko, op.cit., 2008, 59.
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