Status of monument -> National monument

Published in the „Official Gazette of BiH“ no. 102/11.

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 on 26 October 2010 the Commission adopted a

D E C I S I O N

I

The architectural ensemble of St Elijah’s Church in Marićka near Prijedor, together with its movable property, is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National Monument).

The movable property referred to in para. 1 of this clause consists of an iconostasis with 22 icons, nine liturgical books, two icons, and liturgical articles: a throne cross, icon lamp and door with original metal key.

The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot nos. 797/1 and 803/1, Land Register entry no. 192, cadastral municipality Marićka, Municipality Prijedor, 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 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 erecting signboards 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 area defined in Clause 1 para. 3 of this Decision, the following protection measures are hereby stipulated.

-          all works are prohibited other than conservation-restoration works, routine maintenance works, and works designed to ensure the sustainable use of the property, with the approval of the ministry of Republika Srpska responsible for regional planning and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority of Republika Srpska;

The following measures are hereby stipulated pertaining to the movable property referred to in Clause 1 para. 2 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:

For the books:

-          the books shall be disinfected, cleaned and conserved;

-          the books shall be stored in cardboard boxes meeting the international specification for the storage of archive material or appropriate alternative conditions shall be provided for the safeguarding and presentation of the books

For the liturgical articles:

-          the liturgical articles shall be cleaned using products designed for cleaning silver, copper and bronze

For the church furniture:

-          the church furniture shall be cleaned;

-          the furniture shall be treated against woodworm using appropriate products.

The display and other forms of presentation and the supervision of the protection of the movable heritage shall be effected under the terms and conditions stipulated by the ministry responsible for culture in Republika Srpska.

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 to Preserve National Monuments, 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 thereof.

VII

The Government of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Republika Srpska responsible for regional planning, the Ministry of Republika Srpska responsible for culture 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

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.

X

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.472.

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.: 06.1-02.3-71/10-27

26 October 2010

Sarajevo

Chair of the Commission

Amra Hadžimuhamedović

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 wooden church in Marićka near Prijedor to the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02), under serial no. 472.

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 in Marićka near Prijedor, dedicated to St Elijah, is a fine and exceptionally well preserved example of the wooden churches of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The architectural features of the church, and in particular the structural and architectural design of the roof, with its wide projecting eaves, low wooden walls, the decorative architectural elements of the portico and bell tower, the carefully designed and executed joins of the structural timbers, the skill with which a relatively wide structural span was achieved, and the fine sense of proportions, all attest to the exceptional craftsmanship of local carpenter-builders. This is all the more remarkable in the light of the complex socio-political and economic circumstances prevailing in the late 19th century, when the church was rebuilt.

The iconostasis with its 22 icons, the work of icon-painter Pavle Žitetski, dates from the second renovation of the church in 1938. 

The throne crucifix, icon lamp and wooden door with original metal key constitute a separate group of articles from the time of the first church.

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:

-          details of the current condition and use of the property, including a description, architectural survey and photographs,

-          an inspection of the current condition of the property,

-          a copy of the cadastral plan,

-          a copy of the Land Register entry,

-          historical, architectural and other documentary material on the property, as set out in the bibliography forming part of this Decision.

Pursuant to Article V para. 2 of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 37 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission, before rendering a final decision designating a property as a national monument, the Commission is required to provide the owner of the proposed monument, the person submitting the petition, the institutions responsible for heritage, professional and academic institutions, experts and scholars, as well as other interested parties, to express their views. Accordingly, the Commission sent a letter ref. 07.2-35-107/05-1 of 21 March 2005 requesting documentation and views on the designation of the Marićka church in Prijedor Municipality to Prijedor Municipality (the Mayor, the authority responsible for urbanism and cadastral affairs, the Land Registry office of the Municipal Court), the Ministry of Regional Planning, Construction and the Environment of Republika Srpska, the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Republika Srpska, and the Institute for the Protection of Monuments of the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport.

The views of the owner had not yet been received at the time this Decision was rendered.

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 village of Marićka is in the south-western part of the Prijedor Potkozarje area, left of the river Gomionica, about 20 km south-west of Prijedor. The boundaries of Marićka march with those of the villages of Krivaja, Gradina, Omarska, Lamovita, Petrov Gaj, Rakelići, Tomašica and Busnovi.

The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot nos. 797/1 and 803/1, Land Register entry no. 192, cadastral municipality Marićka, Municipality Prijedor, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Historical information

Timar is a broad plain in the lower reaches of the River Gomionica, between Mt. Kozara and the Banja Luka Vrhovina (peak). Jelićka, Slavićka, Radosavska, Niševići, Sraitinska, Gradina, Marićka, Busnovi, Bistrica, Omarska and Rakelići are the settlements in Timar(1). 

The historical records of the Timar region are very meagre, but rather more information is still extant concerning Jelićka and its church. The church records in Jelićka and Gomionica monastery include various references to the priests of the Timar region and Jelićka's parish priests(2).

An old Serbian printed psalter in the Church Museum in Sarajevo contains a reference to priest Ninko of Timar dated 1699, while priests Lazo and Damjan of Timar are mentioned in 1742(3).

These references indicate that Timar had priests in the 17th century, and suggests that there must also have been churches in Timar. Tradition has it that the church in what is now Jelićka was always built of wood, for there is no mention or evidence, nor any word-of-mouth record, of any masonry church in Timar(4).

            There are no known documents giving precise details of when the present-day parish church of St Elijah(5) in Marićka was built. The inscriptions over and around the entrance door at the west end suggest that the church was built between 1870 and 1880, or perhaps that major repair works were then carried out on the building(6). 

The inscription over the west door of the church in Marićka relates that the church was built in 1870 by priest Gligorije Stojnić.

-          As deciphered by Petar Momirović in 1956, the inscription reads:

“Оваи Божи храм подвигм (подвигом) подигоше чт. (честити) у славу св. Илие пр. 1870. свешт. поп Глигорие Стоинић”.

 [This church was built in honour of St Elijah in 1870 by priest Gligorije Stojnić.”]

-          It was deciphered as follows in 2009 by Mlađan Cunjak:

”оваи божи храм в(у) м(арићкој) под(игоше) и. р. н и ч. т у славу св.(етог) илие пр(орока) 1870, свешт(еник) црк(ве) поп р. лисорие (глигорије) стоинич.”(7)   

[“This church in M[arićka] i.r. n i č. t was built in 1870 in honour of St. Elijah the pr[ophet] by the priest of the ch[urch] Gligorie Stojnić”]

-          There is another inscription over the north door jamb of the west door, level with the lintel.  As deciphered by Petar Momirović in 1956, this ten-line inscription reads

“Цркве приложи н.... Станко Вулић, Јово Теованићем, Стоја Пилић, Јово Вулета, Воја Грабеж, Петар Ћирић. Писа Ристо Грабеж 1880(8).” 

[Church donations ... Stanko Bulić, Jovo Teovanić, Stoja Pilić, Jovo Buleta, Voja Grabež, Petar Ćilić, Pisa Pisto Grabež 1880.”]

-          A three-line inscription over the south door jamb of the west door, level with the lintel, gives details of the craftsmen involved in rebuilding the church:

“Маистор Цр(кве) Максим Кујунџија, Илија Лукић.(9)”   

[Master of the church Maksim Kujundžija, Ilija Lukić”]

-          The royal doors bear the following inscription:

“Откупи сије двери Григорије Стојановић себи за здравље и вјечни помен, правио године 1753, месеца јула. 30 дан, у Костаиници” (10).(11)  

[“These doors were purchased by Grigorije Stojanović for [the sake of] his health and eternal memory, and made in 1753, in the month of July, 30th day, in Kostajnica.”]

Royal doors with similar wood-carving decorations are to be found on the iconostases of the churches in Šljivan, Javorina and Kola, suggesting that they were all produced in the same workshop, active in Kostajnica in the 18th century(12).

The inscription on the royal doors was recorded and deciphered by Petar Momirović in 1956, thereby providing three items of information: first, that the doors were purchased on 30 July 1753; second, that they were intended for a church that was already in existence; and the third, relating to priest Gligorije, a native of these parts. Since the royal doors were found in the loft of the church in Marićka, it seems likely that they were originally in a church here or another in the immediate vicinity. The doors are narrower than the opening for the doors in the iconostasis of the present-day church, suggesting that they were in another, smaller church(13).      

In the early 20th century, the church in Marićka came under the parish of Busnovi. It is referred to as a parish in its own right in the 1924 Schematism of the Orthodox Church, when its congregation of 2608 included not only the village of Marićka but also the central part of the village of Krivaja with the hamlet of Stratinske. The present-day parish falls within the Banja Luka protopresbytery, and now belongs to the Prijedor governorship(14).

Written sources(15) reveal that the following priests have served in the church: Jovan Jelić, 1889-1923; Mirko Macura(16), 1923-1924; Luka Marčetić(17), 1924-1941; Dušan Kondić and his son Nebojša Kondić, 1941-1960; Rade Kovrlija, 1889-1923; Đurađ Stanić, 1963-1974; Dragomir Maletić, 1974-1975; Vitomir Malešević, 1975-1979; Ljubiša Marić, 1979-1984; Gojko Slijepčević, served 1984-1986; Sreto Aleksić, 1986-2005. Siniša Pančić has served as parish priest of the church in Marićka since 2005.

According to the Schematism, the church of St Elijah in Marićka was built on the site of an earlier church built in 1670(18).

-          A plaque on the wall inside the church above the west entrance door bears an inscription giving basic details of the restoration of the church in 2002-2003:

“This church of St Elijah the prophet in Marićka was built in 1670 .... [and thanks to] the sacrifices of the congregation of this parish ... governing board of the church and priest Sreto Aleksić with all believing parishioners the general restoration of the church was successfully completed in 2002-3.  The church was consecrated on 19 October 2003 by Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka with several priests and deacons and the prayerful participation of the congregation of this and neighbouring parishes.  The patron of the church, engineer Milun and Nada Marković of Marićka.  The carpentry and joinery works for the restoration of the church were carried out by Uroš Mikić from Obrovac and Milorad Kričak of Marićka.  The metal works were carried out by Milutin and Mile Vučenović and Dragoja Hrvaćanin of Marićka.  The interior carpentry and joinery work was carried out by Radivan and Stojan Nikolić of Rakelići.  The electrical works for the renovation of the church were carried out by Milan Hrvaćanin of Marićka. The conservation of the iconostasis and icons was carried out by Milica and Goran Kotur of Banja Luka.  Chairman of the church board, Mr Dragoja Rendić of Marićka. Treasurer Mr Dragoljub Stojnić of Marićka. Serbian Orthodox parish of Marićka.”

The above details, together with information gathered in the field, should allow for certain conclusions to be drawn concerning the history of the church. Uncorroborated sources suggest that the first church dates from about 1670. The Royal Doors of 1753, if made for the church in Marićka, show that it was in existence (in which form is not known) in the 18th century. Lastly, it is a certain fact that the present church was built in 1870. The bell tower, which stands within the footprint of the church, probably dates from between 1878 and 1880. The old wooden shingles on the roof were replaced by tiles shortly before World War II, when the wooden windows were also replaced. Structural repairs and consolidation were carried out in 2002-2003, when the timbers that had become dilapidated were replaced, and the icons and iconostasis were conserved.

2. Description of the property

Wooden buildings constitute a significant element of the built heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bearing the legacy of the remote Slav past as well as of mediaeval and later influences from the period of independence, these Bosnian churches reveal considerable inventiveness and adaptations to their natural surroundings and living conditions (Pavlović, 1962, 91).

According to Petar Momirović(19), wooden churches may be classified typologically into four groups(20):

-          simple rectangular churches of small size and mainly without apse,

-          larger rectangular churches with decorative roofs and polygonal apse,

-          a transitional form with additional three-sided apse and new structural and decorative elements, and

-          a new type of wooden church with more elaborate ground plan, finer workmanship and austere lines(21).              

The wooden church in Marićka is dedicated to St Elijah. It falls into group 4 of Petar Momirović’s classification – the new type of wooden church with more elaborate ground plan, finer workmanship and austere lines.

More recent research(22) suggests that the wooden churches of the Banja Luka eparchy may be typologically classified by:

A. Location

a) by their setting in the landscape:

i) churches on high ground or hills and in woodland(23), 

ii) churches on slopes and forest margins(24), 

iii) churches in low-lying areas and copses(25). 

b) by their position in relation to habitations:

i) churches at a considerable distance from a village(26), 

ii) churches at the edge of a village(27), 

iii)  churches within a village(28).

B. Architecture

a) typology of churches by plan and spatial system:

i) typology of churches by size of footprint:

-          small churches, with an area of less than 30 sq.m(29).

-          medium-sized churches, with an area of 30 to 50 sq.m(30). 

-          large churches, with an area of 50 to 140 sq.m(31).  

ii) typology of churches by plan shape:

-          rectangular single-aisled churches(32), 

-          rectangular single-aisled churches with polygonal apse(33), 

-          rectangular churches with polygonal apse and pillars in the nave (pseudo-basilical) with a portico outside the entrance at the west end(34), 

-          variations on the rectangular plan with a narrower sanctuary(35).

iii) typology of churches by layout:

-          churches with sanctuary, nave and parvis with choir(36), 

-          churches with sanctuary and nave with choir(37), 

-          churches with sanctuary, nave, choir and bell tower(38), 

-          churches with sanctuary, nave, choir and portico with bell tower(39). 

iv) typology of church by number of entrance doorways:

-          churches with a single entrance(40), 

-          churches with two entrance doorways(41).

b) typology of churches by structural elements(42): 

i) foundations,

ii) walls:

-          churches with skeleton walls(43), 

-          churches with solid walls(44).

iii) roofs:

-          roof cladding:

-         churches with wooden-shingle roof(45), 

-         churches with tiles roof(46), 

-         churches with sheet metal roof cladding(47), 

-         churches with asbestos board roof cladding(48). 

-          roof construction

-          ceilings:

-         churches without ceiling(49), 

-         churches with vaulted nave and sanctuary and partly flat, slatted ceiling(50), 

-         churches with vaulted nave between pillars and sanctuary and partly flat ceiling(51): 

-          variant with plastered and whitewashed ceiling (Rakelići).

iv) floors:

-          churches with earth floor(52), 

-          churches with stone-paved floor(53), 

-          churches with wooden floor-boards(54), 

-          churches with brick-paved floor(55), 

-          churches with artificial stone floor(56). 

v) door and window openings:

-          by type of window opening:

-         churches with small original windows(57), 

-         churches with small original windows with sliding shutters(58), 

-         churches with new, larger windows(59).

-          by type of doorway and doors:

-         churches with arched doorway and door(60), 

-         churches with arched doorway and flat-topped door(61), 

-         churches with rectangular doorway and flat-topped door(62).

-          typology of churches by decorative elements

-          typology of churches by presence and position of bell tower:

-         churches with no bell tower(63), 

-         churches with a bell tower added later and inserted into the body of the church(64). 

The church was built of hewn oak planks approx. 12 cm thick and 16-26 cm in height.  It is rectangular in plan with a five-sided apse at the east end, and measures approx. 9.50 x 19.77 m overall (exterior measurements).

It is plain to see that the first or base timbers, resting on stone footings, consist of better quality oak (the pedunculate or English oak(65)). This first row is 31-35 cm in height (measured on the south and north walls). Above this are horizontal planks of “upland” oak(66) ranging in height from 16 to 26 cm. Substantial oak posts approx. 44 x 21 cm in section were erected along the south side wall at a distance of approx. 8.92 m from the south-west corner of the portico), to which the oak planks of the side walls were joined by mortise and tenon. In the case of the north side wall, the oak planks were mortised into the door jambs (approx. 42 x 31 and 36 x 21 cm) of the side door. The oak planks of the side walls were joined to those of the west wall by means of a double interlock, while the joints at the apse end are dovetailed. The planks are joined to the base beams by wrought iron cramps(67). The side walls are joined by a transverse steel tie level with the cross beam(68) of the iconostasis.

In terms of layout, the church consists of an entrance portico(69) of approx. 9.50 x 3.18 m (exterior measurements), a triple-aisled nave of approx. 9.25 x 11.30 m (interior measurements), a choir gallery of approx. 4.00 x 4.13 m, and a sanctuary of approx. 9.25m(70) x 4.95 m(71)  (interior measurements). At some time after 1878(72), a wooden bell tower of approx. 3.77 x 3.26 m (exterior measurements(73)) was erected over the entrance portico. The ceilings over the aisles are flat, while the nave is covered by a barrel vault with a radius of approx. 181 cm, terminating in a semi-calotte over the altar apse.

The church lies with its long axis running south-west/north-east, deviating from the true east-west axis by about 18 degrees.

The entrance portico and bell tower were built between 1870 and 1880.

The covered portico at the west end is approx 9.50 m wide and 3.18 m deep (exterior measurements). It is entered from the west from a platform of approx. 13 cm high, 60 cm deep and 138 cm wide, through a central passageway approx. 138 cm wide and 275 cm high terminating in a segmental arch.

The structure of the portico consists of 16 oak posts approx. 13 x 13 cm in section and with a height(74) of approx. 3.33 m, resting on a horizontal beam approx. 13 x 18 cm in section around the portico. Ten of these posts are on the west side and three each on the north and south sides of the portico. The load of the ceiling and roof structure above the portico is transferred to the posts by the wall plate of approx. 13 x 15 cm in section.

The portico is not fully enclosed: the lower part is enclosed by a wooden parapet, the mid section is open, and the upper part is enclosed by wooden boards. The lower wooden parapet, which is about 103 cm in height (as measured from the portico floor) consists of oak tongue-and-groove boards. The parapet is topped all the way round by a horizontal oak board 3 cm thick and 16.5 cm wide. There is a gap in the parapet midway along the west face of the portico to allow for the 138 cm wide passageway.

The 13 x 13 cm posts of the portico, the mid section of which is exposed, are set at the following daylight distances apart on the west front: approx. 3 x (97-99 cm) + 1 x 46 cm + 1 c 138 cm (the entrance passage) + 1 x 46 cm + 3 x (97-99 cm); the three posts on each side are set 89 cm apart. The posts are decorated with geometric mouldings, with the exposed section in the form of a stylized baluster.

The boarded upper section, from a height of approx. 2.40 m, consists of tongue-and-grooved oak boards with round(75) arches below, between the posts. The heights of the arches are equal to half the distances between the posts.

Four substantial oak posts in a straight line north to south are mounted by the western part of the portico parapet. The two central posts, which are the larger at approx. 25 x 28 cm in section, form the supports for the bell tower(76), are set approx. 313 cm apart; the two end posts are approx. 23 x 23 cm in section. All are joined by mortise and tenon to oak bolsters of approx. 39 cm wide, 45 cm high and 99 cm long, anchored to the base beam construction by flat wrought-iron stirrups with a cross section of 10/80 mm.

The two end posts are surmounted by wooden half-head trees. Both posts and head trees are enriched by geometric decoration.

The structural purpose of these four wooden posts, their arrangement, the nature of the carpentry and joinery, and the obvious age of the timber, clearly suggest that they form the older structure of the portico, which would originally have been open(77).

Inside the portico, oak planks approx 38 cm wide have been installed around the north, east and south sides at a height(78) of approx. 50 cm, resting on wooden brackets. These are used as benches.

The floor of the portico is of hewn limestone set in lime cement mortar.

The church has two entrances: the main entrance at the west end, and a side entrance to the south [sic].

Two wooden steps of 2 x 17/27, with a length of approx. 113 cm, lead up through the main entrance in the middle of the west wall, with two more steps of 15/29 +15/35 leading down again into the nave. The main entrance has an opening of approx. 113 cm wide and 185 cm high and is surmounted by a segmental arch of approx. 33 cm in height. The double-valved rectangular oak doors are mounted on the inside of the entrance, opening inwards. Substantial oak posts approx. 43 x 21 and 41 x 21 cm by the doorway support the wall plate and take the load of the ceiling and roof structure as well as serving as door jambs.

Two stone steps, 18/30 cm and 22/40 cm high and wide, and two wooden steps of 2 x 12/26 cm with a length of approx 88 cm, lead up through the side entrance in the north wall of the church(79), leading down two steps of 14/25 and 14/30 cm into the aisle. The side entrance, which is 88 cm wide and 171 cm high, is surmounted by a segmental arch with a height of approx. 36 cm. The single-valved rectangular oak door is mounted on the inside, opening inwards. Substantial oak posts of approx. 42 x 21 and 36 x 21 cm in section support the wall plate and take the load of the ceiling and roof structure as well as serving as door jambs.

About 41 cm above the side entrance is a small window measuring approx. 28 x 28 cm.

The nave, which is approx. 11.30 m wide and 9.25 m deep, is in the form of a triple-aisled basilica, with four posts set two by two taking the load of the ceiling and roof structure. The solea, which is raised by about 10 cm above the floor of the nave, has a width of approx. 95 cm.

The first pair of posts are set about 4.36 m from the west wall of the church and about 2.10 m from the side walls, with a space between them of approx. 4.52 m. Wooden head trees (beams approx. 150 cm long and 38 cm high(80)) surmounting the posts support the transverse (north-south) wooden beam of the wooden choir gallery.

The second pair of posts is about 3.66 m from the iconostasis partition, and about 2.62 m from the side walls of the church, with a space between them of approx. 3.62 m.  Wooden head trees (beams approx. 150 cm long and 38 cm high(81)) support the longitudinal (east-west) wooden beams of the wooden choir gallery.

The ceiling height of the aisles is approx. 3.39 m above floor level. All four wooden posts consist of a base, shaft and capital. The bases are square in section, at 29 x 29 cm for the first pair and 32 x 32 cm for the second pair, with a height of approx. 25 cm, merging into the octagonal shaft, which has sides of 12.5 and 6 cm(82). The capitals are approx. 40 cm in height, and the overall height(83) of the posts is approx. 300 cm.

The nave is lit by four two-light windows, two in the north wall and two in the south, each with daylight openings of approx. 80 x 120 cm, set on parapets of approx. 140 cm.

The wooden structure of the iconostasis, at approx. 3.40 m in height, separates the nave from the sanctuary, which is in the form of a five-sided apse with interior dimensions of approx. 9.25m(84) x 4.95 m(85). The sides of the apse measure approx. 283-300 cm on the inside and approx. 315-144 cm on the outside. Two side doors and the royal doors lead from the aisles and nave into the sanctuary. The masonry altar occupies the centre of the sanctuary. The altar table is square, with sides of approx. 104 x 104 cm, and rests on a square masonry pillar of approx. 81 x 81 cm; the overall height of the altar is approx. 103 cm.

Light enters the sanctuary through three two-light windows in the axis of the three central sections of the apse wall. The windows have daylight openings of approx. 80 x 120 cm and are set on parapets of approx. 140 cm.

Two L-shaped wooden staircases (5 x 21/27 cm + 9 x 27/27 cm, flights 87 cm wide) in the north-east corner of the aisle lead to the choir gallery. The gallery is rectangular in plan, measuring approx. 4.00 x 4.13 m, and has a wooden floor. The east side of the gallery, facing the nave, has a wooden railing approx. 80 cm in height on a raised step of 17 cm high and 25 cm wide. The hand rail is approx. 8 cm thick. The gallery has a wooden barrel-vaulted ceiling the apex of which is at a height(86) of approx. 2.27 m, with the vault springing at a height(87) of approx. 0.91 m.

A single-valved wooden door in a doorway of 91 x 180 cm leads from the gallery into the wooden bell tower, which is within(88) the body of the church, above the portico, and rises through the roof. The structure of the bell tower (posts, struts) consists of oak timbers, clad with boards to which an outer cladding of sheet copper is attached. The age and finish of the timbers suggest that they are the original timbers dating from when the bell tower was built.

The height of the bell tower from its floor, level with the ceiling of the church, to the first stage, is approx. 3.68 m, while the height from the first to the second stage is approx. 2.05 m.  The two stages are reached from the loft of the church by wooden ladders approx. 55 cm in width. The bell tower is square, with sides of approx. 2.85 m on the inside at the first stage.  About 90 cm above the floor of the second stage are round-arched windows with openings of approx. 56 x 210 cm. The windows are fitted with metal louvres on the outside.

Two cast bells(89) hang from steel cross-beams fixed to the wooden bearing structure of the bell tower, level with the windows.

The bell tower is surmounted by a neo-baroque onion dome. On the outside, the bell tower is articulated by three moulded string courses below which is a running dentilled frieze.  The first frieze is level with the second gallery of the bell tower (level with the window parapet), the second crowns the square section of the bell tower, and the third surmounts the onion dome.

The roof structure of the church is of timber, with rafters resting on a system of king post trusses on wooden purlins set(90) longitudinally. The purlins are joined by horizontal crossbeams above the wall late and below each fourth pair of rafters. Midway along the span of these crossbeams is a longitudinal okagača beam(91). The wooden barrel vault consists of wooden centring with the intrados faced with planed and grooved oak boards and the extrados with inch-thick boards. The centring was attached to the okagača beam and the king posts by slats, and the space between the extrados and intrados boards was filled with rockwool insulation.

The roof cladding is of sheet copper, folded at the joins, which are parallel with the pitch of the roof. The church roof is multipaned: gabled over the nave and aisles, and three-paned over the sanctuary. Since the eaves around the side and apse walls are deeper(92) than those of the exterior portico, a roof extension was added on the west side. The eaves were intentionally made very deep to protect the wooden walls of the church.

The apse is five-sided, whereas its roof is three-paned; the geometric problem of the mismatch between the walls and the roof was resolved by extending the purlins at the east end of the side walls and joining them by mortise and tenon to the extended purlins above the second section of the apse walls. As a result, the purlins over the apse form a three-sided roof truss. The projecting purlins at the first sections of the apse are underpinned by short beams, which are visible on the outside.

Description of the iconostasis and liturgical articles

The altar space of the church of St Elijah in Marićka is separated off by a wooden partition, the iconostasis, composed of oak timbers with an average thickness of 12 cm. As Mlađan Cunjak observes, “the present-day altar partition dates from 1938(93).” The iconostasis has four tiers with a total of 22 icons, and was painted by the Russian artist Pavle Žitetski, a refugee who settled in Prijedor. The stylistic features of three icons on the iconostasis (the Last Supper, the Baptism of Christ and the Resurrection) suggest that they are the work of another artist.

The first tier has no icons, but consists of square panels within which geometric designs have been painted in gold. The second tier has six throne icons and the icons of the Annunciation on the Royal Doors. All the icons are flat-topped except for those of St Nicholas and St Sava, which are arched. The icons are all of the same height, 116 cm, but range in width from 40.5 to 68.5 cm. The central section of the third tier depicts scenes from the life of Christ, with martyrs, saints, apostles and evangelists on either side. The fourth and topmost tier contains an icon of the Holy Trinity.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), Annunciation – Archangel Gabriel (Royal Doors), 1939, oil on canvas, 56.5 x 26.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The Archangel Gabriel is portrayed in the act of announcing the glad news to the Virgin, which had a great impact on the iconography of the icon. He is shown in two-third right profile, standing on a cloud, silver wings outspread, garbed in swirling robes, offering Mary two lilies with his left hand and giving a benediction with his right.

His face is youthful, with clearly delineated features; his hair is curly, with locks falling over his shoulders. The entire composition – the colour palette, the folds of the garments and the movements of the body – is subordinated to the moment, to the act of annunciation. Below this is a small square medallion with geometric motifs, among which are two crosses, one within the other. The panel terminates in a volute-like carved decoration, with a trefoil decoration within the volute(94).

The artist’s initials are inscribed in Cyrillic in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), Annunciation – The Virgin (Royal Doors), 1939, oil on canvas, 56.5 x 26.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The Virgin is portrayed in two-thirds left profile, head slightly bowed, wearing a green robe with a red cloak over and a cape over her head, standing, leaning against a pulpit with the book of the Gospels. White rays of light and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shine down on her head from the top left corner(95). 

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), Jesus Christ, 1939, oil on canvas, 116 x 68.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The background of the icon is coloured gold. Jesus Christ is portrayed in the centre of the canvas, full length and in full frontal pose, wearing a long red robe and a blue himation, giving a benediction with his right hand and holding the Gospels open at a page bearing a text in Church Slavonic: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10,11)(96).

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St. Sava, 1939, oil on canvas, 116.5 x 43.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The composition is enriched by a mountain scene in the background. The saint is portrayed standing in full frontal pose in the foreground, wearing his arch-hierarch’s vestments with a large omophorion around his neck, giving a blessing with his right hand and holding the Gospels, closed, in his left(97).

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), Archangel Michael, 1939, oil on canvas, 72.5 x 40.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The painting of the Archangel Michael is on the south door, leading into the diaconicon.  The archangel is portrayed in the garb of a warrior, with a sword in his right hand and an elliptical shield in his left, as the head of the heavenly host, with his silver wings outspread behind his back(98).

The artist’s initials are in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St John the Baptist, 1939, oil on canvas, 116 x 65.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The saint is portrayed full length, standing in full frontal pose, wearing a grey robe with a green prophet’s mantle over it. He is holding a staff topped by a Greek cross in his left hand; his right is raised to shoulder height. Behind him is the river, and in the right-hand corner a tree stump with an axe stuck in it(99), in reference to his preaching in the wilderness of Judea as recorded by Matthew and Luke: “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Mt, 3, 10 and Lk 3,9)(100).

The artist’s initials are in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), The Virgin with the Infant Christ, 1939, oil on canvas, 116 x 68.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The Virgin is standing, turned slightly to the left, with Christ in her arms. She is wearing a long green chiton with a caped maphorion over it. The iconographic type is of the Virgin Hodegitria (she who shows the way), as shown by the position of her right hand, pointing to the Child. Christ is holding a scroll in his left hand and giving a benediction with his right(101). 

The artist’s initials are in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St Nicholas, 1939, oil on canvas, 116 x 43.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

St Nicholas is portrayed standing, in full frontal pose, wearing arch-hierarch’s vestments with a wide omophorion around his neck, giving a blessing with his right hand and holding the Gospels, closed, in his left(102).

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St Stephen the Archdeacon, 1939, oil on canvas, 72 x 40.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

Archdeacon Stephen is portrayed as a young man, standing in full frontal pose, wearing a light violet sticharion and a small cloak over his left shoulder. His left arm is bent at the elbow; in his left hand is the Gospels, and in his right, which is at his side, is a censer(103). The background consists of mountains and low-growing plants.

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St Elijah, 1939, oil on canvas, 116 x 65 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The saint is portrayed standing, in full frontal pose, wearing a long green robe over which is a brown prophet’s mantle. He is holding a scroll with a text in Church Slavonic in his left hand, the only indication of his prophethood; his right arm is held at waist level(104).

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Last Supper, 1939. (?), oil on canvas, 73 x 81 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

Jesus Christ is portrayed in the middle of the icon, wearing a white robe with a red himation over it. The apostles are wearing chitons and himations. Christ’s gold halo bears the initials INRI. He is flanked on either side by six apostles. The composition is very significant in that it forms the basis for many actions and rituals and establishes a number of mysteries, including the mystery of the Eucharist; this explains why it is placed over the Royal Doors, indirectly suggesting the acts performed at the altar(105).

 - Baptism of Christ, 1939. (?), oil on canvas, 70 x 65 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The figure of Jesus Christ is placed near the bank of the river Jordan, with St John the Baptist on the bank itself, holding a staff with a cross in his left hand and his right hand in the act of baptism above Jesus’s head. Christ is portrayed naked except for a loin cloth, arms crossed over his chest and head bowed, facing John(106).

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St. Paraskeva, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The saint is portrayed full length, standing in full frontal pose, wearing a long blue robe with a brown cloak over it, her hands indicating the proskynesis, with a green cape over her head and a gold halo(107).

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St Luke the Evangelist, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The saint is portrayed full length, standing in full frontal pose, wearing a long red robe with a green apostle’s mantle over it. To his right is an ox, his principal attribute(108).

- Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St Panteleimon the Great Martyr, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

St. Panteleimon is portrayed full length, standing in full frontal pose, wearing a long green robe with a red mantle over it and holding medical instruments in his left hand, the symbols of his profession(109).

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), SS Peter and Paul, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The apostles are portrayed standing, turned slightly towards each other, wearing green robes with red apostles’ mantles over(110). 

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Ascension of Christ, 1939. (?), oil on canvas, 70 x 65 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The figure of Christ is portrayed in the centre of the icon, wearing a white robe and surrounded by thick white clouds bearing him heavenwards. The moment is being acknowledged by Christ himself, hands raised to indicate his celestial origin(111).

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St Basil the Great, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The saint is portrayed full length, standing in full frontal pose, wearing arch-hierarch’s vestments with a large omophorion around his neck. He is holding the Gospels in his left hand and giving a blessing with his right(112).

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St Thomas the Apostle, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The full-length figure of the apostle, standing in full frontal pose, occupies the middle of the canvas. The saint is wearing a grey robe with a blue cloak over it(113).

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), St George the Great Martyr, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

St George is portrayed slaying the dragon with his spear, garbed as a warrior and mounted on a white horse(114).

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), SS Sergius and Bacchus the Martyrs, 1939, oil on canvas, 65 x 45 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The martyrs are portrayed standing in full frontal pose, wearing long robes, blue and light green, with red mantles over them(115). 

The artist’s signature is in the bottom right corner: П. Ж.

 - Pavle Žitetski (Žitetcki), Holy Trinity, 1939, oil on canvas, cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The fourth and final tier of icons on the iconostasis consists of a composition of the Holy Trinity in a round-headed panel over the Last Supper. The seated figures of God the Father and God the Son occupy the middle of the icon; the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove in the lunette itself. God the Father is shown as an old man with a grey beard and hair, holding a sceptre in his left hand and giving a benediction in his right; he is wearing a grey chiton and blue himation. God the Son is similar, except that he is giving a benediction with his right hand and holding an orb in his left, symbolizing the universe(116). 

            The sanctuary also contains another two votive icons dedicated to the Virgin and Jesus Christ:

 - Anonymous artist, The Virgin, 1907, oil on canvas, 98 x 74 cm (without frame). St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The icon depicting the Virgin and Christ Child is in wide frame with a landscape. The foreground is of rocks and low-growing plants, and the background consists of palms and a river. The middle of the icon is dominated by the Virgin holding Christ on her left arm, and pointing to him with her right hand.

The inscription at the bottom of the icon, in Cyrillic, reads ПРИЛАЖЕ СВ. ЦРКВИ МИРКО ТЕОВАНОВИЋ И СУПРУГА ЈОВАНКА/1907 (donated to the church by Mirko Teovanović and his wife Jovanka/1907)

 - Anonymous artist, Jesus Christ, 1907, oil on canvas, 98 x 74 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The composition is in wide frame with a landscape, divided into foreground, middle ground and background. The foreground begins in the bottom right-hand corner with a flower in bloom. The middle ground is occupied by the standing, full-face figure of Jesus Christ, holding the Gospels in his left hand and his right hand bent in a gesture of benediction. In the background is a mediaeval fortress and city.?

The inscription at the bottom of the icon, in Cyrillic, reads ПРИЛАЖЕ СВ. ЦРКВИ РИСТА И ТЕОДОР ВУЈАНОВИЋ/1907 (Donated to the church by Rista and Teodor Vujanović, 1907).

Collection of old liturgical books

 - Old and New Testament Trans. Đura Daničić (Old Testament) and Vuk Karadžić (New Testament), early 20th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with black leather, 24 x 16 x 4.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

As noted in black ink on the front page in the “Family chronicle,” this Bible was a wedding gift to Vasko Gojić and Tonka Zec, who were married on 22 October 1911. It is in Church Slavonic, in black ink, with two columns to the page and a total of 241 pages. The end supplement is not numbered.

 - Triodium, early 20th century, printed on paper, board covers overlaid with leather, 33.5 x 22 x 9 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The Triodion has board covers overlaid with leather, the front cover impressed with the Crucifixion in gold. Only one of the metal clasps has survived. The header of the first page of the Triodion depicts the Holy Trinity, below which is a text describing the type and use of the book, in Church Slavonic. The Triodion is in red and black, and the pages are numbered by the inclusion of the first words of the following page.

 - Oktoechos with the eight modes(117), early 20th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 35.5 x 23 x 5.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The header of the first page contains a medallion with the figure of Jesus Christ holding the Gospels open in his left hand and giving a benediction with his right. The Oktoechos is in Church Slavonic, in red and black ink, with about 30 lines to the page. The front cover is also decorated with the impressed figure of Jesus Christ in gold. The top right-hand corner of the Oktoechos has been damaged by fire. The place where the metal clasps were fitted can be seen, but the clasps themselves have not survived.

 - Oktoechos with the eight modes, early 20th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 36 x 23 x 5.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

This oktoechos is similar but in a better state of preservation, and both metal clasps and straps have also survived.

 - Pentecostarion, early 20th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The Pentecostarion is leather-bound, with a scene of the Resurrection on the front page.  The two metal clasps and straps have survived intact. It is in Church Slavonic, in red and black ink, with about 30 lines to the page on average.

 - Antologion, Palm Sunday, late 19th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 36 x 23 x 7 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The front cover of the Antologion bears an impressed scene of the Annunciation in gold.  A note in pencil by Gavro Stojnić on the front page records that the book was granted “from his Royal Majesty Franz Joseph I to St Elijah’s church, Marićka/1888.” The text is in Church Slavonic, in black and red ink.

 - Gospels, late 19th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 36 x 23 x 8.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The front cover bears an impressed scene of the Resurrection in gold. Inside is the same note as in the Antologion, also signed by Gavro Stojnić, but in black ink. The header of the front page has a medallion of the Holy Trinity surrounded by tendrils. The Gospels are in Church Slavonic, in red and black ink within a simple border.

 - Service book(118), early 20th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 25 x 21 x 5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The covers of the service book are decorated with a simple gold cross. The text, which is in Church Slavonic in red and black ink, is set within a simple border, and is set in an average of 18 lines to the page.

 - Liturgical book, early 20th century, printed on paper, wooden covers overlaid with leather, 36 x 26 x 6 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The first few pages are missing and the spine has come loose. The text is in Church Slavonic, in red and black ink, set within a simple border, and set in an average of 22 lines to the page.

Liturgical articles and door(119)  

 - Throne cross from the first church, 17th century, wood, silver, semi-precious stones, 26 x 13 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The throne cross is mounted on a simple circular plinth, the two joined by a knop consisting of carefully executed filigree foliage. The cross is of carved wood in a silver mount decorated with red, blue and green semi-precious stones. To the sides, also in filigree, are heart-shaped decorations and phials. Each side of the cross has six New Testament scenes. 

 - Icon lamp from the first church, 17th century, cast and engraved silver, 54 x 13.5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The icon lamp is in two sections. The base consists of a vessel with three projecting volutes. The entire surface of the vessel is decorated with geometric and floral designs, and the volutes contain a star-shaped decoration with an embossed central flower. The three chains fixed to the volutes meet at the top in a circular cover.

 - Old door from the first church with original metal key, 17th century, wood, metal, 151 x 65 x 5 cm. St Elijah’s church, village of Marićka, Prijedor Municipality

The door is reinforced top and bottom by a horizontal metal structure. The entire surface of the outside of the door is decorated with a total of 31 impressed circular metal applications.

A centuries-old oak tree stands some 18 m south-east of the church. 

3. Legal status to date

The wooden church in Marićka near Prijedor has been listed by the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Republika Srpska and is on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina under serial no. 472.

4. Research, conservation-restoration and repair works

The wooden shingles cladding the roof of the church were replaced with tiles in 1938, when the windows were enlarged (the window openings, in situ(120), are approx. 62 cm wide and 120 cm high).

In 2002-2003 the entire roof area of the church including the flashings of the walls of the bell tower was covered with sheet metal on a board facing. The metal matches the colour of the portico and the wooden walls of the church.

According to Slaviša Pančić, the Marićka parish priest, in 2002-2003 the wooden structure of the church was lifted by hoist to allow for the conservation and relaying of the foundations. The above-ground part of the stone foundations of the church was constructed of rubble stone in lime cement(121) mortar, and hydro-insulation was laid between the foundations and the wooden walls. The dilapidated sections of the roof timbers were replaced. All the timber used during the repair works came from Crkveni Gaj. 

Also in 2002-2003, the wooden panelling of the barrel vault over the nave was replaced, as was that of the calotte(122) over the apse. Oak was used for the panelling. One of the oak posts(123) on which the ceiling rests was also replaced at that time, and the wooden posts supporting the ceiling were painted to imitate marble, to give the impression of stone pillars.

Conservation works on the iconostasis and icons were carried out by Milica and Goran Kotur of Banja Luka. This is recorded on a plaque inside the church, over the door.

According to the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Republika Srpska, the conservation works on the iconostasis were not conducted as part of the Institute’s project(124). 

5. Current condition of the property

The property is in very good condition.

An inspection of the condition of the timber carcass of the iconostasis and of the icons on the iconostasis revealed that they are very well preserved.

Most of the liturgical books are damaged (missing their front or back covers, affected by damp, and damaged by fire).

The Parish Hall, which is about 6.60 m to the north of the church, was built and consecrated in 1999.  It is a single-storey building with a footprint of approx. 7.70 x 17.60 m, built of durable materials (brick blocks, concrete and tiles) with a gabled roof clad with grooved tiles.

In 2006 a facility for the sale and lighting of candles was erected about 2.40 m west of the Parish Hall. This is also a single-storey building, with a footprint of approx. 4.60 x 6.65 m, also built of brick blocks, concrete and tiles, with a gabled roof clad with sheet copper.

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.v.       value of details

C.vi.      value of construction

D.         Clarity (documentary, scientific and educational value)

D. iv.     evidence of a particular type, style or regional manner

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

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.vii.     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

I.ii.        homogeneity

I.iii.       completeness

I.iv.       undamaged condition

The following documents form an integral part of this Decision:

-          Ownership documentation

-         Copy of cadastral plan, part of c.p. 2558, c.m. Marićka (new survey), plan no. LL;  scale 1:2500; issued on 13 April 2005 by the Department of Geodetics and Proprietary Rights Affairs, Prijedor branch, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina;

-         Land Register entry, plot nos. 803/2 and 803/1, Land Register entry no. 192,  c.m. Marićka (old survey); issued by the Land Registry Department of the court of first instance in Prijedor on 20 April 2005.

-          Photodocumentation

-         Photographs of the historic building of St Elijah’s Church in Marićka near Prijedor taken on 5 March 2010 by architect Emir Softić, using FujiFilm FinePix S8100fd digital camera and art historian Aleksandra Bunčić, using Canon PowerShot SX 10IS digital camera.

-          Technical documentation

-         Technical drawings of the historic building of St Elijah’s Church in Marićka near Prijedor (plan of ground floor and choir gallery) measured and surveyed on 5 March 2010 by architect Emir Softić.

Bibliography

During the procedure to designate the architectural ensemble of St Elijah’s Church in Marićka near Prijedor as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following works were consulted: 

1953.    Momirović, Petar. “Dve drvene crkve u Bosanskoj krajini” (Two wooden churches in the Bosnian Krajina). Sarajevo: Naše starine, no. I, 151-162, 1953

1956.    Momirović, Petar. “Drvene crkve Zapadne Bosne” (Wooden churches of western Bosnia). Sarajevo: Naše starine, no. III, 149-172, 1956   

1962.    Павловић, Ст. Доброслав. Цркве брвнаре у Србији. Докторска дисертација одбрањена на Архитектонском факултету у Београду. Београд: 1962 (Pavlović, St. Dobroslav, Wooden churches in Serbia, doctoral dissertation defended at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade. Belgrade, 1962)

1970.    Кулишић, Шпиро. Српски митолошки речник. Београд: Нолит, 1970. (Kulišić, Špiro, Serbian dictionary of mythology, Belgrade: Nolit, 1970)

1975.    Taranušenko. “O ukrajinskom ikonostasu XVII i XVIII veka.” (Ukrainian iconostasis of the 17th and 18th centuries), Zbornik matice srpske za likovnu umetnost. Novi Sad: Matica srpska, no. 11, 1975.

1977.    Radojković Bojana. Sitna plastika u staroj srpskoj umetnosti (Minor carvings in old Serbian art). Belgrade: 1977

1993.    Gergova Ivanka. “Raniiat bulgarski ikonostas” (An early Bulgarian iconostasis), Bulgarski khudozhnik. Sofia: 1993

1996.    Шево, Љиљана. “Манастири и цркве брвнаре Бањолучке епархије”. Бања Лука: Глас српски, 1996 (Ševo, Ljiljana, “Monasteries and wooden churches of the Banja Luka eparchy”, Banja Luka: Glas Srpski, 1996)

1999.    Brija, Jovan. Rečnik pravoslavne teologije (Dictionary of Orthodox theology), Belgrade: 1999.

2000.    Српска православна Епархија бањалучка 1900-2000, Шематизам. Бања Лука: Издање Епархијског управног одбора Српске православне Епархије бањалучке, 2000. (Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Banja Luka 1900-2000, Schematism.  Banja Luka: publication of the Board of Governors of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Banja Luka, 2000)

2002.    Шево, Љиљана. Православне цркве и манастири у Босни и Хецеговини до 1878. Бања Лука: Глас српски, 2002. (Ševo, Ljiljana: Pravoslavne crkve i manastiri u Bosni i Hercegovini do 1878. godine (Orthodox churches and monasteries in BiH to 1878, Banja Luka, 2002)

2009.    Цуњак, Млађан. Историја тимара и цркве брвнаре у Јелићкој, Ракелићима, Марићкој, Бусновима и Омарској. Бања Лука: Епархијски управни одбор Епархије бањалучке и Newpress Смедерево, 2009. (Cunjak, Mlađan, History of Timar and wooden churches in Jelićka, Rakelići, Marićka, Busnovi and Omarska. Banja Luka: Board of Governors of the Banja Luka Eparchy and Newpress Smederevo, 2009).

2009.    Arnautović Aksić, Dragica. Arhitektura crkava brvnara Banjalučke eparhije (Architecture of wooden churches in the Banja Luka eparchy). Banja Luka: Ingra inženjering, 2009

(1) Momirović: 1953, 156

(2) Momirović: 1953, 157

(3) Momirović: 1953, 157

(4) Momirović: 1953, 157

(5) “St ELIJAH, 20 July, in his outward appearance, character and function, is the successor to the ancient god of thunder and lightning. As folk tradition has it, he rides in a fiery chariot drawn by four horses breathing fire (lightning). Thunder is the rumbling of his chariot as he drives around the skies and the clouds. As god of thunder, he is also the god of storms and of weather in general, bringing hail, rain or drought.  Thunder is believed to be St Elijah aiming at devils or a dragon, and lightning is believed to strike where the devil was standing.  As he hurls his thunderbolts and storm, he often forgets, in his anger, even to spare human beings, livestock or crops. It is generally believed that St Elijah always asks St Mary of Fire when is his feast day, but she avoids answering, because he would unleash such thunder and lightning on that day that he would strike the entire world. No farm work of any kind is carried out on St Elijah’s Day (20 July), as it is believed that this would cause drought or hail. In many regions, people go to the mountains and celebrate with gunfire on St Elijah’s Day. In some parts of Serbia the day is marked by sacrificing the oldest rooster or cock of the year, representing the sacrificial cock or grain demon. Honey extracted on St  Elijah’s Day before sunrise is used for medicinal purposes, and is smeared over children’s foreheads on the feast day. In some areas food made with honey must be eaten on St Elijah’s Day. In this case honey stands for the sacrifice, just as the sacrifice is represented by the custom by which each house grinds the grains from three corncobs, which are ritually eaten by the member of the household and given to the children of the neighbourhood on St Elijah’s Day. Similar offerings of corncobs and honey on St Elijah’s Day are known among other Slav peoples, explained as the relics of the cult of the god of thunder and lightning. It is believed that if there is lightning on St Elijah’s Day, worms will attack the walnut and hazelnut crop. As among other Slav peoples, it is believed that the hazel is a protection against lightning.  The same belief is held by the Germans, who associate the hazel with the god Donar, which would indicate that the hazel was also dedicated to the god of thunder among the Slavs. In some places, St Elijah is revered by millers, which is seen as a relic of the cult of the ancient divinity who controlled rain and drought. Since St Elijah, like the Archangel Michael, is regarded as a living saint, boiled wheat is not prepared on his feast day.“ (Kulišić: 1970, 273).  Note: 20 July in the Julian calendar corresponds to 2 August in the Gregorian calendar. Ljiljana Ševo

(6) Cunjak: 2009, 111; Momirović: 1956, 169; Ševo: 2002, 62-63

(7) Cunjak: 2009, 109

(8) Momirović: 1956, 169

(9) Cunjak: 2009, 111

(10) Cunjak: 2009, 106; Ševo: 2002, 64

(11) A variant reading of the inscription is правио (или поклонио) [made (or donated] (Ljiljana Ševo).

(12) Cunjak: 2009, 106

(13) Cunjak: 2009, 107

(14) Cunjak: 2009, 133-134

(15) Schematism: 2000, 341; Cunjak: 2009, 134-135

(16) Mirko Macura was  born in 1885, and ordained in 1909 (Cunjak: 2009, 134).

(17) Luka Marčetić and his two sons were killed in Jasenovac concentration camp in 1941. (Cunjak: 2009,  134; Schematism: 2000, 341).

(18) Schematism: 2000, 341

(19) Momirović, Petar, curator and specialist in vernacular architecture

(20) Petar Momirović, “Drvene crkve zapadne Bosne”, Naše starine III, 1956, 149-151

(21) The first group consists of churches with a very simple ground plan and of modest size. As a rule, they have no apse. The churches in this group are small and simple, and of modest size. As a rule the skeleton system was used, with walls of tongue-and-groove boards.  These buildings had no ceiling – the roof rafters were fully exposed on the interior. The churches in this group had very few openings, only an entrance at the west end, usually with a solid arched lintel and jambs. Light entered the church, usually around the altar, through narrow angled horizontal gaps between the timbers. The churches in Malo Blaško, Šljivan, Javorine, Romanovci and Koli belong to this group.

The second group consists of somewhat larger churches constructed of massive timbers with more decorative roofs and thicker layers of shingles. The churches in this group always had a polygonal apse, where the timbers were joined at the angles by a complex system of dual angled overlap with the ends rounded at an angle. The ceiling is partly flat, partly barrel-vaulted composed of šašavak wedges. The Jelićka church and the churches in Palačkovci and the village of Rakelići belong to this group.

The third group is transitional in form between the two preceding groups, with the addition of a three-sided apse and certain details.  The best known church in this group is the wooden church in Krupa on the Vrbas.

The fourth group consists of more recent churches with more elaborate ground plan, new features and new structural treatment. The treatment of the material is more modern and the building techniques more complex. The walls are high, the roofs high and wide, and the interior spacious. The windows and doors are of normal size, the ceilings vaulted, and floors of wood or stone. These churches are more richly decorated than the other groups. The exterior lines are austere and the interior, unlike the churches in the other groups, is cold and austere. The churches in Dragovići, Busnovi and Marićka belong to this group.

(22) Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 45-82

(23) Imljani, Malo Blaško, Romanovci and Javorani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 46)

(24) Krupa, Rakelići, Busnovi, Kola and Palačkovci  (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 46)

(25) Omarska, Marićka and Jelićka/by hill and woodland (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 46)

(26) Javorani, Romanovci, Kola, Malo Blaško and Imljani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 46)

(27) Jelićka, Busnovi, Marićka, Omarska, Palačkovci and Krupa (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 46)

(28) Rakelići (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 46).

(29) Romanovci, Kola, Malo Blaško (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 51).

(30) Javorani, Palačkovci, Imljani, Jelićka and Krupa (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 51).

(31) Rakelići, Busnovi, Marićka and Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, p. 51).

(32) Romanovci, Kola, Malo Blaško, Javorani, Palačkovci and Imljani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 52).

(33) Jelićka and Krupa (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 52).

(34) Busnovi and Marićka (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 52).

(35) Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 52).

(36) Romanovci, Kola, Malo Blaško, Javorani and Palačkovci (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 53).

(37) Jelićka (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 52).

(38) Imljani and Rakelići (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 53).

(39) Busnovi, Marićka and Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 53).

(40) Romanovci, Kola, Malo Blaško, Javorani, Krupa and Imljani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 54).

(41) Jelićka, Palačkovci, Rakelići, Busnovi, Marićka and Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 54).

(42) This typology is based on individual structural elements (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 55).

(43) Romanovci, Kola, Malo Blaško and Javorani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 56).

(44) Krupa, Jelićka, Palačkovci, Imljani, Omarska, Busnovi, Marićka and Rakelići (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 56).

(45) Jelićka, Malo Blaško, Romanovci, Kola, Palačkovci, Javorani, Krupa (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 60).

(46) Omarka, Busnovi and Rakelići (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 60).

(47) Marićka (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 60).

(48) Imljani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 60).

(49) Javorani, Romanovci, Malo Blaško, Kola, Krupa, Imljani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 65).

(50) Jelićka, Palačkovci (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 65).

(51) Marićka Busnovi and Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 65).

(52) Romanovci (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 69).

(53) Javorani, Malo Blaško, Kola, Krupa and Palačkovci (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 69).

(54) Imljani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 69).

(55) Jelićka and Palačkovci/sanctuary (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 69).

(56) Rakelići, Marićka, Busnovi and Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 69).

(57) Kola and Krupa (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 71).

(58) Romanovci, Malo Blaško and Javorani (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 71).

(59) Malo Blaško, Imljani, Palačkovci, Jelićka, Rakelići, Busnovi, Marićka and Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 71).

(60) Imljani, Krupa, Rakelići, Busnovi, Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 74).

(61) Palačkovci, Jelićka, Kola and Marićka (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 74).

(62) Romanovci and Malo Blaško (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 74).

(63) Romanovci, Kola, Malo blaško, Javorani, Krupa, Jelićka and Palačkovci. This group also includes churches where a free-standing bell tower was built very close by/Jelićka (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 82).

(64) Imljani, Rakelići, Busnovi, Marićka; or the bell tower was built at the same time as the church/Omarska (Arnautović-Aksić: 1956, 82).

(65) The pedunculate or English oak (Quercus robur) is a deciduous tree in the family Fagaceae. Local Bosnian names for the species include dub, gnjilec, hrastovina, lužnik, rani hrast, rošnjak. The grain of the timber is much denser and more compact, and hence more durable, than that of other species of oak.

(66) Cunjak: 2009, 114

(67) The cramps are about 60 cm long at the join between the south side wall and the apse wall (op. E. Softić).

(68) At approx. 2.00 m above the apse floor (op. E. Softić).

(69) The portico was added in 1898 (Cunjak: 2009, 121).

(70)  Measured at the east side of the north-south altar partition

(71) Daylight measurement taken in the east-west axis of the sanctuary

(72) “Bell towers housed the bells used to summon the congregation to prayer. They are known to have been used in the Orthodox Church since the tenth century, but came into common use only in the 20th.  Until the introduction of bells, the congregation were summoned to prayer by criers and various kinds of semantron. Bell towers on wooden churches first appeared in 1878, when Bosnia became part of Austria-Hungary.” (Cunjak: 2009, 121).

(73) Measured level with the base of the wooden posts of the bell tower (op. E. Softić).

(74) Distance from the floor of the portico to the wall plate (op. E. Softić).

(75) Except for the arch over the passageway, which is segmental (op. E. Softić).

(76) The other two oak posts supporting the bell tower can be seen in the nave, abutting onto the inside of the west wall of the church. These posts, which are approx. 37/36 cm in section, rest on wooden bolsters 36 cm wide, 42 cm high and 50 cm long.

(77) There are no signs of mortise and tenon joints, wrought iron or other means by which a parapet or railing might have been attached (op. E. Softić).

(78) As measured from the floor of the portico

(79) Set approx. 10.11 m from the north-west corner of the portico (op. E. Softić).   

(80) Measured where the head tree rests on the wooden post

(81) Measured where the head tree rests on the wooden post

(82) The shaft of the post, which is approx. 20.5 x 20.5 cm in section, has chamfered corners, so that the shorter (6 cm) sides of the octagon are formed by the chamfered corners of the post (op. E. Softić).

(83) Measured on the bases of the second pair

(84) Measured on the east side of the north-south altar partition

(85) Measured in the east-west axis of the altar space

(86) From the floor of the choir gallery

(87) From the floor of the choir gallery

(88) “Bell towers within the body of wooden churches first appeared in 1878, when Bosnia became part of Austria-Hungary.” (Cunjak: 2009, 121).

(89) Dedications were cast onto the bells, but the lack of flooring made it too dangerous to get near enough to the bells to record the inscriptions. The smaller bell, nearer the platform, was measured and found to have a diameter of approx. 70 cm and a height of approx. 70 cm (op. E. Softić).

(90) In plan, these wooden purlins are positioned at the junction of the flat ceiling and the edge of the barrel vault. Thus two longitudinal purlins were used at the junction of the aisles and the nave (op. E. Softić).

(91) A roof member laid parallel with the ridge beam over the horizontal trusses, serving to take the load of the vault (op. Emir Softić).

(92) (a horizontal projection of approx. 110 cm)

(93) Mlađan Cunjak, Istorija timara i crkve brvnare u Jelićkoj, Rakelićima, Marićkoj, Busnovima i Omarskoj, Banja Luka: Eparhijski upravni odbor Eparhije banjalučke, 2009, 122.

(94) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 123.

(95) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 123.

(96) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 126.

(97) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 126.

(98) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 125.

(99) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 126.

(100) Sveto pismo Staroga i Novoga Zavjeta, Beograd: Sveti arhijerejski sinod Srpske Pravoslavne Crkve, 2007 (English text from the Holy Bible, King James Version).

(101) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 124.

(102) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 125.

(103) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 124.

(104) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 125.

(105) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 127.

(106) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 127.

(107) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 130.

(108) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 130.

(109) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 130.

(110) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 131.

(111) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 127.

(112) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 128.

(113) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 128.

(114) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 128-129.

(115) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 129.

(116) Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009, 131.

(117) An oktoechos or eight modes is a service book of the Orthodox Church. The Greater Oktoechos or Paraklitiki contains the canons and hymns of the liturgy for each day of a cycle of eight weeks, beginning at Easter. Each week has its own mode or tone, based on one of the eight modes of Byzantine music. On completion of each eight-week cycle, the cycle is repeated again. The Lesser Oktoechos consists of the canons and hymns for Sundays.... The Oktoechos was translated into Old Slavonic at an early date the first Slavonic Oktoechos was printed in Cetinje in 1494. Opća enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog leksikografskog zavoda, Vol. 6, Zagreb: Grafički zavod Hrvatske, 1980, 164.

(118) Service book or litourgikon, a liturgical book in the Orthodox  Church, containing three liturgies, evensong and matins, and used by the priest or deacon during church services. In the Greek Orthodox Church the old-type euchologion is also used, combining the litourgikon with the trebnik (ritual book). Opća enciklopedija Jugoslovenskog leksikografskog zavoda, Tom 7, Zagreb: Grafički zavod Hrvatske, 1980, 532.

(119) The dating of the liturgical articles and door is based on the information in Ljiljana Ševo’s  Pravoslavne crkve i manastiri u Bosni i Hercegovini do 1878. godine and  Mlađan Cunjak’s Istorija Timara i crkve brvnare u Jelićkoj, Rakelićima, Marićkoj i Busnovima, as well as on the stylistic analysis with small liturgical articles published in Bojana Radojković's Sitna plastika u srpskoj umetnosti, where she writes: “Rounded forms and soft, gentle lines are still seen on 17th century crosses, a style based on carved crosses of the latter half of the 16th century. In the late 17th and the 18th century, though the scenes are the same, the figure is stockier, coarser, and reminiscent more of graphics than of carving.  The graphicism is very pronounced in the modelling of the head, in particular the hair, the folds of the robes, and the movement. The scenes are not always arranged in arcades and separate sections, but rather, under the influence of the Baroque, vines twine over the cross, separating each scene from the next, each saint from the next. This workmanship, which is not typical only of crosses but also of the Panaghia and even of wooden book covers, prevails throughout the 18th century and to the beginning of the 19th.” Radojković. Bojana, Sitna plastika u srpskoj umetnosti, Beograd: Muzej primenjene umetnosti Beograd, 1977, 42; Ševo Ljiljana, Pravoslavne crkve i manastiri u Bosni i Hercegovini do 1878, Banja Luka: Glas Srpski, 2002; Mlađan Cunjak, op.cit., 2009.

(120) Measured on 5 March 2010 (op. E. Softić)

(121) Lime mortar reinforced with cement, the lime mortar forming the principal binder and the cement added to give additional strength and resistance to the elements.

(122) The calotte is composed of six sections.

(123) The post is about 271 cm from the iconostasis and 256 cm from the south wall of the church (op. E. Softić).

(124) Information received on 19 August 2011 during a conservation with the Institute's architect, Milijana Okilj (op. E. Softić)