Images of Serbia: Orthodox Bosnia

Sunday, 6 July 2008

Images of Serbia: Orthodox Bosnia

Filed under: Christian,elders,history,monasticism,Orthodox hierarchs,Orthodox life,religious,saints,Serbia — 01varvara @ 00.00

Editor’s Foreword:

It is time for another photo-essay, this time focusing on our Serbian brethren in the Faith in Srpska Bosna. Do not forget them in your prayers, for they are on the ramparts against militant Islam daily.

You may note in the photos of the convent church that there is no iconostas. No, it is not a modernist establishment. It is just a new building where the iconostas has not been installed yet. If you look carefully at some of the snaps, you shall see the fittings where the iconostas is going to be installed. I make this note to forestall two people in particular on the Orthodox Forum who are always crowing about modernist this and renovationist that. This case is nothing of the sort.

BMD

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The Diocese of Zvornitsko-Tuzla is located in north-eastern Bosnia. The foundation of the diocese here can be traced to the time of King Dragutin at the end of the 13^th and the beginning of the 14^th centuries. In the 15^th century, the seat of the Orthodox metropolitan was in Srebnica. During the Turkish rule, the seat of the metropolitan was moved to Zvornike. In the 16^th century, the diocese was part of the Serbian Patriarchate of Pec, but, after it was abolished in 1766 the diocese became part of the EP, and the Phanar named Greeks as bishops (gee… sounds familiar… looks like the EP is up to its old tricks again, eh?: editor’s note). In the 19^th century, the seat of the bishop was moved to Nizhnoyu Tuzla. After the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Bosnia-Herzegovina passed under the rule of Austria-Hungary. In 1892, a Serb, Nikolai Mandic, was named the metropolitan of Zvornitsko-Tuzla, and his rule brought great progress to the life of the diocese in every respect.

The beginning of World War I was marked by pogroms against the Orthodox population by the repressive Hapsburg (Catholic) state and oppression by a ruthless Austrian military government. After the war, the diocese became part of the restored united Patriarchate of Serbia. Heavy trials again fell on the diocese during World War II. It found itself within the boundaries of the Nazi-collaborator Croatian state, and its faith was tested severely by the terror of the fascist Ustashi, who tried to wipe out the Orthodox population. Many of the clergy accepted death as martyrs, and churches, archives, and libraries were wantonly destroyed. At the same time, the Church suffered from oppression by Tito’s communist Partisans, a trial that continued even after the war was over.

Despite all of this turmoil, Bishop Nektary, and his successor, Bishop Longin, brought about a restoration of church life. In 1978, Vasili Kachavenda, the present bishop of the Diocese of Zvornitsko-Tuzla, took over. Vladyki Vasili’s wise rule enabled the diocese to survive and led to its present revival. There was furious fighting on the territory of the diocese during the Civil War of 1991-95. Serbian holy places and sacred relics were destroyed by Islamic militants and the forces of the Croatian nationalist Ustashi. Because of the fierce bombardments, Vladyki Vasili was forced to move from Tuzla to Bielin. At the end of the war, Vladyki Vasili did everything he could to revive church life, restoring ruined churches and building new ones. At present, this diocese is one of the most efficient and well-run dioceses [in the Patriarchate of Serbia]. The ancient monasteries of Tavna, Ozren, Lovrica, Papracha, Knezhina, and Sase, amongst others, are located on its territory.

Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh in Bielin in Bosnia-Herzegovina

The Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh in Bielin is one of the new monasteries in Bosnia-Herzegovina in Srpska Bosna. The residence of the ruling bishop of the Diocese of Zvornitsko-Tuzla is on the monastery’s grounds. The building of the monastery complex proceeded from 1996 until 2001. On 12 May 2001, the monastery was consecrated by 19 bishops of the Patriarchate of Serbia. In addition, many of the faithful flocked to the service. Included in the monastery complex are a church, the diocesan tribunal, a museum, a library, a refectory, and the monk’s living quarters, all surrounded by a protective wall. The belfry is some 30 metres (@100 feet) high. A school of iconography is part of the complex. The frescoes in the church were painted by Dragan Marunic from Belgrade. In the monastery, relics of St Basil of Ostrozh and St Sisoes the Great are enshrined, along with a copy of the icon of the Mother of God “of Troeruchitsa” presented as a gift from Khilandar Monastery on the Holy Mountain.

1. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh

2. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh

3. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, summer church

4. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh

5. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh

6. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, mosaic icon of St Basil of Ostrozh

7. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh

8. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of summer church

9. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of summer church

10. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of summer church

11. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of summer church

12. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of summer church

13. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of summer church

14. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of summer church

15. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, royal gates of iconostas

16. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church

17. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church

18. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church

19. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church

20. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church

21. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church, St Basil of Ostrozh healing the sick

22. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church, St John the Baptist

23. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church

24. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church, St Sisoes the Great

25. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church

26. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, interior fresco of church, Holy Martyr St Avvakum the Deacon

27. Bielin. Monastery of St Basil of Ostrozh, shrine of the icon of the Saviour “not made by hands”

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The Convent of Dragalevac

The Convent of St Gavriil the Archangel is located in the village of Verkhny Dragalevac. At different times, there were several wooden churches, the first of which appeared at the beginning of the 14^th century. The present church, built of stone, is the fourth in the series. A stone fragment from an altar was found in the courtyard of the cloister in 1992 with the date of 1310. The present church was dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God on 21 September 1909 by Metropolitan Yevgeny Leticey. The cloister chapel is dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The ancient monastic residence, used as far back as the times of the Turkish rule, still stands beside the church. Now, a new monastic residence and cloister with a winter chapel is in the complex. The frescoes in the church were painted by master iconographers from the atelier of Petar Bilic in Belgrade in 2004. In 1985, the monastery was refounded as a convent.