Saint George's Church, Gavril Genovo
Encyclopedia
Saint George's Church is a church in Gavril Genovo
, a village in northwestern Bulgaria
, part of Georgi Damyanovo
municipality, Montana Province
. It was built in 1873 by the architect Alekso Angelkov of the Slavine Architectural School in the village of Sotochino, today one of the two neighbourhoods of Gavril Genovo. The church, otherwise a minor village parish church, is notable for its use of vernacular Gothic Revival features, a trademark approach of that school which set it apart from other architectural schools of the Bulgarian National Revival
.
(1866–1870) and the Saint George's Church in Bistrilitsa (1890), one of the most elaborately decorated Gothic Revival churches of the Slavine School. The authorship of the Gavril Genovo church has been established thanks to another inscription just above the first one, which reads "Маисторъ Алексі" ("Master Aleksi").
church which follows the typical single-nave design employed by the Slavine School. It has two gates, one from the south and one from the west, and nine relatively large windows which let a lot of light into the interior. The windows are of the more basic design used by Slavine School architects, with a simple sharp-pointed window bay, as opposed to a more complex (and also sharp-pointed) one. Such windows can be typically found on churches in poorer villages within the range of Slavine School activity. Their simplistic appearance is attributed to the limited financial resources of the congregation. The gates are also of a basic yet typical design.
Saint George's has a five-sided apse
and at present lacks a dome
, though it is not impossible that it had one at some point. The west facade of the church also has six stone corbel
s; these were installed in order to support a porch (an external narthex
), which was either never built or did not survive. A characteristic detail of the church is the sharp-pointed window adorning the west side gable; it was hewn out of a single stone and boasts elaborate rosette
grating.
and an archaic image of two birds, one standing atop the other and pecking it, which is a medieval
symbol of the fight between good and evil. Architect Nikolay Tuleshkov finds the appearance of such archaic imagery in the exterior decoration "puzzling".
The iconostasis
was painted by Petar Mitov, an artist from Samokov
, in 1874. Mitov also did one of the icons ("Synaxis
of the Archangel Michael") in the church in 1875, as well as the crucifix
behind the altar
in 1874.
Gavril Genovo
Gavril Genovo is a village in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Georgi Damyanovo Municipality, Montana Province. It was formed in 1955 through the merger of Sotochino and Ilitsa . It was named after September Uprising leader Gavril Genov....
, a village in northwestern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, part of Georgi Damyanovo
Georgi Damyanovo
Georgi Damyanovo is a village in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Montana Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Georgi Damyanovo Municipality, which lies in the southern part of Montana Province....
municipality, Montana Province
Montana Province
Montana Province is a province in northwestern Bulgaria, bordering Serbia in the southwest and Romania in the north. It spreads its area between the Danube river and Balkan mountain. As of February 2011, the province has a population of 148,098 inhabitants, on territory of 3,635.5 km²...
. It was built in 1873 by the architect Alekso Angelkov of the Slavine Architectural School in the village of Sotochino, today one of the two neighbourhoods of Gavril Genovo. The church, otherwise a minor village parish church, is notable for its use of vernacular Gothic Revival features, a trademark approach of that school which set it apart from other architectural schools of the Bulgarian National Revival
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
.
History and authorship
The church's construction can be conclusively dated to 1873 due to an inscription on a slabstone above the south gate. The inscription reads: "18✝73 созида сѧ храмъ сеѝ светаго Георгѝ" ("18✝73 was built [this] church of Saint George"). The architect, Alekso Angelkov from Slavine, also constructed the Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral in PirotPirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
(1866–1870) and the Saint George's Church in Bistrilitsa (1890), one of the most elaborately decorated Gothic Revival churches of the Slavine School. The authorship of the Gavril Genovo church has been established thanks to another inscription just above the first one, which reads "Маисторъ Алексі" ("Master Aleksi").
Architecture
Described as a "humble but beautiful village church", in terms of design Saint George's is a simple single-naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
church which follows the typical single-nave design employed by the Slavine School. It has two gates, one from the south and one from the west, and nine relatively large windows which let a lot of light into the interior. The windows are of the more basic design used by Slavine School architects, with a simple sharp-pointed window bay, as opposed to a more complex (and also sharp-pointed) one. Such windows can be typically found on churches in poorer villages within the range of Slavine School activity. Their simplistic appearance is attributed to the limited financial resources of the congregation. The gates are also of a basic yet typical design.
Saint George's has a five-sided apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
and at present lacks a dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
, though it is not impossible that it had one at some point. The west facade of the church also has six stone corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s; these were installed in order to support a porch (an external narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
), which was either never built or did not survive. A characteristic detail of the church is the sharp-pointed window adorning the west side gable; it was hewn out of a single stone and boasts elaborate rosette
Rosette (design)
A rosette is a round, stylized flower design, used extensively in sculptural objects from antiquity. Appearing in Mesopotamia and used to decorate the funeral stele in Ancient Greece...
grating.
Decoration and icons
Saint George's Church has exterior stone relief decoration, another trademark feature of the Slavine School. The bays of the two gates are decorated with various ornaments, floral and solar rosettes. The west gate decoration includes a stylized depiction of the tree of lifeTree of life
The concept of a tree of life, a many-branched tree illustrating the idea that all life on earth is related, has been used in science , religion, philosophy, mythology, and other areas...
and an archaic image of two birds, one standing atop the other and pecking it, which is a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
symbol of the fight between good and evil. Architect Nikolay Tuleshkov finds the appearance of such archaic imagery in the exterior decoration "puzzling".
The iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
was painted by Petar Mitov, an artist from Samokov
Samokov
Samokov is a town in Sofia Province in the southwest of Bulgaria. It is situated in a kettle between the mountains Rila and Vitosha, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia...
, in 1874. Mitov also did one of the icons ("Synaxis
Synaxis
In Eastern Christianity , a Synaxis is an assembly for liturgical purposes, generally through the celebration of Vespers, Matins, Little Hours, and the Divine Liturgy....
of the Archangel Michael") in the church in 1875, as well as the crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
behind the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
in 1874.
See also
- Lopushna MonasteryLopushna MonasteryThe Lopushna Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner is an Bulgarian Orthodox monastery in northwestern Bulgaria. It lies in the Chiprovtsi part of the western Balkan Mountains, southwest the village of Georgi Damyanovo, Montana Province....
- Vernacular adaptations of Gothic Revival