PROJECT DETAILS

The monastery of St. Panteleimon is one of the few preserved in the original form of their construction. The monastery church was built by the Byzantine dynasty Comnenus in 1164, ie by Prince Alexei Angel, son of Constantine Angel and Theodora, daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexei Comnenus. The frescoes in this church are the true harbingers of the western renaissance, almost two centuries before the frescoes of Gjoto in Padua. The two important frescoes "The Lamentation of Christ" and "The Descent from the Cross" are the supreme achievements of Byzantine painting. The church, according to its dimensions, belongs to the order of the smaller churches of the type inscribed cross in a rectangular space, ie a combination with a free cross. The church and the monastery lodgings were damaged by a strong earthquake in 1555, when the narthex collapsed and the frescoes in one of the arches were destroyed. The monastery complex is fenced with high walls, and a dozen monks could live in the built lodgings in the monastery. The monastery of St. Panteleimon is located in an area with specific development needs and is of great importance for both the state and local self-government. It is located on the slopes of Vodno, in the village of Gorno Nerezi, where people live with a mixed national structure, but regardless of religious affiliation, equally nurtured, valued and appreciated by all. The monastery is part of all promotional materials that the municipality offers to domestic and foreign delegations, tourists and other visitors and as part of the overall tourist, cultural and historical offer is of great importance, especially the leader of the affirmation of local government and the state. Exactly inside this complex, the Municipality of Karpos has been holding an event for years where eminent international and national painters gather and seal the beauty of this monastery. They experience it and create for it, and then in a spiritual peace, they transmit this rarity together with the beauties of nature to their countries. Also, the monastery complex hosts the famous children's art colony, which is also organized by the Municipality of Karpos, where children from the Balkans draw the beauties of the monastery, learn about its history and cultural heritage and transfer them to art. But, in order for this to continue, to preserve what we have for centuries, it is necessary for us as a country and all stakeholders to invest, to contribute according to the possibilities to restore and arrange this complex to remain for our future generations , as well as for generations coming from Europe and beyond, in order to get to know Macedonia, to get to know Karposh, to get to know our culture, heritage, tradition and to pass it on further. As the years go by, this building is "consumed" over time, the interior is falling apart, and in order to preserve it and be our landmark and our advantage as a region, it is necessary to invest and make certain efforts for its rehabilitation and further its usage. It is more than necessary to perform reconstruction and restoration of the lodgings that once symbolized the true church spirit and were an ideal piece of the monastery mosaic. The current situation is, to put it mildly - desperate. After the departure of the businessman who runs the restaurant, a very bad picture was left. What is left of the lodgings today are rotten planks and beams which, in addition to distorting the image of the complex, pose a danger to both the faithful and all visitors. The replacement of the carpentry is more than necessary (wooden doors and windows), of course followed by interior decoration and conversion of certain rooms, changing the floor, but by keeping the old style, ie placing the ship floor, reconstruction of the toilets and installation of a new electrical installation in the hostel, a new ventilation system, a new fire-fighting system for fire alarm which is of great importance for the safety and security of the premises and the monastery complex itself. With all these interventions, the authenticity of the interior space will be restored and of course the authenticity of the external appearance of the monastery residence will be preserved. The idea is to renovate this complex according to the directions of the MOC and to become another monastic sanctuary. The monastery, which in recent history was known as a restaurant where weddings and celebrations took place, now strives to restore the true spirit of a church spiritual center in the Skopje area. After the construction of the "Macedonian Village" complex, and thus the relocation of the restaurant from the monastery, the Synod of the MOC started the initiative for the revival of this monastery, as a real spiritual center with a monastic fraternity. It is envisaged that the monastery will remain open to visitors, ie it will be an open type monastery. And to emphasize once again, this monastery complex is of particular importance for the municipality of Karpos, is the most important cultural and historical monument and is the main symbol of the municipality, as evidenced by the fact that the star of the monastery of St. Panteleimon is inserted in the coat of arms of Karpos. The real problem for restoring the splendor of this complex is the financial means. If we manage to provide funds, we are obliged in cooperation with the MOC to realize the project by hiring maximum experts who would leave a lasting mark with the restoration of this building.