AГГ+ часопис за архитектуру, грађевинарство, геодезију и сродне научне области, 7, Бањалука 2019, 2-20./ACEG+ Journal for Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geodesy and other related scientific fields, 7, Banjaluka 2019, 2-20.
There are more than forty projects for building the Orthodox churches preserved in the Bosnia and... more There are more than forty projects for building the Orthodox churches preserved in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Archives in Sarajevo. Presented here are four projects for the churches with domes and one for three-conchal building with no dome.
The oldest designs are those of Višegrad (dated 1882) and Zenica (dated 1889), which represents the church build 1883-1885. Name of the architect remaines unknown in both the cases - Višegrad project is not signed and signatures of Franz Blazek and perhaps Miloš Komadina at Zenica project are not a proof of them being the authors. Projects testify about the wishes of the church patrons for their temples to show connection with the Serbian sacral architecture of the 13th century (Višegrad) or to have it visually manifesting growing economic power and social standing of the Serbian Orthodox community, building their church similar to the cathedral in Sarajevo (Zenica). Project for the St Sava church in Blažuj was created in 1895/96, following also wishes of the patrons, representatives of the Church community. Project of August Butschа embodied the idea of national recognition in historicist neo-byzantine style created by famous architect of historicism Teophil Hansen, which was back in the time generally recognized as a neo-Byzantine style, and in this specific case as an Orthodox and Serbian one. “Serbian-Byzantine style” of the mausoleum chapel of Lower Tuzla merchants Jovanovićs at Trnovac was almost for sure originating from their wishes, and the chapel was built in 1889 by well-thought design of the architect Franz Blazek. Neo-Moravska three-conchal basis of Vodjenica church, projected in 1911 by Miloš Miladinović, can be considered as an aspiration of the church patrons to have their temple look like Moštanica.
Projects presented can be considered rare testimonies to the role that “carriers of the patronage mechanism in the process of originating and forming of the church architecture” had in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Austro-Hungarian period, when the lack of national state resulted in lack of a clear view on the sacral construction forms that would express that identity.
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Papers by Ljiljana Sevo
The oldest designs are those of Višegrad (dated 1882) and Zenica (dated 1889), which represents the church build 1883-1885. Name of the architect remaines unknown in both the cases - Višegrad project is not signed and signatures of Franz Blazek and perhaps Miloš Komadina at Zenica project are not a proof of them being the authors. Projects testify about the wishes of the church patrons for their temples to show connection with the Serbian sacral architecture of the 13th century (Višegrad) or to have it visually manifesting growing economic power and social standing of the Serbian Orthodox community, building their church similar to the cathedral in Sarajevo (Zenica). Project for the St Sava church in Blažuj was created in 1895/96, following also wishes of the patrons, representatives of the Church community. Project of August Butschа embodied the idea of national recognition in historicist neo-byzantine style created by famous architect of historicism Teophil Hansen, which was back in the time generally recognized as a neo-Byzantine style, and in this specific case as an Orthodox and Serbian one. “Serbian-Byzantine style” of the mausoleum chapel of Lower Tuzla merchants Jovanovićs at Trnovac was almost for sure originating from their wishes, and the chapel was built in 1889 by well-thought design of the architect Franz Blazek. Neo-Moravska three-conchal basis of Vodjenica church, projected in 1911 by Miloš Miladinović, can be considered as an aspiration of the church patrons to have their temple look like Moštanica.
Projects presented can be considered rare testimonies to the role that “carriers of the patronage mechanism in the process of originating and forming of the church architecture” had in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Austro-Hungarian period, when the lack of national state resulted in lack of a clear view on the sacral construction forms that would express that identity.
Neither historical sources nor Andrić's fiction picture Omer-Pasha's activities as an effort to introduce religious equality in this part of the Empire as well. However, in the period from his intervention up to the beginning of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian uprising in 1875, more than 30 churches were built of solid material and dozens of those of wood. Many the towns in Bosnia and in Herzegovina got their Orthodox temples during this period, which with their solid dimensions and construction, as well as through their position in the wider centre of the towns, permanently changed townscapes of the local towns. New churches were built in the towns of Visoko, Tešanj, Bugojno, Travnik, Derventa, Foča, Čajniče, Livno, Ljubuški, Sarajevo, Mostar, Duvno, Ljubinje, Stolac, Tuzla, Sokolac, but also in the larger villages of Čečava, Lepenica, Gerzovo, Pecka, Donje Vukovsko, Obudovac, Liješće, Koprivna, Zaplanik, Gabela, Bijelo Polje, Biograd, Poplat and Rdjusi. Dominating type amongst these churches is a single-nave building, vaulted with a semi-circular dome, with a bell tower quite often attached later on. Temple in Visoko was built by the model of the Old Church in Sarajevo, with a three-nave plan, blind dome and a gallery above the narthex and side naves. Domes in Bijeljina, Foča, Čajniče, Sarajevo, Mostar, Obudovac, Tuzla and Sokolac represent an expression of national aspirations to revoke medieval past through neo-Byzantine forms. Amongst those rare builders whose name was known, apart from the famous Andrija Damjanov from Veles, who built Sarajevo, Čajniče and Mostar churches, there were builder of Foča church, Spasoje Vulić of Tetovo, and Tasa Naumović of Ohrid, who built Obudovac as well as Tuzla temple. So, it is also in Bosnia that masters from the south, from the towns of today's Macedonia, had developed their activities in the same manner as throughout the Serb populated areas. The name of builder, one Maksim of Bukovica, close to Maglaj, was recorded in Čečava near Teslić, and his successor was Josif Maksimović, restorer of the churches within the monasteries of Vozuća and Liplje.
Building of the Orthodox churches in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period between 1851 and 1875 sent visual messages about the public status of the Serbs in the Bosnian Pashadom, conveying that after the Omer-Pasha intervention Bosnia obviously had not remained the old one, one that "...bends, but does not change".
The church is of representative appearance and rather large in size: it is 18 meters long, 10 meters wide and 10 meters high up to the roof ridge. Four pillars divide its interior to three naves. Central nave is topped with a barrel vault, and side naves have flat ceilings. Two bell towers at the western facade represent an architectural peculiarity. The only other Orthodox church of the Austro-Hungarian era in Bosnia Herzegovina with two bell towers is church in Brodac built in 1884. Facade plaster finishing imitates building with stones, and the cornices are decorated with the rows of small blind arcades. Money for construction was provided by the citizens, from the then government donation and donations collected throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina as was a usual habit of the time. Apart from the roof shape of the bell towers, the building fully complies with a typical project for the Greek-Catholic churches, designed by J. Kellner and Hans Niemeczek in 1884 at the construction department of the state government in Sarajevo. As the same engineers designed also a typical project for the Orthodox churches the very same year, it is not clear as why the Government sent to the Kozarac parish a project for a Greek-Catholic temple. As a conflict between then Metropolitan, Savo Kosanovic, and Austro-Hungarian authorities, which lasted from spring 1884 up to fall 1885, ended with irrevocable Kosanovic's resignation, it is very likely that project for a church in Kozarac was not passing through regular procedure, which would understand that Metropolitan checks a project and approves it. Still, front with two bell towers, three-nave nave and five-sided altar, by which a typical project for the Greek-Catholic churches differs from typical project for the Orthodox churches, do not represent liturgical issue nor it would be a reason for either Metropolitan or a priest to refuse project donated by the Government.
Iconostasis of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul church is a simple wooden partition with three doors. Icons, from mass production of some of the Novi Sad workshops (Popovic brothers or Djordje Ivkovic), in the style of a simplified academicism, were donated by the parishioners, and according to the inscriptions dated from 1892 to 1912. They are primarily of documentary value. As it is a practice in poor rural areas, parishioners donated to the church mainly the icons of their St Patrons. Altar icon of the St Peter with two scenes from his life, of a good quality of the "zograph" painting, according to the inscription on the back side of the icon, was donated by priest Gavro Stojanovic in 1890. As to the question why the parish which built big and representative church at the mid of the 19th century's ninth decade could not provide equally representative iconostasis, answer could only be given if and when some new historical evidences are found out.
Since beginning of the 21st century, when new church was built in the same churchyard, the old temple has been used only for St Peter's day service. The church is dilapidated, with damaged facade, small construction crevices and damp in the north-eastern part of the vault.
Project of August Butsch for the Blažuj temple belongs to the historicist designs inspired by Byzantium. Czerny’s project for the Reljevo church has a sort of neo-gothic spirit, and it in a way anticipated typical projects, which the Austro-Hungarian administration favoured in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1901. Little towers and arcades of the St Sava church in Bileća, built in 1896 on the basis of the plan provided by the Country Government, show similarity to the eclectic solutions that Karlo Parzik used at the Evangelistic church in Sarajevo in 1889, which indicates that Parzik might have participated in designing the plan for the Bileća church.
Even when recorded, names of the builders of the Orthodox churches in Bosnia and Herzegovina that were built in this period, do not reveal much to a contemporary researcher, as they are not to be found in the other sources. Niko Mitrović from Tuzla built the church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Mačkovac near Tuzla in 1913, and he was engaged in building of the Coloseum Cinema in Tuzla in 1912. Lazar Šušić, Nikola Stajčić and Djuro Mičeta were remembered as builders of the churches in Udrežnje and Lukavac close to Nevesinje in 1896/1897 and 1903/1904 respectively, in Ljuti Do near Stolac in 1906 and Zalom in 1885/1886. All these churches repeat the tradition, established in the Middle Ages and maintained all long, of the sacral building in Herzegovina, and their builders were probably just a bit more masterful than numerous Herzegovina builders, skilled in stone building. Builder Risto Vulešić signed his name in the church in Nišići in 1885 and judging by similarity, it seems that the same builder built the church in Ilijaš and perhaps even the one in Pazarić. Builders from Dalmatia were invited to build some of the churches (Rudo, 1908); some churches were built by various groups of builders (Rudice, 1886-1902) of which some, judging by the names of the group members, were probably coming from the Adriatic coast; and the church in Brodac is recorded as built by builders from the northern Italy. Although engineer S. Mirković adapted it to the Orthodox Church services, the church in Bihać (built in 1898 and ruined in 1941) kept the elements of neo-gothic and neo-renaissance as foreseen by the project of a “non orthodox” author. The churches in Maglaj (1906-1908), Pale, Gornji Dragaljevac (1908-1909) and Gornje Zabrdje (1912) have almost identical cruciform base. Pale church is considered to be designed by Lazar Drljača, and Dragaljevac church by Miloš Miladinović, who might have only adapted Drljača’s design to significantly larger dimensions, or had just attached a dome to the temple.
More thorough research of the archives and preserved monuments might in future result with more complete knowledge and more precise conclusions about the builders of the Serb churches of 1878-1914.
The oldest designs are those of Višegrad (dated 1882) and Zenica (dated 1889), which represents the church build 1883-1885. Name of the architect remaines unknown in both the cases - Višegrad project is not signed and signatures of Franz Blazek and perhaps Miloš Komadina at Zenica project are not a proof of them being the authors. Projects testify about the wishes of the church patrons for their temples to show connection with the Serbian sacral architecture of the 13th century (Višegrad) or to have it visually manifesting growing economic power and social standing of the Serbian Orthodox community, building their church similar to the cathedral in Sarajevo (Zenica). Project for the St Sava church in Blažuj was created in 1895/96, following also wishes of the patrons, representatives of the Church community. Project of August Butschа embodied the idea of national recognition in historicist neo-byzantine style created by famous architect of historicism Teophil Hansen, which was back in the time generally recognized as a neo-Byzantine style, and in this specific case as an Orthodox and Serbian one. “Serbian-Byzantine style” of the mausoleum chapel of Lower Tuzla merchants Jovanovićs at Trnovac was almost for sure originating from their wishes, and the chapel was built in 1889 by well-thought design of the architect Franz Blazek. Neo-Moravska three-conchal basis of Vodjenica church, projected in 1911 by Miloš Miladinović, can be considered as an aspiration of the church patrons to have their temple look like Moštanica.
Projects presented can be considered rare testimonies to the role that “carriers of the patronage mechanism in the process of originating and forming of the church architecture” had in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Austro-Hungarian period, when the lack of national state resulted in lack of a clear view on the sacral construction forms that would express that identity.
Neither historical sources nor Andrić's fiction picture Omer-Pasha's activities as an effort to introduce religious equality in this part of the Empire as well. However, in the period from his intervention up to the beginning of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian uprising in 1875, more than 30 churches were built of solid material and dozens of those of wood. Many the towns in Bosnia and in Herzegovina got their Orthodox temples during this period, which with their solid dimensions and construction, as well as through their position in the wider centre of the towns, permanently changed townscapes of the local towns. New churches were built in the towns of Visoko, Tešanj, Bugojno, Travnik, Derventa, Foča, Čajniče, Livno, Ljubuški, Sarajevo, Mostar, Duvno, Ljubinje, Stolac, Tuzla, Sokolac, but also in the larger villages of Čečava, Lepenica, Gerzovo, Pecka, Donje Vukovsko, Obudovac, Liješće, Koprivna, Zaplanik, Gabela, Bijelo Polje, Biograd, Poplat and Rdjusi. Dominating type amongst these churches is a single-nave building, vaulted with a semi-circular dome, with a bell tower quite often attached later on. Temple in Visoko was built by the model of the Old Church in Sarajevo, with a three-nave plan, blind dome and a gallery above the narthex and side naves. Domes in Bijeljina, Foča, Čajniče, Sarajevo, Mostar, Obudovac, Tuzla and Sokolac represent an expression of national aspirations to revoke medieval past through neo-Byzantine forms. Amongst those rare builders whose name was known, apart from the famous Andrija Damjanov from Veles, who built Sarajevo, Čajniče and Mostar churches, there were builder of Foča church, Spasoje Vulić of Tetovo, and Tasa Naumović of Ohrid, who built Obudovac as well as Tuzla temple. So, it is also in Bosnia that masters from the south, from the towns of today's Macedonia, had developed their activities in the same manner as throughout the Serb populated areas. The name of builder, one Maksim of Bukovica, close to Maglaj, was recorded in Čečava near Teslić, and his successor was Josif Maksimović, restorer of the churches within the monasteries of Vozuća and Liplje.
Building of the Orthodox churches in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period between 1851 and 1875 sent visual messages about the public status of the Serbs in the Bosnian Pashadom, conveying that after the Omer-Pasha intervention Bosnia obviously had not remained the old one, one that "...bends, but does not change".
The church is of representative appearance and rather large in size: it is 18 meters long, 10 meters wide and 10 meters high up to the roof ridge. Four pillars divide its interior to three naves. Central nave is topped with a barrel vault, and side naves have flat ceilings. Two bell towers at the western facade represent an architectural peculiarity. The only other Orthodox church of the Austro-Hungarian era in Bosnia Herzegovina with two bell towers is church in Brodac built in 1884. Facade plaster finishing imitates building with stones, and the cornices are decorated with the rows of small blind arcades. Money for construction was provided by the citizens, from the then government donation and donations collected throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina as was a usual habit of the time. Apart from the roof shape of the bell towers, the building fully complies with a typical project for the Greek-Catholic churches, designed by J. Kellner and Hans Niemeczek in 1884 at the construction department of the state government in Sarajevo. As the same engineers designed also a typical project for the Orthodox churches the very same year, it is not clear as why the Government sent to the Kozarac parish a project for a Greek-Catholic temple. As a conflict between then Metropolitan, Savo Kosanovic, and Austro-Hungarian authorities, which lasted from spring 1884 up to fall 1885, ended with irrevocable Kosanovic's resignation, it is very likely that project for a church in Kozarac was not passing through regular procedure, which would understand that Metropolitan checks a project and approves it. Still, front with two bell towers, three-nave nave and five-sided altar, by which a typical project for the Greek-Catholic churches differs from typical project for the Orthodox churches, do not represent liturgical issue nor it would be a reason for either Metropolitan or a priest to refuse project donated by the Government.
Iconostasis of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul church is a simple wooden partition with three doors. Icons, from mass production of some of the Novi Sad workshops (Popovic brothers or Djordje Ivkovic), in the style of a simplified academicism, were donated by the parishioners, and according to the inscriptions dated from 1892 to 1912. They are primarily of documentary value. As it is a practice in poor rural areas, parishioners donated to the church mainly the icons of their St Patrons. Altar icon of the St Peter with two scenes from his life, of a good quality of the "zograph" painting, according to the inscription on the back side of the icon, was donated by priest Gavro Stojanovic in 1890. As to the question why the parish which built big and representative church at the mid of the 19th century's ninth decade could not provide equally representative iconostasis, answer could only be given if and when some new historical evidences are found out.
Since beginning of the 21st century, when new church was built in the same churchyard, the old temple has been used only for St Peter's day service. The church is dilapidated, with damaged facade, small construction crevices and damp in the north-eastern part of the vault.
Project of August Butsch for the Blažuj temple belongs to the historicist designs inspired by Byzantium. Czerny’s project for the Reljevo church has a sort of neo-gothic spirit, and it in a way anticipated typical projects, which the Austro-Hungarian administration favoured in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1901. Little towers and arcades of the St Sava church in Bileća, built in 1896 on the basis of the plan provided by the Country Government, show similarity to the eclectic solutions that Karlo Parzik used at the Evangelistic church in Sarajevo in 1889, which indicates that Parzik might have participated in designing the plan for the Bileća church.
Even when recorded, names of the builders of the Orthodox churches in Bosnia and Herzegovina that were built in this period, do not reveal much to a contemporary researcher, as they are not to be found in the other sources. Niko Mitrović from Tuzla built the church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Mačkovac near Tuzla in 1913, and he was engaged in building of the Coloseum Cinema in Tuzla in 1912. Lazar Šušić, Nikola Stajčić and Djuro Mičeta were remembered as builders of the churches in Udrežnje and Lukavac close to Nevesinje in 1896/1897 and 1903/1904 respectively, in Ljuti Do near Stolac in 1906 and Zalom in 1885/1886. All these churches repeat the tradition, established in the Middle Ages and maintained all long, of the sacral building in Herzegovina, and their builders were probably just a bit more masterful than numerous Herzegovina builders, skilled in stone building. Builder Risto Vulešić signed his name in the church in Nišići in 1885 and judging by similarity, it seems that the same builder built the church in Ilijaš and perhaps even the one in Pazarić. Builders from Dalmatia were invited to build some of the churches (Rudo, 1908); some churches were built by various groups of builders (Rudice, 1886-1902) of which some, judging by the names of the group members, were probably coming from the Adriatic coast; and the church in Brodac is recorded as built by builders from the northern Italy. Although engineer S. Mirković adapted it to the Orthodox Church services, the church in Bihać (built in 1898 and ruined in 1941) kept the elements of neo-gothic and neo-renaissance as foreseen by the project of a “non orthodox” author. The churches in Maglaj (1906-1908), Pale, Gornji Dragaljevac (1908-1909) and Gornje Zabrdje (1912) have almost identical cruciform base. Pale church is considered to be designed by Lazar Drljača, and Dragaljevac church by Miloš Miladinović, who might have only adapted Drljača’s design to significantly larger dimensions, or had just attached a dome to the temple.
More thorough research of the archives and preserved monuments might in future result with more complete knowledge and more precise conclusions about the builders of the Serb churches of 1878-1914.