Voljavča ( sr-cyr, Вољавча) is a

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the populat ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

situated in a dense forest near the Voljavča creek on the northeastern slope of the Rudnik, near the village of

Stragari Stragari ( sr-cyr, Страгари) is a rural settlement within the City of Kragujevac. Geography It is located at 250m above sea level, 30km northwest of Kragujevac and about 120km south of state capital, Belgrade. Stragari lies at the conflue ...

in central Serbia. The monastery church, dedicated to saints Michael and Gabriel, was an endowment of Mihailo Končinović, a nobleman of Despot

Stefan Lazarević Stefan Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Лазаревић, 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall (), was a Serbian ruler as prince (1389–1402) and Despot (court title), despot (1402–1427). He was also a diplomat, legislat ...

(r. 1402–27), reconstructed at the beginning of the 15th century on the ruins of an older church dating to 1050. The monastery is of great historical importance due to its role during the

First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising (; sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; ) was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac (Aranđelovac), Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804 to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt ...

, when the Upspring leader,

Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović (; ; – ), known by the sobriquet Karađorđe (; ), was a Serbian revolutionary leader who led a struggle against the Ottoman Empire during the First Serbian Uprising. He held the title of Grand Vožd of Serbia from 14 ...

often hid there. In the residential part of the monastery, built in 1765. was held the first meeting of the Serbian Minister Council ( sr-cyr, Правитељствујушчи совјет сербски), first executive governing organ in the History of modern Serbia.

Notable people

Hadži-Ruvim Hadži-Ruvim ( sr-cyr, Хаџи-Рувим; 19 April 1752 – 29 January 1804), born Rafailo Nenadović ( sr-Cyrl, Рафаило Ненадовић), was a Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска право ...

References

Sources

* * 15th-century Serbian Orthodox church buildings Medieval Serbian Orthodox monasteries Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Serbia Kragujevac Cultural Monuments of Great Importance (Serbia) {{Serbia-Orthodox-monastery-stub