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Ružica Church ( sr-Cyr, Црква Ружица, Crkva Ružica, 'Little Rose Church') is a Serbian Orthodox church located in the
Belgrade Fortress The Belgrade Fortress ( sr-Cyrl, Београдска тврђава, Beogradska tvrđava), consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park (Large and Little Kalemegdan) on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, ...
, in Belgrade, the capital of
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...
. Original church was built in the early 15th century, while the modern one was adapted in 1869 and fully reconstructed in 1925. It is dedicated to the
Nativity of Mary The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, the Marymas or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus. The modern canon of scripture does not record Mary's b ...
. With its location within the fortress and water spring of
Saint Petka Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans (also known as: Света Петка Българска, Petka of Bulgaria, Petka of Serbia, Paraskeva of Serbia, Paraskeva the Serbian, Paraskeva of Belgrade, Parascheva the New, Parascheva the Young, grc, Ὁσ ...
, constant crowds of visitors especially on Saint Petka's feast day, and unorthodox appearance, it is considered one of the "best loved churches among the adherents".


Location

The church is located in the eastern
outer bailey An outer bailey or outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It protects the inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary bui ...
of the fortress, between the Zindan Gate's northern arched tower wall on the south, and Jakšić Tower on the north, both towering above the church. It is situated along the downhill, partially stepped path, which connects the Upper Town of the fortress (section between the Zindan and Leopold's gates) and the Lower Town. Along the path, just to the southeast, is Belgrade Planetarium, while the path continues to the
Nebojša Tower Nebojša Tower ( sr, Кула Небојша, Kula Nebojša; el, Πύργος Νεμπόισα) is the only surviving mediaeval tower of the Belgrade Fortress. Built in the 15th century, it was the major defensive tower of the fortress for centurie ...
and the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally t ...
bank.


History


Predecessor

The origin of the church is obscured. The church probably existed in the medieval period, during Despot
Stefan Lazarević Stefan Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Лазаревић, 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall ( sr, Стефан Високи / ''Stefan Visoki''), was the ruler of Serbia as prince (1389–1402) and despot (1402–1427), ...
's reign in Belgrade (1402-1427), but the exact circumstances about its construction - when it was built and by whom - are unknown. Though today sometimes named as the oldest preserved church in Belgrade, it is not known whether despot Stefan built a new church, reconstructed the existing ruin, nor where the church was located. As a result, several myths about its origins developed. According to one, three sisters, Ružica, Cveta and Marica, built three churches within the fortress complex and each was named after one of the sisters. Urban myth developed by which the residents of
Dorćol Dorćol ( sr-cyr, Дорћол; ) is an affluent urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad. Located along the right bank of the Danube, Dorćol is oldest surviving neighborhoo ...
, Belgrade's neighborhood which leans on the fortress complex, claimed that the remains of one of those tree churches can still be observed from the river level. Allegedly, the remains are right under the northern
outer bailey An outer bailey or outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It protects the inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary bui ...
, in the central section of the slope between the Defterdar Gate and
Nebojša Tower Nebojša Tower ( sr, Кула Небојша, Kula Nebojša; el, Πύργος Νεμπόισα) is the only surviving mediaeval tower of the Belgrade Fortress. Built in the 15th century, it was the major defensive tower of the fortress for centurie ...
. Another origin story, described by
Gregory Tsamblak Gregory Tsamblak or Grigorij Camblak ( bg, Григорий Цамблак, sr-Cyr, Григорије Цамблак; c. 1365–1420) was a Bulgarian writer and cleric. He was the pretended Metropolitan of Lithuania between 1413 and 1420. A Bulg ...
in the 15th century, place construction of the church in 1403.
Princess Milica Princess Milica Hrebeljanović née Nemanjić ( sr, Милица Немањић Хребељановић · ca. 1335 – November 11, 1405) also known as Empress (''Tsaritsa'') Milica, was a royal consort of Serbia by marriage to Prince Lazar, ...
and nun
Jefimija Jefimija ( sr-Cyrl, Јефимија, ; 1349–1405), secular name Jelena Mrnjavčević (Serbian Cyrillic: Јелена Мрњавчевић, or ), daughter of Vojihna and widow of Jovan Uglješa Mrnjavčević, is considered the first female Ser ...
pleaded to the
Ottoman Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to: Governments and dynasties * Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924 * Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...
Sultan
Bayezid I Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted t ...
, also Milica's son-in-law, who eventually granted the permission for the remains of the
Saint Petka Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans (also known as: Света Петка Българска, Petka of Bulgaria, Petka of Serbia, Paraskeva of Serbia, Paraskeva the Serbian, Paraskeva of Belgrade, Parascheva the New, Parascheva the Young, grc, Ὁσ ...
to be transferred to Serbia before his loss of throne in 1402 probably granting it in 1396. Via
Vidin Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...
, the remains reached Belgrade in 1403. According to folk legend, wherever the caravan was stopping, the miraculous, healing water springs would appear. Above one of the springs in the fortress, at the location of modern church, the chapel and the church were built. The church was dedicated to the Mary, mother of Jesus, and the water from the spring flew under its foundations. The remains of Saint Petka remained in Belgrade until 1521, kept in the rock nabove the spring. When the Ottomans conquered the city that year, the remains were transferred to Iași in
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centra ...
(modern
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
) and the church was demolished. Saint Petka's two fingers are still being kept in the modern Ružica Church as its most valuable relic. The cult of Saint Petka as the healer was so strong, that members of all confessions (Orthodox, Catholics, Muslims), pilgrimaged the spring named after her in the fortress, which was believed to heal the blindness. The surviving remains of the church and the chapel were demolished by the Ottomans in the late 17th century.


Origin

During their 1718-1739 occupation of Belgrade and northern Serbia, the Austrians built a
gunpowder magazine A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications req ...
next to the spring. It was part of the 1723-1739 Baroque reconstruction of the fortress, and the entire city outside the ramparts, conducted by . Though obliged by the treaty to demolish everything that was built within the fortress during their occupation, the Austrians didn't destroy the magazine which remained as one of the rare object that survived. The Ottomans continued to use it for the same purpose. During his first reign, prince Miloš Obrenović referred to the church in his correspondence with the Belgrade's Yusuf Pasha. When pasha asked for Miloš to repair the damaged
minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally ...
of the Batal Mosque in Belgrade, prince responded that "within the ramparts there are two churches, where the Turks keep their ammunition, but they don't allow the Serbs to repair them". The location was strongly embedded into the collective folk remembrance at the time, due to its alleged ancient origins and miraculous spring of Saint Petka. The myth surrounding the church especially developed in the 19th century, when population believed that Turks adapted the ancient church into the gunpowder magazine. Only 5 days after the Ottomans were fully expelled from the Belgrade Fortress on , and on the day when Serbian army entered the fortress,
Metropolitan of Belgrade The Metropolitanate of Belgrade ( sr, Београдска митрополија, Beogradska mitropolija) was an Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical province (metropolitanate) which existed between 1831 and 1920, with jurisdiction over the territo ...
Mihailo Jovanović Mihailo Jovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Михаило Јовановић; born 29 November 1975) is a Serbian football player. He was released by his former club South China in Hong Kong First Division League after 2006-07 season. He started p ...
asked that Serbian government hands over the object to the church for the reconstruction. The board for the reconstruction of the church was founded on and donations collection began. After the works on adaptation of the magazine began, they were finished in 9 months. The consecration was held on , by Metropolitan Mihailo. He compared the "resurrection" of the church with the biblical
Raising of Lazarus Lazarus of Bethany (Latinised from Lazar, ultimately from Hebrew Eleazar, "God helped"), also venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the subject of a prominent sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, ...
. The regular service began by the spring of 1869 when the bell tower was completed. The altar was roofed in September 1869. The first bell was placed in October 1870. As the fortress was largely a military facility, Ružica was dedicated as the military church.


Modern church

The church was heavily damaged during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
and suffered constant bombardment of the fortress by the
Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
forces from across the Sava. It was almost completely demolished in 1915 and was also plundered by the Austro-Hungarian and German soldiers. The altar and the bell tower were damaged the most. Being a garrison church, a
Holy Communion The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in others. According to the New Testame ...
for some 1,000 soldiers, defenders of Belgrade, was held in Ružica in 1914, when Austrians attacked for the first time, and in 1915, when they attacked again. The soldiers were holding positions in the trenches below the church where most of them were killed. In October 1915, a grenade fired from the
42 cm Gamma Mörser The 42 cm ''kurze Marinekanone'' L/12, or ''Gamma-Gerät'' ("Gamma Device"), was a German siege gun built by Krupp. The ''Gamma-Gerät''s barrel diameter was , making it one of the largest artillery pieces ever fielded. The ''Gamma-Gerät' ...
hit the fortress wall right above the church but didn't explode. Church was badly damaged by this time and if the grenade exploded (cartridge weighted and contained of
TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reage ...
), it would destroy the wall of the Zindan Gate tower which was hit and would level the church to the ground as it is located below the wall. Still, the bell tower was destroyed and the entire
apsidal In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
side of the church was completely demolished. At the location of the modern
Monument of Gratitude to France Monument of Gratitude to France ( sr, Споменик захвалности Француској, Spomenik zahvalnosti Francuskoj) in Belgrade's Veliki Kalemegdan Park was formally unveiled on 11 November 1930, the 12th anniversary day of the e ...
in Kalemegdan section of the fortress, there was a monument to
Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ;  – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's indepen ...
, dedicated on 21 August 1913. During the Austro-Hungarian occupation, the Austrians planned to erect the bronze monument to their emperor,
Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
on that very spot so they melted the Karađorđe's monument to reuse the bronze. When the Franz Joseph monument was being shipped to Belgrade in 1918, Serbian forces captured the ship and confiscated the statue. It was later melted into three church bells, largest of which still tolls from the bell tower of the Ružica Church today. Reconstruction, after the design by the Russian émigré architect Nikolay Krasnov, lasted from 1921 to 1925, and the reconstructed Ružica Church was consecrated on 11 October 1925. A memorial plaque, commemorating this event, but also the destruction during the war, was placed on the church wall. The building wasn't expanded but the new bell tower was completely different from the previous one. The church lost the façade mortar and Krasnov decided not to restore it. This made the stone, from which the church is made, exposed which gave it the rustic appearance and the object blended better into the surroundings of the stone fortress. The reconstruction was headed by the new board for the reconstruction and heftily helped by the Ministry of war. The
Military Technical Institute Military Technical Institute ( sr, Војнотехнички институт, Vojnotehnički institut; abbr. ) is a Serbian weapons and aircraft design institute, headquartered in Belgrade, and governed by the Serbian Ministry of Defence. It ...
in Kragujevac cast two large polyeleos chandeliers, three large
candelabra A candelabra (plural candelabras) or candelabrum (plural candelabra or candelabrums) is a candle holder with multiple arms. Although electricity has relegated candleholders to decorative use, interior designers continue to model light fixtures ...
and the relief-type icons made of metal. They were all made of melted military materials: rifle and pistol bullets, shell cases and
sabre A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the ...
s. They are unique among the church equipment because of this and enhanced the military allegiance of the object. During the 1925 reconstruction, two statues were sculptured. One represents the
lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the ...
from the period of
Emperor Dušan An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
, while the other one is of an
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and m ...
soldier from the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
period. The statues are placed on the sides of the main entrance. The white, memorial plaque was placed above the statue of medieval night. Krasnov especially designed the side portal where these statues are placed, so as the bronze icon of the Mother of God. The two sculptures were also made of remaining war materials. Six icons were brought from the Serbian military camp in
Nador Nador ( Riffian-Berber: ⵏⴰⴷⵓⵔ) is a coastal city and provincial capital in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco with a population of about 161,726 (2014 census). Nador city is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a salt lagoon ...
,
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
, but only two are preserved today. The
iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) 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 ...
was carved by Kosta Todorović, and the icons were painted by
Rafailo Momčilović Rafailo Momčilović (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: Рафаило Момчиловић; 23 April 1875 – 3 September 1941) was a Serbian Orthodox cleric, abbot of the Šišatovac Monastery, and painter. He was murdered in the Gen ...
. The walls were covered in paintings by Andrej Bicenko, another Russian émigré artist, who finished his work in 1938. In 1926, the unexploded grenade above the church was deactivated and removed. Newspapers reported about the event on daily basis, and when the grenade was taken out, it was publicly announced that the fortress is safe for the visitors. The grenade is today exhibited in the
Military Museum Military Museum may refer to museums of military and war, or specific museums including: * Aldershot Military Museum, in Aldershot, England * Athens War Museum, in Athens, Greece * Base Borden Military Museum, Borden, Ontario, Canada * California ...
, on the top of the fortress. Also, works on the complex continued after 1925, when the waterworks pipes were conducted and the altar gate was placed. Works were finished by 1937, when the Chapel of Saint Petka, the porch and the
clergy house A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically o ...
were completed. They were all designed by the architect
Momir Korunović Momir Korunović ( sr-cyr, Момир Коруновић), was a Serbian architect best-known for his projects built in Serbo-Byzantine Revival. He was sometimes called ''the Serbian Gaudi''. Korunović finished his higher education in Belgrade ...
. Still, many believe that the chapel is older than the church. Small niche, which surrounded the walled spring before the proper chapel was finished, used to be called
Zemun Zemun ( sr-cyrl, Земун, ; hu, Zimony) is a municipality in the city of Belgrade. Zemun was a separate town that was absorbed into Belgrade in 1934. It lies on the right bank of the Danube river, upstream from downtown Belgrade. The developm ...
's Chapel, though the reason for this name is not known. It was during this works that an
ossuary An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the ...
of the World War I defenders of Belgrade was built within the lower walls of the Jakšić Tower, right next to the religious complex. There was a larger ossuary next to it, where the staircase connected the church plateau with the higher section of the fortress. From 1931 to 1937, the remains of 3,529 identified, and 1,074 initially unidentified soldiers were reinterred at the
Belgrade New Cemetery The New Cemetery ( sr, Ново гробље, ''Novo groblje'') is a cemetery complex in Belgrade, Serbia, with a distinct history. It is located in Ruzveltova street in Zvezdara municipality. The cemetery was built in 1886 as the third Christia ...
. After the
Belgrade Zoo Beo zoo vrt ( sr-cyrl, Бео зоо врт), also known as Vrt dobre nade (The Garden of good hope), is a publicly owned zoo located in Kalemegdan Park, downtown of Belgrade, Serbia. Established on July 12, 1936, it is considered to be one of ...
was opened in 1936 under the former larger ossuary, the restaurant "Kalemegdan Terrace" was opened on top of the rampart. After the war, in the late 1940s, the restaurant expanded inside the tower. The restaurant, under its original name, so as the staircase to the church, still exist. A smaller number of Dorćol's residents considered Ružica their parochial church, even though it was officially a military church. However, during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the church was closed. German occupational forces took over the fortress and re-militarized it. Collaborationist administration invited priests and adherents to continue using the church, and to "keep it alive", but the residents refused. The clergy house was demolished during the massive Allied Easter bombing in April 1944. Only after World War II, with the new Communist government, Ružica stopped being military and garrison church, and worship services began to be conducted by the monastics and priests of the Patriarchate and the Eparchy of Belgrade-Karlovci. Serbian Orthodox Church set an unofficial rule that the services and sermons in the Ružica were held by the professors from the Belgrade's Saint Sava Seminary. The Ružica church is served by male priests, while the Saint Petka's chapel is served by nuns. The church, and the fortress'
Kalemegdan Park The Kalemegdan Park ( sr, / ), or simply Kalemegdan ( sr-Cyrl, Калемегдан) is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube. Kal ...
, are still traditionally visited by children on
Lazarus Saturday , observedby = Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Christians , date = Variable , date = , date = , date = , relatedto = Raising of Lazarus, Great Lent, Palm Sunday , frequency=Annual Lazarus Saturday in Eastern Christianity (consisting of the East ...
, which is among Serbs considered a children's feast. It is also known as '' Vrbica'', cause young branches of willow (Serbian ''vrba'', ''vrbica'' meaning "young willow") are picked, and children are given small bells. During the rigid Communist period after World War II, a local
raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
committee fired the headmistress of a kindergarten at the corner of the Dušanova and Tadeuša Košćuška streets, right across the park, and issued monetary fines to the teachers, cause they organized children to visit the church.


Artwork

Momčilović painted the icons on the iconostasis using technique oil on plywood, after the sketches of bishop Irinej Đurić. Todorović carved the bulkheads of the iconostasis in the shallow, gold plated wood engraving to recreate the medieval Serbian
Morava style Morava architectural school ( sr, Моравска школа архитeктуре/Moravska škola arhitekture), also known as the Morava style (Моравски стил/Moravski stil), or simply as the Morava school (Моравска школа/M ...
. Bicenko's wall paintings are specific, as they contain images of certain contemporaries. Western section represents Jesus Christ's
Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount (anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ) is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus of Nazareth found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7). that emphasizes his moral teachings. It is ...
, with priest Petar Trbojević and King Alexander in the audience. In the eastern section there are images of King Peter and Emperor
Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...
. Due to high moisture levels, the iconography is mostly damaged today. Professor Đuro Radlović worked on mosaics. He finished the New Testament's concept of Holly Trinity in 1976 but was the first to depict it differently from previous portrayals. Instead of placing it in church's
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...
, he put it on one of the ceilings. On one side of the arch is a representation of God the Father, one the other side is Jesus Christ, while the Holy Spirit is in the middle. The golden rays emanating from him, connect it to God and Christ, forming a physical trinity.


References


Sources

*


External links

{{Coord, 44.8255, N, 20.4513, E, source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Kalemegdan Serbian Orthodox church buildings in Serbia Serbian Orthodox churches in Belgrade Rebuilt buildings and structures in Serbia 1869 establishments in Serbia