Dobrilovina Monastery
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Dobrilovina Monastery () is a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Donja Dobrilovina,
Mojkovac Mojkovac ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Мојковац, ) is a town in Montenegro in the northern region. It has a population of 2,506 (2023 census). Mojkovac is the centre of Mojkovac Municipality, which has a population of 6,824. Geography The mu ...
, northern
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
. It is located on the left Tara river banks, in a region known as '' Potarje'', at the beginning of the Tara River Canyon, the deepest river canyon in Europe. The village of Dobrihnina (later Dobrilovina) was mentioned in a Nemanjić charter in 1253, though the oldest preserved mention of the monastery dates back to 1592, when the Ottoman authorities allowed the locals to rebuild their monastery in Dobrilovina. In 1609, the current standing church dedicated to
St. George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...
was finished; the frescoes were finished by 1613. This church has been pillaged, abandoned, destroyed and renovated several times since its founding.


Geography

The monastery is located on the left Tara river banks, in a region known as '' Potarje'', at the beginning of the Tara River Canyon, which is the deepest river canyon in Europe. The monastery lies within the historical tribal region of Šaranci, which includes the whole of Potarje. The monastery is the only one left in this region. It lies near the Crna Poda forest.


Architecture

The monastery was built in the
Raška architectural school Raška architectural school (), also known as the Raška style (Рашки стил, ''Raški stil''), or simply as the Raška school, is an ecclesiastical architectural style that flourished in the Serbian Middle Ages (ca. 1170–1300), during t ...
. In terms of architectural and spatial traits, there is resemblance between the Uvac Monastery, Church of the Annunciation Monastery in Ovčar Banja, Pustinja Monastery, Dobrilovina Monastery, Majstorovina Monastery, Tronoša Monastery and others. The monastery is single-naved and has a rectangular
apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
shape, and low choir chapels at the side, appearing as transepts on the ground plan.


History

In the Ston charter (1253) of
Stefan Uroš I Stefan Uroš I ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош I; 1223 – 1 May 1277), known as Uroš the Great () was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav. He was one of the most important rulers in Serbian history ...
, the King of Serbia, the villages " Brskovo, Prostenija, Stričina, Gostilovina, Bistrica, and the hamlets of Dobrihnina (later ''Dobrilovina'') and Bjelojevina" are mentioned, and these exist still today, all in the
Mojkovac Mojkovac ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Мојковац, ) is a town in Montenegro in the northern region. It has a population of 2,506 (2023 census). Mojkovac is the centre of Mojkovac Municipality, which has a population of 6,824. Geography The mu ...
municipality. In the later Lim charter, the "village Brskovja Prostjanja and hamlets: Bistrica, Dobrihnina, Gostilovina, Stričina, Plavkovina, Selca, Jasenovo" are mentioned, the three last are unidentified though are most likely to have been hamlets of the earlier mentioned villages. The name changed over time into Dobrilovina. The oldest existing sources mentioning the monastery date from 1592, when the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
issued a ''
ferman A firman (; ), at the constitutional level, was a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in an Islamic state. During various periods such firmans were collected and applied as traditional bodies of law. The English word ''firman'' comes ...
'' (decree) approving the locals' reconstruction of a destroyed church in the grounds. The reconstruction indicates that the monastery existed earlier, though it is not known when the original monastery was built. According to tradition, there was an older temple (храм) at the site, big as the
Morača monastery The Morača ( cnr-Cyrl, Морача, ) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for before emptying into Lake Skadar. Its drainage basin covers ...
(which was built in 1252), and the fact that Dobrilovina is reminiscent of Morača, it is called ''Little Morača'' (Мала Морача). Some believe that Dobrilovina too was an endowment of the
Nemanjić dynasty The House of Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Немањић, Немањићи; Nemanjić, Nemanjići, ) was the most prominent Serbian dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages. This princely, royal and imperial house produced List of Serbian monarchs, twelv ...
. The consecration of the church took place in 1594, when
hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen (, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, or an archpriest in the Coptic Orthodox Church, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of ...
Janićije and ''duhovnik'' Zarija are mentioned. A ''
Theotokarion A Theotokion (; pl. ) is a hymn to Mary the Theotokos (), which is read or chanted (troparion or sticheron) during the canonical hours and Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, as well as in the praises of the Ori ...
'' (Богородичник) was written in the monastery, dating to 1602; this manuscript was later held at
Cetinje Cetinje ( cnr-Cyrl, Цетиње, ) is a List of cities and towns in Montenegro, town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, prijestonica, приjестоница, separator=" / ") of Montenegro and is the location of sev ...
, from where it was taken to
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. The church, dedicated to Saint George, was finished in 1609 as an endowment of ''hegumen'' Joakim and the monastic brotherhood, which is attested by the inscription above the doorway to the
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-type ...
. This was thanks to ''vojvoda'' (duke) Radič Milošević and the local '' knezovi'' (lords). Painting of the church
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
es was finished by the year 1613. In the time of the
Cretan War (1645–69) Cretan War may refer to multiple wars involving the island of Crete, including: *Cretan War (205–200 BC), a war between King Philip V of Macedon and Rhodes *Cretan War (1645–1669), a war between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire Se ...
, Potarje and the neighbouring territories were in revolt against the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. In 1664, a ''
menaion The Menaion (; Slavonic: Минїѧ, ''Miniya'', "of the month") is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox Churchand those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite containing the propers for fixed dates of the calenda ...
'' was written at the monastery. In 1673, the valuables of the Ravna Reka monastery (''Majstorovina'') were transferred to the Dobrilovina monastery. These valuables, including books and church utensils, among which were an ancient ''
panagia Panagia (, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panayia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, Mother of God, used especially in Orthodox Christianity and E ...
'', were later transferred to the Nikoljac Monastery in
Bijelo Polje Bijelo Polje (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бијело Поље, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Lim (river), Lim River. It has an urban population of 12,900 (2011 census). It is the ad ...
. In 1689, a cell was built. Some time after 1699, the relics of Archbishop Arsenije I were moved to the monastery from the Dovolja Monastery. In 1749 the church got a roof, and the monastery was reactivated. The monastery was then ravaged by the Ottomans in 1799, however the monks had already retrieved the valuables and abandoned it. S. Kosanović (
Serbian Learned Society The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (; , SANU) is a national academy and the most prominent academic institution in Serbia, founded in 1841 as Society of Serbian Letters (, DSS). The Academy's membership has included Nobel laureates Ivo ...
, 1871) wrote that "... 58 years ago a. 1813the church was destroyed when Omer Akn, an evildoer, came with two others and terrorized and extorted the hegumen." The monastery was then restored by
hieromonk A hieromonk,; Church Slavonic, Slavonic: ''Иеромонахъ''; ; ; ; ; Albanian language, Albanian: ''Hieromurg'' also called a priestmonk, is a person who is both monk and Priest#Roman Catholic and Orthodox, priest in the Eastern Christianity ...
Makarije of
Vraćevšnica Vraćevšnica (, ) is a village in the municipality of Gornji Milanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 150 people. Radič (fl. 1389–1441), a magnate in the service of Serbian monarchs Stefan Lazarević an ...
, with the help of Jovan Savić and priest Vid, in 1833. However, the same year, ''Turks'' from
Kolašin Kolašin (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Колашин, ) is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 2,989 (2003 census). Kolašin is the centre of Kolašin Municipality (population 9,949) and an unofficial centre of Morača region, nam ...
attacked the monastery and "dispersed the onasticbrotherhood", and the church was renovated only in 1866, when ''
archimandrite The title archimandrite (; ), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot ('' hegumenos'', , present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom a bishop appointed to supervise several "ordinary" abbots and monaste ...
''
Mihailo Dožić Mihailo ( sr-cyr, Михаило, ; born Milovan Dožić; 15 November 18489 June 1914) was a Serbian Orthodox hierodeacon and archimandrite, who established an insurgent battalion in Potarje (in Montenegro) to fight against Ottoman Empire in the ...
-Medenica (1848-1914) was sent as an administrator. It became the "centre of the spiritual and political life and aspirations for freedom in the wide area of Potarje", Dožić also established a school that was operated secretly in the monastery, the first school in the valley of Tara — this was a very significant step towards national awakening here and in surrounding regions. The school was temporarily moved to the nearby cave during Ottoman attacks. Dožić also organized an insurgent battalion in the region, active between 1875 and 1878 (during the
Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–78) Montenegrin–Ottoman War may refer to: *Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1852–53) *Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1861–62) Montenegrin–Ottoman War may refer to: * Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1852–53) * Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1861–62) * Montene ...
). The Ottomans had the monastery emptied and the quarters burned in 1877. The monastery was renovated in 1905. After the
First Balkan War The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...
, the region was liberated and became part of the
Kingdom of Montenegro The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe, present-day Montenegro, during the tumultuous period of time on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Officially it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolu ...
. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the Montenegrin army heavily defeated the numerically stronger Austro-Hungarian army in the
Battle of Mojkovac The Battle of Mojkovac was a World War I battle fought between 6 and 7 January 1916 near Mojkovac, in today's Montenegro, between the armies of Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Montenegro. It ended with a decisive Montenegrin victory. Prelude ...
.


Gallery

File:Manastir Dobrilovina, kanon Tary, 14. stol.jpg, Dobrilovina File:Klaster Dobrilovina z 18. stoleti, udoli Limu pobliz Berane.jpg, Dobrilovina File:Свјетлопис мозаика са ликом Св. Ђорђа изнад врата србске цркве свете обитељи Добриловине.jpg,


See also

* List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries


References


Further reading

* * *Corovic, Prilog historiji manastira Dobrilovine (Contribution à l'histoire du monastère de Dobrilovina), Bulletin de la Soc. scient, {{DEFAULTSORT:Dobrilovina monastery 17th-century Serbian Orthodox church buildings Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Montenegro 1609 establishments in Europe Mojkovac Municipality Religious organizations established in the 1600s Rebuilt buildings and structures in Montenegro