By Jasmina S. Ćirić | University of Kragujevac

Overview

May 3, 2021 marked twenty years since the devastating damages caused in 2001 on the Church of the Most Holy Mother of God in Mateič, in the historical area of Žegligovo in the Republic of North Macedonia. The monastery holds within eight centuries of religious life and the community dedicated to God. Žegligovo Monastery or Mateič Monastery belongs administratively to the Municipality of Lipkovo. The name Mateič derives from the word mother (in Serbian “Mati”) - Mother of God. The fact that God and nature richly endowed this area is additionally confirmed by the lush vegetation, spring water, and seemingly untouched nature. However, such an image of idyllic paysage is disturbed by the ruins firstly seen on the road leading toward the monastery.

The monastery became known as an imperial endowment dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin in the heart of the Nemanjić’s dynasty terra sacra. It is important to mention that Mateič is listed in the Charter (Chrysobull) of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin (r. 1282–1321) issued for St. George monastery near Skoplje. According to the biography of Emperor Uroš V, written by Patriarch Pajsijе, Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1355–71) started the construction of the Church of the Assumption in its place, and the church was completed around 1357 by Empress Jelena with her son Uroš V around 1357.

Key Issues and Debates

During the 15th century, Mateič was a marvelous center of culture. Isaija Srbin, a famous hymnographer who wrote the famous hymn “Polijelej Servikos”, lived in this monastery. From November 21, 1456, to November 11, 1457, Vladislav Gramatik compiled a "Collection" of liturgical texts in Mlado Nagoričino. In 1479, he prepared another "Collection" which is kept today in Rila Monastery in Bulgaria. After the arrival of the Ottomans, the monastery suffered from numerous devastations. The removal of the roof during the 18th century, which was secondarily used to cover the Eski mosque in Kumanovo, was very damaging for the church.

After the Balkan wars, the Mateič and Kumanovo regions belonged to the Kingdom of Serbia. This occasion provided an excellent opportunity for researchers to get in touch with all the forgotten Nemanjić endowments on this territory. The architectural features and monumental painting of Mateič were examined for the first time by Nikolaj Okunjev, Svetozar Radojčić, Radoslav Grujić, Đurđe Bošković. An important source about the restoration of the church was noted in the text “King and Queen in the Matejić Monastery”' published in the journal Vreme on November 1, 1926. The article mentions that H.R.H. Knight King Alexander I Karadjordjevic, H.R.H. Queen Marija, and Prince Arsen, visited Mateič Monastery, and on that occasion, recorded the names of all citizens who lived around the monastery. In 1934, under the auspices of H.R.H King Alexander I Karadjordjević, Mateič monastery was finally restored. The project temporarily stopped further damages to the frescoes. After the Second World War, restoration works were carried out in the church, which lasted almost until 1960. Unfortunately, after the dispute from 1967 (the conflict between the Serbian Orthodox Church canonically recognized by Ecumenical Patriarch and the Macedonian Orthodox Church), the monastery was left to merciless destruction as well as unfavorable political circumstances.

The endowment of Empress Jelena Nemanjić and Uroš IV, the Monastery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Mateič, was turned into a terrorist headquarters and arsenal storage site on May 3, 2001, during the conflicts between regular government military police forces in Skopje and paramilitary groups of Albanian extremists. During the armed conflicts, the monastery residence, which served as a children's resort decades earlier, was bombed. Parts of the church were seriously devastated: the frescoes and the floor in the altar area were damaged when the plaque of the altar was destroyed. Broken doors, windows, and the damaged roof, west facade, and dome increased the dampness in the building destroying the frescoes. Remains of water-sediment are still evident in the narthex, the doors on the west and south sides were demolished; even insect colonies found their permanent habitat in the altar area. The original transparent glass from the central dome was permanently damaged. One small particle of the original medieval glass from Matejče church is still kept between the archival documents from the legacy of the architect Đurđe Bošković in Belgrade.

It should be mentioned that on the eve of St. Vitus feast in 2001, His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch Pavle sent a letter to Kofi Annan (UN Secretary-General) and Koitsiru Matsuri (UNESCO Secretary-General) on the occasion of the serious destructions of the Serbian monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija and Skopska Crna Gora. His Holiness Patriarch Pavle stressed that Mateič Monastery is a monument in particular danger: “There is a danger that in the confrontation between the Macedonian army and terrorist forces, this great Orthodox shrine will be mined from the inside or bombed from the outside.” George Robertson (Secretary-General of NATO) with gratitude for addressing His Holiness explained that: “NATO finds the importance of the cultural heritage and religious centers of all European cultures and will continue to support monuments in Kosovo.” Mr. Peter Feith visited Mateič in mid-July 2001. The village was heavily destroyed.

Albanian extremists from the Ushtria Çlirimtare Kombëtare (UÇK - National Liberation Army) used dynamite, bombs, mines, and tanks. All known circumstances were mentioned in the official Report to ICOMOS in September 2001. The Minister of Culture (Ms. Samoilovska-Cvetanova) appealed to the UNESCO Secretary-General regarding the problems of cultural heritage in Macedonia during the conflict. In June 2001, the ICOMOS Executive Board in Macedonia decided to launch a campaign to save the cultural heritage threatened by the armed conflict. It was suggested that the president of ICOMOS, Mr. Michael Petzet, be asked to appeal for the salvation of the monastery in Mateič as one of "the most valuable examples of Byzantine architecture and fresco painting of the 14th century."

Restoration of the suspected damage was financially supported by the Dutch Embassy in Skopje joined by the staff of the EU Monitoring Mission. It was recommended that Macedonian and international experts should undertake restorations. During the mission, it became apparent that the frescoes had suffered numerous devastations. Most of all, the church was demolished and damages were apparent at numerous frescoes (e.g. the Virgin Mary with Christ, the fresco of St. Apostle Peter with sprayed graffiti “Dgego Armando Maradona; Kupa Uefa” and sprayed double-headed eagle with UÇK abbreviation inside).

For the official report (July 6-7, 2001) regarding the situation in Mateič monastery, one of the team members photographed the condition of the frescoes, which clearly showed graffiti, as well as various inscriptions depicting the Holy Apostle Peter. These photos were taken by Joris D. Kila, who also published a book on heritage in danger and used the photo from Mateič on the cover of his study.

Despite the cleaning of the frescoes, which were partially saved by the National Conservation Center of the Republic of North Macedonia, it is still possible to see the remains of black and green spray used by the terrorists on several frescoes.

Since 2001, Mateič Monastery has been the most endangered cultural heritage site in the Republic of North Macedonia. Despite all the misfortunes, the church still defies time and its believers do not forget it at least on the day of the Assumption. For the last 17 years, every September 21, dozens of believers (former residents of the village of Mateič and citizens from Kumanovo) come to celebrate the feast. However, they are awaited by broken doors and windows, destroyed frescoes, excavated floors, and humidity due to the damages of the roof structure.

Earlier this year, the office of Ms. Irena Stefoska, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of North Macedonia, announced that one million Macedonian denars had been allocated from the funds intended for immovable cultural heritage for preventive interventions in architecture and painting of the church in Mateič, which should be implemented by the National Conservation Center in Skopje. Twenty years after the conflicts caused by the Albanian paramilitary National Liberation Army, there is hope that the long period of negligence will stop and that the dignity of the Monastery of the Most Holy Mother of God in Mateič, the remarkable work of its founders, will be properly restored.

With this situation in mind, it is necessary to place Mateič Monastery on the endangered list since this monument represents an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural and technological ensemble, that illustrates a significant stage of Serbian medieval history and visual identity.

Further Reading

Čalija, J. “Manastir Mateič svedok vekova i nemara.” Politika. 6.6.2021.

This is the interview given by the author of the entry for "Politika" the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in the Balkans and is considered to be one of Serbia's newspapers of record. In the interview is possible to read in detail the facts about the bad condition of the frescoes and the problematic situation concerning the Ecumenical questions and how it affects local cultural heritage.

Ćirić Ј. S. “Četiri srpske srednjovekovne crkve u okolini Skoplja: arhitektura i problemi očuvanja kulturnog nasleđa” Glasnik: Službeni list Srpske Pravoslavne Crkve 6 (2020): 309–316.

The article was published by the official journal of the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade. The article focuses on details about four churches located in Skopska Crna Gora / churches near Skopje, and endowments of King Milutin and Tzar Dušan.

Ćirić, J. S. “20 godina od pogroma u Mateiču: Stradanje poslednje carske zadužbine Nemanjića.” Mediasfera. 3.5.2021.

The article published in the Serbian daily journal concerning the 20 years since the terrorist attacks and pogroms against the ethnic Serbs and other citizens who lived near the monastery.

Bošković, Đ. “Srušena je i stara kapela u Matejiću.” Starinar 3 (1939): 153–157.

This article is about the remains of a small chapel inside Mateič Monastery, which belonged most probably to the remains of the first Byzantine church. This structure existed on the site before King Milutin confirmed the charter and mentioned that villages around the church belong to the monastery.

Dimitrova, E. “Ktitorska kompozicija i novo datovanje živopisa u crkvi Svete Bogorodice u Mateiču.” Zograf 29 (2002-2003): 181–190.

This article focuses on new dating of the ktetorial composition preserved in the church of Mateič.

Herndon, C. V. and J. D. Kila. The Wicked Problem of Cultural Heritage and Conflict: Military Involvement in the Protection and Devastation of Cultural Property. Arlington: Colonel Publishing, 2017.

In this study, Joris Kila mentioned the specific situation in Mateič, detailing his previous study from 2012 when he served as a member of the research team sent to examine the condition of the church after the terrorist attacks.

Kila, J. D. Heritage Under Siege: Military Implementation of Cultural Property Protection Following the 1954 Hague Convention. Leiden: Brill, 2012.

An important study concerning the problem of cultural heritage in conflict zones. The author includes a discussion of Mateič Monastery, including the damaged fresco of the Apostle Paul, which appears on the cover.

Mošin, V., L. Slaveva, K. Ilievska, eds. Gramotite na manastiriot Sv. Georgi-Gorgo Skopski, Spomenici za srednovekovnata i ponovata istorija na Makedonija, Vol. I. Skopje, 1975, 97–241.

This is an important publication that includes all the data about the charters King Milutin gave to specific monasteries, including the charter given to the monastery of the Virgin in Mateič (205–238). It serves as proof that already during the time of King Milutin this monastery was active. Later it was restored by Queen Jelena and young Uroš.

Okunjev, N. L. “Stari srpski živopis i njegovi spomenici u bližoj okolini Skoplja.” Crkva i život 2, no. 1-2 (1923): 89–94.

This is the first iconographic study about the monumental painting of the Virgin’s church in Mateič.