Dragović monastery
Monastery Dragović is situated on a hill downstream the Cetina River not far from Vrlika, Dalmatia in the Republic of Croatia. Orthodox monastery Dragović was built on the foundations of the older Roman Catholic monastery.
History
In 1480 the Ottoman Turks invaded the region, raided the monastery and expelled its residents. For full twenty years it was abandoned, until restored and renewed. Forced by the hard times of Ottoman-conquered western Balkans with lack of supplies, five monks left to Hungary and founded Monastery Grabovac in 1555. 1590 a year of famine, the monks abandoned Dragovic and all spent the year in Grabovac. It was deserted again, this time for seventy years.
Bishop Nikodim Busović renewed the entire monastery in 1694. However only 4 years afterwards the Ottoman Turks made another breakthrough into the region and the monks found refuge on Venetian territory. The Venetian government secured them resting place in the village of Bribir with a good soil for a new monastery, where they built a small church. The Venetians also gifted the monks community 50 acres of land around Kistanje. In 1699 according to the Treaty of Karlowitz the Ottomans lost most of Dalmatia, so the monks were free to return to Dragovic. Soon Bishop Nikodim died, and their Church in Bribir was taken over by the Venetians for Roman Catholic services.
The grounds on which Dragovic rested was highly unstable and this, together with increasing moist, convinced the monks to move the monastery to a better location. With Venetian permission, in 1777 hyeromonk Vikentije Stojisavljević began to build the new monastery in the Vinogradi. The monastery's reconstruction was very long and financially exhausting, until prior Jerotej Kovačević finally finished it and it was finally opened on 20 August 1867.
Recent History
In 1959, when the artificial lake for the hydroelectric power station Peruča had been made by the Yugoslav Communists, monastery Dragović was moved on a hill not far from the old fortress called Gradina.
Being aware of the great significance this sanctuary has for the Orthodox, His Grace Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia gaves his blessing to Father Đorđe Knežević to begin with the reconstruction of the monastery.
In autumn 2004, basic conditions were achieved for the return of monks. Thus with the decree of Bishop Fotije, on the 15th of September 2004 monastery Dragović received a new brotherhood, and hieromonk Varsonufije (Rašković) was appointed their Father Superior. On the same day due to the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, the first Holy Hierarchal Liturgy was served in the reconstructed monastery’s church.
On that occasion, a great number of pilgrims visited this holy place and in his sermon Bishop Fotije emphasized how grand importance this monastery has for Orthodox pepole of the Cetinska Krajina. He also pointed out that the reconstruction of monastery Dragović is a great blessing of the Holy Trinity and Most Venerable Mother of God.
In this way, the tradition of gathering of Orthodox in this monastery has been established again. This assembly occurs every year on Sunday before the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.
Treasury
Monastery Dragović used to have a rich treasury, in which was kept a number of manuscripts from 16th-18th centuries, as well as very old books written in Greek, Latin, Italian, Russian, and Serbian.
There were also very rare antimens, among which was one made by Hristofor Zefarović dating from 1752. A great number of sacral objects mainly made in silver granulation and filigree from 18th century were also a part of this rich treasury.
In the monastery’s church, a part of Saint Gregory’s relics was kept - Saint Gregory was a Serbian enlighter and Archbishop who was a descendant of Saint Nemanjić family.
