Ascension Church (Subotica)

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Frontal view of the Ascension Church

The Church of the Ascension of Christ ( Serbian : Црква Вазнесења Господњег / Crkva Vaznesenja Gospodnjeg ) in Subotica is a Serbian Orthodox church in Vojvodina , northern Serbia . The church was built from 1723 to 1726 at the time of the episcope Sofronije (Tomašević).

It is dedicated to the Ascension of Christ . The church belongs to the Eparchy Bačka of the Serbian Orthodox Church . There are several Orthodox and Catholic churches in Subotica . The Ascension Church is one of the oldest churches in the city and in today's Vojvodina.

location

The church is located in the center of the northern Serbian city of Subotica. It was built at the highest point in what was then the old town. It is located at the intersection of Partizanska Ulica , Pančevačka Ulica , Ulica Matije Korvine and Zmaj Jovina Ulica . Near the church are the town hall, the town square, a hotel, a primary school, the commercial college, a hospital, the university, the synagogue and the Franciscan church in Subotica .

History and architecture

The Ascension Church in the 18th and 19th centuries

According to written sources, before today's church was built, there was a small blue church with a roof made of wooden shingles in the immediate vicinity . The old church, like today's church, was dedicated to the patronage, the Ascension of Christ. The old church is also mentioned next to the new church in 1744.

The present church, made of stronger material, was built between 1723 and 1726. The ktitor of the church was Nikola Dželebdžija, a cattle breeder and dealer. An inscription on the iconostasis testifies that the old iconostasis was donated to the church and later to the smaller Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Dimitri the Great Martyr in the Aleksandrovo district of Subotica . Two dates were important for the church in the 18th century: 1726, when the church was consecrated after three years of construction, and 1766, when the church underwent its first renovation and the iconostasis was carved and its icons were painted. In 1804 the church was lengthened by 11 m and widened by 1.50 m.

The magnificent Mother's Throne from 1785 is the work of Aksentije Marković . Ktitorin of the throne was Jelisaveta Konstatinović, widow of Georgije Konstatinović. The icon of St. Sava of Serbia was painted on the episcopal throne by the famous painter Aleksandar Sekulić from Zrenjanin , and the icon was donated to the church by Stevan Sekulić.

Reconstruction of the church in 1909/1910

The church has been renovated and rebuilt several times. It was last extensively renovated in 1909 and 1910 under the supervision of the Serbian architect Mihajlo Milan Harminac from Budapest . When the old church tower was torn down and a new church tower was built, the church was also extended again. Images of saints were painted on the eight church windows using the technique of stained glass . The glass painter carried out the Türoler Glassmalerei company from Innsbruck in Austria . The stained glass windows were severely damaged in the bombing of the city during World War II.

The church also got a new iconostasis. The iconostasis from 1910 was carved by Johannes Lukaš. He also painted the icons under the supervision of Paja Jovanović . His painting style is characterized by subdued color tones. The wealthy citizen Marijeta Manojlović, widow of Aleksandar Manojlović, took over the costs of more than 10,000 crowns. As a result of the renovations, changes and modernizations, the church lost its original baroque character and got its current appearance.

Restoration 2009/2010

From October 2009 to April 2010 the church and steeple were renovated. The cross was removed from the church tower, re-gilded and placed back on the church tower in a solemn ceremony on April 24, 2010. Hundreds of believers were present when Bishop ( Vladika ) Porfirije of Eger blessed the cross. The last time the cross was gilded in 1909 was minor restoration in 1954. The founder of the renovation of the church and the gilding of the cross was Jelenko Vukićević. The work on the cross was carried out in the workshop of Goran Bolić, a restorer from Subotica .

Today the church is a typical example of the neo-baroque church style in northern Serbia with discreet decorative Art Nouveau elements on the facade, which are typical of the church architecture of that time in northern Serbia.

Renovation in November 2014

In November and December 2014 the roof of the church was renewed. The oldest Orthodox church in the city got a new copper roof. The Serbian Orthodox parish and the city of Subotica paid the costs. After the roof has been renewed, the facade of the church will be renovated in spring 2015. The cost of five million Serbian dinars is currently being collected.

swell

Coordinates: 46 ° 6 ′ 13.1 ″  N , 19 ° 39 ′ 58 ″  E