Transfiguration Church (Ljubovija)
The Transfiguration Church ( Serbian : Црква Преображења Господњег, Crkva Preobraženja Gospodnjeg) is the Serbian Orthodox parish church of the small western Serbian town of Ljubovija .
The church, built from 1932 to 1940 and consecrated to the Transfiguration of Christ , is the parish church of the parishes Ljubovija I to III in the dean's office of Azbukovica of the Šabac eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church .
location
The Transfiguration Church is located in the western city center of Ljubovija on the main street Ulica Vojvode Mišića at some distance from the Ljuboviđa river , which flows into the Drina in the urban area of Ljubovija . The Drina forms the border between Serbia and the western neighbor Bosnia and Herzegovina .
Ljubovija is the capital of the Ljubovija Opština in the historical region of Azbukovica in westernmost central Serbia .
Next to the Church of the Transfiguration, there is the rectory in the churchyard.
history
The town of Ljubovija was originally founded as a village in the 19th century . In 1896 a devastating flood of the Drina destroyed the city and the residents rebuilt their city three kilometers north on the lower reaches and the mouth of the Drina tributary Ljuboviđa.
Until 1932, Ljubovija did not have its own church; the parish church was initially in the Opština belonging village Gornja Ljuboviđa . From 1881 the parish seat was moved to the village of Čitluk .
On March 1, 1928, the proposal of then parish priest Aleksandar Kozlov was accepted by the Ljubovija town hall to build a church in the town. After a church building committee was founded in Ljubovija, the church building was blessed by the then bishop of the then Great Parish Šabac- Valjevo Mihailo (Urošević). In the next few years all the necessary means for building the church were acquired and organized.
On August 23, 1932, at the committee meeting, it was decided to dedicate the church to the patronage of the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of Christ. Peter and Paul Day (St. Apostles Peter and Paul ) was chosen as the meeting day of the parish . The contract to build the church was signed on September 8, 1932 with the contractor Dragomir Tomić from the village of Gračanica . On the same day, construction work began on the previously consecrated site. The architect Vasilije Androsov , who worked in the building ministry, designed the church building plan free of charge .
On October 22, 1932, the church foundations were solemnly consecrated by Bishop Mihailo (Urošević). An artistically inscribed certificate was worked into the foundation stone. This document mentioned the then King of Yugoslavia Aleksandar I , the then Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Varnava (Rosić) and the then Bishop of the Eparchy Mihailo (Urošević).
In 1940 the church was completed. And on September 21, 1940, the feast day of the Nativity of Mary , the church was solemnly consecrated by the then Bishop of the Šabac-Valjevo Eparchy Simeon (Stanković) with the assistance of several priests, including Pastor Kozlov. Priest Kozlov was made archpriest on the same day .
In 1986 a chapel for lighting candles was built near the church.
architecture
The church was built in the spirit of the traditional Serbian-Byzantine architectural style in the basic shape of a Greek cross . Typical for Orthodox church buildings, it has an altar - apse in the east, a round dome over the center of the nave , a conche on the north and south side of the church and a small church tower on the west side. Entrances to the church are on the west and south sides.
The interior is partially painted with frescoes . It has a typical wooden iconostasis with icons .
Parishes
The Transfiguration Church is the seat of the parishes Ljubovija I, II and III.
- 1.) Parish of Ljubovija I
The First Parish of Ljubovija covers parts of the city of Ljubovija and the village of Čitluk . Parish priest is Dragan M. Sekulić.
- 2.) Parish of Ljubovija II
The second parish of Ljubovija covers parts of the city of Ljubovija and the villages of Javor and Gledeće. Parish priest is Branko B. Lukić
- 3.) Parish of Ljubovija III
The Third Parish of Ljubovija extends over parts of the village of Ljubovija and the village of Donja Bukovica, as well as the village of Lonjin . Parish priest is Anđelko R. Kovačević.
supporting documents
- Article about church history on the website of the Transfiguration Church , (Serbian)
- Article about the parish on the website of the Deanery Azbukovica , (Serbian)
Web links
Coordinates: 44 ° 11 ′ 18.6 ″ N , 19 ° 22 ′ 19.2 ″ E