Building of the Patriarchate, Belgrade
| Building of the Patriarchate | |
|---|---|
Зграда Патријаршије Zgrada Patrijaršije | |
.jpg) Building of the Patriarchate | |
  Location within Belgrade | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Town or city | Stari Grad, Belgrade |
| Country | Serbia |
| Coordinates | 44°49′03″N 20°27′06″E / 44.8176°N 20.4516°E |
| Current tenants | Serbian Orthodox Church |
| Construction started | 1932 |
| Completed | 1935 |
| Opened | 1935 |
| Owner | Serbian Orthodox Church |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Viktor Lukomski |
The Building of the Patriarchate (
Location
The building is located in the neighborhood of Kosančićev Venac, formerly known as Varoš Kapija, in the municipality of Stari Grad. It is bounded by the streets of Kosančićev Venac on the west, Kneza Sime Markovića on the east and Kralja Petra on the south, occupying the majority of the block formed by these streets. Being located in the oldest part of Belgrade outside of the Belgrade Fortress, the building is surrounded by many historical and important edifices and localities: Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park on the north, University of Arts in Belgrade, Park Mihailo Petrović Alas, Mika Alas's House, the Sava river and the historical district of Savamala on the west, Faculty of Applied Arts and Princess Ljubica's Residence on the south, St. Michael's Cathedral and kafana ?, the oldest, still functioning kafana in Belgrade, on the east.[3][4] The official address of the building is 6 Kneza Sime Markovića Street.[5]
History
Metropolis building
The lot on which the building stands today was bought by the Serbian state in 1818. One of the
Origin
Serbian Orthodox Church adopted the new Constitution in 1930. Article 48 called for the construction of the new seat of the Patriarchate in the neighborhood of Savinac, on the Vračar Plateau. In the process, the church also decided to demolish the old Metropolis building in Kosančićev Venac and build the new one. As the project on Vračar was envisioned as a monumental one, it was decided that the new Metropolis building will be constructed first.[5] Further problem was caused by the slow and uncertain construction of the, also monumentally planned, Church of Saint Sava, which drained the largest funds, postponing the construction of other planned sacral objects. Additionally, the old Metropolis building was in bad shape anyway so it got a priority and was to serve as the temporary seat of the church until the project on Savinac is finished.
Construction
The building is a project of the Russian émigré architect Viktor Lukomski. Among other buildings, he designed the small Church of Saint Sava on Vračar, the eponymous hotel on the Avala Mountain and the Royal Palace within the Royal Compound on Dedinje. The plan was finished in 1932 when the construction began. By 1933 the old Metropolis building was demolished and the new edifice was finished in 1935. After it was completed, the government said that there is no more money left for another, monumental administrative church building, implying that the new building is quite suitable to be the seat of the entire Serbian Orthodox Church, not just one of its eparchies. Though even today one lot next to the Church of Saint Sava is reserved for the planned building, the construction never started.[5]
During the digging for the foundations, the underground corridors, or lagums were discovered. They connected the Princess Ljubica's Residence, Cathedral Church and the Metropolis building. They were dug on the orders from Prince Miloš, so that he could meet with the leaders of the church, unbeknownst to the Ottomans who ruled Serbia at the time. The lagums were used by the builders of the new edifice to conduct the heating pipes.[5]
Architecture
The function of the building influenced the style. In his project, Lukomski adjusted the bulky
National style is observed in the pyramidal structure of the parts of the building and their step-like placement onto each other, arches and arched niches, consoles and the details of the decoration. Academism can be seen in the disposition of the base, layout of the rooms, division of the façade in three horizontal zones, regularly shaped openings, prominence of the garlands which divide the sections of the façade and the strict use of backspace ornaments. Modernist influence of the day is evident in the simple and neutral surface of the façade and characteristic rectangular windows on the highest floor of the side wings. Due to the significant decline of the terrain, as the entire neighborhood of Kosančićev Venac is on the mass-wasting prone slope of the Sava river, the edifice has an uneven number of floors on the lateral, lengthwise sides.
The interior design, though representatively shaped, has a certain austerity due to the function of the building. The basement and the ground floor are reserved for the various institutes of the Serbian Orthodox Church, offices, archives and the premises of the Spiritual Court. The entire first floor constitutes the quarters of the Patriarch. It consists of the Patriarch's apartment, cabinet, chapel, library, dining room, reception hall and apartment for the guests. On the second floor there are working offices and halls for the sessions of the various councils and the Synod. In the largest hall there is a famous painting "Migration of the Serbs" by Paja Jovanović, hanging on the wall.[5] An annex with the apartments for the ecclesial dignitaries leans on the eastern block of the edifice.
The front façade, facing the Cathedral Church, is marked by the massive
When finished, the building was praised, both by public and the press, which described it as an "imposing, magnificent edifice" and that its "simplified Neo-Byzantine style fits into the sacral area of Belgrade".
Complex
Chapel
In the inner yard, east of the building, there is a chapel dedicated to Saint Symeon the Myrrh-streaming, with the large dome above it. In the chapel there is a woodcut iconostasis, made by the masters from Ohrid, with the icons painted by Predojević in 1935.[1]
Museum
The Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church is situated in the northern block of the building. Its rich collection has a significant religious, cultural and historical value. Though majority of the preparatory work has been done by the Patriarch Varnava and professor
The collection consists of the religious paintings, portraits of the church dignitaries, old Serbian engravings, handwritten and printed
Library
The Library of the Patriarchate occupies the central south part of the edifice. Its collection is the oldest library in Serbia. Some of the books originate from the period of the Patriarch
Sources
- ^ a b c d e "Cultural monument - Patriarchy building". Cultural properties in Belgrade.
- ^ Cultural monuments in Serbia - Building of the Patriarchate
- ISBN 86-459-0006-8.
- ISBN 86-83501-53-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Nenad Novak Stefanović (14 January 2011), "Mesto patrijaršijskog trona", Politika-Moja kuća (in Serbian)
- ^ B.Lijeskić (28 December 2015), "Kosta Hakman spasio od zaborava Beogradsku mitropoliju", Politika (in Serbian)
Literature
- Aleksandar Kadijević, "Beogradski period rada arhitekte Viktora Viktoroviča Lukomskog (1920-1943), GGB, XLV–XLVI, Belgrade, 1998/1999,115–132.
- Marko Popović, "Heraldički simboli na javnim zdanjima Beograda", Beelgrade, 1997.
- Branko Vujović, "Beograd - kulturna riznica", Belgrade, 2003.
- Svetozar Dušanić, "Muzej Srpske pravoslavne crkve", Belgrade, 2008.
- Group of authors, "Kosančićev venac", Belgrade, 1979.
External links
| Orthodox churches and monasteries | |
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| Other places of worship | |
| Administrative buildings |
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See also: Forts and Castles in Serbia, Palaces and Manor Houses in Serbia, Immovable Cultural Heritage of Serbia * is used for castles located in the disputed territory of Kosovo | ||||