Church of St Theodore, Boboshevo
Encyclopedia
The Church of Saint Theodore is a Medieval
Bulgaria
n church near the town of Boboshevo
, Kyustendil Province
.
in the locality of Selishte. It is a cross-dome
d church; its length is 7,40 m and the width is 6,21 m. The semi-round apse
has a long and narrow window. The dome used to be on a cylinder and had four windows. The church was constructed with stones while the dome and the arcs were made of bricks. In the dome the some of the brick layers plastered up creating an effective decoration. On the walls two layers of frescoes have been preserved. The frescoes from the earlier layer are destroyed and those from the second one are precious works of the Medieval Bulgarian painting. Partly preserved are scenes from the Last Supper, Washing of the Feet, Prayer in the Gestimen garden, Betrayal of Jesus by Judas and others. The scientists have not reached agreement on the dating of the church - V. Mikov refers it to the 13th-14th century, N. Mawrodinov to the 12th century and the D. Panayotova to the first quarter of the 11th century with the frescoes from the second layer to the first half of the 14th century. It is among Bulgaria's oldest churches of the so called unrestricted cross type. The church is even more unusual after it was wrapped in a wooden structure in 1962 before its full restoration.
The church was declared an architectural-artistic monument of culture of national importance (DV, is.39/1972).
The church was named after Saint Theodore - either after Theodore of Amasea
or Theodore Stratelates
.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n church near the town of Boboshevo
Boboshevo
Boboshevo is a town in Western Bulgaria. It is located in Kyustendil Province and is close to the towns of Kocherinovo and Rila.The town of Boboshevo is situated around to the south of Sofia and from Bulgaria's prime skiing destination, Bansko...
, Kyustendil Province
Kyustendil Province
-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Language:Mother tongues in the province according to 2001 census:* 153,242 Bulgarian * 7,929 Roma * 1363 others and unspecified -Ethnic groups:...
.
Location, history, architectural and artistic features
The church is situated at 2 km to the north of Boboshevo on a hill on the right bank of the Struma RiverStruma River
The Struma or Strymónas is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. Its ancient name was Strymōn . Its catchment area is 10,800 km²...
in the locality of Selishte. It is a cross-dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
d church; its length is 7,40 m and the width is 6,21 m. The semi-round apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
has a long and narrow window. The dome used to be on a cylinder and had four windows. The church was constructed with stones while the dome and the arcs were made of bricks. In the dome the some of the brick layers plastered up creating an effective decoration. On the walls two layers of frescoes have been preserved. The frescoes from the earlier layer are destroyed and those from the second one are precious works of the Medieval Bulgarian painting. Partly preserved are scenes from the Last Supper, Washing of the Feet, Prayer in the Gestimen garden, Betrayal of Jesus by Judas and others. The scientists have not reached agreement on the dating of the church - V. Mikov refers it to the 13th-14th century, N. Mawrodinov to the 12th century and the D. Panayotova to the first quarter of the 11th century with the frescoes from the second layer to the first half of the 14th century. It is among Bulgaria's oldest churches of the so called unrestricted cross type. The church is even more unusual after it was wrapped in a wooden structure in 1962 before its full restoration.
The church was declared an architectural-artistic monument of culture of national importance (DV, is.39/1972).
The church was named after Saint Theodore - either after Theodore of Amasea
Theodore of Amasea
See also Theodore StratelatesSaint Theodore of Amasea is one of the two saints called Theodore who are venerated as Warrior Saints and Great Martyrs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is also known as Theodore Tiro...
or Theodore Stratelates
Theodore Stratelates
Theodore Stratelates , also known as Theodore of Heraclea, is a martyr and Warrior Saint venerated with the title Great-martyr in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic Churches....
.
Literature
- Миков, В. - Църквата "Св.Тодор" - Известия на Археологическия Институт (Mikov, V. - The Church St Todor - Notices of the Institute of Archaeology), V, 1928-1929 г., с.33;
- Мавродинов, Никола - Външната украса на старобългарските църкви - Известия на Археологическия Институт (Mavrodinov, Nikola - Outer decoration of the old Bulgarian churches - Notices of the Institute of Archaeology), VІІІ, 1934 г., с.61;
- Кепов, Иван - Миналото и сегашно на Бобошево. (Kepov, Ivan - The past and present of Boboshevo) 1935, 288 с., издава Бобошевска популярна банка, печатница Кехлибар, с. 188-191;
- Миятев, Кр. - Архитектурата в Средновековна България (Miyatev, Kr. - Architecture in Medieval Bulgaria), С. 1965, 250 с., с.190;
- Панайотова, Д. - Църквата Св.Тодор при Бобошево - Известия на Института за изобразителни изкуства (Panayotova, D. - The Church of St Todor near Boboshevo - Notices of the Institute of Fine Arts), VІІ, 1964 г., с.101 и сл.;
- Василиев, Асен - Проучвания на изобразителните изкуства из някои селища по долината на Струма. - Известия на Института за изобразителни изкуства (Vasilev, Asen - Studies of the fine arts in some settlements in the Struma valley - Notices of the Institute of Fine Arts), VІІ, 1964 г., с.154-155;
- Марди, В. - Бабикова - Научно мотивирано предложение за обявяване на църквата "Св.Тодор" при с.Бобошево, Кюстендилско за паметник на културата (Mardi, V. - Babikova - Scientifically motivated proposal for declaration of the Church of St Todor near the village of Boboshevo, Kyustendil region for a monument of culture). София, 1969 г., 12 с., Архив НИПК;
- Дремсизова-Нелчинова, Цв. и Слокоска, Л. - Археологически паметници от Кюстендилски окръг (Dremsizova-Nelchinova, Tsv. and Slokoska, L. - Archaeological monuments of the Kyustendil Province), София, 1978 г., с.13;
- Заедно по свещените места на планината Осогово. Пътеводител (Together in the holy places of the Osogovo mountain. Guidebook), София, 2008 г., изд.РИМ - Кюстендил, печат.Дийор Принт ООД, с.104-105;