Church of St Elijah, Boboshevo
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Elijah is a late Medieval
Bulgaria
n church in the town of Boboshevo
, Kyustendil Province
.
The church was constructed in 1687. It is located in the eastern part of Boboshevo, near the Byalata Prast locality. It is a small one nave and one apse church with a length of 7,20 m and width of 5,30 m without the apse
. The eastern facade has an arched niche and the western - three niches. The church was constructed of stones with plaster. Large part of the fresco
es which used to cover the whole interior has been preserved. The earlier frescoes (on the vault and the upper sections walls) date from the 17th century, and the later from 1898 according to the ktitor
inscription above the apse niche. The decorative system of the frescoes is characteristic for the one nave medieval churches in the Balkans
. On the vault are depicted Christ and the prophets from the Old Testimony in two friezes, on the arms of the vault and on the walls there are scenes from the Gospels. Under them there is a layer of medallions with images of saints and to the bottom the used to be full-length portraits of saints and a baseboard which are now destroyed. The iconostasis
dates from the 17th century and is almost fully preserved.
The church is an architectural monument of culture of local significance (DV is.77/1972) and an architectural-artistic monument of national importance (DV is.38/1972).
The church is named after Elijah (in Bulgarian Sveti Iliya).
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 in 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
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. The eastern facade has an arched niche and the western - three niches. The church was constructed of stones with plaster. Large part of the fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es which used to cover the whole interior has been preserved. The earlier frescoes (on the vault and the upper sections walls) date from the 17th century, and the later from 1898 according to the ktitor
Ktitor
A ktetor or ktitor is someone who provides the funds for construction or reconstruction of an Orthodox church or monastery, for the addition of icons, frescos, and other works of art. A Catholic equivalent of the term is a donator. The female form is ktetorissa or ktitorissa ....
inscription above the apse niche. The decorative system of the frescoes is characteristic for the one nave medieval churches in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. On the vault are depicted Christ and the prophets from the Old Testimony in two friezes, on the arms of the vault and on the walls there are scenes from the Gospels. Under them there is a layer of medallions with images of saints and to the bottom the used to be full-length portraits of saints and a baseboard which are now destroyed. The iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
dates from the 17th century and is almost fully preserved.
The church is an architectural monument of culture of local significance (DV is.77/1972) and an architectural-artistic monument of national importance (DV is.38/1972).
The church is named after Elijah (in Bulgarian Sveti Iliya).
Literature
- Кепов, Иван - Миналото и сегашно на Бобошево. 1935, 288 с., с.191;
- Василиев, Асен - Проучвания на изобразителните изкуства из някои селища по долината на Струма. - Известия на Института за изобразителни изкуства, VІІ, 1964 г., с.155 - 157;
- Марди, В. - Бабикова - Научно мотивирано предложение за обявяване на църквата "Св.Илия" в с.Бобошево, Кюстендилско за паметник на културата. София, 1969 г., 20 с., Архив НИПК;
- Дремсизова-Нелчинова, Цв. и Слокоска, Л. - Археологически паметници от Кюстендилски окръг, София, 1978 г., с.14;
- Флорева, Елена - Църквата "Пророк Илия" в Бобошево, София, 1978 г., изд."Български художник", 165 стр.;
- Ангелов, Светозар - Църквата "Пророк Илия" в гр.Бобошево, Дупнишко. В : Църкви и манастири от Югозападна България през ХV- ХVІІ в., София, ЦСВП "Проф.Иван Дуйчев" към СУ"Св.Климент Охридски",2007 г., с.41-2;
- Заедно по свещените места на планината Осогово. Пътеводител, София, 2008 г., изд.РИМ - Кюстендил, печат.Дийор Принт ООД, с.106;