The cave church St.  Nicola – tourist resort Ljubaništa

Besides the fresco-paintings, a covering and floor ceramics has been found on the spot. 

In the relatively broad space of the rugged surfaces, the following Holy compositions have been painted: the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, Christ’s Crucifixion, the Descent into Hell, the Chrism bearers to the empty Grave of Christ, the composition Deisis.  Also there are the paintings of the following saints: St.  Stephen the Archdeacon, St.  Basil, St.  Petka and the leader of the Heavenly Forces – Archangel Michael. 

Unfortunately, the figure of the patron saint of this cave church St.  Nicola has not been preserved.  Although there are recognisable fragments of a saint painted between the frescos of St.  Basil the Great and St.  John the Baptist.  It is an image that appropriately placed to the location where the saintly figure of St.  Nicola should be. 

Analysing these fresco paintings we come to a conclusion that they belong to the fine arts achievements from the last decades of the 14^th century.  The fresco painter who had worked on these frescos was from the circle of the Ohrid paining workshops.  It is a kind of painting closely related, in the sense of iconography and composition of scenes, to the painting in the church St.  Dimitry in Ohrid.  The most distinguishing feature here is the abundant palette of he anonymous fresco painter and the richness of his colouring with the torrid red and blue colours.  His figures are slim, with an elegant restraint and the images are plastically modelled.  The fresco painter was a crafty draftsman.  His lines are short, resolute and his attention is drawn towards the treatment of the images and the drapes that follow the movements of the body.  In this context we would emphasise the wonderfully painted figure of Maria Magdalena. 

Finally we can conclude that this painting belongs to the better achievements at the end of the 14^th century, in the collection of the cave churches.  This painting stands out from the monastic ideals of the anchorite environment of the Ohrid Lake, in the connotation of the thematic choice of the scenes and images, and furthermore in the implication of its colouring. 

G.  Angeličin - Žura

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