St. Nikola, village of Manastirec

There is a legend about this monastery that speaks about two brothers who decided to build a monastery in their village of Manastirec and to bring water from the river, flowing in the vicinity of the village, to be used by the village men and the monastery. They started their work and all other village men joined. The older brother started to build the monastery and the younger started the work on the water. When the younger has brought the water to one rock near the monastery, he went to ask his brother how far he went with his work. The older answered that, with the help from God, he will soon be finished with the building of the monastery. He asked then, interested, what did the younger do with the water from the river. The younger answered arrogantly that he has had no problems with his work and that he has lead the river as a young bride by the hand, and where he wished, the river flowed. When the river heard these words, it got so angry, that it made the rock crashed from the overflowing water and it started flowing in another direction. So, both the village and the monastery were left without water, and the people learned the lesson to be careful about what they say and not to haste with self-praise.

The monastery St. Nicholas in the village of Manastirec is especially interesting for the scientific public.

The original church was built in 1095, by the protostrator Alexy who was a relative of the Byzantine emperor Alexy Komnen. We learn this from the inscription on the southern and the northern wall of the central nave. In the year 1266, the prior named Akakie (christened name Joanikis) has erected the present-day church, that was later, in 1271, fresco-painted. The donors composition, on which the donor Alexy holds the church in his hands, can be seen in the northern nave of the church. The data about the fresco-decoration of the church can be read on the Greek inscription that originates from the year 1560. Greater repairs and rebuilding of a large part of the western wall were made in the 19^th century.

Regarding this church, special challenge for the science and the researchers is the fresco-painting from the central nave. Based on the inscription from the year 1271, we learn that the fresco-painting was made by several skilful masters, contracted by the deacon referendar Jovan. Among the zographs was the zograph Jovan, who has also painted the frescoes from the monastery church Holy Archangel Mihail in Varoš, Prilep. It is presumed that work of this zograph are exactly the frescoes from the central nave of the church.

M. Cvetanovska

About the churches in Macedonia

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