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UNESCO Church in Sofia Reopens with New Frescoes
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President Georgi Parvanov (L) and Sofia Mayor Boyko Borisov (C) reopened the renovated Boyana Church, a unique UNESCO World Heritage site, which was undergoing restoration works for 50 years. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
The unique Boyana Church, on the outskirts of Sofia, has reopened after thorough restoration work for over 50 years.
The restored church was officially re-opened on Monday by President Georgi Parvanov and Sofia Mayor Boyko Borisov.
The hardest work was paid for restoration of the medieval frescoes of the church, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.
Painted by an unknown artist and some dating back to 1259, the frescoes stand among one of the most important collections of medieval paintings.
"Although still subject to Byzantine rules, these frescoes depict a freedom, a realism, a harmony of proportions, a life and a warmth that... already heralded the Italian Renaissance," the UNESCO's evaluation said.
Vladimir Tsvetkov and Grigor Grigorov, two Bulgarians who worked on the restoration, which lasted 52 years, have dedicated years of hard work to bring the frescoes to their original splendour. They admit they have admired the author of the 13th-century paintings.
The Boyana Church consists of three buildings. The eastern church was built in the 10th century, then enlarged at the beginning of the 13th century by Sebastocrator Kaloyan, who ordered a second two-storey building to be erected next to it.
The frescoes in this second church, painted in 1259, make it one of the most important collections of medieval paintings. Kaloyan's portrait hangs in the church along with that of his wife.
The ensemble is completed by a third church, built at the beginning of the 19th century. This site is one of the most complete and perfectly preserved monuments of East European medieval art.
Abandoned under the Ottoman occupation that began in the 14th century, the church was again enlarged in 1845 during the National Awakening of Bulgaria.
In 1954, it was then closed for repairs following damage to its frescoes caused by humidity and soot. Now an air conditioning system maintains a constant temperature of 17-18 degrees Celsius, special no-heat lighting has been installed and visitors are only allowed in the church for 15 minutes.
The restored church was officially re-opened on Monday by President Georgi Parvanov and Sofia Mayor Boyko Borisov.
The hardest work was paid for restoration of the medieval frescoes of the church, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.
Painted by an unknown artist and some dating back to 1259, the frescoes stand among one of the most important collections of medieval paintings.
"Although still subject to Byzantine rules, these frescoes depict a freedom, a realism, a harmony of proportions, a life and a warmth that... already heralded the Italian Renaissance," the UNESCO's evaluation said.
Vladimir Tsvetkov and Grigor Grigorov, two Bulgarians who worked on the restoration, which lasted 52 years, have dedicated years of hard work to bring the frescoes to their original splendour. They admit they have admired the author of the 13th-century paintings.
The Boyana Church consists of three buildings. The eastern church was built in the 10th century, then enlarged at the beginning of the 13th century by Sebastocrator Kaloyan, who ordered a second two-storey building to be erected next to it.
The frescoes in this second church, painted in 1259, make it one of the most important collections of medieval paintings. Kaloyan's portrait hangs in the church along with that of his wife.
The ensemble is completed by a third church, built at the beginning of the 19th century. This site is one of the most complete and perfectly preserved monuments of East European medieval art.
Abandoned under the Ottoman occupation that began in the 14th century, the church was again enlarged in 1845 during the National Awakening of Bulgaria.
In 1954, it was then closed for repairs following damage to its frescoes caused by humidity and soot. Now an air conditioning system maintains a constant temperature of 17-18 degrees Celsius, special no-heat lighting has been installed and visitors are only allowed in the church for 15 minutes.
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