Andreja Damjanov - arhitekta poznoosmanskog Balkana

Abstract

U ovom radu se sagledava obrazovanje, delatnost i recepcija Andreje Damjanova u kontekstu osmansko-balkanske kulture druge polovine XIX veka. Andreja Damjanov se ističe kao ličnost koja je svojim tehničkim i arhitektonskim umećem izvodila graditeljske radove za potrebe osmanskih vlasti, pravoslavne i katoličke crkve. Pozitivna recepcija njegovog rada od strane srpske javnosti i evropskih putopisaca pokazuje da su savremenici prepoznali Andreju kao najistaknutijeg arhitektu poznoosmanskog Balkana.

One of the more prominent Balkans architects of late Ottoman Balkans was Andreja Damjanov. There is very little information on his life and work. It is thought that he was born in 1813 and that he died in 1878. His life was conditioned by the general setting of the Osman society in which he lived. The chronology of life and work of Andreja Damjanov largely coincides with the period of Tanzimat reforms and unique circumstances of the life and culture of Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire. The rich architectural opus of Andreja Damjanov is known only partly. It is primarily composed of Orthodox cathedrals built all over the Balkan Peninsula. Damjanov and his team built the churches in Skoplje in 1835, the church of St. John in Kratovo in 1836, the church of St. Pantelejmon in Veles in 1840, the church of the Holy Trinity in Vranje in 1858-1859, the church of St. Nicholas in Novo Selo next to Štip in 1850, the church of St. Nicholas in Kumanovo in 1851, the church of St. George in Smederevo in 1851-1854, the church of the Holy Trinity in Mostar in 1873, the church of the Holy Trinity in Sarajevo in 1863-1868, as well as the cathedrals in the monasteries of St. Joakim Osogovski in 1847-1851, in Gorno Čičevo in 1861, in Pečenjevci in 1844 and in Turekovac in 1845. The education of Andreja Damjanov is not entirely known and several scientists indicated that he had to perfect his skill within various masters' workshops. Andreja Damjanov was a member of the Renzovski family and probably received a lot of instructions from his father Damjan. In their family history there are data that refer not only to paintwork but also to construction work. Although it is not known which textbooks were used by Andreja Damjanov, it has been established that he used European architectural publications and printed architectural books. The testimony of Damjanov's acquaintance with the early European architectural practice is the manual that was preserved in his legacy. This is a classical piece of the theory of architecture from the 16th century Gli ordini d'architettura civile, written by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola. The modern activities of Andreja Damjanov took place across the Balkans region. Damjanov worked in the area from Macedonia to Herzegovina. His activity was connected with Orthodox church communities in Macedonian towns, customers and state structures from the Principality of Serbia, Ottoman authorities Serbian municipalities and the Catholic church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. All areas where Andreja Damjanov worked were fully or partly under the Ottoman rule, which clearly indicates the Balkan- Ottoman character of his work. An important segment in the understanding of the architectural opus of Andreja Damjanov is the reception of his work. Studies of his work started as early as the time when he actually made his edifices. A positive reception of the activities of Andreja Damjanov by the Serbian public and European travel writers indicates that his contemporaries recognized him as the most prominent architect of late Ottoman Balkans.