Храм Успења Пресвете Богородице у Собини

Abstract

Собински храм представља један од најстаријих очуваних парохијских храмова на територији централне и јужне Срби, који је изграђен и опремљен у 19. веку. У монографији је дат историјат цркве Успења Пресвете Богородице у Собини, анализа њене архитектуре и порекла градитеља, историјат опремања ентеријера, осликавања иконостаса, као и анализа и тумачење зидног сликарства и ризнице богате иконама и другим богослужбеним предметима.

The wall painting of the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Sobina was created in 1869, around half a century upon the construction of the church. The painters Zafir Vasilkovič and Veno Ilievič were commissioned for the painting process. They both came from the region of Debar in Macedonia, and at the time they were the most prolific painters in this area. Significant individuals from the parochial community had the main role in the realization of the wall painting. Their names as donors can be found wri:en along selected images of saints. Further intervention on the wall painting was done in 1925, during the reconstruction of the church. These works were conducted by Krsta A. Dičić, a painter from Debar, as well. The repertoire of the wall painting of the Sobina church is distributed on several spatial positions with which it is symbolically harmonized. In the altar space, the painting is solely on the niche of the Proskomedia, where the Descent from the Cross is painted. Further in the interior of the church, in the area for laymen, the wall painting can be found only on the side walls on the nave. Both walls contain a painted programme with a horizontal line of saints which flows to the middle level of the wall surfaces. The saints are painted as standing figures, separated and framed. On the south wall, the line is started by the iconostasis with Saint Kyriaki and Saint Paraskeva, further followed by apostles Peter and Paul, Saint Dimitrius, Saint Theodore Stratelates, Saint George from Ioannina, Saint Mercurius, King Solomon, prophet Zachariah and prophet Daniel. The line is completed in the zone above the south entrance by Saint Sava of Serbia, Saint Nicholas and Saint Apostle Thomas. The procession on the north wall starts near the iconostasis with image of the Ascension of Christ, which is the single celebratory scene in the painting of the nave. It is further followed by figures of Saint Panteleimon, King David, Saint George, Saint Prokopios, Saint Minas, Saint Theodore Tyron, Saint Jacob the Persian, Saint Nestor and Saint Tryphon. The selection of the saints in the nave is led by their general significance, as well as their popularity among the local parochial community. It is specific that the saint warriors are predominant in the programme, as effective protectors of Christians in turbulent times. Such repertoire of the interior had its programme extension to the outer walls of the church, in zones around the two entrances. To this day, only the painting by the south, or main entrance, is kept. The theme of Virgin Mary is emphasized here, in line with the dedication of the church. Above the entrance there is a representation of the Mother of God Wider than Heavens, while the side represents the Mother of God on a throne with Christ child. According to the symbolism of the entrance into the holy space of the church, there is a representation of Archangel Michael as a measurer of souls, while the frame of the entrance is adorned by painted decoration which refers to the paradise ambience.