BRODEC
BRODEC, Mavrovo and Rostuša Municipality
St. Nicholas Church, village of Brodec,
4-807-009/58 E-ND
(reg. icons 7839-7901)
The Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Brodec is a three-nave church with a semicircular apse on the east. The temple is a 19th-century structure. The roof is a gable roof, restored today with sheet metal. In the second half of the 20th century, a small hexagonal dome was centrally placed. A tall hexagonal belfry (built in 1914) is attached to the western side. It is constructed from crushed stone, while the portals, windows, and cornice are made of dressed stone and tufa. The entrance is from the southern side, above which there is a patron niche featuring a representation of St. Nicholas. Four small rectangular windows are located on the southern side.
The nave of the church is defined as three-nave by two rows of colonnades. A dome with an eight-sided drum is raised above the central nave. According to the inscription on the eastern side, in the lower part of the dome between the two pendentives, the author of the wall painting is recorded as Ruse Krstić from Nistrovo, who executed it in 1924, and which was subsequently "refreshed" in 2008 by Mitko Trpeski from the village of Turje, Ohrid: Done on April 13, 1924, icon painter Ruse Krstić from Nistrovo. Restored 2008, Mitko Trpeski, Turje, Ohrid. Another inscription on the western gallery points to a slightly earlier period of painting in the temple: April 18, 1921, donated in memory by the commander of the Brodac gendarmerie station, Mr. Mihailo Vukašinović, a native of Podgorica. A two-tier iconostasis screen with a Large Cross atop it is erected toward the eastern side. On the western side, there is a raised gallery floor.
At the apex of the octagonal dome in the nave, a bust depiction of Jesus Christ Pantocrator (i"S "HS) is painted inside a circular medallion, blessing with His right hand while holding an open Gospel in His left hand with the text: (AZ\ ESMX/ SV]TX MJ/ RA, SV]T/ MJRA NE/ PRIDETX/ KO MN]/ NO/ PREI/ DETX KO B"GA). On the ring around the medallion, the following text is written: (GOSPODI GOSPODI PREIIDIRI SNEBESE, VI@DX I POSVxTXi HRAM\ SEI EGw@E NASADI DESNICA TVOx).
In the drum of the dome, between the four rectangular windows, the four evangelists are painted with their personifications: Evangelist Mark with the lion beside him (S"TXiI EV. MARKO), with text on the open codex: (ZA^ALO/ E"UGLJA i"ISA/ HR"STA S"NA/ B"O@Jx/ aKw@E/ ESTX PI/ SANO VO); Evangelist John with the depiction of an eagle (S"TXiI EV. JwANN), with text on the open codex: (VO NA^A/ L] B] SLO/ VO, I SLO/ VO B] K/ B"Gy I); Evangelist Luke with the depiction of the calf (S"TXiI EV. LyKA), with text on the open codex: (PONE@E/ OUBw ../ ..^A[A); and Evangelist Matthew with the angel beside him (S"TXiI EV. MAtEA), with text on the open codex: (KNIGA/ ROD/ STVA i"ISA/ HR"STA S"NA/ DAVIDOVA).
In the lower part of the drum, inside circular medallions, bust depictions of prophets are painted: Prophet Habakkuk (S"TXiI PROROK\ AVAKyM\), with text on an open scroll: (S]DI OUBw ZD] aKw/ G"SDX POSLAMx); Prophet Isaiah (S"TXiI PROROK\ ISAJA), with text on an open scroll: (^TO VOPIJE[I Kw MN]/ GLAGOLI SINOVIM\); St. Prophet Elisha (S"TXiI PROROK\ ELISEJA), with text on an open scroll: (IZMXiITESx, I ^ISTI By/ DETE oIMITE LyKAVSTVJE); Prophet Elijah (S"TXiI PROROK\), with text on an open scroll: (REVNyxN PO REVNyVAH/ PO G"SD] BwZ] VSEDER@ITEL\); Prophet and King David (S"TXiI PR. I CAR DAVID\), with text on an open scroll: (BLAGOSLOVI Dy[E MOx G"SDA/ I VSx VNyTRENNx MOx); Prophet and King Solomon (S"TXiI PR. I CAR SwLOMON\), with text on an open scroll: (VLADIKw G"SDI i"ISE HR"STE/ B"O@E NA[\ DOLGOTERPIVI); and Prophet Ezekiel (S"TXiI PROROK\ IEZEKIL), with text on an open scroll: (V\ DEN\ SEI NA^INAu/ VOZNESTITx PR]D\ VS]MI).
Between the pendentives, in a semicircular space, St. Nicholas (S"TXiI NIKOLAE MJRAIKIISKI\ ^yDOTVOREC\) and St. John the Baptist (S"TXiI iwANX KRESTITELX) are depicted.
Above the pillars in the nave, on the southern side, painted in circular medallions are: St. Catherine (S"TAx KATERINA), with text on an open scroll: (BLAGOSLOVEN\ ESI TI/ GOSDPODI POLO@ILJESI); St. Nedela (Dominica) (S"TAx NEDELA); St. Anne (S"TAx PR. ANNA), with text on an open scroll: (BLAGOSLOVI Dy[E MOx/ TA I ISPOLNI GLAGODATX); and St. Paraskevi (S"TAx MA^. PARASKEVA). Above the pillars in the nave, on the northern side, painted in circular medallions are: St. Barbara (S"TAx MA^. VARVARA), with text on an open scroll: (V]Ryu VO JEDINAGw B"GA/ OTCA VSEDER@ITELx TVO.); St. Haralambos (S"TIiI HARALAMPJA); St. Anthony (S"TXiI ANTwNJA); and St. Catherine (S"TAx EKATERINA).
On the vault of the western side of the nave, the Virgin Mary with Christ is painted. On the parapet of the gallery (emporium) on the western side, the following compositions are painted: Synaxis of the Archangels (SOBOR ARHANGELSKXiH\), The Last Supper (TAINAx VE^ERA), and St. Stephen (S. ARHID. STEFAN\). On the western wall inside the raised gallery floor, St. Paraskevi (S"TAx MA^. PARASKEVA)is painted. On the vault in the altar space, the composition of the Holy Trinity (SVIATA TROICA) is depicted.
On the northern wall in the nave, the depiction of Saints Peter and Paul (S"TXiI AP. PETAR I AP PAVEL\)is the work of Ruse Krstić, while the other representations (The Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas, St. Nedela), including those on the southern wall (The Virgin Mary and St. George), are by the contemporary painter Mitko Trpeski (2008/9).
The icon painting in the temple is the work of several authors, including Hadzhi Anagnost (1837), Dicho Zograf, Ruse Krstić, and several unknown authors dating from various periods (1854, 1860, 1867/8, 1870, 1873, 1898).
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