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Frescoes and icons

Frescoes

Fresco-painting in Macedonia equaled the greatest and most beautiful works of the Byzantine Empire. Macedonian is one of the richest regions in terms of medieval wallpaintings both in the Balcans and in Europe as whole.Over the cource of time, many generations of local painters created works of exceptional skill and beauty.

Fresco-painting and icon painting was particulary developed during the reign of Tsar Samuil (10-11^th century).The oldest frescoes in Macedonia is located in the town of Strumitsa-the Church of the Fifteen Holy Martyrs of Tiberopolis (9^th century).The finest works include the frescoes in the Church of St. Panteleymon near Skopje(12^th century), in the Church of St. George in Kurbinovo (12^th century), in Church of St.Sophia in Ohrid (11^th century), in the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Ohrid (13^th century), in the Church of St.George in Staro Nagorichane (14^th century) and in many other churches and monasteries.

Fresco -painting in the Church of St.George in Kurbinovo

Fresco-paintings in the Church of Holy Mother of God in Ohrid( on the left) and in the Lesnovo monastery(on the right)

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Icons

The Macedonian collection of icons is acknowledged to be among the best in the world, of the same rank as the collections of Sinai, Mt.Athos and Russia.The terracotta icons found at the site of Vinichko Kale, near the town of Vinitsa in the eastern part of Macedonia, are a real rarity. They present unique examples of early Christian art from the period of the late 4^th to the mid 6^th century.

The high development of fresco-painting had its own reflection on the works created in the field of icon painting.The oldest icons discovered in Ohrid date from 11^th and early 12^th century. In the sphere of icon creation the 13^th century abounds in such a great wealth and variety of style that each icon virtually represents a unique style.In the early 16^th century continued the new tradition of renewed icon-painting, based on the rich tradition of the Ohrid painting school.

Icons in the famous Gallery of Icons in Ohrid

St.Clement, 14^th century (on the left) and St.Matthew the Evangelist, 1295 year (on the right)