Gallery of Icons
Museums
This gallery is one of the most beautiful in Macedonia. There are 66 presented icons and they are chronologically set, starting by the XVI and ending by the XIX century. The oldest exhibit is the fresco with the appearance of Archangel Gabriel, which was found during the archeological excavations in the monastery “St. Archangel Michael” in Varosh. This fresco dates from the middle of XII century and by its artistic value can be compared with the angels of the church “St. George” in Kurbinovo. Then follows the icon “Mother of God with Jesus”, the sole retouched icon. During tits cleaning it was concluded the existence of two layers. The upper layer, which originates from XVII century, is with the figure of Jesus Christ, by conservation it was removed part by part and it was set on a new wooden foundation. Under that layer it was discovered the older icon of “Mother of God with Jesus” from XVI century. The icons of “Jesus Christ” and “Archangel Michael” are characteristic because their figures have torn eyes. There are two versions about the frequent tearing of the saints’ eyes of the icons in the past. According to the first version, it was believed that if the torn eyes were brought home and kept as relics, it would bring better health, fertility and other good things to their owners. According to the first version, the eyes of the saints presented on the icons were torn by the Turkish gangs of bandits as a due to the feeling of fear because the saints were watching them during their acts of robberies of the churches and monasteries. The most beautiful exhibit in the Gallery surely is the” Act”, which originates from the village church “St. Nicholas” and it is a gift by the monks from the Monastery in village Zrze. The famous icon painter Monk Jovan made the “Act” in 1535. In the central scene is the Deisis – in the middle Jesus Christ sits on a throne and left and right of him there are St. Mother of God and St. John the Baptist and left and right of them are painted in line six Christ’s apostles on each side. The developed perspective as well as the very beautiful incarnation of colors contributed the Act to be a masterpiece of the icon painting from XVI century. More characteristic is the icon “St. Christ carrier” made on the end of XIX century by the unknown icon painter.
The saint’s head is in fact a dog’s head. According to a legend, Jesus Christ when he could not pass the roused river, he was carried across by a warrior of the nearby cannibal tribe, whose member had dog’s heads.