This holy temple set by the Radika River next to forests, meadows and scattered villages is a breath taker to the ordinary traveler. Its secret is in the thirst to change the man and the world into becoming a new man and a new world.
There are many eye-catching places in the world, but only a few that bring rest and peace to the soul. Bigorski has the attraction of both in itself – a beautiful sight for the eyes and an unspoken peace for the soul. This sanctuary also hides the secret of its unusual creation, the secret visit of the Baptist through his miraculous icon which has blessed this place long ago.
Since its creation in 1020, Bigorski has offered its hospitality and a place to pray to all the travelers for ten centuries, whether they were believers or not, tourists, pilgrims, those who came for help, those who came hoping for a cure, even those who came attracted by the magnificent landscape and the unique iconostasis.
“It was, and still is, a significant part of our history, an ever-present factor in the fight for our national distinction and rich reservoir of our culture and orthodox spirituality. It has fallen and resurrected but it has never stopped its God-given mission to save human souls. Not even today. The new brotherhood at Bigorski, wisely guided by its abbot, Archimandrite Partenij, has instilled new life forces by restarting the fire of spiritual education in the monastery which was abandoned after the war. It has awaken the faithful Macedonian people’s interest in our forgotten sanctuary by embedding itself in the resurrected spiritual and impenetrable Orthodox fortress in this region” – says Father Dositej.
The monastic spirit of Mount Athos, which has bred spiritual leaders and venerable old men for ten centuries, breathes in this monastery. All of its history, life, frescos and icons, everything that has been created in it, everything that is its past and present speaks about a constant aspiration to God. That is why the monastery has constantly been attracting laymen thus becoming the most loved House of God for all orthodox Macedonians from this region.
History of the monastery
During the reign of Samuil (976-1014), a monk named John which was from the region of Debar, found a miraculous icon, and six years later, in 1020 he built a bigger temple at the place where he found it, and it was there that the monastic brotherhood started to gather. That is how John from Debar became the founder of the holy Bigorski family.
The monastery suffered the most during the ottoman ruling when it was burned and destroyed several times. But, St. John the Baptist didn’t allow for his holy icon to be destroyed. That is why on two occasions when the monastery was destroyed to the ground the icon miraculously disappeared and moved to another place. The first one was in a monastery between Struga and Debar where there is still a church called “St. John the Baptist”. The second one was in the village of Slatino in Debarca. There, too, is a church with the same name. The icon reappeared in the monastery when its restorer, the abbot Ilarion (1743-1781/2) was in charge.
Because its setting was such, the monastery was located in the most criminal part of western Macedonia and danger lurked all the time, it is only because of St. John’s miracles that the monastery has survived.
History of the architecture
Today’s monastery temple dates back to late 18th and early 19th century. Back then, the hospices consisted of several buildings. The monk’s hospice, located next to the church and known as “The Upper Palace”, was built in 1814. The most impressive part of it was the skillfully made loggia which connected the two floors through outdoor stairs. The ground floor consisted of rooms meant for the production of cheese, white cheese, etc. Before the fire, there was also the monastery kitchen as well as the storage rooms. The monk cells were located along the loggia on both floors. There were also the rooms for the bishops, a common room for the monks which has always kept its purpose, offices with an archive and a library with carved bookshelves, and a sewing room which was later rearranged into a monk cell.
The former abbot room and the rooms for the bishops are a special and an impressive mark of the third floor because of their protrusion from the hospice.
The dining hospice, which was built from 1820 to 1825, was located north-west from the church. The male dining room and the sinodikon (later turned into a small dining room) were located there with the female dining room and the guest room located beneath them. The former female dining room which was located right under the male one was rearranged into a rich gallery where the monastery treasure was set. There were also rare icons, ancient church objects, carving fragments, old service clothing, old crosses and other historically valuable objects located in the gallery.
Until the fire, the dining room and its purpose were kept in their original state. The guest rooms featured beautiful carved ceilings – rosettes, and built-in carved details on the walls. One of the rooms was later turned into a guest reception room and was enriched by a collection of former monastery abbots’ portraits.
The former monastery kitchen, along with an auxiliary bakery, was set between the dining hospice and “The Upper Palace”, which gave the hospice a functional integrity. The kitchen with its arched fireplace and a small built-in bakery, kept its authentic look and purpose. The big bakery and the storage rooms were located beneath it.
West of the church was the “Servant’s hospice”, built in 1870, meant for the servants to live in. The ground floor was used as a laundry because it was near the taps, and the rooms were located on the upper floor. The appearance of the hospice was characterized by a remarkable wooden construction between the floors, which ended with a protrusive roof, making the hospice to perfectly blend in with the overall monastery environment.
However, during the 1960s, for unknown reasons, the hospice was brought down and today there is a vast concrete plateau at that place. Behind the “Servant’s Hospice” there was the “Guardian’s tower” where the guardians lived. Outdoor stairs with a small covered loggia led to the floor where they lived. Today the tower has been turned into a small chapel dedicated to “St. George from Kratovo”.
Another remarkable building, located south of the church, is the charnel house, built in 1827 out of greenish, dressed stone. Inside are the skulls of the dead monks which were hidden in the charnel house’s foundation during the communism.
Above the monastery’s entrance there was a hospice called “The Lower Palace” which burned in 1912. The old hospice along with the other hospices and buildings formed a close union. The hospice was characterized by a special artistic processing of the doors and ceilings, different in each of the rooms, which, with their rich interior, were used as reception rooms. The hospice turned the monastery entrance into a semi-circular arcade, with a fountain at the entrance as a distinguished ornament of the whole hospice.
As they say in Bigorski, the monastery brotherhood tried to restore the authentic look of the monastery by fully restoring this magnificent guest hospice. The interior of “The Lower Palace” is completely authentic and is further enriched by another floor and a chapel dedicated to the holiday of “The Annunciation”.
The Church
At the center of the Bigorski monastery is the cathedral also known as Katolikon. It was built by the example of the monasteries of Mount Athos towards the end of the 18th century and is one of the first large-scale temples built after the ottoman conquering. It was the work of builders, carvers and painters from the Debar region. It was built in two stages, the first one being the western part, and the altar added later.
The most beautiful ornament in the church that makes this temple so famous is the iconostasis, a top carving work of art of the Miyak carvers Petre Filipovski – Garkata from the village of Gari with his company and Makarij Frchkovski from Galichnik who finished their work in astonishingly short time, 1830 to 1835. The famous painters from Samarina, Mihail and his son Dimitar, were also called at that time to finish the icons of the iconostasis so they formed a union, a full description of the Holy Bible in carving.
What makes the iconostasis so unique is the use of the human figure. The Miyak carvers set scenes from the Old and the New Testament. Beside the human figure, different animals and floral motifs were also used in the decoration of the iconostasis.
The iconostasis was adjusted to the church’s dimensions. That is why there are three rows of icons, which is rare because most of the iconostases have only two. The carved rectangular boards under the throne icons are the most beautiful part of the iconostasis. More than 500 human and 200 animal figures are depicted on it, as well as the Old and New Testaments which are presented with illustrations.
Under the throne icon of St. John the Baptist there are several scenes of his life depicted, the most beautiful of which is “The cutting off of the head of the Baptist”.
The most upper part of the iconostasis is also one of the most impressive and is decorated by the big cross from the Crucifixion of Christ and its accompanying parts.
The interior is complemented by two chairs: the bishop’s and the abbot’s. Both were made by the same carvers that made the iconostasis. The bishop’s chair is set in the middle part of the church, next to the right church, faced towards the altar. The abbot’s chair is identically carved as the bishop’s, but unlike it, there is an icon of the Holy Mother of God with Christ above the chair, with St. John the Baptist presented in front of them.
The icon of St. John the Baptist: True and miraculous
The icon delivers a simple and peaceful message. There is a light coming out of the saint’s face on the icon that brings peace, calm and joy. Every one that stands in front of the miraculous icon of the Baptist, which welcomes every believer in the Bigorski monastery, will feel this. The icon, glowing at the entrance in shiny, silver chains, decorated with gratitude gifts because of the numerous miracles, pours with boon as a never-ending spring. That is why the monks that lived there in the 19th century added a third arm to the icon’s chain, as a testament, and in memory, of the miracles the Baptist performs through it.
One of the miracles is the very way that the icon presented itself to the founder. According to the legend, it simply floated in the air over the spring, at the spot beneath the church where the three fountains are located today. Its disappearance during the difficult times the monastery went through was also a miracle. But it always reappeared as a testament to the ever-living spirit of the monastery.
The icon hasn’t stopped performing miracles since the very beginning. Countless prayers of travelers that stood with faith and prayed from the heart have been heard and answered with cure and comfort. The Baptist helped everyone through His icon: young and old, sick and healthy, orthodox or other believers.
As the miracles kept going, so were the gifts in front of the icon. There is a true story behind every gift. The many silver baby-shaped medallions are a testament that St. John has brought joy to many parents by giving them children.
The Holy relics
The church’s boon is complemented by the miraculous relics of many people from Jerusalem that are located in the naos; in the great ark made in 1834; as well as in the temple’s altar. On the outer side of the ark’s lid there is a silver medallion where the Crucifixion of Christ, along with the Holy Mother of God and St. John, is depicted, while on the inner side the painters Mihail and Daniil painted the faces of the saints whose relics were built in the ark. These same faces are presented in a silver relief engraving inside the ark. The miraculous relics of St. John the Baptist are also here, as well as those of other saints. The relics of St. Nikita are missing as they disappeared during the communism. All of the relics were brought from Constantinople as a gift to the monastery from rich merchants.
The very arrival of the relics is connected to a miracle that the saint performed in order for them to be preserved. In 1997 father Partenij took part of the relics of St. Agatangel which were kept in the church of St. Demetrius in Bitola. Two years later, a larger part of the relics that remained in Bitola were, unfortunately, stolen. So, the relics that father Partenij took were the only ones that remained preserved in Macedonia. At the request of the aforementioned church father Partenij returned some of the relics two years later.
Abbots
All of the abbots throughout the history of the Bigorski monastery were Macedonians, mostly from the Miyak region, who contributed in creating a culture-educational stronghold in the monastery.
The first known abbot in the later history of Bigorski was Hilarion and the most influential was Arsenij who contributed to the material and spiritual upgrade of the monastery from 1807 to 1839. It was then that the monastery was decorated with a beautiful wooden iconostasis, the old hospices were renovated and the male dining room was completely painted with frescos.
The abbot Mihail came in charge of the monastery in 1870, after a prolonged period without a constant abbot. He helped the monastery to get out of the economic crisis, trying to pay the debts by collecting donations from our believers in the neighboring countries. Mihail’s successor, bishop Nikodim, in charge from 1907, didn’t leave many trails of his reign while it is known that abbot Partenij was in charge on two occasions: once in 1912 and the other from 1916 to 1918.
Spiridon was the last abbot of the monastery. He became a monk on Mount Athos and was introduced as a brother of the monastery in 1901. He became a priest monk the same year, and was made an abbot a bit later. These abbots of the Bigorski family put all their love for God in the monastery.
Archimandrite Partenij
The current abbot of the Bigorski monastery is Archimandrite Partenij. He started his spiritual path in the theological high school in Skopje and later graduated at the Theological faculty.
His true spiritual maturity, however, began at the Gregorijat monastery on Mouth Athos where he stayed for a while. After he returned in 1995, he came to the Bigorski monastery, which was revived after a longer period of spiritual and material stagnation during the communism, and it is here that father Partenij got his monastic tonsure. He was made a priest deacon and a priest monk the same year. The following year he was made abbot, and in 1998 he was made Archimandrite.
Knowing that the spiritual revival of every monastery starts with the restoration of the liturgical life, father Partenij introduced the everyday service of Liturgy, with morning, evening and other services being held. It attracted a great number of believers who saw the spiritual revival in the restored monastery that had been missing for a long time.
Monastic life
The new monastic family of Bigorski is now consisted of nine monks and six novices. The monastic life in the Bigorski monastery is set by a typikon which father Partenij got as a blessing from a priest on Mount Athos. So, the monk that has that task, in the set time for service he circles the monastery, rings the bell three times every fifteen minutes until 16:00 when the bells signify the beginning of the evening service. First, the monks bow to the holy icons and are blessed by the serving priest monk, then they take their seats on the wooden chairs which take all of those who chose the life of crucifixion inside them, as open graves. Soon afterwards, the verses from the psalm about the creation of the world are sung, which indicates the beginning of the service.
After the service, the monks gather in the dining room, which is very much like a church because of the frescos. The abbot takes the main seat, with the priest monks sitting right next to him. Even though it is formal, the table (lunch and dinner) is still, a modest one. The monks generally don’t eat meat, while during the fast days – Monday, Wednesday and Friday they don’t consume oil. During the meal only the monk’s voice who reads about the life of the saint of the day can be heard.
The day ends with the reading of an ode in front of the icon of the Holy Mother of God. The service ends for the day with a bow in front of the icons and a final blessing by the abbot. The final thing is the Divine Liturgy, which is the crown of the daily and the evening prayers.
Work is an inseparable part of every monk’s life in the Bigorski monastery. Their daily activities include working in the temple, the kitchen, the garden, and nothing is done without the abbot’s blessing, who represents Christ in that temple. Everything is made out of love, whether it was painting icons, making miters, candles, rosaries, incense, making honey or rare drinks according to old monastery recipes, the monk does it with the utmost dedication.
Miters
Making miters is a rare manufacture, unique to our country, which the sisters from the “St. George” monastery have inherited from Archimandrite Partenij. This ancient craft has been preserved in the Church since Byzantine times. The orthodox miter is modeled by the byzantine royal crown, as the Ecumenical Patriarch inherited the privilege to wear a miter from the byzantine kings, and through him, it transferred to all bishops. Since then, the manufacture of miters has been transferred from masters to pupils throughout the centuries, which has kept that tradition until present time.
The secret to this manufacture was transferred to father Partenij by the late Metropolitan Gelasij from Bulgaria. The miter is part of the service robe of the bishop and symbolizes the thorn wreath of the Savior. It also represents the royal dignity of the bishop, as he also represents the royal service to our Lord, Jesus Christ, during the service.
The miter should be a worthy reflection of God’s glory which is why the miters are decorated with many shiny semi-precious stones, hand embroidered golden and silver ornaments, enameled, painted little icons, the byzantine two-headed eagle, and at last, they are decorated with a lavishly decorated cross with a golden plating. Every miter is a unique creation. Miters worn by many bishops all over the world, including the most holy patriarchs such the Jerusalem, the Russian and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, were manufactured here.
A fire in the monastery
The big fire at the monastery in 2009 completely destroyed the monk’s hospice with its unique and picturesque architecture. During this tragedy, not only did the bonds in the Bigorski brotherhood not break, but they strengthened even further. Father Dositej says that the brotherhood could feel the support of the believers in many ways and was touched by their great unselfishness and love. “For them, it was a great comfort and a strong reason to continue their exploits with even greater vigor, to stand firm in their path serving God and their close ones, aware of the great responsibility in front of Him to not let the flame of spirituality extinguish, for it was that flame that changed souls and turned them to God. Because, as the believers themselves say, there is nothing sadder than a beautiful, imposing monastery building missing its spiritual forces, which is the essence of a true spiritual sanctuary” – the father says.
After the fire
The rich spiritual life continues with even greater intensity, in spite of all the temptations and difficulties. The brothers fill the worship circle and it that manner their daily routines are unchanged, even after the fire, except for the bigger physical activities because of the restoration of the burned hospice. There is no difference even in the spiritual mission that this monastery has. Believers still come to confess, to be together with the brothers during services and everyday prayers, sharing all the joy and sorrow.
As father Dositej says, what is different is that after the fire that caught a part of the monastery Bigorski became much more known to the public. It is as if the fire was supposed to happen so that the light from the spiritual revival that has been going on for the past 17 years shines even brighter.
“So, this unfortunate event helped the public to see the noble and patriotic act these monks do out of their love for God, for their people and their country. It is because of the fire and the bigger media attention that many people, who hadn’t previously visited the monastery, felt a desire to visit the monastery by the river of Radika. Many of them come for a second and a third time, after feeling the love of the brotherhood, thus becoming a part of the big family – the Church – themselves” – says father Dositej, also adding that the Bigorski monastery is a true testament that where God inspires people, there is no temptation that can beat their strong faith, courage and immense love for the close ones.
“As if the light shining from the spiritual lighthouse of Bigorski was exactly what was missing the spiritually starving people that many souls, longing for God, turned their steps towards our warm nest and found true comfort, joy, peace and love. It was more than just the beautiful nature and the lavish architecture that brought them here, and it was the rich spiritual and liturgical life which forever bonded them with invisible strings to the Bigorski sanctuary and the monastic brotherhood. Because the Bigorsky monastery has never been restricted to its actual space” – says the father and adds that it was in the hearts of everybody that were brought here by the providence of God and took a part of it with them when they left.
Pandorka Arsovska Gacova
