Our team has been busy since our last newsletter: creating and posting online a new collection on our website, preparing and venturing on a field expedition where we have managed to digitally document four medieval sacred monuments; prior to that, we participated in the Medieval Congress by organizing a special session devoted to digital preservation in which we presented our work and Serbian cultural heritage of Kosovo and Metohija. We have also joined the preparations for the upcoming Gračanica exhibition at the Gallery of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Belgrade. To learn more about our endeavors and accomplishments, you can read our blog posts available on our website, for which you can find links below.

‍New Collection: Monastery Kalenić

‍The collection of the Kalenić monastery is available on our website. The 15th-century church of the Presentation of the Mother of God, the katholikon of the monastery, is among the finest monuments of the Morava school of architecture, preserving exceptional sculptural decoration on its facades and superb wall painting in the interior.

‍BLAGO in Gradac & Nova Pavlica

‍In early June, the BLAGO team visited monasteries Gradac and Nova Pavlica in southwest Serbia. Dating from the 13th century, the monastery of Gradac is one of the most famous Serbian sacred monuments. It is notable for its inclusion of Western Gothic architectural elements in the main church of Annunciation and for being the endowment of Queen Helen of Anjou, one of few examples of female patronage in medieval Serbia. The monastery of Nova Pavlica is some 15 kilometers away, with its 14th-century church erected by the Musić brothers, nephews of Prince Lazar. In its vicinity is the site of Old Pavlica, the church that was built in the 11th or 12th century and most likely predating the Nemanjić rule.

‍BLAGO at 2022 International Congress on Medieval Studies

‍The BLAGO-sponsored session at the Kalamazoo Congress on Medieval Studies brought together professionals working on diverse projects dealing with digital preservation and the presentation of medieval cultural heritage. Alongside scholars from the University of South California, Los Angeles, and Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, our colleagues from Belgrade's Faculty of Orthodox Theology and the Mathematical Institute presented their work on Serbian material heritage. Their papers received much attention from the Congress attendees, as did the opening presentation showcasing our own work, mainly focusing on Kosovo and Metohija. Highlighting the precarious status of the monuments in these territories, we aimed to raise awareness of the importance of digitizing medieval monuments and artifacts, as did the other session participants, with much success.

‍BLAGO at the Gračanica exhibition, SANU Gallery in Belgrade

The BLAGO team participated in the first organizing meeting on the upcoming exhibition on the Gračanica monastery that will take place at the SASA (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts- SANU) Gallery in Belgrade by the end of the year. The BLAGO Fund will set out to create a 3D virtual reality presentation of the monastery that the exhibition audience will be able to experience. We will be providing more information on the exhibition in our future blog posts and newsletters.

‍If you like our work and want to see us continue,

YOU CAN HELP!

BLAGO is a non-profit, non-government organization with many volunteers. For over 20 years, we have been devoted to preserving and promoting Serbian cultural heritage. In doing so, we occasionally require the services of experts and helpers. To carry out our expeditions, we need to cover the cost of transportation and lodging. We manage photo equipment, web servers, desktops, disk arrays, and communication lines throughout the year.

BLAGO Fund is a non-profit USA organization operating under the 501(c)3 section of the IRS code. All your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law.

‍ORTHOPRAX
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‍OrthoPrax® is the most comprehensive Christian Orthodox Calendar and lectionary available for iOS and Android, allowing you to experience the Liturgical cycle of the Ancient Faith according to the calendar. Carry all the prayers, fasting schedules, daily Scripture readings, biographies of the daily saints, and more to read wherever you are, following the Old or New Calendar! Let’s start our journey!

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