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The Boyana Church, also known as the Church of St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon, is situated in southwestern Sofia, Bulgaria. The architecture of Boyana Church may be divided into many stages. The profusion of hues, flexibility and motifs of great psychological depth distinguish Boyana Church. The paintings, dating back to 1259, exemplify the Turnovo Academy of Painting’s 13th-century traditions. The anonymous master adheres to the iconography’s traditional composition. His artistic production is brilliant and concise, the images are vibrant and spiritual, and the portrait features of the represented donor characters are highlighted. The creative method of the master painter resulted in the inclusion of St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon Church here on World Heritage Sites.
Boyana Church
Boyana Church’s construction originates from the end 10th and earlier 11th centuries. It is the eastern section of the existing structure, extensions from the mid-13th and mid-19th centuries. The paintings in Boyana Church date back to 1259. There are 240 representations on the walls in total. Its artist is still unknown, although it represents the team that adorned the church and was taught at the Turnover Art School’s workshops. The Life of Saint Nicholas is shown in 18 sections in the narthex. The painter, in this case, depicted several facets of modern life. The ship and sailor’s headgear in The Miracle at Sea is reminiscent of the Venetian fleet. The full-size paintings of the benefactors, Kaloyan and Dessilsava, Bulgarian Emperor Konstantin Assen Tih and Princess Irina, are also noteworthy.
History of the Boyana Church
The two-storey church is a mediaeval Bulgarian Orthodox church located in the Boyana neighbourhood on the borders of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital. The Boyana Church was constructed in three phases: The eastern church (the earliest component) is a modest yet another cross-vaulted church with built-in cruciform pillars. It was built in the late tenth or early eleventh century. The second part, which encloses the eastern church, was constructed in the mid-13th century by Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his lady Desislava. This structure is of the two-story tomb-church kind. It comprises a ground-floor household sepulchre with a semi-cylindrical dome, two arcosolia on the northern and southern walls, and an upper-floor family church designed in the same style as the eastern church. Ceramic embellishments adorn the exterior.
The constructor completed the final part in the mid-nineteenth century with contributions from the local area. In 1954, the chapel was closed until further notice to be maintained and rebuilt. In 2006, the church was only partially reopened. As a precaution, a cooling system was installed to maintain a temperature of 17–18 °C, along with low-light conditions. Guests in groups of up to eight are allowed to stay for ten minutes. On October 2, 2008, Cultural Minister Stefan Danailov officially reopened the building under the direction of the State Historical Museum.
What Characterises the Boyana Church?
The medieval Bulgarian Orthodox Boyana Church is notable for its frescoes, which can be discovered in the church’s second portion. Boyana Church is divided into three parts, each erected during a separate historical era – the 10th, 13th, and nineteenth centuries – and its interior features numerous levels of wall paintings dating from the eleventh century onward. It is a witness to the progress of creative expression over the previous 800 years. The illustrations, created around 1259, are one of the world’s most significant collections of mediaeval art. We may be happy that this monument has stayed intact since the Second Bulgarian Empire, even survived the Ottoman Invasion. Archaeologists and historians are still attempting to figure out and confirm who painted the paintings within the cathedral.
The Orthodox blasters did not permit the artist’s identity to be ascribed to their work at the moment of their artwork because they felt that the artist was a conduit of God, so His power moved the artist’s hand. And the designer of the paintings is widely recognised as the “Boyana Master” because his identification is still unknown until this day. Every of more than 240 people shown in the chapel has unique individual nuances, and immense creative ability is visible in their painting. The portraits of ktitor Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his spouse Desislava and Constantine Tikh Ase and Tsaritsa Irene are among the oldest known artworks of historical characters.
Conclusion
Currently, the Boyana Chapel is a UNESCO Heritage Listed historical monument available to the public. The Boyana Church is now in the care of the National History Museum of Bulgaria and is open daily to the public. Inside, centuries-old paintings in vibrant and rich colours portray 89 scenes filled with lively characters, including church benefactors and Venetian seafarers. Admission is restricted to groups of eight guests and a 10-minute walking tour to safeguard the paintings. However, the neighbouring Boyana Church Museum offers further details on the complex’s history, and tourists can purchase a combination ticket to both locations.
