The progress of the works in the church of Saint George in Kurbinovo - 16.11.2023

The progress of the works in the church of Saint George in Kurbinovo

On-site visit by the ECBPBM delegation

Original Greek title: "Η πορεία των εργασιών στο ναό του Αγ. Γεωργίου στο Κουρμπίνοβο", Αρχαιολογία, 07.11.2023.

View of the interior of the church of Agios Georgios in Kurbinovo. Image source: ECBPBM.

In the context of the memorandum of cooperation, which was signed by the President of the Board of Directors of the European Center for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments, Professor of Byzantine Archeology at Aristoteleian Univeristy of Thessalonike, Natalia Poulos, and the former Minister of North Macedonia Irena Stefoska in 2021, the ECBPBM undertook the preparation of a conservation study of the frescoes of the Byzantine church of Agios Georgios in Kurbinovo (1191) and its implementation with funding from the Greek Ministry of Culture.

Snapshot from the visit of the ECBPBM delegation to the church of Agios Georgios in Kurbinovo. Image source: ECBPBM.

As the project is in its final stage of implementation, on Thursday November 3, 2023, an on-site visit was made by a delegation of the ECBPBM, led by the President, Natalia Poulos, while participants included the members of the Board of Directors, the Honorary Director of Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture, Eugenia Gerousi, the Head of the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Properties of the Ministry of Culture, Vasiliki Papageorgiou, the Assistant Professor of Byzantine Archeology at the Aristoteleian University of Thessalonike, Anastasios Tantsis and the Head of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities and Museums of the Eforate of Antiquities of Athens, Argyro Karaberidis, as well as the Director of the ECBPBM, Flora Karagianni.

View of the interior of the church of Agios Georgios in Kurbinovo. Image source: ECBPBM.

First, the mission visited the Institute of Monuments and Museums in Bitola and discussed with the director, Meri Stoyanova, about the progress of the work. Afterwards, the mission carried out an autopsy in the church of Saint Georgios in Kurbinovo, where it found the impressive results of the conservation works, which aim to preserve and highlight the frescoes of the monument with absolute respect for their historical and aesthetic testimony and with a main guideline based on the principle of minimal intervention.

View of the interior of the church of Agios Georgios in Kurbinovo. Image source: ECBPBM.

Throughout the visit, the mission was accompanied by the Consul of Greece in the city of Bitola, Alexandros Vidouris. As pointed out in the relevant announcement of the ECBPBM, "at the meeting a very good atmosphere of cordial and very effective cooperation between the two sides was established and the will of both was confirmed for the continuation of cooperation for the benefit of the preservation and promotion of this great Byzantine monument".

Snapshot from the visit of the ECBPBM delegation to the church of Agios Georgios in Kurbinovo. Image source: ECBPBM.