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Manasija Monastery: A History

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Significant archaeological, conservation and other expert investigations were also carried out on the Resava fortress itself,213 on the Manasija Church of the Holy Trinity,214 on the magnificent Manasija refectory,215 and also on other buildings of the Manasija fortification and of the Manasija complex in general,216 which were followed by various phases of restoration and protection of the Manasija antiquities. Amma Paraskeva, the wise abbess of Manasija, during the decades of restoration succeeded in coordinating the life of the sisterhood with the research and protection work that went on practically without interruption, and in finding spiritual gains in a situation in which others would not have expected them. In this period yet another saint spent some time in Manasija Monastery, a newly shining faithful witness of Christ - one of the most eminent ascetics and spiritual fathers of the 20th century, a disciple of Saint Silouan the Athonite (1866–1938) and also a friend and disciple of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović,217 the Holy Elder Sophrony (Sakharov) (1896– 1993).218 As an artist, it was precisely in Manasija Monastery that Elder Sophrony conceived and designed, and then had forged in iron by a local blacksmith in the Manasija area, the famous cross that symbolizes Christ's resurrectional victory over the material and also the immaterial world,219 a cross that to this day adorns Sophrony's stavropegic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Essex, and which can be seen in the logo of every book printed by this monastery today. In such small details, too, the spiritual greatness of Manasija Monastery is revealed, as a place of authentic encounter between the divine and the human. Alongside the research, restoration and protection work mentioned above, spiritual life went on. In addition, the Manasija community improved the conditions for living in the monastery: on the foundations of a medieval building, a new monastic lodging was built from 1974 to 1977, with a chapel dedicated to Saint Despot Stefan - the pious Serbian ruler. This chapel, the first church dedicated to Despot Stefan the Tall, was consecrated in 1981. Then in 1985 the guest lodging of Manasija Monastery was built, again on the foundations of an older medieval building, and the Manasija library is housed in it. A belfry was installed in the tower on the north side of the entrance to the monastery churchyard. In the meantime, alongside the aged and ailing abbess Paraskeva, Bishop Ignatije of Braničevo in 1995 appointed the nun Anastasija Simeonović as superior of the sisterhood of Manasija Monastery; Mother Paraskeva reposed in 1999.220 According to the available literature, Mother Anastasija was superior until 2001, Mother Angelina Radosavljević was abbess of Manasija in 2001–2005, then Mother Varvara Trifunović in 2005–2011, and Mother Pavla Petrović from 2011 to 2022.221 By the decision of Bishop Ignatije of Braničevo, in February 2022 Manasija Monastery was again turned into a men's monastic community. The abbot of Tumane, Archimandrite Dimitrije Plećević, was appointed superior of Manasija Monastery in 2022. The protosyncellus Pavle Mirković came over to the monastery from the Tumane community, and by the decision of Bishop Ignatije he was raised to abbot of Manasija in May 2023. Before the Manasija brotherhood now lies the task of restoring Manasija Monastery and, above all, the task of spiritual edification.

  1. Cf. Gordana Simić and Dragoljub Todorović, "Manasija Monastery - Research and Restoration Work in 1995" („Манастир Манасија - истраживачки и рестаураторски радови у 1995. години"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 20 (1996): 116–117; Gordana Simić and Svetlana Vukadinović, "Manasija Monastery - Report on the Work on the Church and the Fortification in 1998 and 2002" („Манастир Манасија - извештај о радовима на цркви и утврђењу 1998. и 2002. године"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 27 (2003): 77–78; Gordana Simić and Svetlana Vukadinović, "The Restoration of the Fortification of the Monastery of Resava - Manasija in 2009 and 2010" („Рестаурација утврђења манастира Ресаве - Манасије у 2009. и 2010. години"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 35 (2011): 97–101, etc.
  2. Cf. Dragoljub Todorović, "The Church of Manasija Monastery - Investigative Work on the Narthex 1988–1989 -" („Црква манастира Манасије - Испитивачки радови на припрати 1988–1989. -"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 14 (1990): 86–87; Dragoljub Todorović, "Manasija Monastery - Conservation Work on the Narthex of the Monastery Church in 1991" („Манастир Манасија - конзерваторски радови на припрати манастирске цркве у 1991. години"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 16 (1992): 111–112; Marin Brmbolić, "Manasija Monastery - Systematic Archaeological Excavations in 2005" („Манастир Манасија - систематска археолошка ископавања 2005. године"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 30 (2006): 74–76; Gordana Simić and Svetlana Vukadinović, "Restoration Work in Manasija Monastery in 2005" („Рестаураторски радови у манастиру Манасији у 2005. години"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 30 (2006): 76–79; Marin Brmbolić, "Manasija Monastery - Results of the Archaeological Excavations in 2006" („Манастир Манасија - резултати археолошких ископавања 2006. године"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 31 (2007): 66–68, etc.
  3. Cf. Slobodan Nenadović, "Conservation Documentation on the Architecture of the Monastery of Resava. Part II: The Refectory and the Residential Buildings" („Конзерваторска документација о архитектури манастира Ресаве. II део: трпезарија и зграде за становање"), Zbornik zaštite spomenika kulture, vol. XIII (1962): 37–50; Gordana Simić and Dragoljub Todorović, "Research and Restoration Work in Manasija Monastery" („Истраживачки и рестаураторски радови у манастиру Манасији"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 17 (1993): 110–112; Dragoljub Todorović, "The Refectory of the Monastery of Resava" („Трпезарија манастира Ресаве"), in: Days of Serbian Spiritual Transfiguration II. The Monastery of Resava: History and Art (Дани српскога духовног преображења II. Манастир Ресава: историја и уметност), ed. Vojislav J. Đurić, editorial board Pavle Ivić, Miroslav Pantić et al. (Despotovac: Narodna biblioteka "Resavska škola", 1995), 175–186; Marin Brmbolić, "The Refectory of Manasija Monastery" („Трпезарија манастира Манасије"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 34 (2010): 80–82, etc.
  4. Cf. Mileta Milić (ed.), Guardians of the Heritage: 50 Years of the Work of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments (Чувари баштине: 50 година рада Републичког завода за заштиту споменика културе) (Belgrade: Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, 1998), 54; Gordana Simić and Dragoljub Todorović, "Remains of the Architectural Heritage in the Surroundings of the Monastery of Resava" („Остаци градитељског наслеђа у околини манастира Ресаве"), Saopštenja XXXIV (2002): 179–191; Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, "Manasija Monastery - The Medieval Kitchen - Continuation of Systematic Archaeological Research (2005–2013). Works and Activities" („Манастир Манасија - средњовековна кухиња - наставак систематских археолошких истраживања (2005–2013). Радови и активности"), https://www.heritage.gov.rs/cirilica/radovi_i_aktivnosti_manastir_manasija_jul_2013.php (published 2013, accessed December 5, 2024); Marin Brmbolić and Katarina Lazarević, "Manasija Monastery - Results of the Archaeological Research in 2013" („Манастир Манасија - резултати археолошких истраживања 2013. године"), Glasnik of the Society of Conservators of Serbia, no. 38 (2014): 69–72; Aleksandra Jovanović, "The Medieval Site of the White Church near Beljajka: Significance and Potential" („Средњовековни локалитет Бела црква код Бељајке, значај и потенцијали"), in: Days of Serbian Spiritual Transfiguration XX. The Middle Ages in Serbian Scholarship, History, Literature and Art IV. Scholarly Conference, Despotovac - Manasija, August 25–26, 2012 (Дани српскога духовног преображења XX), ed. Gordana Jovanović; editorial board Gordana Jovanović, Zlata Bojović and Rada Stijović (Despotovac: Narodna biblioteka "Resavska škola", 2013), 219–238, etc.
  5. Cf. Srećko Petrović, "A Contribution to the Study of Serbian-Russian Athonite Ties: The Connection of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović with Elder Silouan, Archimandrite Sophrony and Other Russian Athonites" („Прилог проучавању српско-руских светогорских веза: повезаност Епископа Николаја Велимировића са Старцем Силуаном, Архимандритом Софронијем и другим руским Светогорцима"), Teološki pogledi: A Journal of Religious Studies, year LIII, no. 2 (2020): 513–554, 533–535, 538– 540, https://doi.org/10.46825/tv/2020-2-513-554.
  6. Cf. Schema-Abbess Paraskeva (Jovanović), Diary Notes and Letters, 114–115. According to a claim in this publication, Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov, with the blessing of Bishop Hrizostom of Braničevo, stayed in Manasija Monastery for a year and a half, working on one of his books. Several of the more important works of this great spiritual father of the 20th century have been translated into Serbian: Hieromonk Sophrony [Sakharov], The Elder Silouan (Старац Силуан), [translated by monks of Hilandar], Hilandarski putokazi, vol. 2 (Mount Athos: Hilandar Monastery, 1975); Archimandrite Sophrony [Sakharov], The Vision of the Face of God (Виђење Лица Божијег), translated from the Russian by Pavle Rak, Theological Library "Parousia" (Belgrade: Faculty of Theology of the Serbian Orthodox Church - Hilandar Foundation, 1987); Archimandrite Sophrony [Sakharov], On Prayer: A Collection of Articles (О молитви: збирка чланака), translated by monks of Hilandar, Hilandar Translations, vol. 15 (Mount Athos: Hilandar Monastery, 1995); Archimandrite Sophrony [Sakharov], We Shall See Him as He Is (Видети Бога као што јесте), 2nd corrected edition, translated by monks of Hilandar, Hilandar Translations, vol. 20 (Mount Athos: Hilandar Monastery, 1996); Archimandrite Sophrony [Sakharov], On the Spirit and Life (О Духу и животу), Biblioteka "Sveti Teodor Vršački", vol. 4 (Vršac: Zajednica autora Ugao - Videotehna, 1996); Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), Letters to Those Close to Me (On the Meaning of Christian Suffering) (Писма блиским људима (о смислу хришћанског страдања)), translated from the Russian by Snežana Jelesijević ([s. l.]: Svetilo, 2001), etc. - in the 21st century some ten more books from the pen of Archimandrite Sophrony have been translated into Serbian. On Elder Sophrony and his teaching, cf. Jovanče Georgievski, "The Radiant Image of Elder Sophrony: A Conversation with Him and His Spiritual Message" („Светли лик Старца Софронија: разговор са њим и његова духовна порука") (interview conducted by Jovanče Georgievski), Banatski vesnik of the Orthodox Serbian Church, year VIII, no. 2 (May–June 1988): 18–23; Yaroslav Kharkevich, "The God of My Childhood (A Remembrance of Elder Sophrony)" („Бог мога детињства (сећање на Старца Софронија)"), [translated from the Belarusian by Aleksandar Loginov], Banatski vesnik of the Orthodox Serbian Eparchy of Banat, year LVIII (XVIII), no. 3–4 (July–December 1998): 30–32; [Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov], "Keep Thy Mind in Hell, and Despair Not" („Остај духом у паклу и не очајавај") (interview), translated from the Belarusian by Aleksandar Loginov, Banatski vesnik of the Orthodox Serbian Eparchy of Banat, year LVIII (XVIII), no. 3–4 (July–December 1998): 33–40; Archimandrite Zacharias (Zacharou), Christ, Our Way and Our Life: The Theology of Elder Sophrony (Христос - пут нашег живота: богословље Старца Софронија), translated by S. Jakšić, Biblioteka "Tavor", vol. 4 (Mount Athos: Hilandar Monastery, 2007).
  7. Cf. Sister Gabriela, Painting as Prayer. The Art of A. Sophrony Sakharov (Tolleshunt Knights, Essex, UK: The Stavropegic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, 2017), 191. Cf. also Christabel Helena Anderson, "Painting as Prayer, The Art of A. Sophrony Sakharov," Orthodox Arts Journal, April 8, 2021, https://orthodoxartsjournal.org/painting-as-prayer-the-art-of-a-sophrony-sakharov/ (accessed December 14, 2024).
  8. On abbess Paraskeva, cf. Gordana Simić, "In Memory of Abbess Paraskeva (Jovanović). Another Candle Has Gone Out" („У знак сећања на игуманију Параскеву (Јовановић). Угасила се још једна свећа"), Pravoslavni misionar: Supplement to the Glasnik of the Serbian Orthodox Church, year XLII, no. 5/1999, issue 249 (1999): 32–35; Schema-Abbess Paraskeva (Jovanović), Diary Notes and Letters; cf. also Tomić, Monasteries and Churches in Upper Resava, 113–124.
  9. Cf. Tomić, Monasteries and Churches in Upper Resava, 128–134.