Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, Szeged

Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Church
46°14′57″N 20°8′59″E / 46.24917°N 20.14972°E / 46.24917; 20.14972
Location Szeged
Country Hungary
Denomination Serbian Orthodox
History
Consecrated 1805
Architecture
Status Active
Functional status Parish Church, former Cathedral
Architect(s) Jovan Dobić
Style Baroque, copf, Classicism
Groundbreaking 1773
Completed 1781
Specifications
Bells 1 (2007)
Tenor bell weight 150 kg
Administration
Parish Szeged
Diocese Eparchy of Buda
Clergy
Bishop(s) Lukijan Pantelić
Priest(s) Pavle Kaplan

The Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church is situated behind the Votive Church in the Dóm square and is one of the oldest monuments of Szeged. The orthodox building - built mostly from 1773 to 1781 - is widely thought of as one of the most beautiful churches in Csongrád county along with the four other Serbian Orthodox temples in Szeged (Szőreg Deszk, Hódmezővásárhely, and Újszentiván), which demonstrates the rich past of the Serbian community living in Hungary.

History of the Serbs in Hungary

There were Slav nations living on the territory of Pannonia before the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, but there is no evidence that they were the ancestors of the Serbs. Saints Cyril and Methodius, Christian missionaries from Thessaloniki, influenced these Slav nations the most to become Christians during the 9th century. Today, they are venerated as saints in orthodox churches. They created the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic (the Glagolitic alphabet), they translated the saint books (liturgical songs), to help the Slav nations use their own language during their liturgies. During their long wandering, they went from the Balkan Peninsula to southern Poland. This resulted in the orthodox churches having independent, national clerical systems and leaders (there are 15 orthodox churches, all are led by a patriarch. The Serbian church is in Belgrade). In the Middle Ages, Hungarians called the Serbs "rác", which comes from a Serbian principle called Rascia/Raska. Serbians had dynastical relations with the Hungarian kings from Árpáds. Béla II of Hungary married Helena of Serbia (also known as Jelena or Ilona), the daughter of Prince Uroš I of Serbia, so South Slavs lived on the territory of the Hungarian Kingdom.

After the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) occupied the Balkans and conquered the countries south of Hungary, many nations temporarily left the area because of the cruelties done by the Ottomans. They pursued the Christians, forced them to convert to Islam (the Bosniaks mostly left Christianitybat this time). The Christians had to pay extra taxes and there was a "children-tax." The youngest male child of each family was taken away and raised as Turkish soldiers. (Janissaries) A well-known example of this was Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, who built a bridge in Višegrad (today it is in Bosnia and Herzegovina), which is also mentioned in the Serbian Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić's novel, "The Bridge on the Drina." In 1389, at the Battle of Kosovo, Serbia was defeated and occupied by Turkey for about 500 years. After that, Serbians started leaving their homeland and migrating north to Hungary. In 1444, Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković participated in the Diet of Hungary and gained assets where Serbian population lived. Many Serbians fought alongside the Medieval Hungarian army as the Black Army of Matthias Corvinus. After the Battle of Mohács Hungary lost 1/3 of its territories, and its center was occupied by the Turkish army for 150 years. During this period the Great Hungarian Plain became a wilderness and the population fled from the Turkish army. After Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule, the Hungarian and Austrian king Leopold I settled large groups of various nations on the desolated territories to resettle Hungary, which was in demographically disastrous condition. Serbians got rewards: if they settled down in Hungary and protected the southern borders of the country, they got freedom of religion and did not have to pay taxes. The Great Migrations of the Serbs were also involved: thousands of Serbs led by Arsenije III Čarnojević (the Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Serbs) left Medieval Serbia and moved to Hungary. At this time they reached Buda, Pest, Pomáz, Lórév (the center of the Serbian Orthodoxy's influence in Hungary), Szentendre (where they built 7 new Serbian churches) Dunaföldvár, Pécs, Villány, Mohács, Baja, and Szeged. The churches they built included Szőreg, Deszk, Újszentiván, Hódmezővásárhely, Magyarcsanád and Battonya. More than 50 Serbian churches were built in a very short time.

In addition to plant cultivation and animal husbandry, some of the Serbs were tradesman, wallahs, or wartime suppliers. The wealthiest families donated their churches and gave benefactions to build them. After the flourishing Serbian history in Hungary in the eighteenth century, a large number of Serbs returned to Serbia and Kosovo, their homeland, which had been released from its Ottoman occupation, but some of the Serbs, who remained in Hungary, slowly forgot their roots, language, and religion over generations, and eventually only their name showed that some of their ancestors were Serbs. At the end of World War I, a huge number of Serbs returned to Serbia because they were forced to leave Hungary, which resulted in the Serbian minority being correlated to the Hungarian majority.

A short history of the Serbs and their churches in Szeged

The Serbs moved to Szeged mostly in the centuries after the Battle of Kosovo. The county town of Csongrád after the Turkish occupation in 1543 was the part of the vilayet of Buda at first, later it was the part of the vilayet of Eger. Szeged was the seat of the sanjak, the first bey of Szeged, Mustafa restored the castle. The Palánk, a part of Szeged, developed very fast at this time, where mostly Rascians (old name, used for the Serbs) lived (in a document from 1737 Germans called this territory Raitzenstadt). After the restoration of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć (1557) Szeged was the county town of the metropholit of Bačka. At this time we surely know, that a wooden Serbian church existed in the city which was built circa at the beginning of the XVI. century on the territory of the castle. There are not a lot of information of this church, when the Turkish army was expelled from this territory, it was destroyed by fire. After the releasing of Szeged (1686), in the time of the Great Migration of the Serbs this nationality moved to this region in bigger numbers. In Szeged they mostly lived in the Palánk and in the Upper town. A draft of Csongrád county from 1720 shows that from 404 buildings 40 was in Serbian possession. Thanks to the industry and commercing the city of Szeged developed very fast which resulted that some Rascian families became wealthy, so they could donate money to build up their churches and buy icons from different parts of the world. The second Serbian Orthodox church, dedicated to Bishop Saint Nicholas, the Wonder Worker was already built from stone in the Palánk was existing from 1690 till 1715. It was demolished because of the castle building. The third orthodox church, a little one, built in 1725 was in the location of contemporary church showed the pre-civilization stage of the Serbs. The fourth church, dedicated to Saint archangel Gabriel and Michael, stood in the Upper town and its deed of foundation is from 1727, but is very likely that it was built during the Turkish occupation or after the releasing of this territory. Few information show, that this church was built by Greeks and its nickname was "small church" (its length was 17 meters, width 6 meters and height 4 meters) and was attended not only by Greeks but also by Serbs. The church was used until 1848. In the last decades of its usage the priests of the Saint Nicholas Church were serving as the parochs, later the members of this community left this church and joined the Saint Nicholas temple, which is also in use today. The maternal books are led from 1744, so from this date the name of the priests are known till 1848, until the termination of the independent parochy. In the big flood of 1879 the fourth church was so heavily damaged, that it was to have destroyed very soon. The contemporary, fifth, church was built around the 3rd Serbian church, behind the Votive Church on the Dóm Square which was the result of that the Serbian population was bigger in the XVIII. century and some wealthier wallahs donated a lot of money to build up this church. Among the members of the guilds were not only Hungarians, Germans, but also Serbs, these last ones had some independent guilds which were dealing with tailoring and rag-trading. Some of the guild procession flags were reserved in the church until 2015, which were taken to the Serbian Orthodox Museum of Szentendre for restoration. Some wallah companies were founded in the XVIII. century in which the Serbs had influential role. The markets helped Szeged's fast developing, tradesmen and wallahs from Bačka, Banat and territories from far away resulted the quickening of the economy.

Building the Budapest-Szeged-Temesvár railway-line also gave a perspective and dynamical improvement for Csongrád county. The urbanization's side effect was, that the Palánk lost its Serbian aspect very fast. In 1769 there were 181 Serbian households, with a population of 1417, for 1905 only 526 Serbs remained. The end of the World War I also resulted a huge shock on the Serbian minority, thanks to the population exchangement between Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, today only few Serbs remained in the city (the assimilation also resulted that a lot of Serbs forgot their culture, language, identity).[1] The Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church is the most beautiful memory of the Serbian history of Szeged with its fancy iconostasis, rich icon-collection, sacral and religious objects.

Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church

The contemporary church got his name from a very popular orthodox saint, from the bishop of Myra, which is not coincidence, because he is the patron of the wallahs, with what the Serbs were dealing with. It is not known when the south Slavs got the permit to build up their church, but in 1775 the bishop of Novi Sad, Szeged and Eger, Arsenije Radojević, gave his mercy for that. A short time later the Church government got the permit for "burning" the bricks, which shows us, that they had the official subscription for the church building. The basement of the church was consecrated on the 11th July 1778. The leaden-tablet from this event was built in the basement of church, the paper copy of it was reserved in the church history archive. The building was designed by Jovan Dobić and was built in a very fast zest. The church nave was under roof in 1780, the tower was finished in 1781. During the tower building another leaden-plaque was built in the church, from which a copy was also made for the church history archive (this old-Slavic writing is in the frame in the woman church). Two German masters from Pest, a tinsmith and a carpenter built the tower, and a third painter from Buda, Mihailo Sokolović trimmed it with gold and paintings. Five new bells were consecrated in 1781. Longer time was needed for the interior part of the building to be finished, bishop Jovan Jovanović sanctified the church in 1805.

The cruciferous document from this can be seen on the bottom of the upper circle in one line with the back gate.

The inner part of the church hosts a lot of icons from different parts of the world an sacred books, which were donated by the members of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Szeged in the older times.

The church was heavily damaged in the great flood in 1879, mostly it was renovated in 1880-1881. At this time was made a fresco on the loft called The creation of the World by a slovak master Jan Hodina.

The creation of the World

On the fresco it can be noticed how God has created the sky, the lights and how the Earth is emerging.

The one-naved church was made in post-baroque style with a bell tower, which is a little bit different from the similar buildings.

The basis shows us a 3 parted apse, rectangular-shaped cantor chairs on the east side, simple linear nave in the centre and a characteristic concave-baroque lined frontispiece on the west side.

From outside the church was made in baroque style, partly it has classicist elements.

The iconostasis

The iconostasis is the most beautiful and fancy part of the church, it is originated from Greek and means picture-whatnot. The icon-wall divides the altar from the church-nave in addition to the church rules women cannot go inside the altar part of the church. Three doors are on the iconostasis, the two side doors are called deaconical doors, on this two are plying the men, who help in serving the liturgy. In Szeged, on the left side (or northern) Moses can be seen, the writer of the first five books of the Old Testament, on the right side (or southern) his brother can be seen Aaron, who was a prelate, preacher. Above the two doors immolator-icons are, above Moses is Melchizedek's, above Aaron Abraham's can be seen.

The center doors are called King's door, on which the priests is plying, because in front of the altar only the priest can stand, mortal man not.

In Szeged 6 icons are on this doors, at the top of this Saint archangel Gabriel is with a lily in his hands, next to her Virgin Mary is. This is the annunciation, which remembers the Christians that Jesus Christ will be born. Under them the four evangelists are, Matthew with the angel, John with the hawk, Luke with the bull and Mark with the lion. A snake is sliding upside on the door, which symbolizes the bronze snake. After Moses and his nation left Egypt they were wandering in the desert searching for a new homeland. A lot of people at that time left their belief in God, who punished them because of this with venomous snakes. Some people died from the snake-bitings, but who watched on the bronze snake (or copper in some biblical versions) which was spread on a wood, became healthy. This is the symbol of the returning of the belief in God. Above the door an eye is watching us in a triangle, which is God's eye which is seeing everything and watching everybody.

The rococo iconostasis in Szeged

The icons were put on the iconostasis on a strict rule, their position on the iconic wall depends how big the iconostasis is and what kind of characteristics the church has. South (or right) from the King's door the icons of Jesus Christ and north (or left) from it Virgin Mary (in Szeged Virgin Mary can be seen with the little Jesus, next to them are angel-heads coming out from the sky) have standard positions on the iconostasis. Beside the King’ s Door 2-2 bigger icons are, which are called the thronic icons. Next to Jesus Christ is John the Baptist, next to Virgin Mary the patron of the church, Saint Nicholas, is situated. Mostly these thronic icons are the most decorated in the orthodox churches. In front of them 4 lanterns are hanging which are from the mountains of Athos and Russia, decorated with the crucified Jesus Christ and Saint George and plant motives. The Last Supper has also a standard place above the King's Door on the iconostasis. Downside, between the thronic icons, 2 little icons were put, the Flight into Egypt is between Saint Nicholas and Virgin Mary, the Temptation of Christ is between Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. The holiday icons are above the thronic icons, a bigger icon and 8 little icons around them on the 2 sides. The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is on the north (left) side in the big icon, around them (beginning from the "bottom" icon on the right side counterclockwise) the Epiphany, Palm Sunday (Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem), Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, Annunciation, the born of John the Baptist, Circumcision of Christ, the Dormition of the Mother of God, and Presentation of Mary at the temple are presented. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is in the big icon on the south (right) side, around them (beginning from the "bottom" icon on the right side counterclockwise) the born of Jesus Christ, the beheaded John the Baptist, Pentecost,Virgin Mary, the stoning of Saint Stephen, the resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany, the protection of Virgin Mary and the meeting of Elizabeth and Virgin Mary were painted. This lower part of the iconostasis, except the immolator (or offering)-icons, was made by Jovan Popović, a Serbian trecentist working in baroque style, a follower of the Russian-Ukrainian school, tells us a contract from the 7th of June 1761 (the year 1761 was written in the Temptation of Jesus Christ icon). This lower part of the iconostasis was made for the previous, third church and from there was taken to the contemporary, fifth church. The traceried iconostasis, richly decorated in gold, is consisting of 74 icons. The upper part was made by unknown masters.

The trinity, the Father, the Son and the holy spirit illustrated as a dove, from the New Testament were painted under the red-coloured stave. The four, red-blue clothed people around them are the Evangelists, in the other icons the apostles and the church fathers were painted. In the lunetta, above the red stave, the crucified Jesus, left from him at his legs Virgin Mary, right from him John, the apostol can be seen. In the other icons the prophets from the Old Testament can be seen, at the top of the iconic wall the Last Judgment was painted. The church was damaged at the big flood in 1879, 2 years after this catastrophe, when it was renovated, the iconostasis was also unprofessionally restored. At this time not too famous Slovak master, Jan Hodina painted on the ceiling a fresco called The creation of the world. The stary sky shows us how God has created the lights, the sky, and how the Earth is emerging. At the bottom of the globe the painter recorded his name, Hodina J. and year 1881.

The church divided into three parts

The church is divided into three parts. The altar is behind the iconostasis, which is not only a border of the terrestrial, but is also a door to the heaven. From the iconostasis till the so-called King's gate, which is in the last third of the church, is situated the naos or the "Man church". Behind this gate is the pronaos or "Woman church". God's altar table is in the center of the altar, on which is a red veiled Gospel Book, on it a cross. A metallic and a gilded wooden crucified Jesus cross was also put on the table with a sanctuary lamp, and 2 silvered candlesticks. There is a little offset behind the altar table, where the throne of the bishop is. Above that a crucified Jesus painting is, where Virgin Mary and John the Apostole are at his legs and are praying for God's son. Next to this a Virgin Mary icon is, who is painted with the little Jesus, on the other side we can see again a Jesus icon. Under the window on the center again a crucified Jesus wood-print was put. On the two sides an icon from the coronation of Virgin Mary was put and an icon from the Three Holy Hierarchs is hanging, with Basil of Caesarea, John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nazianzus. The preparation table is on the left side.

Upside, a dove is painted in a triangle (referring to the trinity) covered with clouds which is the holy spirit. Walking out the altar we find ourselves in front of the iconostasis on the soleas which is raised with a stair. On the two sides the cantor chairs are, decorated with plant motives.

At the left cantor chair in its side an icon from Saint Nichoas and Saint George was put. In front of the cantor chairs wooden, richly decorated candlesticks are. Two thrones are in front of the soleas, the left one is for the bishop. If the Serb bishop of Buda visits the church (as a tradition he comes to Szeged at the orthodox New Year, at the 13th or 14 January), this is the place of him. Or if the Serbian Patriarch visits Szeged, this is the place for him. The other throne is for Virgin Mary, in front of her picture interesting silvery things are hanging, which are the votives symbolizing the requests and thanks of the prayers. The ear and the leg are connected to the related sicknesses and were put in front of the icon for the convalescence, the heart can symbolize the love.

The throne of Virgin Mary

In front of the thrones on the two icon-holding stands a Jesus Christ (this icon is changed depending what kind of holiday or panegyric is) and a 3-handed Virgin Mary icon were put, this last's interesting is that the third, silvery cut hand seen downside symbolizes the hand of John of Damascus, who opposed to the iconoclasm and persecution of Christians, because of this his hand was cut down, but thanks to the praying to God and Virgin Mary he got back his hand, which was a great miracle. In the center of the Men church a strange wooden snaky table was put with a Saint Nicholas icon. It is also referring on the bronze snake, which was previously seen on the King's door. These three icons, according to the tradition are kissed by the orthodox believers, when they enter and leave the church. In front of the table with the Saint Nicholas icon the rotundious amvon is (Greek word which means pulpit, hustings), from where the priests were reading the Gospel in the older times and were preaching. Two huge stellars, donated by a wealthy Serbian, Lefter family in 1850, are giving the lights in the Man church, which are from Venice, Murano. The older and the sick people were sitting in the chairs in the older time ("elbowing" chairs), later they could be bought, so the name-plates are referring to their "renters". Icons from different parts of the world are on the marble-patterned walls in front of the chairs. A white-clothed Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian schools, icon is right from the bishop's throne as he is propagating the Gospel. History tells us, that the descendant of the Nemanjić dynasty went to the mountains of Athos, which is today in Greece (some old monasteries are there), where he founded the monastery of Hilandar in 1198 and later when he returned to his homeland brought the orthodoxy, and attached the Serbs to the eastern Christianity. Under his icon, the patron of the church, Saint Nicholas is situated, left from him in the little icon John Chrysostom is, former archbishop of Constantinople, preacher, public speaker, ecclesiastical writer, hierarch, the liturgy under his name is also in use today (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), on the right side Gregory of Nazianzus can be seen, who was also an archbishop of Constantinople, theologician. Downmost a Ukrainian cross can be seen, which is strange because Jesus Christ was portrayed willowy, with very long legs, body and hands. It is also curious to mention, that on this orthodox cross Jesus is retiring his legs on a lower horizontal part, which is a kind of scale. Right from this cross the icon of Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans (or Sveta Petka) was put, who in the western, catholic church is not existing, donated her whole life to the Christianity, popularized it and lived in a very poor condition and died very young. Right from these icons, in front of the side gate, a martyr, Demetrius of Thessaloniki can be seen, who is the patron of the soldiers, citizens and shepherds. He was killed, because he helped a gladiator to become Christian in the catacombs, who killed the Roman emperor's best warrior. Right from this icon 7 "pictures" can be seen, among them is the oldest one. The 400 year-old, Russian originated icon on the right side was very likely made by a follower of the well-known Russian master Andrei Rublev and shows us the face of Jesus Christ. The Holy Mandylion or Veronica's shroud tells us the story of the death of Jesus Christ. Before he was crucified on the Golgotha, towards there a woman called Veronica wiped his sweltering face, and the imprint of Jesus’ face remained in that shroud. It is told, that this kind of pictures are not made by humans. The coronation of Virgin Mary by the Trinity is under this icon, which symbolizes the rewarding of the mother of Jesus in heaven because of her vicissitudes on the Earth. John the Baptist is left from these pictures at the top of the wall, who baptized Jesus at the Jordan River. He was beheaded, and held his own head in a tray. The crucified Jesus Christ is under this picture, at his legs Virgin Mary and John the apostle are standing. Under this the Feast of the Cross can be seen. The stoneing of Saint Stephen by the Jews in A. D. 34 is left from this picture, who was the first Christian martyr. His unsuccessful attempt to evangelize the Jews was honoured by killing him. Above this picture Saint George is, a military saint, who on the overleaf is portrayed as he is killing that dragon, which symbolizes his war against the pagans.

Above and next to this icons the Trinity and The coronation of Virgin Mary are. The crucified Jesus on a cross and the coronation of a medieval Serbian king, Stefan Dečanski are on the left side. This emperor got his agname from a monastery which he founded in Dečani, Kosovo, which is still existing and working. Right from these icons, under the glazed display, in front of the side gate, a lot of old religious books together with different objects from the liturgy ceremony are exhibited. Two gospel books, a Liturgikon (Book of divine services) from 1702 from Lvov, Homilies of St. Gregory Theologian from 1656 from Moscow, a silver candlestick, a silver vessel for Holy water from the XVIII. century, an aer (lerge veil) from the same century and the foundation plaque of the Szeged Upper-city church from lead were reserved. Nine other icons are between this display and the throne of Virgin Mary. Under the biggest one, The creation of the world, these icons were put: three Jesus Christ, two Ignatius of Antioch, one Simeon Stylites, a Saint Stephen icon and an engraving from the Three Holy Hierarchs. Walking to the pronaos, we have to step again a stair higher, which has a meaning, that men are taller a head to the women, but because of this "floor-difference" everybody becomes "equal" in the church.

The white-clothed Saint Sava is at the top of the wall on the left side, under him several icons are from different origins and dating from different periods which were given to the church by prayers who became wealthy from industry and trading and are mostly portraying Virgin Mary with the little Jesus Christ. Under Saint Sava, from left to right, we can see Lebanese, Egyptian and Serbian icons. The Egyptian, a rather unusual, made by coptic orthodoxes, the Black Madonna is one of the most interesting artwork of the church, where Virgin Mary and Jesus were painted black-skinned.

The Black Madonna

It is the replica of the famous miraculous Theotokos Icon of Brno (Czech Republic). On the left side 4 other icons are. The two on the sides are from Kosovo and were brought to Hungary when the Serbs left with their patriarch that territory during the Great migration of the Serbs. The coronation of Virgin Mary is at the top of the wall, under it a Bleeding Mary on a forehead is, an orthodox replica of the pictures of Krisztinaváros and Makkosmária is. It is the memory of the pilgrimage of the Serbs, who went to Buda to these two pictures, asking the help of the God because of different epidemics ( plague etc.) and illnesses.

Bleeding Virgin Mary

At the top of the wall on the right side Saint Nicholas is in a pinky cloth. Under him from left to right Arabic, syrian, and armenian icons were put. On the right side again a browny Arabic icon is, under it a mirror is, where Saint George is engraved to a glass, as he is killing the dragon. In the center Saint Paraskeva is watching us, under her an old-Slavic writing was put, which is the copy of the foundation plaque of the tower, right from this an icon is donated by a Serbian tradesman Petar Grujić from Szeged from 1897, under it the crucified Jesus can be seen. Some interesting things can be surveyed in the two glazed displays. A gilded silver artoclasia tray (for the blessing of the five loaves) from 1717 is in one, which symbolizes, that Jesus Christ at one time from 5 breads and 2 fishes could feed 5000 people as the Bible says. Around this object a golden Gospel Book from Moscow from 1745, a silver baroque candlestick, a collection tray from the XVIII. century, three angel-patterned chalice veils from the XVIII-XIX. century, a hand-washing vessel for the bishop from the early XIX. century and a silver lantern from the same century were reserved. In the other display we can see again two Gospel Books decorated with precious metals from Moscow from the XVIII. century, an old-slav Prayer Book from XVII. century, 3 angel-patterned chalice veils from the XVIII-XIX. century and some belts (or zones) were put. Walking out the church, toward the back gate, on the left side we find a little "room", where the prayers can light their candles in a metallic stay above for the living people and underneath for the deceased ones. We can see here also a huge flagstone from 1797, which informs us on old-slav and latin language, that next to the church, near to the Hild-gate a church school existed in the older times, where the priests taught the young Serbs on Serbian, old-Slavic, Latin and Hungarian language.

Good to know

On the church, from outside, a lot of tombstones and memory tablets were built in the walls. Right from the back-gate a stone-tablet was put, which remembers on the 300th anniversary of the Great migration of the Serbs. On the south frontispiece, from the Somogyi street a national monument title informs us when the church was built and from its tower built in copf style. Next to the side gate a cross was built in the wall in 1774, which is a tombstone exactly, the other title remembers on the building of the church on old-slav language, dated to the 27th of June 1778. In this "writing" in the upper part we can read a short citation from the 8th poem of the 25th psalm. Here we can see also a tablet for the memory of the death of Dr. Veljko Ž. Nikolašev (03. 01. 1979.), who was the only son of the former paroch of Szeged, Živan Nikolašev. A tombstone, put by his mother, wife and two daughters, is remembering on Mihail Živanović (09. 04. 1822), who died very young, at the age of 30. Walking toward the Hild-gate, we find the tombstone of a previous priest of Szeged, Prokopije Radulović, who died at the age of 67 in 1825. The tombstones of Georgije Veselinović (1841) and his wife Vireavija (maternity name: Pavlović, 1831) are not far from him. The light-green building against the back gate is the parochy. The Serbian orthodox priest lives there, and on the first floor a Serbian Club is working, which gives home to several Serbian or Serbian-connected books and cultural events. A Serbian Cyrillic writing in front of the door from 1910, remembers on a school which was in this building, and on the priest, educator and the name of the people, who helped to build up this house. The church originally had 5 bells, as it is written in 1781, but in 1820, a huge storm destroyed all of them, except the biggest one. Later, the prayers collected donations for 4 new bells, but when the World War I came, all the bells were taken away and were made weapons from them. For more than 90 years, until 2007, the church did not have any bells, at that year, thanks to the donations of the people and to the city of Szeged a new one was bought.[2][3] Serbian Orthodox Days are held, as a charitable event in the church and its garden, with the aim to present the Serbian culture, belief and traditions.

Jószai Sándor's icon exhibition on the II. Serbian Orthodox Days

On the first orthodox days, held in 2011,[4][5] donations were collected for the wall built around the Serbian cemetery in Szeged,[6][7] on the second one, organized in 2015,[8][9] a new(er) bell was aimed.[10][11] The Serbian church of Szeged is also in use today, not a lot of Serbs are living in this city nowadays, but mostly on every Sunday and if there is a bigger holiday, on weekdays there are liturgies. The Serbian orthodox church of Szőreg (today, thanks to the urbanization, it is the part of Szeged, the church is about 10 kilometers from the center of Szeged) also belongs to the Serbian priest of Szeged, monthly at one time he serves a liturgy there.

Montly at one time a Romanian orthodox liturgy is served in the Serbian orthodox church of Szeged (mostly at the fourth Sunday in every months) and very rarely there are Greek ones and Georgians.

A bigger holiday of the church is at the 22nd of May, when the prayers remember on the patron of the church, Saint Nicholas. At this time milk-loaf and koljivo (Serbian sugary "food" from cereals and walnut etc.) consecrations are.

The church was robbed several times, some of the most valuable objects were stolen which has not been found yet.

Priests of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church(es)

Period Name
1690- Kuzma
1692- Neško
1714- Mojsije
1724- Božidar Lazarević
1727-1733 Georgije Radosavljević
1727–1733 Arsenije Vasilijević
1734-1744 Arsenije Živković
1741–1759 Jovan Slivinski
1742–1773 Jovan Popović
1760-1770 Teodor Veselinović
1768–1770 Mihail Živanović, deacon
1770-1810 Mihail Živanović
1781–1791 Jovan Ostoić
1785–1825 Prokopije Radulović
1794–1796 Mihail Krekić, deacon
1810– Evtimije Gojković, paroch of Martonoš
1810- Simeon Sarailić, monk, priest
1811-1812 Atanasije Vlahović
1812- Vasilije Vukailović, chaplain
1814–1829 Dimitrije Dimitrijević
1823-1830 Grigorije Kovačić
1830–1833 Grigorije Popović
1833- Dimitrije Janković, paroch of the Saint archangel Gabriel and Michael church
1833–1834 Aron Krestić
1834–1844 Pavle Stamatović
1844-1870 Aleksandar Vuković
1868-1883 Isidor Zubanović
1875-1876 Isaija Maoduš, monk, priest of Privina Glava
1883- Gervasij Teodorović, monk, priest
1883– Petar Petrović, paroch of Martonoš
1884–1896 Đura Jevrić
1896-1923 Lazar Šević
1923-1936 Stevan Đurđević
1936-1948 Milan Grunčić
1948-1984 Živan Nikolašev
1984-2007 Branislav Galić
2007- Pavle Kaplan/Káplán Pál

Priests of the Saint archangel Gabriel and Michael church

Period Name
1744-1749 Josif Vitković
1747-1756 Blagoj Dimitrijević
1757-1761 Andrej Avramović
1762- Teodor Veselinović, paroch of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church
1762- Jovan Popović, paroch of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church
1763–1765 Jovan Petrović
1765-1766 Atanasije Popović
1765– Roman Božić
1766–1776 Jovan Ostoić
1783-1785 Prokopije Radulović
1785–1804 Prokopije Radulović, paroch of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church
1811-1812 Jovan Janković
1812–1819 Sava Gašparević
1819– Dimitrije Dimitrijević, paroch of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church
1819–1824 Prokopije Radulović, paroch of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church
1820–1824 Teodor Borišević
1827-1830 Timotej Jovanović
1830– Grigorije Popović, paroch of the Saint Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church
1830-1832 Petar Janković
1832-1834 Dimitrije Janković
1846–1848 Stefan Paču

Image gallery

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Levéltári Nap Szegeden – középpontban a kisebbségek és az ökumenizmus + FOTÓK" (in Hungarian). Szegedma.hu. 11-10-2015. Retrieved 2016-10-21. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ↑ "Harangot szenteltek" (in Hungarian). Delmagyar.hu. 10-02-2007. Retrieved 2016-07-14. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ↑ "Összefogás a szegedi szerb templom harangjáért" (in Hungarian). Szegedma.hu. 2013-05-26. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  4. ↑ "Burek és tánc a szerb ortodox templomnál" (in Hungarian). Delmagyar.hu. 2011-07-31. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  5. ↑ "Szerb Ortodox Napok a kultúráért és a temetőért + PANORÁMA" (in Hungarian). Szegedma.hu. 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  6. ↑ "Kaput szenteltek" (in Hungarian). Delmagyar.hu. 2011-10-21. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  7. ↑ "Szerb Ortodox Napok – Jótékonysági rendezvény a temető javára + FOTÓK" (in Hungarian). Szegedma.hu. 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  8. ↑ "Дани православља у Сегедину" (in Serbian). Politika.rs. 2015-08-18. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  9. ↑ "Dani pravoslavlja po drugi put u Segedinu" (in Serbian). Rtvcitysubotica.com. 2015-08-17. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  10. ↑ "II. Szerb Ortodox Napok a templomharangért (FRISSÍTVE)" (in Hungarian). Szegedma.hu. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  11. ↑ "A szegedi szerb templom harangjára gyűjtenek + FOTÓK" (in Hungarian). Szegedma.hu. 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2016-07-14.

References

External links

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