St. Panteleymon of Ohrid -
Let It Be What Was
(Forum 26.07 – 29.08.2002) - There is an unusual phenomenon in Macedonia. Things are either very young or very old. The monastery erected by St. Clement at Plaosnik, which will soon be completely restored, definitely belongs to the latter -
Clement stayed for very short time on Prince Boris’s court in 886 after he had been expelled from the Czech Principality of Moravia. He spent only a few months in the Bulgarian capital Pliska just to recover from his travelling ordeals from Rome to Belgrade through Bohemia and Panonia, the areas where he had been spreading Slav literacy. He gained new strength and the very same year was sent to the city of O’Hrid to be a teacher and educate deacons. His two hagiographies – which Macedonians have not been able to read integrally yet – say that he educated 3,500 young teachers who scattered throughout the country to disseminate Cyrillic script. Thousand-year-old Lihnidos had already been populated with Slavs who had assimilated the indigenous population in Debarca area, which stretched to the Albanian Devol (Devil) River in Korca Field.
Shepherd Clime acted amongst the Ohrid herd in two intervals. The first lasted for eight years when the Saint was an enlightener, that is teacher. In 893, there was a change on the Bulgarian throne. Boris, who had erected Ohrid cathedral of St. Sofia was replaced by his son Simeon. He shortly recalled Clement to Pliska, but only to promote him into a bishop. Thus Clement was the first Slav vladika in the world. His diocese was first the region of Dragovitja, east Macedonia, only to be extended almost to Duress. So, Clement returned to his favorite Ohrid where he stayed until his death in 916. He himself chose the place for his grave and his remnants are still at Plaosnik.
From Basilica, Dionis’ Temple Became a Mosque
If there is a place that can match Athos on the Chalcidice in sacredness, it is Plaosnik. It is incomprehensible and at the same time so magical when one thinks of how much divine energy has been laid on this piece of land in the Town of Ohrid. We are talking with Pasko Kuzman, Director of the Museum and Institute in Ohrid on the history of Plaosnik, where restoration of St. Panteleymon Monastery built by St. Clement around 11 centuries ago is near completion. Over fish stew and trout at the St. Sofia restaurant, the prominent archaeologist tells a story of these magic holy places. He says that Plaosnik has nine cultural horizons. First, there are remains of pre-historic civilization in the lowest layer followed by a layer from the ancient period. That was the time of Lihnidos, where I suppose there were temples as well – Plaosnik was a sacral place for the Hellenized pagans. Dionis’ Temple is supposed to have been located there.
Then, in early Christianity at the end of 4th and in 5th and 6th centuries – around 300 years – Plaosnik got its physiognomy of a sacral structure. Archaeological excavations confirmed that two monumental early Christian basilicas were built there. The North one was polyconcave with a four-leaf clover and rich mosaic floors. This church is very important because such churches are rarity in these areas.
On the venue of subsequent Clement’s church, a little southward from the polyconcave church, the so called five-nave Early Christian basilica (scientifically, comprising a “nose” of five naves, an apses, narthex and atrium) existed. This one was really a monumental church structure with gigantic proportions not seen anywhere in the Balkan Peninsula.
This mammoth construction encompassing the whole area of Plaosnik ceased to exist around 6th century. Scientists and researchers say that around 7th century a small three-leaf church was erected in the central nave of the five-nave church. It had three apses as three-leaf clover. At the time of the Slavs in the dark period of 7th, 8th and early 9th centuries, it was neglected and ruined. Until in 886 St. Clement restored it. Let’s not forget that Ohrid was then already populated buy Slavs, but they hadn’t been Christianized yet. So, Clement restored the small church and extended it to the West. It is the structure Mr. Kuzman’s team is restoring now. In the south part of the altar, the Saint chose a place for his grave where he was buried in 916. His grave is still there.
Somewhere between 1480 and 1490, St. Panteleymon was grounded by the Ottomans and replaced by Sultan Mehmed Mosque. The remains of the mosque stood there till 1999 when they were dislocated. In 1943, Grigor Prlicev’s son , Kiril, was appointed a civil servant in the Antiquities Bureau, the branch office of the National Museum in Sofia by the Bulgarian authority. He started to examine the location and found St. Clement’s grave. The revelation was later published by academician Dimce Koco in the Annual Anthology of the Faculty of Philosophy in 1948.
The Most Beautiful Macedonian Church
Those citizens who haven’t been to Ohrid this year will be astonished by the sight. Varos (the old town) seems as if being some other old town. Wonderful antiquities sprout in many locations that were covered by earth for centuries – the Antique Theater, the interior of Samoil Fortress, St. Bogorodica Periplevta’s yard. “We suffered looking at how these beautiful structures were battered and slowly vanished in front of us,” says Pasko Kuzman. Now, time has come when what we have dreamt of for all our life – an action for protection of Ohrid cultural heritage – is coming true.
All particles from the Ohrid historical treasure are magnificent in their looks and importance. But, what makes one breathless is St. Panteleymon church. We take liberty to say that it will be the most beautiful religious structure in the Republic of Macedonia. One can hardly find words to describe its beauty. The temple is restored according to the shape, thickness and arrangement of the foundations which were there until the restoration work started in 2000, as well as the parallels with the surrounding circle of churches. Its proportions are: around 34 meters long, 17 meters wide, and 14 meters high – 17,5 with the cube and the bell tower. The building offers a delicate contrast with the lake horizon in the background making an ideal trinity with St. Kaneo and Samoil Fortress. When one imagines that the temple has been restored on the basis of the old monastery built by Clement Ohridski himself, the fascination knows no end. Especially given that new architecture is made with old rock dispersed around Plaosnik.
Sanctifying the restored Orthodox castle will happen two days after St. Clement’s Day – 11th August. Until then, mounting the final pieces of the bell tower and cleaning the last mosaics (by numberless people when we were there) will be completed. Then, we will be able to cross ourselves and take Communion at the same place our ancestors used.
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