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MONASTERY VOJLOVICA

 

It is situated on northern side of Pancevo, within the industrial circle of Pancevo’s raphinery. A small village Starcevo is 5,5 km away from it, and the mouth of two rivers, Tamish and Danube, is only 4 km away from it. According to a legend it was built in 1393. Monastery was burnt in a fire and it was renovated several times. Its foundation belongs to school of Rashka. This monastery is mentioned in many earlier documents and it is one of the oldest archeological monuments of Pancevo.

Mentions and historical data: The monastery Voilovica was indirectly recorded for the first time in 1530. This is the oldest reliable record of today’s Pancevo for which it is quoted that it originates from this monastery. The oldest certain mention of the monastery comes from 1542 and it is established on the observation note taken from the collection of Bozidar Vukovic, published in Vienna from 1536 to 1538.
" I, sinful monk Parentie, a prior of monastery Voilovica, bought this book for twenty crowns from monk Ilarion.In 7050, since the world creation, and in 1542 since the Christ’s birth, there were 36 monks, deacons and monarchs who lived with me, at that time."
In Turksh cadastre there is a document which dates from 1566/67. It is quoted there that a monastery with a church of holy arhangels, situated near Pancevo, is accomodated by three monarchs who pay off annual tax of 500 akes to the emperor’s accounting division. In 1567(the same year) , kir Sava , a sinful prior, is mentioned.
A Turkish document, written in 1579/80, records that the amount of tax giving remained the same and that brotherhood of monasteries is consisted of six monarchs together with a prior.

XII century: A book called SKAZANIE ( it is written at the end of XV century or at the very beginning of XVI century and tells about the holy mountain in Athens) is connected to the monastery Voilovica. This valuable book is kept in a public library in Sophia. Information from the beginning of this century is saved, it is possible that this information comes from1607. According to it, there was a monastery school in Voilovica at that time. In the middle of XVII century the following note observation was written:
" I, sinful Ananie monk in Sudenica, bought this prologue from bishop Joseph for ten crowns in1652 in the month of August in monastery Voilovica."
In 1672, a note observation was written by one official magazine. According to that note protector Pamfutie gave the book (mentioned above) as a present to monastery Voilovica. In 1699, a prior of Voilovica, Victor, and 19 monks are mentioned. At that time the regularly paied a tribute to the Turcs. A sear with the inscription which originates from the very end of XVII century or from the very beginning of XVIII century says: "This is a seal of monastery Voilovica, a temple of the holy Archangels."

XVIII: There is the following inscriptin written on one of the oldest preserved tombstones: "Stevan Obradovic, 1701." A book called ‘ The interpretation of Gospel’ was bought for the monastery in 1709. Here is the inscription which was written on one of the monastery crusifixtion: ‘This is a crusifixtionof a prior monk, kir Anastasie, who was born in Voilovica’.This inscription was written in 1710.
Toponym of Voilovica was recorded on one old geographic map of Pancevo area from 1723 to 1725. In 1727/28 Georgie Moshopoilac, both silversmith and goldsmith, shackled and decorated one gospel which had been bought in Moscow for the monastery three years before. Prior Ignatie was very pleased with this. In 1730, Mika, a prior of Voilovica, gathered the monks , renovated and covered the church construction. He organized the rebuiding of monastery cells. In 1740, the customhouse in Opovo informed the administration in Temishvar that one of the monks had drunk more vine barrels than it was allowed and taht they had been taken away from him. In March in 1743, monastery was temporarily closedby the military authorities. The tombstone of ‘master’ Diamandia Nikolaevic dates from 1747, and the tombstone of Georgie Itemanda dates from 1748. Both of them were monastery protectors and of Greek origin. The former prior of monastery Hilandar, Arsenie, died in 1755.
The borders of monastery property were changed and drawn in 1765.According to these changes, the property eaw cosisted of plowed fields, pastures and woods. Its size was 1153 acres.

XIX: Pavle Hadzic was buried in the monastery in 1820. Joanikie Miljkovic, a prior, died in the monastery in 1822.

XX: In 1913, the monastery possesed 1230 acres. In 1914, the monastery has been closed down for two years. Between the two wars, from 1923 to the internation into the concetration camp Pahao, Serbian prior Gavrilo Dozic and his associates were emprisoned in Voilovica.

Sufferings: Monastery, church and numerous monks were destroyed in 1716 when the Turcs were retreating from these regions. The church was destroyed again in 1738 during the Austro-Hungarian war. The monastery was destroyed in 1788 during the war with the Turcs. The church and the buildings, where monks slept, were even burnt down. It is likely that arches and piers of the monastery have suffered demolition during the last ten years of XIX century.

Construction renovations and enlargements of the monatery:   In 1783, the church was immediately renovated after it had been destroyed. Prior Pasie Milutinovic organized larger renovations. In 1755, he built today’s predpirata onto the church. Its longitude was about 6, 65 m. In 1791, prior Nukanor renovated the church and the buildings where monks slept because they had been destroyed in 1788. Prior Jokanie Miloikovic, who became the headof the monastery in 179, built more buildings for monks and decorated the church interior.This prior was mentioned in 1808.
Today’s holy dinning table, which was made of marble, dates from 1816. Tall belfry ,with a part of new priprata, was built onto the church in 1836. The newly made or added building on western side dates from 1841. In 1890, a small ‘chapel with a mill’ was built and added to the monastery property.This chapel remained till today. The monastery buildings where monks slept got their final look with all the renovations and enlargements from 1909 to 1911. This confirms that the situational plan from that period has been reserved. In 1981/88 the monastery was renovated for the last time.

Traditions: There are several traditions about the origin of monastery Voilovica.

  1. The monastery was founded by despot Stephan Lazarevic, a son of prince Lazar. This legend says that he founded the monastery when he became the independant and got power over Belgrade and Macva from Hungary.
  2. The monastery was founded by the refugees who crossed Danube with Nicola Skobalic, a vassal of prince Stephen, after the battle at Lebone.This tradition is connected to the end of XIV (possibly around 1393). The mentioned immigrants brought the iconostas of monastery Voilovica with themselves. According to these iconostas the monastery got its name.
  3. There is a tradition, which dates from the end of XVII century, that says that the monastery Voilovica with the church was dedicated to the archistratists.
  4. There is a legend which says that the monastery was founded by the Serbian monarchs , who ran away from southern regions to Hungary and were given help by despot Sephan Lazarevic.