Art in the 13th and 14th century

The history of art of the Macedonian people represents the history of the ecclesiastical art (architecture, artistic creation, decorative plastic, and music) as known facts are vague on the profane art. Macedonian art trod its own path after the arrival of St. Clement of Ohrid to Macedonia.

A. Architecture

St. Clement erected his own triconchal monastery over the early Christian basilica beneath the Ohrid citadel (893). Apart from the triconchal edifices, cruciform - domed structures were also erected (the church Holy Mother of God Eleoussa (Our Lady of Compassion) in Velyusa). The most significant basilicas are: St. Achilleus on the island of the same name on Lake Prespa, St. Sophia in Ohrid, The Holy Mother of God on the village of Vranishta, near Struga and the basilicas St. Anargiri and Taksijaho in Kostur. The Archbishop Leo (-1037 - 1056) who followed the first Archbishop John, in the time of Samuel's bequest built the Ohrid cathedral of St. Sophia. St. Sophia is a trefoil basilica with a transept, a cupola, and a three-apse narthex. It served as a mosque during the Turkish rule. Its frescoes are the artistry of the Constantinople zographs.

Ecclesiastical Edifices

The Ohrid citadel was built with large square unrefined stone blocks. The citadeles of Skopje, Strumitsa, Shtip, Tetovo and Bitola are among the more significant erections. After Scupi was destroyed in the defense from the barbarian attack in the year 518. The samodrzec John used its remains to build the Skopje citadel in the year 1016.

B. Artistic Creation - Frescoes and Icons

The painting of this period was within the frames of the Comnenian style along with dramatic elements. The painters Micheal Astrapa and Eutychios worked on the frescoes of Peribleptos and were part of the group of painters who worked from Athos to Prizren. They painted the frescoes and icons of the monasteries and churches of Ohrid, Skopje and Bitola, then Pelagonia, Kostur, the monasteries of Clement and Nahum, Lesnovo and Treskavets. The portrait prevailed as the expression of artistic creativity in this period. The portraits of Milutin and Simonida of Staro Nagorniche, Dushan and Helen of Lesnovo, the despot Oliver of the Lesnovo Monastery, Volkashin and Urosh of Psacha, Vlatko and Vladislava of the church St. Nicholas, Psacha are among the most famous works.

C. Icons

All the Christian saints had icons of depending on necessity and role of the saint. The oldest icon in Macedonia is the one of the Christ Almighty at Holy Mother of God Peribleptos, made at the request of the Archbishop Constantin Kavasilas in the year 1262. D. Decorative plastic and sculpture Decorative plastic in Macedonia did not continue to live under the influence of Islamic art. The influence of the west was visible in the chapels on the columns of the stone iconostasis (St. Atanas in Leshok, St. Nagorichani) and the rosettes (St. Nicholas in Lyuboten and St. Atanasij in Leshok). Visokiot reljef - sculpture style. Most famous sculpture was the figure of St. Clement made of wood.

D. Artistic craftsmanship

Ceramics and gold craftsmanship were present. The are many findings of jewelry in the Slavonic necropolises such as earrings, bracelets, rings, filigree necklaces made in bronze and silver or silver and gold. The most significant gold artistic creation are the opkovi of the icons in the treasury of the church St. Clement of Ohrid in the 13th and 14th century.

E. Music

Music was one of the more significant disciplines at the University of Cyril where over 3000 students acquired their education. Music reached the peak of its growth in Samuel's State. John Kukuzel He used to work in Constantinople late 13th and early 14th century. He was born in Jermentsi near Debar. As a child he was taken to Constantinople where later he became the most respectable personage in Byzantine. Kukuzel is the founder of the Kukuzelov musical notes used by the Byzantine church. He was a contemporary musician in the intonation field who introduced modulations. He also introduced novelties to chanting by adding festal fragments to the church chants of the nasirhiris, tropars, kondacs and enriched the music with melodies and meliznis. The most recognized chants are Aniksantori, Poliley. Liturgia, Sviyeshche pororci, Vladiku and Svyashcheno nachalnika nashego, yutrenje, Vechernye, Golemo Iso, etc.

F. Literature

1. Transcribing centers in Ohrid, Mt. Athos, Lesnovo, Skopska Crna Gora where several transcriptions were transcribed at a time. 2. Gospels - the most eminent are the Dobromir's Gospel, the Ohrid Apostol (Acts and Epistles), the Bitola Triodion, Grigorvicheviot Paramejnik, the Slepche Apostol, excerpt from Octoih, the Gospel of Priest John, the Gospel of Dobreysha, the Vraneshnik Apostol, the Bologna Psalter, the Radomir's Gospel, etc. 3. Hagiography - works that spread Christianity by stressing the importance of the men of faith that renounced the joy of life for eternal life. The most significant hagiographies are The Miracles of St. George and the Dragon, Written Testimony of Aleksia, the Man of God, The Panonian Legends (based on the life and work of Cyril and Methodius), Comprehensive Written Testimony of Clement and Nahum of Ohrid. Theophilact and Chomatianus wrote The Concise Written Testimony of Clement of Ohrid, Nahum's Written Testimony and The Comprehensive and Concise Written Testimony of Clement of Ohrid in Ecclesiastical Greek. Domestic hagiographies are Written Testimony of Prohor of Pchinya, Written Testimony of Joachim of Osogovo, Written Testimony of Gavril of Osogovo, Written Testimony of Hilarion of Meglen. 4. Apocrypha - they are divided into old heresy and new heresy. The old heresy apocrypha in Macedonian literature are the texts on the Patriarch Avram: Writ on Avram and Sara, Slovo on How Sara Taught her Husband Avram, Writ on the Life and Death of Avram, Avram's Revelation, Avram and Isaac, Slovo of the Holy Trinity. The new heresy apocrypha are: Poslanie of the czar Avgar to Islamic, Videnie of Apostle Paul, the Christ's Second prisestie, Miracles of the Holy Mother of God, Razumnik. 5. Prose and short stories entered the Slavonic literature through Byzantine and Latin literature. The works Troja, Alexander of Macedon, Varlaam and Joasif, Stefanit and Ihnilat were transcribed and read in Macedonian. The most popular short stories were Theophana the Innkeeper, Short Stories on Elladia, Miracles of the Holy Mother of God. The oldest document written in Cyrillic is the inscription on Czar Samuel's monolith from the year 993.