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Wood-carving Fraternities

Wood-carving Fraternities The increasing prosperity of the population towards the end of the XVIII century created opportunity for erecting large churches and rich interior. Fraternities of wood-carvers, icon painters, mural decorators, and builders emerged. More often it happened that the teams were formed from all the arts and crafts, so they could work on a given church: its erection, mural decoration, painting of icons, carving of screens, ecclesiastical throne, predellas, and all the rest. The oldest family who engaged in woodcarving was the Zografs - Renzovs from the village of Tresonche. Silyan Renzov worked in Thrace (Odrin and Constantinople). His sons Jankul and Stefan worked in Thessaloniki, Seres and Drama. Damyan, the son of Jankul worked with the fraternity in the areas Thessaloniki, Gevgelya, and Ovchepole, then in Bulgaria - Samokov, Plovdiv and various other places. Damyan's sons Adrea, Gyorgi, Nikola and Kosta worked in Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Bulgaria. The eldest of them Andrea Damyanov was a the renown builder, Gyorgi the decorator and painter, Nikola the wood-carver and Kosta the organizer. Nikola Damyanov was also a member of the woodcarving fraternity of Petre Filipovich - Garkata and particpated in the creation of the wooden iconostasis of the church St. Bogorodica (Holy Virgin) in Skopje, the church St. Nicholas in Shtip, the church St. Bogorodica (Holy Virgin) in Novo Selo in the district of Shtip. The Frchkovski's from Galichnik also had a very good reputation . The eldest in this group was Blaze and his son Negrie. The son of Negrie Makarie Frchkovski participated in the creation of the iconostasis in the church of Salvation in Skopje as well as in the creation of the iconostasis, the thrones for the bishop and the abbot of the monastery St. John Bigorski and the Episcopal throne and the predella of the church St. Bogorodica (Holy Virgin) in Skopje, the iconostasis in the church St. Nikola in Prishtina. He also made furnishings for Amzi-Pasha'a residence in Saraj and mansions in Bardovci and Pazargik in the district of Skopje. The independent craftsman - woodcarver Dimitar Sharenkov came from this fraternity. His brothers Gurchin and Trayan who made carved iconostasis and roof-beams in Plovdiv and its surroundings continued the work of the team. One of the sons of Makarie, Kuzman Frchkovski made the bishop's throne and baldaquin in the monastery St. Gavril Lesnovski and later embarked on a large variety of activities in the districts of Kochani, Shtip, Ovchepole, Kratovo, Ohrid and Struga. In the cathedral church of St. George at Prizren he provided the ceremonial gates and the episcopal throne. He continued his work in Dobrudza and Balchik making icons which he signed as Kuzman Mariev Blazenov. The most significant woodcarvers fraternity of the XIX century is the Petre Filipovich - Garkata from the village of Gari near Debar. His first assignment at the monastery of Gabriel at Lesnovo (St. Gavrilo Lesnovski) gives evidence of considerable maturity clearly defined style. He was the principal craftsman of the iconostasis in the church of Salvation in Skopje which is considered one of the finest 19th century pieces in Macedonia. His brothers Marko and Makarie Frchkovski also participated in the construction of this iconostasis. In 1935 he completed the carving of the iconostasis and the thrones for the bishop and the abbot of the monastery St. John Bigorski. The masterpiece of Petre Filipovich - Garkata is the iconostasis in the church St. Nikola in Krushevo which was destroyed by fire during the St. Elias day rising Ilinden Revolution. Dicho Filipov and his son Avram from the village of Osoy near Debar worked with the fraternity of Petre Filipovich and made the iconostasis of the monastery St. John Bigorski. Avram's sons, Vasil and Filip worked in the church St. Bogorodica Holy Virgin in Skopje (1836) which was destroyed in 1944. The two brothers, Vasil and Filip Avramovski, were more concerned with carving beams, doors, cupboards in the living quarters of the monasteries and in the houses of the Beys living in Prizren, Gakovica, Prishtina, Skopje, Debar, Ohrid. The carved beams in the monastery St. John Bigorski is their work as well as the fine carvings of Osman- Bey in Ohird and Ismail Sarach in Debar. The clan Stanishevi, also known as Geshovci, from the village of Tresonche near Debar worked in the churches of Pirin Macedonia. Dimitar and Andon Stanishevi worked on the iconostasis of the church St. Bogorodica Holy Virgin, the monastery St. John Bigorski, in the Rilski monastery and many other. After 30 years of working together in the Garka fraternity Dimitar Stanishev formed his own fraternity. His personal achievements are considered to be the church (St. Blagoveshtenie) the Annunciation in Prilep and the iconostasis and episcopal throne in the church of the Holy Virgin (St. Bogorodica) in Kamensko near Ohrid, the iconostasis of the church of the Holy Virgin (St. Bogorodica) in Bitola, various pieces in the church of St. Elias (St. Ilija) in Radovishas well as the iconostasis of the church of St. Elias in Dojran which was destroyed at the time of the first World War. The fraternity Mirchevci with Malden and his son Despot from the village of Osoj produced carved roof - beams for the living quarters of the monasteries and for the houses of the local beys. His nephew carved roof - beams and interior decoration of the mosques. He worked in Tetovo for eight years with his fraternity on the Akip - Pasha houses and the Bal - tekye of Abdurman - the Beys mansions. The Decline of Wood-carving Following the great prosperity of the Mijak wood-carvers in the 19th century the early 20th century brought woodcarving at a perceptible decline but the woodcarving tradition never extinguished. The Angelkov clan from the village of Tresonche near Mala Reka in the Debar area were well known woodcarvers. Representatives of this clan were Angelko, his son Peter, nephew Kitan and great-nephew Andon. The Danilo fraternity was also from the village of Tresonche which consisted of the wood-carver Danilo and his son Mojso as well as Veljan Hristo Ognenov who formed the so-called Banska woodcarving school. The clan Ginovci from the village of Oslomej were famous for their carving skills. The clans Maksimov and Stefanov had their own carving fraternity. The Tanaskov family from the village of Smilevo were also renown. The Gare fraternity was from Ognyanovci. The carving clan Chukovci were from Lazaropole. In 1926 after the first World War the woodcarving school was established in Debar which was transferred to Ohrid and continued with its activities in the course of the second World War. Following the liberation it was transforemd into a wood carving studio called Andon Dukov with not more than 20 wood craftsmen working there. The studio's activity continued until 1962 when a number of the carvers went to work in the National Museum of Ohrid, while the others set up workshops of their own. Finally, in 1975 the Institute for the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Monuments and the Municipal Museum of Ohrid established a woodcarver's workshop in order to continue the tradition of the Macedonian woodcarving.