Scientific conference in honour of the 1000th anniversary of Bigorski has concluded

The First Rekan scientific conference,

Following the footsteps of Dicho Zograf


The scientific conference entitled: Following the footsteps of Dicho Zograf which was dedicated to the great jubilee – 1000 years since the foundation of the Holy Bigorski Monastery, and began on Monday, September 1st, today reached its ceremonial conclusion. The participants were greeted and blessed by our Еlder and Аbbot, Bishop Parthenius at the guest hall of the Monastery where most of the lectures were held.

At the opening of the event PhD. Sasho Cvetkovski, who was the initiator and organizer of this scientific event in honour of the millennium jubilee, together with our Elder, gave the first lecture on behalf of the scientist community. In his lecture, he made a brief recapitulation of the conclusions derived from the previous scientific lectures and expressed gratitude to Bishop Parthenius for the hospitality and support during the organization of the conference. Among other things, he emphasized the importance of the Bigorski Sanctuary throughout the centuries, especially during the 19th century, when the Monastery was the centre of cultural and social events in the Miyak region and continues to be the same today.

In addition, our esteemed guest, the President of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljupcho Kocarev, addressed the audience and expressed his feelings of awe by the sublime beauty of the Bigorski Monastery. He also conveyed his warm gratitude to Bishop Parthenius, giving him the credit for the spiritual and material resurrection of the Monastery in the past two and a half decades, as well as his great effort in multiplying its glory and magnificence. Furthermore, on behalf of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, he promised to gladly cooperate and support similar projects in future.

The closing remarks were made by the Elder and Bishop Parthenius, who took the opportunity to express his gratitude towards the scientists for their significant contribution to the celebration of the great jubilee of Bigorski. He also conveyed the greetings and blessings of our esteemed Metropolitan of Debar and Kichevo, Mr Timothy, and indicated how important it is for the competent institutions and individuals to help and support our cultural and historical heritage and have a proper attitude towards the monastic fraternities, which like living monuments preserve the sacred heritage of our ancestors. The Elder pointed out the essential importance of the Bigorski Monastery for the Macedonian cultural and spiritual revival and appealed for greater awareness regarding the importance that the Monastery had and still has in our society.

Finally, Bishop Parthenius presented the participants of the conference with special certificates for their attendance.