“Following the Path of Dicho Zograf”
Second Minor Rekan Scientific Conference
From October 5th to 9th, the Holy Monastery of Bigorski hosted the Second Minor Rekan Scientific Conference, themed “Following the Path of Dicho Zograf”, with the blessing of our jurisdictional Metropolitan Mr. Timotej of Debar-Kičevo and under the blessing and initiative of Bishop Mr. Partenij, in collaboration and organization with Prof. Dr. Sašo Cvetkovski. This year’s conference commemorated the 40th anniversary of the episcopal consecration of our esteemed Metropolitan Mr. Timotej.
The ceremonial opening of this scientific gathering took place on October 5th in the courtyard of the “Saints Peter and Paul” church in the village of Tresonce, the birthplace of Dicho Zograf. A keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Sašo Cvetkovski, a research associate from the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts and co-organizer of the conference, attended by scholars, students, and locals from the “Brzovec” association. The opening featured the promotion of the Proceedings from the First Minor Rekan School “Following the Path of Dicho Zograf”. Additionally, a memorial service was conducted by a hieromonk from our brotherhood for the repose of the soul of the giant Dimitar – Dicho Krstev, our most renowned fresco painter from the 19th-century Renaissance period.
In the following days, five scientific sessions were held, featuring several notable names from the fields of art history and architecture: Sašo Cvetkovski, Elizabeta Kasapova, Viktorija Grozdanova-Koceska, Vasil Gjorgjiev, Aleksandar Vasilevski, Emilija Apostolova-Čalovska, Darko Nikolovski, and Boris Markovski. On the first day of the Conference, our brother, Archimandrite Mr. Dositej, presented on the igumens of Bigorski – his area of expertise.
The scientific gathering concluded today in the presence of our elder and abbot, His Grace Bishop Mr. Partenij, who awarded specially prepared certificates to the participants as a token of gratitude for their participation. In his address, the Bishop warmly thanked the scholars for contributing through scientific conferences to shed light on the history of Bigorski Monastery and the Reka region in general. He wished them success in their noble endeavors and expressed his hope for such scientific gatherings to continue in the future, as they hold great significance for the Monastery and Reka. Furthermore, Bishop Partenij emphasized the importance of the initiative to return the icons stolen from this region by Albania, as they are precious artifacts and sources of our history. He called for greater scientific and social awareness of the significance of the Mijak region and more effort, care, and responsibility from the relevant institutions to preserve its invaluable cultural-historical heritage.
Finally, all participants of the Second Minor Rekan Scientific Conference visited Bigorski’s library.
