The direct protection of the St. Ilija church in Dojran, which represents a 19-century cultural heritage, has entered its final stage.
"The project implemented by the Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum in Strumica will be fully completed by the end of the year, to mark the memory of the 100th anniversary of the church's bombardment during the World War I, when it suffered serious damages and was put out of use. The unfortunate jubilee will be commemorated with the re-sanctification of the temple and the re-introduction of active service," the Culture Ministry said in a press release.
The first stage of the preservation activities covered the conservation of the originally kept floor parts and the restoration of the pieces that were missing. With this, the entire floor of the church was completely restored. These conservation and restoration activities were preceded by an archeological research of the space under the church, which have revealed older sacral construction structures.
The second stage entailed conservation and restoration of the church's eastern facade, whereas the interior walls of the edifices also underwent restoration. The door and window openings were reinstalled, as well as the staircase next to the narthex.
Now, the final activities regarding the conservation researches are taking place as well as the final touches of the inner walls' restoration.
The St. Ilija church in Dojran was built in 1848 with contributions collected by the local believes. The main architect was Gjorgje Novakov from the village of Papradiste near Veles.