Saint Joachim Osogovski - Osogovo monastery

elevation / altitude

830 meters

distance

2.21 km from main square / Kriva Palanka

visiting Saint Joachim Osogovski - Osogovo monastery

Guided tour, individual, access for invalids

  about Saint Joachim Osogovski - Osogovo monastery

Located 2 km away from the Kriva Palanka (then a half-hour walk up the mountain road). The nowadays monastery has two churches - the old one, Holy Mother of God, and the new one, St. Joachim Ossogovski. The new church was built between 1847-1851 by Andrea Damjanov. The most impressive wall paintings were done by Dimitar Andonov Papradishki. The remains of Joakim Ossogovski are to the right of the church entry.
The both churches from the 13^th and the 19th century aren't interesting as others in Macedonia, but the settlement is that, what makes the monastery special.
Most people go to church to avoid meeting Satan, but that’s not possible at Osogovo, where the Dark Prince peers out from the frescoes adorning the outside of the church.
It’s unusual to see frescoes on the outside walls of churches and monasteries, but even more unusual to see a Judgement Day theme. People were burning in hell, disfigured animals were torturing townfolk and the village was on fire.
Here are some gravestones next to the older of the two churches. The 19^th century church is filled with 19^th century religious frescoes, but pictures are not allowed. That's okay actually as they have been heavily restored. You can take pictures of the frescoes on the walls and roof of the church porticoes. This is one in the small portico dome to the right of the main entrance.