After the brief stop at the Monument to the Plague called "Kipovi" (Statues) on the Ruma-Irig road, I drove to the top of Fruška Gora and then continued for about 20 km westwards along the ridge road. The reason for this was that I wanted to see the European bisons that are kept in that part of the Fruška Gora National Park.
In recent years, there has been talk of the project to reintroduce European bison into the nature of Fruška Gora, following the example of the Białowieża National Park in Poland (see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/poland-9/). A few months before this trip, I had contacted the person running the project, who gave me the phone number of his colleague who could assist me more easily. So, during this visit, I met with the latter, and we drove together to the area where the bisons were kept until recently (now they have been released into a larger enclosed area). However, realistically, it was difficult to expect to see bisons in the middle of the day. They typically rest in the shade at that time and chew on what they’ve grazed until then. I will have to save this for a future visit to Fruška Gora National Park. Here are just a couple of photos from the area where the gamekeeper and I took a brief walk, more as a reminder for myself.
Fruška Gora NP, a detail
Fruška Gora NP, a detail
After the unsuccessful search for the bison, I drove back along the eastern side of the Fruška Gora ridge and then turned south towards Irig. However, my first stop was at the Novo Hopovo Monastery, a cultural monument and an immovable cultural heritage site of exceptional importance.
Novo Hopovo Monastery
Novo Hopovo Monastery
Fruška Gora Mountain is renowned for its monasteries – during the 16th and 17th centuries, there were as many as 35, while today, 16 remain active. I have already written about three of them previously (see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/fruska-gora/). Now it was time to visit the Novo Hopovo Monastery, which is first mentioned in written sources dating back to 1451. In 1555, the relics of Saint Theodore Tiron, the Holy Warrior, were brought here, which further increased the monastery's significance. On the site of an older church, a new one was built in 1576, and it is still standing today – this is the Church of St. Nicholas.
Novo Hopovo Monastery
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
When you enter the monastery courtyard, it can be a bit tricky to find the right angle from which you can fully appreciate all the impressive architectural elements of this structure. Therefore, it's essential to walk around the church and view it from all sides. What particularly stood out to me was the dome, with its slender and free-standing colonettes surrounding the drum, all elevated on a square-plan base.
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
The church has a developed triconch ground plan, with a narthex on the western side. In front of the narthex, a bell tower was erected in the early 18th century, while the bell tower visible in some of the previous images was built in 1998. New dormitories were also constructed in the mid-18th century.
When I entered the unusually spacious narthex, I was truly astonished – not only by the size and impressive nature of the space, but also by the frescoes painted here in 1654 by Greek masters. Some sections of the frescoes, particularly the standing figures, make them unique in the Serbian cultural heritage. There are also some rarely depicted cycles, making the frescoes here even more significant.
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
The frescoes in the naos were painted in 1608 by a different group of Greek painters, members of a travelling Greek workshop. As a result, they introduced other artistic patterns and influences typical of the southern parts of the Balkan Peninsula at the time.
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
I came here on a Sunday and it was a beautiful autumn day, so there were quite a few visitors at the monastery. Therefore, I tried to photograph the interior in such a way that I would capture as few people as possible.
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
Generally speaking, the monastery experienced a great flourishing in the 18th century, during which a baroque iconostasis was made in wood carving (1768), as well as the icons that can be seen within the altar partition, painted by the most prominent Serbian Baroque painter, Teodor Kračun (1730-1781), in 1776.
Novo Hopovo Monastery, a detail
The monastery church was set on fire by the Ottomans during their retreat in 1688, but it was rebuilt the following year.
From 1 July, 1757 to 1 November, 1760, Dimitrije Obradović (1739-1811) stayed here and it was in Novo Hopovo that he was tonsured and given the name Dositej, by which he became famous among the Serbs. He was a writer, philosopher and, above all, a prominent representative of the Enlightenment, regarded as the most learned Serb of the 18th century.
After visiting the church, I bought some of the products made by the monastery, then returned to the car. Although the next destination was not far at all, only 2.5 km along an asphalt road, due to the organisation of my time, I decided to drive there. The next place was the Staro Hopovo Monastery, which is also a cultural monument and an immovable cultural heritage of exceptional significance. I left the car in an improvised parking lot in front of the monastery entrance and continued on foot. It didn’t take long before I saw the bell tower and the Church of Saint Pantaleon.
Staro Hopovo Monastery
According to the oral tradition, the monastery was built between 1496 and 1520 by Despot Đorđe Branković (1461-1516), who later became a monk and took the name Maksim. However, these details are not certain, but the monastery is definitely mentioned in Ottoman documents from the 16th century. Originally, there was a wooden church dedicated to Saint Nicholas within the monastery, but it was damaged in an earthquake. In its place, a new church was constructed in 1752, which still stands today and is dedicated to Saint Pantaleon. The bell tower seen in my photos is of a more recent date.
Staro Hopovo Monastery
The church is quite small, with a rectangular ground plan, built of hewn stone and brick, and due to its proportions, it is dominated by the dome. I must admit that the disproportion didn't bother me at all – on the contrary, the church seemed charmingly small and compact.
Staro Hopovo Monastery
In the materials I used, as well as on the informational board within the monastery, there is mention of a richly carved iconostasis painted at the end of the 18th century, but it was not there when I entered the church. I assume that the original iconostasis was removed and moved to some church museum, while a new one was installed in its place, as it is evident that the frescoes are also of a more recent date.
Staro Hopovo Monastery, a detail
When I arrived here, I could hear chanting coming from the church and when I entered, I saw that a baptism of a little boy was taking place. It was all very touching, so I waited for everything to finish before I took any photos.
Staro Hopovo Monastery, a detail
I also took a photo of the fountain located between the church and the bell tower, and then I slowly made my way back to the car.
Staro Hopovo Monastery, a detail
Now I started driving back, first to the Novo Hopovo Monastery, and then to the main road between Irig and Sremska Kamenica, but I stopped briefly to take pictures from the car of the beautiful landscapes on the foothills of Fruška Gora, where a lot of grapevines are cultivated. As a result, this is an area where a lot of wine is produced.
Slopes of Fruška Gora mountain
Slopes of Fruška Gora mountain
Accordingly, I went for lunch at a restaurant that belongs to a well-known winery from this region. It was a good lunch, but not particularly spectacular. Of course, on this occasion, I couldn’t drink any wine or other alcoholic beverages, but that didn’t really affect my overall impression of the restaurant and the food. This is primarily because I personally find restaurants rather boring, especially when I have an active plan for detailed sightseeing.
So, after lunch, I went down to Irig and continued my exploration of cultural monuments. First, I drove to the House of National Hero Anka Matić-Grozda.
I have mentioned several times before the cultural monuments related to World War II and the national heroes who gave their lives for liberation. Most often, in this context, the cultural monuments are the birth houses of these undeniable heroes. What I want to say is that I don’t question their merits, but... As a rule, the only “merit” of their houses is simply the fact that they were born there or lived there for a certain period of time. These are usually not architecturally or culturally significant buildings, but rather their categorisation was ideologically motivated. (For those who are not familiar with the subject, “national heroes” were members of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) who distinguished themselves during World War II and their role in the fight for liberation was particularly emphasised during the socialist period). Very often, the current owners of these buildings either lack the money or the interest to maintain these houses, while the state isn’t particularly eager to deal with “fixing up” private houses whose societal significance has faded over time on the list of ideological priorities.
This is absolutely the case here as well. It is the house where Anka Matić was born in 1918. She became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) in 1940. Active from the very beginning of the war in organising youth and gathering weapons, in 1942, she joined a partisan detachment and fought in Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia. She died in combat during the liberation of Belgrade in October 1944. She led her platoon in an assault, after which she was severely wounded by the Germans. She died on the way to the hospital. She was only 26 years old. For me, she is a brave young woman who fought for her ideals.
As for her birthplace, it is a single-story building with an elevated ground floor. The street-facing facade features four double casement windows, but today it looks extremely dilapidated and quite unremarkable.
House of National Hero Anka Matić-Grozda
Very close to this cultural monument is another immovable cultural property of great importance. This is the Church of St. Theodore Tiron in Irig. The church was built during the 1780s. It is a single-nave building with a bell tower on the western side and a five-sided apse on the eastern side. When looking at its form and the way the facades are treated, it is clear that this is a typical Serbian church of the kind that was built in the Austrian Empire at the time.
As I gathered from the materials I used, its special significance comes from the interior decoration – the carved wooden iconostasis from the second half of the 18th century, the icons and the paintings in the choir apses from the late 18th century. The church also has wall paintings done in 1864, as well as some interesting furniture.
However, I couldn’t see any of this because the church was closed. Not just the church, but the entire churchyard was closed off. The only thing I could do was to take a picture of the church from the eastern side through the iron fence, while the problem was also the setting sun slowly lowering towards the horizon.
Church of St. Theodore Tiron in Irig
It was already clear to me that the next two destinations, both churches, would also be closed. It was Sunday afternoon and obviously this was not a good time for visiting churches. Still, I decided to go to both of them. The first one on my route was the Church of the Assumption of the Theotokos in Irig, which, as a cultural monument, is an immovable cultural property of great importance.
Church of the Assumption of the Theotokos in Irig
At least here the situation was better in terms of access. Although the entrance to the churchyard was still locked, I had a good view of the side of the church and the sunlight didn’t hinder me from taking photos.
The church was built between 1757 and 1760, and both the iconostasis and icons also date back to the 18th century. Its ground plan is similar to the previously seen one – a single-nave building with an altar apse on the east, which is five-sided on the outside and semicircular inside, and a bell tower on the west side. The facades are vertically divided by pilasters and horizontally by a socle and a profiled roof cornice.
On the northern side, there is a side entrance, above which is a niche with an image of the Assumption of the Theotokos.
Church of the Assumption of the Theotokos in Irig, a detail
Church of the Assumption of the Theotokos in Irig, a detail
The materials I had also mentioned the altar partition decorated with baroque and rococo woodcarvings, with icons that appear to have been painted at different times, but were later overpainted, as well as the wall paintings that were finalised in the early 1930s. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see any of that.
So, I just drove to the centre of Irig and parked my car, then continued my final sightseeing on foot. First, I went to the Church of St. Nicholas. Since this church is built on a slope, it can be accessed from both the lower and the upper sides. I chose the upper side and access to the church is provided by a wide staircase that runs alongside the churchyard fence. However, what struck me most here was, as it seemed to me, the unusually tall bell tower.
Church of St. Nicholas in Irig
This church is a cultural monument of great significance, built between 1732 and 1743, with the baroque tower added later.
Church of St. Nicholas in Irig
In addition to the strikingly tall bell tower, the church features a very beautiful dome with a twelve-sided drum decorated with colonettes.
The upper part of the facades is adorned with a series of blind arches.
Church of St. Nicholas in Irig
Here, I couldn't approach the church either, so I took a photo of the side entrance through the fence.
Church of St. Nicholas in Irig
Then I went along the fence to the back of the church in order to get a better view from that side.
Church of St. Nicholas in Irig
As can be clearly seen from the previous photo, it is a single-nave building with a five-sided apse on the eastern side, which is as wide as the nave.
In the absence of impressions from the interior of the church, the most striking features for me were still the dome and the bell tower.
Church of St. Nicholas in Irig
As for the interior, the high altar partition dates back to the 1770s. The iconostasis was renovated in 1827, when new icons were added. Few of the wall paintings that have been preserved in certain sections of the church date back to 1749.
Now I climbed back up to the upper street from where I had descended to the church, and then took a short walk around the centre of Irig. It was already late afternoon, Sunday, and the streets of this Syrmia town were almost empty except for me. That didn’t discourage me at all and I strolled around a bit, especially since the centre of Irig, as a spatial and cultural-historical ensemble, is categorised as an immovable cultural property of great importance.
From the late 18th century to the early 20th century, the core was formed in the town that was one of the most important commercial centres in Vojvodina, certainly the largest centre in Syrmia and Slavonia at the time. Today, there are several dozen individual buildings considered significant, scattered across a few central streets. On the other hand, I didn’t have a list of these buildings, while some of the street names have since changed, so I didn’t try to figure out which buildings these were.
Instead, I walked along the pedestrian street to the park in the centre of Irig, taking photos of some interesting details along the way, including my own shadow.
A detail from Irig and the bell tower of the Church of St. Nicholas
Irig
Shadow in Irig
Upon reaching the park, I simply made a circle around it and considered that enough.
Irig park
And yet, I did notice one detail. It was a fountain that, during my visit, was not working and I don’t know the reason for that, but it’s quite possible that it was because it was already late autumn and public fountains are often turned off to prevent them from freezing if the temperature suddenly drops.
Irig park, a detail
But, this small barrel on top of the fountain, along with the local claims that Irig is the wine capital and that the Irig wine region produces the best wines in Syrmia, Vojvodina and even all of Serbia, reminded me of an experience I had in the town of Ayegui in Spain during my pilgrimage in 2018. There is a public fountain there, the Irache Fountain, where passersby (pilgrims) can enjoy free wine. Of course, the wine from that fountain only trickles when the tap is opened, but it’s still there nonetheless (see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/spain-7/).
Well, the residents of Irig could introduce something like that as a part of their marketing, instead of just boasting. On the other hand, even in that case, I wouldn't have been able to try the wine on the spot since I still had to drive home. Enjoying the wines of the Irig wine region would have to wait a bit.
Now, I returned to the parked car and began heading home.
This was yet another very interesting trip and on the next map you can see the locations I visited on that day.
Oh, yes... Having returned home, I opened a bottle of wine from the Irig region and sipping it slowly, I once again let the wonderful images and impressions that have become a part of my memories spin in my mind.