08.04.2022.
Chapel of St. George, patron saint of military, in Ružica Church being renovated
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, has visited today the Ružica Church at the Belgrade Fortress, one of the oldest in Belgrade, which was once a military chapel. There he talked to the clergymen about the renovation of the chapel and altar of St. George, the protector of the Serbian Armed Forces.
According to Minister Stefanović, it is important for us to know and preserve our history, so as to know, among other things, where we come from and what great heroes our ancestors were, but also to draw lessons from their experiences and ordeals and to use them as a guide to building a better future. Ružica’s spiritual and cultural heritage, he said, is extremely important in that regard.Archpriest Vladimir Vukašinović, the overseer of the church, has emphasized the ties between the church and the military during the periods of destruction and restoration that have marked its existence, and referred to the importance of the chaplain corps in the Serbian Armed Forces and cooperation between the two institutions.
The Ružica Church, situated below the Zindan Gate, is considered the oldest church in Belgrade. History shows that it has been demolished and rebuilt several times, and in the period from 1867 to 1869 it was transformed into a military chapel where the Belgrade garrison Army and Navy chaplains served. It was badly damaged in 1915, during the First World War, and it was completely renovated in 1925, thanks to the contributions made by the citizens of Belgrade, when it was given its current appearance.
Since it was a military place of worship, a part of Ružica’s interior is a massive chandelier made from the First World War trophy weapons, designed by the Kragujevac Military Technical Institute (today’s Kragujevac Technical Overhaul Institute). Austro-Hungarian grenades, rifle and pistol bullets and Serbian officers’ sabres were used for its construction, which makes it unique in the world, and candle wax constantly dripping on the weapons, like tears, conveys the message that war and its madness must never happen again. The icon at the entrance to St. George’s chapel, whose renovation is also being considered, was also made by the Kragujevac Technical Overhaul Institute.At the entrance to the church, there are two bronze statues representing two Serbian soldiers, one representing a medieval spearman from the time of Emperor Dušan, and the other a First World War Serbian infantryman. These sculptures were cast from artillery shell cases. Two of the initial six icons that Serbian soldiers brought with them, returning from Bizerte in Tunisia to their homeland, are kept in Ružica to this day.
PHOTOGALLERY
VIDEOGALLERY08.04.2022
mp4 (79,93 MB)The visit
