Kulturarv utan Gränser
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Church of St Nikola
The monastery of Ozren, with its Greek-Orthodox monastery church, dedicated to St Nikola has medieval origins. It is located in the Ozren mountains in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The monastery church is registered as a Grade-1 monument according to the former Yugoslavian conservation programme and its greatest historical and cultural importance lies in its typical style and extensive frescoes
St. Nikola church in the Ozren monastery. Photo.
Mould problems
Although the building had been damaged by shelling during the war between 1992 and 1995, it had been blighted by earlier problems of damp which had affected the masonry as well as the interior with its murals. This is quite a common phenomenon in the region and the church was considered an interesting developmental project, in which problems due to damp could be a starting point for further discussions on the causes and measures needed to deal with and prevent such damage. A forum for such a discussion was begun at a seminar arranged by Cultural Heritage without Borders in Banja Luka in September 1999.
Building work completed by autumn 2000
During the winter of 1999-2000 Heritage Institute of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka carried out the projecting for the restoration of the building. The work started in August and was completed during the following autumn. The main project concerned the roof, that was in a bad condition and had suffered damage from the war. The chapel was given a completely new roof, including the frame and copper coating. In conjunction with this work, earlier cement repairs in the church's walls were removed and replaced with limestone. The ground level around the church was lowered; the drainage system has been re-adjusted, all to minimise the risks of dampness and therefore damage to the frescoes. However, Cultural Heritage without Borders decided not to participate in the proposals to reinforce the church with cement construction.
Name Church of St Nikola
Building Monastery church
Built Foundations from 13th century, re-erected in 16th century
Geographical location Ozren mountains, Republic of Srpska Bosnia and Herzegovina
Joint partner Institute for Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka
Local architect in charge Milijana Okilj, Institute for Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka
Project manager Pål Anders Stensson, Cultural Heritage without Borders
Funding Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency)
