Two years after the Memorandum of Cooperation, signed by the President of the Administrative Board of EKBMM, Professor Natalia Poulou, and the Minister of Culture of North Macedonia at the time, Professor Irena Stefoska, the European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments has completed the first phase of the conservation of the frescoes in the Byzantine church of St. George in Kurbinovo, North Macedonia.
In particular, in accordance with the Memorandum of Cooperation, EKBMM undertook the preparation of a conservation study as well as the implementation of the project, with funding from the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports. The study incorporated all modern methods of examination and documentation of prior damages and interventions on the frescoes and was approved in winter 2023 by the Ministry of Culture of North Macedonia.
Shortly after, the first phase of the conservation works, performed by specialized Greek conservators of EKBMM, began, involving the consolidation and crowning of the frescoes. Starting July 2023, an extensive cleaning of the frescoes will be launched, which is expected to be completed within the year.
In the context of these works, on Monday, June 5, 2023, the Minister of Culture of North Macedonia, Ms Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska and her colleagues visited the monument and were acquainted with the conservation works by the Director of EKBMM, Dr Flora Karagianni and the scientific manager of the project, Ms Elektra Karagiannidou. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of Greece in Skopje Mrs. Sofia Filippidou and the Consul of Greece in Bitola Mr. Alexandros Vidouris. Special reference to the cooperation was made by the Director of the Institute of Monuments and Museums, Mrs. Meri Stoyanova and the officer in charge of the monument’s conservation on behalf of the Institute, Mrs. Olivera Makrievska.
The meeting confirmed the highly esteemed and so far effective cooperation between the two sides, as well as the will of both parties to continue working together for the benefit of the conservation and promotion of this prominent Byzantine monument.
