The conservation project for the wall paintings of the Byzantine Church of St George in Kurbinovo, North Macedonia, carried out by the European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments (E.K.B.M.M.) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of North Macedonia, was completed in September 2026.
The church is one of the most important Byzantine monuments of Komnenian art to have survived within the territories of the Byzantine Empire. A substantial part of its original painted decoration has been preserved, and an inscription dates the monument to 1191.
As stipulated in the Memorandum of Cooperation between the two parties, in 2022 a conservation study was prepared by a team of E.K.B.M.M. specialists and subsequently approved by the competent authorities of the Ministry of Culture of North Macedonia. The first phase of the conservation of the interior wall paintings commenced in 2023 and involved consolidation and edge sealing. These works were completed in 2024. A conservation study for the exterior wall paintings followed, and the corresponding works were carried out in 2026.
The Board of Directors of E.K.B.M.M. and its Director express their great satisfaction with the long-standing and fruitful cooperation with the National Institute and Museum in Bitola (Monastir), which has resulted in the presentation to the public of the conserved 12th-century wall paintings, outstanding examples of the art of the Komnenian period.
To mark the completion of the works, an official visit took place on 9 October 2026, attended by Ms Lina Mendoni, Minister of Culture of the Hellenic Republic, and Mr Sedat Sulejmani, Minister of Culture, Tourism, Sports and Youth of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Those present included Ms Olympia Vikatou, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture; Professor Taxiarchis Kolias, President of E.K.B.M.M., Ms Flora Karagianni, Director of E.K.B.M.M., Ambassador Vasileios Xiros, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister of Culture, Mr Ioannis Maloukos, Ambassador of Greece to North Macedonia, Ambassador Michalis Rokas, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia, Ms Margarita Spasov, Director of the National Institute and Museum in Bitola, as well as other project partners and contributors.
During the visit, both parties expressed their highly positive impressions of the excellent results achieved through their joint efforts and stated their intention to continue their cooperation on other monuments as well.
