Copies of Our Lady of Ljevis frescoes in northern Mitrovica

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - An exhibition titled 'Details of the iconography at the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis' has opened at the town museum in Kosovska Mitrovica, in cooperation with the Belgrade-based National Museum, as part of the events marking the Statehood Day of Serbia.

This year, the National Museum is taking part in celebrations of the Statehood Day of the Republic of Serbia with three exhibitions, and 'Details of the iconography at the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis: Copies of frescoes by Zdenka and Branislav Zivkovic' opened in the town museum in Kosovska Mitrovica on Monday.

Director of the National Museum Bojana Boric Bresovic noted that 40 copies of frescoes from the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis in Prizren are on display.

She noted that, 10 years ago, the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis was set on fire by Albanian extremists, but that thanks to Zdenka and Branislav Zivkovic, people can now marvel at the beauty of the wall painting that had been destroyed.

"This is not the first time that the National Museum is present in Kosovska Mitrovica. We would like this to become our tradition," Boric Bresovic said.

The Church of Our Lady of Ljevis in Prizren was erected in the early 14th century by Serbian King Milutin. It suffered massive damage during the March pogrom in 2004, when Albanian terrorists set ablaze 35 Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo-Metohija for just one night.

Certain examples of wall painting, such is the case with the magnificent frescoes of Our Lady of Ljevis, were preserved in the form of copies as tangible proof of the medieval style, spirituality and ideology.

The Church of Our Lady of Ljevis was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006.

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