Kuveždin Monastery
Kuveždin Monastery (virtual tour of Fruška Gora monasteries)
Construction time: according to tradition, 1520.
Founder: according to testimony, Serbian duke and despot Stefan Štiljanović.
The first written mention: in the cadastral register for 1566-67, as “Saint Sava Monastery, another name is Kuveždin near the village of Vođinci”.
The church is dedicated to St. Sava (January 14/27) and his father, St. Simeon Mirotočivi.
Years of destruction: destroyed in 1688, the Kuveždin monastery was destroyed by the Turks during their retreat; looted in 1941 by the Croation fashists (Ustaše), and then mined and destroyed in 1944.
Years of restoration: in 1743, the south lodge was repaired; In 1754, the church was plastered both inside and outside and the refectory was decorated. In 1770, the lodgings were added, 1779–1780. the porches were vaulted and a small cemetery chapel was built, and in 1810 a floor was built on the southern dormitory. Partial restoration of the church was carried out in 1973-1975, and complete in 1994, 1997 and 2006.
Architecture: calm and simple lines, classicist symbols and ornaments combined with a baroque understanding of the organization of space.
Iconostasis: the icons on the iconostasis were painted in 1772 by Janko Halkozović. This iconostasis was sold to the parish church in Opatovac in 1853, when a new one was made, for which the woodcarving was done by Georgije Devič, and the icons were painted by Pavle Simić. 22 out of 48 icons have been saved.
Paintings/frescoes: In 1853, the interior of the church was painted by the hand of Pavel Simić.
Holy relics: According to the visitation from 1771, Kuveždin has one finger from the hand of Saint Metropolitan Peter of Kiev among the holy relics.
Today: until the Second World War, the monastery consisted of a church with a bell tower, three wings of the inn, a corridor on the west side and economic buildings, and in 1944, all of this was demolished, so that today the monastery is gradually returning to its old form from the ruins. The church was structurally renovated, as were both wings of the inn. Further works are in progress, and the monastery complex can be seen in detail by visiting the virtual tour of the Fruška Gora monasteries.
From 1923 to 1941, the monastery was a women’s monastery, and now it is being restored by monks.
Superior: Abbot Varnava Lukić
Patron’s Day: Saint Sava (January 14/27)