The Greek Ministry of Culture presented the 53 church treasures that Bulgaria returned to Greece after 109 years, including precious Byzantine icons, an episcopal throne, elaborate processional crosses and others.
The catalogued 53-piece collection includes church objects dating from the 16th to the 19th century. A wooden door inlaid with mother-of-pearl and bone, a silver revetment covering the icon of St John the Baptist, church vessels, vestments, an episcopal throne, a gate, reliquaries – one of which bears the date March 25, 1821, and a lectern are among the valuable ecclesiastical treasures that have returned to Macedonia from Bulgaria.
All the objects are of particular historical and artistic value, such as two pairs of liturgical fans, examples of ecclesiastical silverwork made of gilded silver and decorated with enamel. Around the central disc of each fan – alternately held by angels depicted in medallions and by hexapteryga (six-winged liturgical fans) – runs the inscription from the Hymns of Victory: “Singing, crying aloud, proclaiming and saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth.”
The fans date from the 16th century and are votive offerings of particular ecclesiastical, historical and archaeological significance. As the Culture minister explained, one pair belongs to the Monastery of St John the Baptist, while the other belongs to the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita, as it is believed to have originated from the Church of Saints Theodore.
Works of art
“These are truly unique works of art” Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni said. “They date from the 16th century and are made of gilded silver and enamel. They were donated by Gennadios, Metropolitan of Serres. These are among the objects that stand out not only for their ecclesiastical and religious significance, but also for their historical and archaeological value,” she said.
The silver revetment covering the icon of St John the Baptist, depicting scenes from his life, is also of particular importance. The sections being repatriated complete the devotional icon housed in the iconostasis of the Monastery of St John the Baptist, restoring it to its original form. The minister referred specifically to this item case, explaining why the return of the objects is not merely a matter of recovering individual works of art, but also of restoring the historical and liturgical unity of the monuments.
Two large processional crosses are also of exceptional craftsmanship. The older one, of the patriarchal type, bears representations on both sides, while its original decoration included precious stones and elaborate wirework known as filigree. The crown at its upper end, supported by angels, is another distinctive feature.
The collection also includes reliquaries that are important examples of fine craftsmanship, several of which were made by distinguished silversmiths and goldsmiths. The inscription bearing the date March 25, 1821 on one of them lends the object particular symbolic significance.
The treasures originate mainly from the Holy Monastery of St John the Baptist, the Monastery of Panagia Ikosifinissa and the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita, while one object comes from Naoussa. The ministry’s aim is for them to be returned to their original homes.
The history of the seizure and the return in 1923
The removal of the treasures from the churches and monasteries is linked to the activities of Bulgarian occupying forces in the early 20th century, which took ecclesiastical objects, sacred vestments, manuscripts and early printed books from monasteries in Macedonia. Under the Treaty of Neuilly, these cultural artefacts were to be returned to Greece.
An initial return took place in May 1923, when the Byzantinist Georgios Sotiriou received crates containing objects and manuscripts handed over by the Bulgarian authorities, without being given the opportunity to conduct further research in Bulgaria. According to the information presented by the minister, the consignment comprised 259 manuscripts, 62 objects and printed books, which were distributed among museums, libraries and other institutions.
However, many of the treasures were never returned. Some remained in Bulgarian collections, while others subsequently appeared in exhibitions or on the art market. The reappearance of manuscripts and treasures in the 1990s brought the issue of their return back to the fore, but did not lead to a comprehensive resolution.
According to Mendoni, the new agreement now creates the conditions for a more systematic effort to locate and document Greek cultural artefacts that remain in Bulgaria.
More treasures to be returned
In the next phase, Greece will gain access to church object catalogues and inventories, as well as the opportunity to examine the objects themselves, enabling Greek experts to establish their provenance and submit requests for their return. The process is expected to begin in late October or early November, in cooperation with the Bulgarian authorities.
The culture minister acknowledged that the task would be difficult, as the records kept by the monasteries before the looting are not always complete or clear. “The summary and indicative records, the clues and the ambiguities in the monasteries’ inventories before the theft make our task more difficult. Nevertheless, we will persevere,” she said.
At the same time, she rejected criticism that Greece was weakening its negotiating position by returning the remains of Tsar Samuel to Bulgaria under the agreement. She explained that the remains had been handed over to the Museum of Byzantine Culture only in 2012, after having been kept for a long period in the laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens and later at the home of Professor Nikolaos Moutsopoulos.
“The Church had nothing in its possession. The ministry of culture had Samuel’s remains, which we handed over to the Bulgarians. Do these particular remains mean anything to the Greek people?” the Minister asked, arguing that the agreement brought substantial benefits to Greece and the Church,” Mendoni said.
