The Commission for Hilandar of the Government of the Republic of Serbia held a session on Mount Athos in the Hilandar Monastery, and the members of this body, chaired by the Minister of Culture Nikola Selaković, toured the works on the restoration of the monastery, one of the most important spiritual and cultural seats of the Serbian people, and determined that until by the end of the year, the buildings damaged in the fire 20 years ago will be completed.

The President of the Commission, Minister Selaković, pointed out that the Dohija building is completely finished, and that the Igumenary building, where the fire broke out in 2004, will be completed by the end of the year, as the last segment of the reconstruction of the burnt part of the monastery.

The minister announced that the task in 2025 will be a large project to build the treasury and depot of the Holy Monastery of Hilandar, and that he expects the work to begin by the end of next year.

"During these 20 years, the Government of the Republic of Serbia allocated 2,017,000,000 dinars. Also, in 2021, the Law on the Preservation of the Cultural and Historical Heritage of the Holy Monastery of Hilandar was passed, which will enable the following types of works, which will represent the seal of this present generation to which we belong in this Serbian national endowment, which from Nemanjić, through Obrenović, Karađorđević, until today, he nurtures and inherits Serbian spirituality, holiness, our Orthodox spirituality and culture," stressed Minister Selaković.

The Minister of Culture indicated that the Commission was happy to state that the previous works were carried out in a valuable, frugal and homely manner, and that this great task, which stood before our people and our country, had come to an end.

Members of the Commission, among them ministers Selaković and Nenad Popović, in addition to visiting the buildings of Dohija and Igumenaria and learning about the extent of the upcoming conservation and restoration works on the fresco-painting within them, visited the energy system - a hybrid system for the production, distribution and supply of electricity of the monastery, which was put into operation, the first of its kind on Mount Athos, which ensures regular supply of electricity to the monastery.

Also, the members of the Commission unanimously agreed on the further dynamics of the work within the design and technical documentation for the reconstruction of the monastery Treasury and the construction of the central depot, and determined that the start of the construction of the depot is planned for the second half of 2025.

The commission noted that the following have been renovated in the monastery: the Dormitory from 1814, the Great Dormitory, the White Dormitory, the Entrance Zone, as well as the completion of work on the Dining Room, the construction of a fire tank with a hydrant network, the construction and equipping of the central boiler room, as well as sewage network with collector and waste water treatment system.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia, through the Ministry of Culture, provided 90 million dinars in 2024 for the continuation of works on the restoration of Hilandar.

Source: kultura.gov.rs