Andrey Damyanov

Andrey Damyanov ( _bg. Андрей Дамянов) (Papradište, 1813–Veles, 1878) was a Macedonian Bulgarian ["120 years from the birth of Simeon Damyanov Zografov", Maria Paskaleva, "Macedonia" newspaper, ed. 24] architect, considered one of the most eminent Balkan master-builders. His works include more than 40 buildings, most of them churches.

Work and Legacy

As it was usual for the time, Damjanov and his team ("tajfa") traveled and worked throughout the region, whereby we find his works not only in (both Greek and Republican) Macedonia but in Serbia and Bosnia as well. His impressive oeuvre includes more than 40 buildings, most of them churches, notably the church of St. Panteleimon in Veles (1840), the monastery church of St. Joachim of Osogovo, near Kriva Palanka (1845), The Holy Mother of God in the village of Novo Selo near Štip (1850) and St. Nicholas in Kumanovo (1851) as well as his churches in Niš, Nova Crkva, Mostar, and Sarajevo (Saborna Crkva).

Origin

He stems from a family of builders and painters (the Damjanovi-Renzovski) originating in Western Macedonia; a region which - with centers like Kastoria, Kozani, Debar, or Korçë- had given birth to many an able artist in the later decades of Ottoman rule over the Balkans. Next to Nikola Fichev he is probably the best-known master builder/architect working in the Balkans at that period. He was the grandfather of famous Bulgarian architect and war-time officer Simeon Zografov.

References

External links

* [http://www.tresonce.com.mk/Andreja%20Damjanov-2.htm Life and Work of Andreja Damjanov on "TresoncheWeb"; in Macedonian, but including many pictures]