The World of Serbian Manuscripts

  1. Lemma
  2. Svet srpske rukopisne knjige
  3. Serbian
  4. Stevanovic, Aleksandra
  5. Culture and national identities
  6. 30-4-2017
  7. Rakic, Zoran [Author]. The World of Serbian Manuscripts (12th–17th Century)
  8. The World of Serbian Manuscripts (12th–17th Century) - Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Cultural organization), 2016.
    1. Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Cultural organization)
  10. manuscripts

    1. “The World of Serbian Manuscripts” is a highly significant book testifying to the richness of Serbian medieval creativity canon. It is the result of the exhibition held at the Gallery of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, in Belgrade in August 2016. The exhibition was organized on the occasion of the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies (22nd –27th August, 2016).

      The exhibition and this book as its outcome were possible owing to the help of Central Institution for Conservation in Belgrade. Before the exibition, all the manuscripts had to be carefully prepared and secured due to their fragility and inestimable value. In addition, the Gallery had to be examined so as to define and customize the most suitable temperature and light. In these preparations, multidisciplinary studies and use of modern technologies for objects conservation were of vital importance to preserve the heritage of Serbia Orthodox heritage.

      The exhibition included plethora of manuscripts, liturgical books, typikons, gospels, tetraevangelions, menaions and priceless pieces such as Miroslav’s Gospel (one of the oldest Serbian Cyrillic documents, from the 12th century). The book consists of six papers depicting and explaining Serbian medieval legacy and Church heritage, and the catalogue itself and list of illustrations. It provides a very rich theoretical work on medieval manuscript heritage in Serbia encompassing about five centuries. Furthermore, it includes Serbian texts and English translations side by side so that wide audience may learn about the invaluable Orthodox heritage.

      This book and exhibition provide a very good instance of fruitful cooperation between medieval heritage and new technologies that help preserve it. Were there no new technologies to do so, the exhibition displaying some manuscripts dating from the 12th century would not have been possible.