history
A SMALL SHRINE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE: A Fruška Gora monastery in the shadow of its more famous "brother" that leaves you breathless with its beauty
Located near Irig, on the eastern side of Fruška Gora, surrounded by pine forests, even today isolated and somewhat hidden from everything, the Staro Hopovo monastery has been silent for centuries. Although less known, it is forever fatefully connected to its famous brother Novo Hopovo, with whom, besides the name, it shares almost everything else - location, time of origin, benefactor, wars and post-war suffering, the saint to whom it was dedicated, as well as the one whose relics it guarded.
TL;DR
- Staro Hopovo monastery is located near Irig on Fruška Gora and is historically linked to Novo Hopovo.
- Both monasteries are believed to have been founded by Despot Đorđe Branković (Vladika Maksim), though the exact order is debated; Staro Hopovo is generally considered older.
- Staro Hopovo was initially dedicated to Saint Nicholas but was rebuilt in stone and brick in 1752-1756 and rededicated to Saint Panteleimon after an earthquake destroyed the older wooden church.
- The relics of Saint Teodor Tiron, now housed in Novo Hopovo, may have initially been kept in Staro Hopovo.
- During the 18th century, Staro Hopovo was poor and often functioned as a metoch (outpost) of Novo Hopovo.
- The monastery's architectural style is influenced by the Moravian school.
- Its valuable iconostasis, created in 1793, was destroyed during World War II, with surviving icons now in the Serbian Orthodox Church treasury in Sremski Karlovci.
- The monastery was looted and damaged during WWII by Ustaše forces, with its treasury lost and buildings destroyed.
- Following a period of neglect, a major restoration began in 2001, including repainting the church, installing a new iconostasis, and rebuilding the konak and bell tower.
- Since 2006, Staro Hopovo has operated as an independent monastery under the management of hieromonk Atanasije.