{{Short description|Monastery near Jakovo, Serbia}} {{Infobox monastery | name = Fenek Monastery | image = Fenek.jpg | caption = | full = Манастир Фенек | other_names = | order = [[Serbian Orthodox]] | established = 15th century | disestablished = | mother = | diocese = [[Eparchy of Srem]] | churches = | founder = [[Stefan Branković]] | dedication = | people = [[Angelina Branković]] | location = [[Surčin|Surčin municipality]], [[Belgrade]], [[Serbia]] | coord = | oscoor = | remains = | public_access = }}
The '''Fenek Monastery''' ({{langx|sr|Манастир Фенек|Manastir Fenek}}) is the male [[monastery]] in the eparchy of [[Srem]] of the Serbian [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]]. The monastery is situated near the village of [[Jakovo]], 25 km from [[Belgrade]], municipality of [[Surčin]].<ref>Spomenici kulture u Srbiji: ''Manastir Fenek'' (website [[Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts|SANU]])</ref> Although geographically it does not belong to [[Fruška Gora|Fruška gora]] there is a huge historical connection with Fruška gora monasteries. The monastery church was dedicated to St. Martyr Paraskeva (celebrated on 8 August).
== History == [[File:Манастир Фенек - Иконостас Параскеве.jpg|thumb|left|{{center|The church iconostasis was done by the famous woodcutter from [[Novi Sad]], Aksentije Marković, in 1798}}]]
According to the folk tradition, the monastery was built in the second half of the 15th century and its founders were Stefan and Аngelina [[Branković dynasty|Branković]]. The first written record<ref>[Lj. Stojanović, The old Serbian records and inscriptions, III The collection for the history, language, and literature of Serbian nation SA, I, 1905; V. Petković, The summary of church monuments through the history of the Serbian nation, Belgrade, 1950 ]</ref> about the monastery is found in the ''minej'' (religious liturgy book) of the monk [[Zaharija of Serbia|Zaharije]] from 1563. Unlike other [[Fruška Gora|Fruška gora]] monasteries, Fenek remained under the [[State organization of the Ottoman Empire|Ottoman government]] until 1717. The records from the 18th century testify that the old monastery church was built in the second half of the 15th century in the spirit of Serbian medieval architecture.<ref name="monasteries">{{cite book |last1=Kulić |first1=Branka |last2=Srećkov |first2=Nedeljka |title=The Monasteries of the Fruška Gora |date=1994 |publisher=Provincial institute for the protection of the cultural monuments of Vojvodina |isbn=9788676391158 |page=168}}</ref> The new church was built in the period from 1793-1797, and consecrated during the time when [[Vićentije Rakić|Vikentije Rakić]] was the abbot; he also wrote the history of the monastery. The monastery chapel dedicated to [[Parascheva of the Balkans|St Petka]] was built in 1800, on the site of the old one, above the well, which was believed to have been built by the mother [[Saint Angelina of Serbia|Angelina Branković]]. People believed that the water from this well had some healing powers.<ref>[М. Коsovac, Serbian Orthodox Metropolis of Karlovac, Sremski Karlovci, 1910; D. Ruvarac, The Metropolis of Belgrade around 1735, the Monument SKA XLII, Belgrade 1905]</ref> By the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, the Fenek Monastery was the venue of the several historical events. In 1788, duke [[Aleksa Nenadović]] and Austrian emperor [[Јоsef II]] met in the monastery. After the collapse of the [[First Serbian Uprising]] in 1813 [[Karađorđe]] and his son Aleksa stayed in a monastery for a month. There is a memorial plaque as a testimony. Also on the same occasion, until 1815, monks from [[Studenica Monastery|Studenica]] stayed there, along with the relics of [[Stefan the First-Crowned|St. King Stefan Prvovenčani]]. The monastery was also the place where Karađorđe met archpriest [[Маtija Nenadović]]. In the [[World War I|First World War]] the monastery was set on fire, and in the [[World War II|Second World War]] in 1942 it was almost completely devastated.
== Architecture == The monastery complex consists of the church, the [[chapel]], the mansion and the economic part. The church, built in 1797 and dedicated to St. Petka dominates the complex. The church was built as a one-nave [[Baroque]] building with the bell tower above the western part and the smaller dome above the transept. The iconostasis<ref>[B. Gavrilović, Some of the woodcarving centres in Vojvodina, The work of Vojvodina museums, Novi Sad, 1954]</ref> inside the church from 1798 was the work of the famous woodcutter from [[Novi Sad]], [[Arsenije and Aksentije Marković|Аksentije Marković]] .<ref>[The works of the woodcarver Aksentije Marković, The church of St. Peter and Paul in Bela Crkva, the Monastery Beočin, the Monastery Bezdin; he is the author of the first Baroque sculpture in Novi Sad – „The Sacrifice of Noah“ (the bell tower of Almaška church) – the work is not saved; K. Pavlović, One not so famous artist from the First Serbian Uprising, „Politika“, no. 18161 from 26 April 1964. S. Stefanović „From the beggar to the nobleman“, „Blic“18 February 2008]</ref> The icons are the work of Petar Radosavljević, a painter from [[Pančevo]], with characteristic elements of [[classicism]]. The frescoes on the walls, the work of a Zemun sculptor and painter [[St. Michael's Cathedral, Belgrade|Dimitrije Petrović]] from 1859, have not been saved up to now. The mansion which is placed inside the monastery complex date back from the late 18th and early 19th century. According to the archive records they were built long before that but were demolished over time and used for the construction of the new ones. The rich library, which was known as one of the most important [[Fruška Gora]] monastery, was situated in the mansion, but during the [[First World War]] it was completely destroyed. The records of the doctor [[Archibald Reiss]] testify about that event.<ref>[I. Vesković, The house of doctor Archibald Reiss, The Cultural Heritage Protection Institute of the City of Belgrade ]</ref> In the immediate vicinity of the church, there is a monastery chapel dedicated to St. Petka. It was built above the well, which was believed to have been built by mother Angelina Branković. People believed that the water from this well had miraculous healing power.
== „Golden Cross” == The milestone, also known as „The Golden Cross“ proves the large size of the monastery property. It is placed on the right side of the road connecting [[Jakovo]] and [[Boljevci]], about 400 m after the Fenek monastery turning. On 20 January 1743 the Empress [[Maria Theresa]] assigned „the privilege“ to the Fenek monastery, according to which the property was granted to the monastery. Immediately after that, the bounding of the monastery property was done. The milestone was erected in 1747, thanks to Nikola Marković, and it got the name after the folk tradition, according to which the Serbs rushed to get hold of this milestone, since they felt safe on the monastery property. That is why the monument bears the name Golden cross – as the symbol of salvation.
== Cultural Monument == Within the property of the Fenek monastery and its protected environment there are several archaeological sites: Fenek Mnastery (Middle Ages), Monastery Prnjavor (late Middle Ages) and Monastery fields ([[Neolithic]]). The monastery was reconstructed in 1991, and nowadays it is completely renewed. Until 2006, three older nuns lived in the monastery, one of them, sister Agripina died, and the remaining two were moved to other monasteries, mother Paraskeva to the monastery Greteg and Abbotess Magdalina to Radovašnica. By the decision of the competent [[archimandrite]]s of [[Syrmia|Srem]] Vasilije and Of [[Raška (region)|Raška]] and [[Prizren]] Аrtemije the new male monkhood arrived to the monastery in the middle of 2006, Marko from [[Sopoćani]] and Makarije from [[Visoki Dečani|Dečani]]. Since then, the visits to the monastery increased and the reconstruction of the mansion is in progress.<ref>[The documentation of the Cultural Heritage Protection Institute of the City of Belgrade, according to the Law on Protection of Cultural Properties („The Official Gazette SRS“ no. 28/77) the decision was issued according to which the Fenek Monastery is designated as the cultural property of great importance to the Republic of Serbia (The Decision on designation, „The Official Gazette SRS“ no. 14/79). The immediate vicinity of this monastery, Protected environment around the cultural property of a great importance – Fenek Monastery, enjoys the status of the unity under the previous protection.]</ref> The patron saint of the monastery is Venerable mother Paraskeva, celebrated on 27 October, the folk gathering and the fair is on 7 August.<ref>Manastir Fenek, Manastirska slava, retrieved on 12 February 2013.</ref>
==See also== *[[List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Fenek monastery}} *[http://www.jakovo.info/fenek.html Fenek monastery] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518032108/http://www.jakovo.info/fenek.html |date=2008-05-18 }} *[http://www.sremska.spc.rs/lat/manastiri/feneklat.htm More about the monastery]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{Serbian Orthodox monasteries}} {{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Belgrade]] [[Category:Medieval Serbian Orthodox monasteries]] [[Category:15th-century establishments in Serbia]] [[Category:Christian monasteries established in the 15th century]] [[Category:15th-century Serbian Orthodox church buildings]] [[Category:Surčin]] [[Category:Cultural Monuments of Great Importance (Serbia)]]