Damage to the church of St. Thanas, Jaho Brahaj: Frescoes of extraordinary value, maintaining the responsibility of institutions

The church of St. Thanas in Voskopoja has been damaged as a result of rainfall in recent days. Part of the roof of this cult cultural monument has collapsed. The damages are mainly in the northern part. Although problems in the church have been identified earlier, it has been impossible to secure funding, and previously carried out maintenance work does not appear to have been insufficient to avoid the roof collapse that occurred recently from bad weather. Also important in this cult object are the frescoes, which have extraordinary values ??according to researchers and specialists of cultural heritage. The researcher Jaho Brahaj says that for the cultural monuments in the country the responsibility for their preservation belongs to the institutions, which are the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage and the Institute of Cultural Monuments (today IKTK). "For the church in Voskopoja, while a part of the roof has fallen, which can be seen in the photo that has fallen, parts of its frescoes, which are of extraordinary value in our cultural heritage, will also be destroyed. Institutions like DRTK and IMK have responsibilities. "The responsibility of DRTK is to preserve them and to protect them", he says. In his reaction, the researcher Jaho Brahaj says that the church of St. Thanas is an object of cultural monument with many values. "I have also published a photo of how the frescoes are. That church is one of the best for its artistic values, which it has in Voskopoja ", says Brahaj. "The responsibility of DRTK is to preserve them and to protect them", he says. In his reaction, the researcher Jaho Brahaj says that the church of St. Thanas is an object of cultural monument with many values. "I have also published a photo of how the frescoes are. That church is one of the best for its artistic values, which it has in Voskopoja ", says Brahaj. "The responsibility of DRTK is to preserve them and to protect them", he says. In his reaction, the researcher Jaho Brahaj says that the church of St. Thanas is an object of cultural monument with many values. "I have also published a photo of how the frescoes are. That church is one of the best for its artistic values, which it has in Voskopoja ", says Brahaj.

Damage to the church

 The Church of St. Thanas is one of the oldest in Voskopoja, with a rich ensemble of murals. 30 percent of the roof of the church of St. Thanas has collapsed, while if not intervened before winter, the damage risks becoming even greater. In his reaction after the injury, the director of monuments in Korça, Gjergji Koki, said that the church of St. Thanas needs urgent intervention. "The whole roof has been degraded and wooden elements inside it have rotted, despite the fact that we have made occasional maintenance interventions with negligible small values ??in terms of financial side. But interventions that have increased life expectancy have made it possible to further postpone this situation. "But due to the rains, the northern part of the church has collapsed, which is in SOS condition", Koki claims. In his reaction, the director of DRTK Korça, Gjergji Koki, said that the humidity causes irreparable damage to the frescoes if it is not intervened. "If we have the following rain, there is a risk that the mural will get wet, and we will have moisture, which later causes irreparable damage, because moisture starts to penetrate and problems appear in the frescoes," he said. Before the media, Gjergji Koki, director of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Korça, added that an improvised intervention will be carried out to avoid the infiltration of water. The church of St. Thanas was built in 1724, but in Voskopoja there are other churches and cultural monuments that are in trouble. and to have moisture which later brings irreparable damage, because moisture starts and penetrates and problems appear in the frescoes ", he said. Before the media, Gjergji Koki, director of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Korça, added that an improvised intervention will be carried out to avoid the infiltration of water. The church of St. Thanas was built in 1724, but in Voskopoja there are other churches and cultural monuments that are in trouble. and to have moisture which later brings irreparable damage, because moisture starts and penetrates and problems appear in the frescoes ", he said. Before the media, Gjergji Koki, director of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Korça, added that an improvised intervention will be carried out to avoid the infiltration of water. The church of St. Thanas was built in 1724, but in Voskopoja there are other churches and cultural monuments that are in trouble.