Overview:

Saint John Vladimir's Church is an Eastern Orthodox church located in the city of Durrës, Albania. The church is dedicated to the veneration of St. John Vladimir, who was martyred in 1066 AD. The church was built in 1763, and is noted for its distinctive baroque architecture and ornate frescoes. It is listed as a protected cultural monument. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Albania
Prominent Features:

This Albanian Orthodox church features a striking three-domed, neo-Byzantine design, and contains several important historical artifacts. Its bell tower is considered to be one of the tallest in the Balkan Peninsula and can be seen from Durrës's city center. It is dedicated to Saint John Vladimir, who was the first king of Albania, and serves as an important religious center for the Albanian Orthodox community. The interior contains beautiful works of fresco painting from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as a rare relic of St. John Vladimir’s, a fragment of his skull and some bones. The church also hosts frequent religious festivals, concerts, and other events throughout the year. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Albania.

History:

Saint John Vladimir's Church is a Serbian Orthodox Church located in Durrës, Albania. It is believed that the church was built in late 10th or early 11th century, and is dedicated to St. John Vladimir. The church is considered a unique example of early medieval Serbian architecture for its elaborate limestone carvings. The church is now under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Church is one of the few structures to survive the Ottoman invasion of Durrës in 1456. During the Ottoman occupation, the church served as the main religious center for the Serbian Orthodox community of Durrës, and remained so until the end of Ottoman rule. Following the liberation of Durrës, the church became part of the Serbian Orthodox Exarchate of Durrës. In the 1950s, when the Albanian government implemented its policy of secularization, the church was closed and turned into a printing house. The church remained in this state until the fall of the communist regime in 1991, when it was reopened as a Serbian Orthodox church. Since then, the church has been renovated and renovated, with significant contributions from both ethnic Albanians and ethnic Serbs within and outside of Albania. Some of the renovations include a comprehensive restoration of the architectural features of the church and its artwork. In 2003, the church was included in the list of Albania's Cultural Heritage Monuments under category A (special interest holidays). Today, the church is a major icon of Albanian-Serbian reconciliation, and is a symbol of the peaceful co-existence of the two communities. It is also an important spiritual destination for a number of Serbian Orthodox families from Durrës and the surrounding areas. Sources # Baibuz, George. (2008).The Yugoslav Churches of Durres: Historical Legacies, Patriarchal Presence and Local Identity in Contemporary Albania. Ethnologia Balkanica IX, (3). # Tanasovski, Ph. D. Olivera. (2019). Serbia’s National Churches in Durrës, Albania. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies. 43. 136-157. doi: 10.1080/14639947.2018.1444479 # Naumoska, Placeva & Rashkova, Vera. (2018). Non-Governmental Organizations and Spiritual Tourism in Durrës, Albania. International Business & Management (IBM), 7(2). # Rousiley, Maïa. (2013). International Organizers of Tourism and Local Identities: Pilgrimage to Saint John Vladimir’s Church in Durrës (Albania). Studia UBB Turism, 8(2). # Trencsényi, B. (2008). Beyond Nationalism? The Transformation of Ethnic Identities in East-Central Europe. Central Europe, 6(2), 228-259. # Jugović, Z. (2006). The Serbian Orthodox Church in Albania. In D. Grozdanović et al. (Eds.), Perspectives of Religious and National Identity in Southeastern Europe (pp. 91-106). Belgrade: Institute for Balkan Studies. # Mersini, A. (2005). The Development of Tourism in Durrës, Albania. East European Quarterly, 39(1). # Kacić-Novaković, D. (2005). On the Architecture of the Church of St. John Vladimir in Durrës, Albania. Božičković, Lj. (Ed.), Slovenia before 1991 (pp. 45-66). Belgrade: Beogradska Knjiga. Visit one of the famous monuments of Albania with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. Saint John Vladimir's Church is an Orthodox Church located in Durrës, Albania. 2. The church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and it was built in honor of the 10th century Bulgarian prince John Vladimirovich. 3. It was constructed between 1885 and 1889. 4. The architect of the church was Gyorgi Mihailowitsh, a Russian architect who had studied in Milan. 5. The building is in Byzantine style and is made of stone and red brick with a rusty dome. The interior of the church is lavishly decorated with frescoes of Eastern style. 6. The church was damaged during World War II, and the restoration work was started in 1960 and was completed in the 1970s. 7. The church is open to the public and functions as a museum and place of worship. 8. The St John Vladimir's Church is listed among the Cultural Monuments of Durrës by the Albanian Institute of Monuments. One of the historical monuments of Albania, it tells the story of a bygone era