On Tuesday, June 24th, Monk Teodosije, Epitrop of the Holy Imperial Serbian Lavra of Hilandar Monastery, visited the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences. The visit followed a delegation from the Institute's stay at Hilandar in May of this year, during which the monastery brotherhood was informed about the areas where the Institute's expertise could assist Hilandar.
The collaboration primarily pertains to the study of cultural heritage, which encompasses the analysis of materials used to create cultural heritage objects, the evaluation of their condition and degree of damage, as well as the procedures necessary for their effective restoration, conservation, and preservation.
Of particular importance to Hilandar Monastery is the fact that the Institute employs a unique approach to objects, utilizing portable, non-invasive, and non-destructive analytical techniques. These techniques allow for the examination of objects at their current location, without compromising their integrity through transport or sampling.
In this context, Father Teodosije visited the Laboratory for Chemical Dynamics and Permanent Education during his stay at the Institute. There, Father Teodosije was presented with detailed information about previous activities in the field of cultural heritage protection – including examinations carried out at the National Museum in Belgrade (icons attributed to Zograf Longin) and the Gallery of Matica Srpska (zograf icons and icons by Teodor Kračun and Arsen Teodorović), as well as activities performed directly in church buildings, such as the Annunciation Church of Krušedol Monastery and Nikolajevska Church in Zemun.
Following this, a visit was arranged to the Industrial Sterilization Facility by Gamma Irradiation, within the Laboratory for Radiation Chemistry and Physics. In the laboratory, Father Teodosije was acquainted with the possibility of sterilizing sacred objects (icons, vessels, and other liturgical items) using gamma radiation, and with all the advantages this method offers due to its efficiency compared to other available sterilization techniques.
At the end of the visit, Father Teodosije thanked the hosts for their cordial welcome and reaffirmed the desire to sign a Scientific and Professional Cooperation Agreement between the Vinča Institute and Hilandar Monastery in the upcoming period. Director Dr. Slavko Dimović and Assistant Director Dr. Predrag Škobalj thanked Father Teodosije for his visit and expressed the Institute's readiness to carry out the aforementioned activities aimed at protecting the monastery's cultural heritage objects. Father Teodosije was accompanied by Đorđe Ogrizović, an assistant at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade.
The Vinča Institute, as the largest institute in the country, has opened the possibility of establishing official cooperation with Hilandar Monastery in the year marking 850 years since the birth of Saint Sava. Hilandar Monastery has continuously existed for 827 years as the most significant Serbian spiritual center.
