SmederevoWelcome

The old cemetery in Smederevo was formed around the mediaeval Church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. Today, this is a memorial complex, whose heart is made up of the church from the 15th century, the chapel of Dina Mancic and a memorial charnel-house with a belfry.

The merchant from Smederevo, Dina Mancic, was a great popular benefactor and the initiator of the foundation aimed at establishing the grammar-school in Smederevo and at sending poor pupils to school. According to his own wish, on Mancic's grave was 1884 raised a chapel according the project by the architect Aleksandar Bugarski.

West of the mediaeval church has been raised a memorial charnel-house to those who died in the explosion that took place on the 5th of June 1941. The Commision for Restauration of the town entrusted the building of the memorial to Aleksandar Deroko.

Around these buildings are the graves of many popular leaders and important people from Smederevo: Dimitrije Davidovic, Ante Protic, Vladimir Ljotic, Stevan Kuzmanovic-Krsljanin, Father Milutin Banic and many others. Here can be found many valuable artworks of sculpture, among which the sculpture of A. Augustincic, "For the Unhapy Jasmina", stands out.

On the Karadjordje Hill, not far from the old cemetery, are situated the almost forgotten Jewish as well as the German cemetery, which after the Second World War were turned into the Pioneer Park.

The mediaeval church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God was erected in the 15th century on an ancient cult site, and in style belongs to the group of Moravian one-dome churches with foundations in the shape of concise triconch. To the right-angled foundation in the shape of a cross is added the apse of the altar and two choir spaces in the Eastern side, while on the Western side, narthex is left out.

The wall paintings were made almost two centuries after the church was built, and are from the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century. Of particular value are the compositions on the West wall above the entrance to the church and on the apse of the Western travey, that illustrate the 148th and the 149th psalm.

The icons on the altar partition wall are the works of Nikola Apostolovic, and were created in 1808 and 1827. They are important indicators of the culture of painting in the period of uprisings, as they were made soon after Karadjordjevic liberated the town from the Turks.

As time passed, around the church was formed today’s Old Cemetery, which contains memorials for many members of popular movements and worthy citizens of Smederevo.