Church of St. George frescoes restored in North Macedonia

The restoration of rare 12th-century Byzantine frescoes at the Church of St. George in Kurbinovo, North Macedonia, has been completed. The project, which ran from late 2022 to 2025, involved technical support and funding from Greek experts and the European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments (EKBMM).

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and North Macedonian Culture and Tourism Minister Sedat Sulejmani visited the site to mark the handover of the project to the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Bitola. Conservators utilized new technologies to stabilize the paintings and clean the surfaces, revealing vivid colors and details in the artwork, including notable depictions of angels.

The visit also coincided with discussions regarding a joint bid by North Macedonia, Greece, and Albania to have the Prespa region included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The North Macedonian Ministry of Culture intends to open the monument to the public as an archaeological site.