Church of the Holy Trinity

The Holy Trinity Church is one of the most beautiful and interesting cultural heritage of Montenegro. For spiritual enrichment, many Orthodox believers regularly come here not only from all over Montenegro, but also from a neighbor of the Balkan countries. Today, Budva is not only a popular and entertaining tourist city, but also a center of concentration of both branches of the Christian religion. Several shrines were built on the territory of the city at different times, the doors of which are still open to all believers. However, it is worth noting that the majority of the religious population of the city professes Orthodoxy, although the spiritual consciousness of Montenegrins has historically been subjected to Ottoman, Greek and Roman Catholic influence. It is interesting that it is this church of the Holy Trinity that is most often visited by Russian tourists in Budva.

The Church of the Holy Trinity is located on Church Square in the heart of the Old Town of Budva near the Citadel (St. Mary's Fortress). It is located on Starogradskaja (church) square in the old part of the city, where all roads lead, so it is quite easy to find it. The current territory of the Old Town, located on the plain of a cape, some 80 years ago, was the whole (!!!) Budva, outside the high walls of which were vineyards, orchards and small wooden houses ...

The Church of the Holy Trinity is the "youngest" of all the existing temples of Budva. The history of the construction of the church begins at the end of the XVIII century - it was then that the first ideas about its construction appear. In 1797, permission was received by the city authorities from the Montenegrin Vladyka Peter the Great for the realization of this idea. The construction was built thanks to the efforts of Orthodox believers for 6 years - from 1798 to 1804. Inside the Montenegrin state, historically mixed many religions and cultures, which was a certain difficulty in the construction of the building. In the middle of the 20th century, it was subject to partial destruction during an earthquake. However, the restorers returned the monument to its former appearance, and now it is in excellent condition - mosaics and frescoes today have a rich shade. One of these stunning mosaics can be seen at the entrance to the temple - this is an icon depicting the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. She is a copy of the painting “Trinity” by the Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev, who worked in a typical Byzantine style.

The interior is distinguished by splendor and luxury. Orthodox Greek icon painter from the island of Milos - Naum Zetiri was invited to work on the interior of the temple. With his hands in 1833 a stunning Baroque Iconostasis was created with the faces of saints and with episodes of famous stories of the ancient religion. Many icons of the talented icon painter were not affected even during the earthquake. Gilded frescoes and mosaics are located directly above the entrance to the church. The interior is illuminated by artificial light and lamps - the presence of large windows is not typical for church buildings of Slavic culture. You can go inside and get to know the features of this unique place absolutely for free. In the church you can buy candles, icons, brooches and other church paraphernalia, and one of the gifts brought from vacation may be the icon of the patron saints of the church - the Holy Trinity. However, there are almost always a lot of tourists in the building, so it will be difficult to enjoy peace and tranquility.

The appearance of the architectural monument is rather modest. However, it is large enough in size and original style to stand out from the surrounding landscape. The church was built in the Byzantine style - its walls are lined with stones of white and red shades. The roof, covered with red tiles of various shades, logically completes the alternating multi-colored "stripes" on the walls. On the high bell tower directly above the entrance to the temple are three bells, the ringing of which during the services is carried throughout Budva. The whole building is crowned by a large dome covered with bright red tiles, which only adds a certain elegance and solemnity to the whole image.

There is an archaeological museum near the temple, and on the contrary is the grave of the famous native of Budva, a Montenegrin revolutionary writer, politician and advocate of the rights of an ordinary person - Stepan Mitrov Ljubis. Also next to the temple is a summer stage, where, during festivals and cultural events, various theater performances and concert programs are held. The scene also represents a small observation deck, from where you can see the endless Adriatic Sea. Connoisseurs of religious buildings and medieval culture can enjoy the beauty and monumentality of the ancient walls of the fortified city of Budva, the Church of St. John and St. Mary, located near the Holy Trinity Church. Also here you can visit the Citadel, take a walk along the ancient streets of the Old Town or sit in a local cozy cafe and have a coffee.

It should be noted that in the capital of Montenegro - Podgorica there is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from which, during the construction of the Holy Trinity Church in Budva, the external facade and architecture were borrowed.

Since the Holy Trinity Church is located in the very center of old Budva, you can only get to it on foot. The Old Town can be easily reached within 40-50 minutes from any, even the most remote place. You can, of course, reduce the travel time and take a taxi, which will cost you 4-6 euros, but during the walks in Budva you can see and learn a lot of interesting and unusual things. Just remember to take a camera alone.
 

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