L’ÉGLISE PAROISSIALE DE «SAINT GEORGES LE GRAND-MARTYR» DANS LA RÉGION FRONTALIÈRE DE VIDIN
The Parish Church "Saint George the Great Martyr" in the Border Region of Vidin

Summary/Abstract: The article presents an attempt at reconstructing the history of the abovementioned temple, designated as a cultural monument of local importance in 1973, and of the remains of an unidentified church in the abandoned Bashevitsa village. Accessible information is provided from assorted sources about the history and study of both churches. Local lore with its clichés is in the focus of the study. The author traces out how local legends connect the frontier territory to the larger-scale historical narrative which lays an emphasis on the antiquity of both churches and the votive grounds in these lands. The important finding is that the legends omit a significant historical period: the Ottoman rule. On the example of existence and socialization of two holy places, the author analyzes the collective memory which shapes out local identity. The article is a brilliant example of studying the functioning of a single holy place as a memory place in a frontier region.

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