Symbol of the struggle of religion and communism - Vojlovica Monastery in the Oil Refinery. The unusual fate of a monastery.

The monastery next to the factory, more precisely a huge oil refinery, surrounded by pipes, noise and polluted air? A very unusual environment for a monastery, you will agree. Monasteries have always been built outside the centers of urbanization, in quiet areas and beautiful nature, but...

This unusual fate has the Vojlovica monastery, located near the town of Pancevo in Serbia. Of course, when the monastery was built 600 years ago, it was surrounded by woods. This monastery survived the Ottoman rule, when was destroyed several times, then and German occupation during the Second World War when it served as a prison. But, did Vojlovica Monestery survive the period of communism?

When historical circumstances have changed, and when the time came for communism, ungodly and cruel in his own way, there was no place for religion, "opium for the masses”. In Serbia, the industrialization of the country has begun, which is OK, but communist authorities didn't care for churches and monasteries - going to the monasteries was severely punished.

In the sixties of the 20th century, the construction of the Pancevo Oil Refinery, large and modern at that time, was started on the land of Vojlovica Monastery. Then communist authorities made the decision - to demolish the monastery with a long tradition, built in the 14th century! Thanks to the citizens, especially Nikola Dimic and his engagement 1964, Vojlovica survived, but just as a building. The monastery served as a warehouse for a long time, and monastic "konak" - dormitory (part of the monastery complex, intended for the daily stay of the monks) served for the administration of the refinery.

Time passed, so the period of communism was over. The restoration of the monastery began in 1981 and lasted for six years. This time Oil refinery helped renovate the monastery. A fence was built between the refinery and the Vojlovca. Surroundings of the monastery were arranged as far as possible, and the monastery began to live again with its old way of life, which corresponds to a sacral object.

Today, the Vojlovica Monastery and oil refinery in Pancevo cooperate well. There are some offices in monastic dormitory, which belong to the refinery. This strange symbiosis survived and adapted to the situation in the best possible way.

Today we live in a more peaceful time, more humane (maybe and it depends) but still imperfect, in which we still learn to respect dissimilarity. History has shown us that one collective opinion and fanaticism is dangerous to society. But we still need to wonder - do we properly interpret our history?