Church of St. John the Baptist in Vučje

The church dedicated to the birth of Saint John the Baptist is located south of Leskovac on a hill near Vucje on the slopes of Kukavica. According to the legend, it was built on the foundations of an older temple from the 15th century from the time of Nikola Skobaljić, a Serbian lord. The church was built according to the project of the Russian architect GeorgiSamojlov, and it is the endowment of the famous family of industrialists Teokarević, mother VanaTeokarević and her sons. The founders set aside 600,000 dinars for the construction of the church. The church was consecrated on July 7, 1938, in the presence of high officials and about 20,000 people from the Leskovac area. It is characterized by a specific beauty and is a significant example of interwar church architecture in the national style in our country. The temple is of small dimensions, with a fragmented base, but with expertly harmoniously integrated elements of the building into the natural and historical environment. It consists of a long open narthex connected by a porch with a one-story bell tower to the west, a nave and an altar space. The octagonal dome on the nave ends with a pyramidal roof. The church was built of stone originating from the stone from the mountain at the foot of which it is located. The iconostasis was painted by Samoilov himself, and the frescoes were painted by the Russian PetarSukhachev on marble plaster in the style of the Russian Baroque. During 2003, the frescoes were restored and partially re-painted by the icon-painting workshop "Lazarus".