Among the saints of the Catholic Church, St. George (275-303 AD) occupies a special place, since although his existence is beyond doubt, the reality of most of the legends associated with him was doubted already in the early Middle Ages. His best-known story – according to which he also killed a dragon – was created only in the 10th century, probably due to Egyptian influence. The saint of soldiers was particularly popular there, and at the same time, many battle depictions of the ancient deity Horus have survived, in which he kills a crocodile with his spear that is squirming under his horse’s hooves. In the interpretation of Europeans, the two figures were blurred, thus St. George became the dragon slayer.
Many fine art representations of him are known, of which the statue in Prague Castle is perhaps the most famous. This can be especially nice to us, because it was made by two Hungarian brothers, Márton and György of Kolozsvári, in the 1370s and is one of the internationally noted Gothic works of art. The saint himself was also popular in our country, which is evidenced by the quite a few settlements in whose name it appears: for example, Balatonszentgyörgy or Sepsiszentgyörgy. In the year of the Millennium, in 1896, two copies were made of it, one in Budapest, the other in the artists’ hometown.
Among the neighboring countries, he was also highly respected in Serbia, which also fought a lot, perhaps because György is the patron saint of soldiers. They also fought the most with the Turks, whose yoke they moaned for longer, since they were absorbed earlier by the Ottoman Empire. When in 1686 they finally succeeded in driving them out of Buda and then from the southern areas of Hungary, the Serbs also started a popular uprising, which, however, was put down by the Turks and because of this, many Serbian families fled to us. They also reached Pest, where they swelled the already existing Serbian community.
Their predecessors already built a church before the Mohács disaster, which was largely destroyed during the 1686 siege. It was restored in a few years and re-consecrated in 1698, but due to the increased population in the 18th century. they were forced to form in the first half of the century. They left the thick walls of the sanctuary closed on three sides of the octagon, and the new longhouse was added to it in 1733. At that time, the foundations of the tower were also prepared, but they were finally able to build it only in 1752. The researchers attribute the plans to András Mayerhoffer, who was born in Salzburg. On the occasion of the subsequent excavations, the walls of the sanctuary from the XVI. century monuments were also found, for example a late Gothic water catch basin.
The fact that the church was built in several stages is indicated only by the shape of the windows on the facade: in the earlier parts they are much smaller and close in a semi-circle, while the newer ones are larger and draw a slight segmental arch at the top. Due to the special position of the main facade, the windows here are different: they are the largest, semi-circular at the top and crowned with baroque eyebrows. This style is also represented by the spectacularly projecting main cornice, the middle of which rises in a semi-circle, leaving room for a so-called cartouche surrounded by flowers, into which an inscription was usually engraved – but this is no longer visible. A parapet runs along the top of the main facade, above which starts the slender tower, which ends in a baroque onion helmet.
On the outside, it is very similar to the baroque Catholic churches, only the entrance opening in the middle of the southern facade, emphasized by a mural of St. George, suggests that the interior will be different. Indeed, there are many differences, as it corresponds to Orthodox traditions and regulations: for example, women and men can take their seats in separate areas, which are also separated from each other by a wooden parapet. The sanctuary is not visible from these, as it is covered by a high iconostasis. Three doors open on it, but women are not allowed to enter through them at all, and the men who help in the ceremonies (deacons) can only enter through the side doors. The middle royal gate can only be used by priests and bishops.
The holy images lined up on two levels of the iconostasis compensate the faithful: at the bottom, the Mother of God, Jesus Christ, Saint George, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Stephen the First Martyr can be seen, and on the two wings of the royal gate, on the left, the scene of the Annunciation with the Archangel Gabriel, and on the right with Mária. The large picture in the middle of the top row depicts the Holy Trinity with the Father, the Son sitting on his right and above them the dove of the Holy Spirit. It is surrounded on both sides by scenes from the life of Jesus: his birth, transfiguration, entry into Jerusalem, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
A crucifix was placed on top of the iconostasis, with the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist next to Jesus, and the twelve apostles on either side. The themes of the paintings follow Eastern Greek standards, but their style is Western, showing the influence of the Italian Renaissance. They were created by Károly Sterio, who made them during 1856-1857, as the original pictures were destroyed in the flood of 1838. Although the faithful cannot see it, of course the sanctuary is also decorated with paintings: in the middle, for example, Christ giving a blessing with his hand appears in front of a dark blue background.
In Greek-Catholic and Orthodox churches, the space in front of the iconostasis, a few steps higher than the nave, is called the sole. According to its function, the priests read the Gospel here and preach here, and symbolically it connects the divine space with the human space, that is, the sanctuary with the ship. In St. George’s Church, its side walls are also covered with full-length images of saints, but so-called stalls – where the priests and the choir can sit – and a bishop’s throne have also been placed here. Before the sólea, already in the nave, a painting depicting the titular saint was placed on a beautifully carved stand, because it is a painting of a kisser. It is behind glass, so the faithful do not directly touch the work of art with their mouths. The Entombment of Christ and Lamentation of Christ hanging on the longitudinal side walls are also special, as they are embroidered textiles. Three frescoes were placed on the barrel vault typical of the Baroque period, which together represent the Holy Trinity.
The richly decorated church is protected by an imposing wall, on which gates were opened from both sides of the street. The one on Szerb utca is more beautiful, which was made in 1776 in the braided style: the semicircular opening is bordered on two sides by columns with Corinthian capitals, and on top by garlands. A stone frame was placed on the strongly projecting main cornice, in which there was a colored stained glass insert depicting St. George. At the intersection of the streets, a niche also stands out from the wall, with a picture of the titular saint assembled from ceramic tiles. A carriage gate and a pedestrian gate open onto Veres Pálné Street, both of black wrought iron with gold decorations. By the way, gravestones of believers were built into the garden side of the wall.
The wall surrounds a cozy little garden with deciduous and evergreen trees, bushes and flowers. After the narrow streets of the inner city, this wider open area is a real refreshment, which is also used by the church for liturgical purposes, as an altar covered with a canopy was erected at one end. The tent-like roof, with its golden covering and colorful painting on the inside, also foreshadows the richness of the church square.
In the opening picture: St. George’s Church and the fence surrounding it (Photo: Péter Bodó/pestbuda.hu)
