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Gorna Crkva - Upper Church in village Staravina Mariovo

 “Gorna Crkva” - Upper Church in village Staravina Mariovo

According to the stories of the local population, this church was built by the Serbian government after the First World War, with the intention the basement of the same, to serve as an ossuary for the killed Serbian soldiers in this part of the Macedonian front.
Namely, near the villages Budimirci and Gruniste there are large number of graves from the Serbian army, which after the war, with the use of the land again for farming, started slowly to lose their traces.
It is known that during the First World War, the Serbian army was stationed in this part of the front and some of the major battles took place precisely in the region Mariovo. The battles for Kaimaktsalan, Dobro Pole, Grunishki Vis etc. were battles in which many soldiers gave their lives, mostly from the Serbian and Bulgarian army, in which on both sides were also many forcibly recruited soldiers from Macedonia.
The Front line passed through the village Staravina and we can say that the real victim of the First World War was the local population in Mariovo, with a mortality rate over 50% in most villages and severe economic consequences for their property.
Especially difficult was the life in Mariovo long time after the war and according to some, this was the reason why the people never accepted this church and why it today, though solid in construction, without roof and alone welcomes the guests at the entrance of village Staravina .
“Gorna Crkva” - Upper Church in village Staravina Mariovo

On the image can be seen a concrete construction in front of the church - a relic of  First World War bunker.

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