Velmej

The village Velmej is east of the road Skopje–Ohrid, between Kicevo and Ohrid. We came to Velmej to visit the Cave Jaorec. To our pleasant surprise, we discovered that there are some very old churches with beautiful frescoes in Velmej .

The Cave Joarec lies about 3.5 km east of the village Velmej. We asked for information regarding its location in the village, and we were told that it would be very hard to find. However, one of the locals did not mind to come with us, a great example of how friendly and helpful the Macedonian people are! And indeed, without our guide it would have been very hard if not impossible to find the cave. The local also turned out to be the caretaker of the Church of St Bogorodica Precista – Kelia. He gave us a book about Velmej, which states about the cave that “it is a shelter from the Paleolithic period and that remains from cave bears have been found. The cave was home to Paleolithic hunters, and through time was used as shelter as confirmed by pottery fragments which are covered with layers of ashes.”

The cave was full with bats, which even flew into my face when I entered deeper into the cave. We had read that there should be well-preserved frescoes in the cave, but we could not find them. Our guide told us that the cave was part of an interconnecting cave-system. Allegedly, they once had released a small pig in another cave nearby, and the pig came out in the Jaorec Cave.

The Church of St Bogorodica Precista-Kelia, or the Holy Virgin Immaculate, is situated close to the east entrance of Velmej. Note the very low door of the church! The interior of the church is covered with beautiful frescoes dating back to the 16th century. If the church is closed, ask for the key in the village. Key of the church = klucot od crkvata, pronounced “klutsjot od serkvata”. It is a good habit to leave some denars in the church, or to buy some candles.

The caretaker of the church gave us the book titled “The Holy Virgin Immaculate – Kelia”. It tells the history of the churches St Bogorodica and St Nikola and Velmej itself, and describes the frescoes inside the church St Bogorodica in great detail. It has many beautiful pictures and is written in Macedonian, Russian and English. You may be able to get a copy in Velmej.

According to the book once a school was situated on this site, and in the distant past renowned fairs were organized around the church. The locals say that during the Ottoman period seven donkeys were locked up inside the church, and they soiled the interior and died. This happened in year of 1875. From that day on, service no longer was held in the church nor a fair was organized. The church is also called “Kelia”, which means “cell”, possibly referring to its single room. However, it may also mean that the church was under a monastery dependency, the word “cell” referring to “element of”

The 13th century church in the cemetery of Velmej really surprised us. Besides being very old, it had interesting frescoes. According to the Russian traveler-writer Viktor Grigorovich who stayed in the All Saints Monastery in Leshani in 1845, he was given a bag full of old book manuscripts by a priest from Velmej. The priest informed him that many other old manuscripts were built into the church of St Nicholas during the restoring, in fear that they would be destroyed. Even today the older village inhabitants carry on the story that in the foundation a casket was placed with old manuscripts written on rabbit parchment.

The Church of St George lies on a small hill above the village Velmej.

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It has a red bell tower built next to it. According to an inscription it was probably built or renovated in 1931. The frescoes inside look quite new and bright.

This old watermill is located on the central square of Velmej, next to the fountain. Try to have a look inside, you can still see the construction which was used to grind.

This relatively new church was built in 2001, after somebody had a dream that a church should be built on this location.

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