Saint Nicholas Church – Sârbi (Serbian Church)

SAINT NICHOLAS CHURCH - SÂRBI (SERBIAN CHURCH) Saint Nicholas Church – Sârbi (Serbian Church) was built in 1825 in the gardeners' slum in the eastern part of the city, repaired and modified in 1831 and 1884, renovated in 1887, 1894, 1911, 1922. The painting is made by Nicolae Teodorescu and Victor Zemlicka. Nicolae Teodorescu (1786, Focșani – 8th July 1880, Buzău), a church painter, head of Buzău School of Icon Painters, was initiated into the mysteries of colour preparation and the art of painting, at Căldărușani monastery, led by polkovnik Matei the Painter, under the guidance of Ivan Rusu, who died in the earthquake of 1802, under the ruins of the church of Unguriu, Buzău, which he was painting. From 1814, he apprenticed for two years in Iași, under the direction of the academic painter Eustațiu Altini, who had studied in Vienna, from whom he acquired his inclination for realism and with whom he perfected the art of painting. In 1816 he returned to Focșani, but being already well known (known to everyone in Wallachia) he was called in 1827 by Bishop Chesarie to paint the Church of the Holy Apostles at Ciolanu Monastery, where he worked for three years. He was accompanied by his nephew Iordache (Gheorghe Tattarescu), aged 7, son of his sister Smaranda, wife of Mihai Tattarescu, who died of plague in 1826. In Buzău he lived on Banu Street (today Bistrița Street) where, from 1837, the "School of Icons Painters", i.e. church painters, to be distinguished from house painters, was founded by Chesarie in 1831 (according to other researchers, in 1829), until then the school had its headquarters in the chapels around the bishop's church. Thanks to his skill and qualities, in 1839, Nicolae Teodorescu is included, at the behest of Alexandru Ghica, in Arhondologia [Register of boyar ranks] of the time (Book of Ranks, n. n.) with the title of peior clerk, and on 6th December 1844 he was raised to the rank of baker by ruler Gheorghe Bibescu, when he visited the Diocese. He was elected several times member of the Town Council. In addition to his work as a teacher and headmaster of the school, Nicolae Teodorescu painted several places of worship (more than 17 churches). In addition to his overall works in fresco and tempera technique, numerous iconostasis, epitaphs and icons, he also worked on portraits. All this allows us to consider him the first modern painter from Buzău. The Church of Saint Nicolae is included in the List of Historical Monuments (BZ-II-m- B-02335).