The Mountain Village of Lazaropole – Село Лазарополе – Lazar’s Field
The village of Lazaropole is located about 25 kilometers east of Debar and 9 kilometers north of Gari in the Mavrovo National Park on the Bistra mountain massif. This is one of the more picturesque and culturally significant villages located in the Bistra massif such as Galičnik (Galichnik), Gari, Janče (Janche), Kičinica (Kichinitsa), and Tresonče (Tresonche).
Lazaropole in English is Lazar’s Field. According to legend, during the middle ages the Turks had slain all the villagers but one, Lazar, who then set about rebuilding the village. The village is also one of the Mijak villages located in the Mijačija area (Radika River area). The Mijaks are famous for their skills in wood carving, architecture, animal husbandry, and painting icons. Located nearby to Lazaropole is the Jovan Bigorski Monastery featuring exceptional wood carvings by the Mijaks, especially the iconostasis, and the Deer Leap Bridge (Elesnki Skok) that spans across the Radika River.
There are also two churches located in this village, the one dedicated to Saint George which is in the center of the village and the other one dedicated to Saint Nicholas which is very close by.
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