History

 The Log Church in Rača is one of the most beautiful structures of this type built in the early 19th century in Serbia. According to the inscription to the porch, to the left of the entrance doors, it was erected in 1827. It was constructed from horizontally stacked, hand-hewn oak logs, which on the eastern side of the church are segmentally reduced, forming a polygonal altar apse. On the western side of the church is a porch with four profiled oak pillars with capitals, between which a low fence of profiled shingles is placed. A particularly striking feature is the high and steep roof covered with massive pieces of oak shingles arranged in nine rows. The lower part of the roof ends with an eaves, along the edge of which is a decorative carving in wood shaped like a saw. The eaves are covered with profiled shingles, which, like the shingles on the eaves, are painted red along the edges. Special details of the church include the richly ornamented western door, with panels carved with flowers painted in green, yellow, and red, as well as two smaller windows carved into the logs, with characteristic wooden latticework - “toplije”.

Works on the church

The Log Church was in a usable condition, but due to the deterioration of the roof covering – the shingles – the entire interior of the church was at risk. Continuous exposure to atmospheric conditions led to the complete destruction of the church's vaulted ceiling, made of shingles, in most of the building, particularly above the altar apse. The roof structure was in relatively good condition. The attic shingles were worn, with some areas missing, and the ridge at several points was broken. The building was not statically endangered, as determined during the project preparation, but it was necessary to reinforce the foundation area further.

The conservation and restoration works on the Log Church in Rača began in June and were completed in November 2024. The works were funded by the Ministy of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. The constractor for the works was the SZGR ‘Ivica Bjelić’ from Smederevo.

The works included:

• Replacement of the entire roof covering – shingles, with new ones made of first-class oak wood, with dimensions and processing methods identical to the original. The shingles were preserved before installation by ‘cooking’ them in a solution of linseed oil and tar. Additionally, all worn-out parts of the roof structure, primarily the purlins, were replaced, and the roof was covered with a vapor-permeable and water-repellent foil. A new ridge cap was also made and installed, as it was determined that the previous one was nonexistent.
  
  
• Replacement of the worn-out attic shingles, which were crafted and profiled exactly as the original. A new decorative board (ridge cap) around the eaves was also made, in full accordance with the original.
  
  
• Replacement of the entire wooden vaulted ceiling – shingles in the interior of the church. New elements were made from steamed beech wood, processed and profiled to match the authentic elements. Healthy pieces of shingles were preserved and installed in certain parts of the church to retain traces of the original design.
  
  
• Flooring was completed in the porch, nave, and altar area. In the porch and altar area, old-format brick tiles were laid, while the central part of the church floor was relaid with additional stone, structured, processed, and colored to closely match the existing. The rosette in the nave in front of the iconostasis was cleaned, and the missing marble element was installed to match the other elements of the rosette in appearance and processing. The floors were laid on a sand base, and the joints were filled with lime mortar. Steel reinforcements were installed beneath the floors, according to the static reinforcement project.
  
  
• A stone cobblestone sidewalk was laid around the church, placed in sand.
  
  
• All wooden elements, both old and newly installed, were protected with a solution of linseed oil and tar.

The completed works have protected the church for a long period, with the condition of mandatory and regular preserving.