Nima (Néma) – Cluj County
Documented as early as 1225, the village of Nima (Mintiu Gherlii commune) preserves a historical monument of extraordinary value, but unfortunately, it is very little known and promoted: the Reformed church built from carved stone, listed as a historical monument in Cluj County since 2015.
The Reformed church in Nima, a monument from the Cistercian Gothic period
Built in the 13th century, the Reformed church in Nima was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of the noble family of Nima. Originally Roman Catholic, then Unitarian until 1621, the church consists of a rectangular Romanesque sanctuary, to which a nave indicating the Cistercian period of Gothic architecture was added. Built from carved stone, the place of worship is decorated with ogival arches and profiled elements with floral motifs. The fragments of mural painting on the sanctuary walls, discovered during restoration works led by Lajos Bágyuj (1961), were executed in the 14th century.
„We discovered a space for storing the holy relics, as well as the portrait of a saint. The uncovered fresco fragments feature finely drawn figures, movements and clothing are accurately depicted, and the background of the entire series of images has a Gothic style,” declared Lajos Bágyuj, according to an article written by Péter Sas in the publication Művelődés (2006). The name of the renowned restorer from Cluj is also linked, among many other works, to the discovery of the remains of George Martinuzzi, former governor of Transylvania, brought to light during the restoration of the Alba Iulia fortress.
„Keys...? There are no keys! The church is always open!”
According to historians, the Reformed church in Nima had two bells, one cast in 1690 and the other brought from the demolished Reformed church in the village of Kodor, bearing the Latin inscription „Verbum Domini manet in aeternum, 1597.” While in the 17th century it was an independent Reformed parish, by the mid-19th century Nima had become only a filial church of the parish in Ocna Dejului. According to the 2002 census, only 10 ethnic Hungarians still lived in the village. Today, locals say that Mr. Andris is the last „guardian” of the Hungarian community in Nima.
Guided by a villager to speak to Mr. Andris if I wanted to enter the „Hungarian church” because „he has the keys,” I easily found his house. He looked surprised when I mentioned the keys, explaining that there are no keys at all, the church is always open, and anyway, only a few people go up there. He is the one who occasionally cleans the church and its yard, among the old tombstones. As much as his strength allows, as he moves slowly after undergoing surgery. According to him, too few people are interested in the monument, but he is glad that at least a new roof has been installed, thus protecting the walls from rain and snow.
Devoid of valuable items or furniture inside, the Reformed church in Nima has become an excellent dovecote, as evidenced by the „carpet” of droppings and the numerous bird corpses on the floor. Uncertainty hangs over the future of the Gothic monument, with the scratches on the exterior walls being the first warning before an eventual vandalism…