11-year-old Nina’s amazing recreation of Dubrovnik’s famous church with 9,000 bricks

Nina Šimunović and her amazing recreation of Dubrovnik’s famous church (Photo credit: Kockus)

It took young 11 year-old Nina Šimunović from Lapad three months, 9 thousand model building bricks, one Kockus education set, and a lot of perseverance to re-create the beautiful Church of St. Blaise (Sveti Vlaho) in Dubrovnik. 

“I decided to build the church of St. Blaise because he is the patron saint of Dubrovnik. I started building during the summer holidays, during the early hours of Kockus education, and finished it only at the beginning of October. What motivated me over three months was the desire to see how the church would look when it was completed,” Nina told Kockus.hr, before adding.

“The most enjoyable part for me was constructing the interior, and the most challenging part was building the dome of the church. What’s next? This project occupied me quite a bit, so for now, I plan to take a break. When I come up with a new project, it will surely be simpler,” Nina concluded.

Nina Šimunović (Photo credit: Kockus)

When not engrossed in constructing fantastic brick creations, she spends her leisure time dancing and drawing, and for sheer pleasure, she collects Pokemon cards. If you have excess cards at home that you can’t handle, get in touch with Nina, she will happily add them to her collection. 

The Church of St. Blaise was constructed in a distinctive Venetian style, with a cruciform floor plan, dome, and statues on the facade and portals.

(Photo credit: Kockus)

A cherub’s head adorns the keystone of the archway, while three angels, two in a sitting position and one standing on the central pedestal, adorn the facade above it. 

(Photo credit: Kockus)

The edges of the balustrades are adorned with personifications of Faith and Hope, while the central part is dominated by the statue of the patron, with the obligatory miter and a model of the City.

(Photo credit: Kockus)

The front and two side entrances, properly placed on the axes of the floor plan, lead to the spacious interior of the church. 

(Photo credit: Kockus)

A fire and the choice of a Venetian architect resulted in the city now being adorned with one of the most unique brick monuments in the baroque style on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic.

(Photo credit: Kockus)

Located prominently between Stradun and the Rector’s Palace, the baroque Church of St. Blaise is present in all the characteristic views of the city and represents one of the most beautiful architectural achievements within the walls.

Church of St. Blaise in Dubrovnik 

It was designed by the architect and sculptor Marino Groppelli, from the then greatest rival city in the Mediterranean, Venice, and was built from 1706 to 1715 on the site of an old church that burned to the ground in 1706.