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Christ
is Born - Glorify Him!
Blessed
New Year 2002
Christmas
epistle of Patriarch Pavle
Christmas in Decani
Monastery - monks with a few pilgrims who came to the
monastery with KFOR escort
Decani
Monastery Christmas Card 
Decani Monastery
Winter Gallery
Celebration of
badnyak - yule log
Orthodox
Christmas celebrated in Kosovo and Metohija
festive joy under the threat of Albanian
bomb-attacks
Kostunica
condemns “violence and barbarity” in Kosovo (B92)
7. Jan 2002 20:06 BELGRADE, Tuesday – Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica said today that Christmas in Kosovo had been marred by
“violence and barbarity by Albanian extremists.”
Kostunica
said that recent outbreaks of violence were a warning that the
situation in the province had not improved since the November
elections when Belgrade agreed to urge Serbs to vote in return
for guarantees from the UN mission.
"Kosovo
Albanians must decide if they envisage a serious change of policy
towards peace and stabilisation... or whether they intend to continue
living within a context of violence," said the president.
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This year's
Christmas in Kosovo and Metohija was celebrated by Orthodox Serbs
with spritual joy despite the restricted freedom and security
threats. Those Serbs who managed to reach their churches attended
the services under the KFOR military protection. Many believers
had to travel in armoured vehicles to their parish churches, especially
in Pristina (photo 2). Just before the Christmas day Dragoljub
Markovic, a Serb from Kosovska Kamenica, was killed in a bomb
attack. Two more bomb attacks occured in other parts of the province
in which, thank God, no one was injured. These "Christmas
gifts" from Albanian extremists reminded the Serb population
that they are the only Christians in Europe who spend the Christmas
holidays under the threat of terrorist attacks in which children,
elderly and Christian churches are targeted in a Moslem dominated
Kosovo province.
Photo1:
Christmas play in Gracanica
Photo2: Elderly Serbs in Pristina transported to a church
service in a British military vehicle
Photo3: Some of the remaining Serb children in Pristina
with their guardian in front of the church of St. Nicholas just
after the Christmas liturgy
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Images
from a night vigil at Decani Monastery
photographer
Dragan Tanasijevic
Pilgrims in Decani
Monastery during the Christmas Liturgy - Christ is born!
Christmas
and the New Year Celebration
in Central Serbia
New
face of Post-Milosevic Serbia - Democracy and tradition shape the future
of modern Serbian society
New Year's Fireworks
in Belgrade, Jan 14th 2002
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Serbia celebrated
the Christmas in festive atmosphere. The most joyful moment
was the beginning of the central midnight Christmas liturgy
in the huge Cathedral of St. Savas. Dozens of bells which were
installed a week ago sounded with festive chimes the melody
of St. Savas hymn. His Holiness the Patriarch served the liturgy
with concelebration of bishops and priests. The service was
attended by thousands of Orthodox believers including the Crown
Prince Alexander with his family and the highest state dignitaries.
Christmas was celebrated in all diocesan cathedrals and parish
churches all over Serbia and Montenegro with prayers for peace
and better future in the Balkans which is still recovering from
years of war and suffering. Special prayers were read for the
suffering Orthodox Christians in Kosovo and Metohija where Orthodox
Christians live through the most difficult times in their recent
history.
Photo1:
St. Sava's cathedral at midnight 24/25 Dec (Old Calendar), 6/7
January (New Calendar) - hundreds of thousands were lit around
the church built on the site where Sinan Pasha burned the relics
of the First Serb Archbishop - St. Sava - in 17th century.
Photo2: Patriarch Pavle serving the Christmas liturgy
Photo3: Novi Sad in festive lights - the city which lost
its bridges in NATO bombing is boosting with new spirit of democracy.
Photo4: Yule-log burning in front of Royal Palace with
Crown Prince and his family standing. (HRH CP Alexander, Prince
Philip, Princess Catharina and Prince Alexander Jr)
Photo5: HRH Crown Prince Alexander and Princess Catharina
with children's toys which they brought from Athens for the
poor children in Serbia.
Photo 5: Feastal decorations in Serbian cities
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Patriarch Serving
the Thanksgiving Service in the main Belgrade Cathedral
after the First Holy Liturgy in the New Year 2002
Christmas lunch
in Decani Monastery - KFOR officers joined the monastic trapeza
Christmas
celebrated in Russia
Celebrations in the style of glorious days
of Russia
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