Visit of Bishop Artemije to Prizren (high resolution photos are available by a click on each thumbnail photo)

Ljeviska St. George Runjevac St. George Residence Entering home Bishop's study Study -computer Entrance hall, residence Bishop's bedroom the reception lounge St. George Runjevac Residence, north St. George, death to Serbs St. George cathedral St Nicolas, Tutic 14th century St. Nicholas, tin roof was taken away

to the Seminary Seminary Seminary Seminary Seminary, plaque Seminary -new wing Seminary Seminary Holy Archangels monastery Holy Archangels Holy Archangels Holy Archangels, a bell

Report by ERP KIM Info-Service (March 25, 2004)

Bishop Artemije of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija escorted by strong forces of the international police visited Prizren and toured the destroyed Orthodox holy shrines and buildings in it.

"The extent of the damage is catastrophic," said the Bishop after visiting the torched ruins of the Orthodox cathedral of St. George, the Bishop's residence and the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary building. "It is truly incomprehensible that in just one night everything that has been built over the centuries and guarded during the most difficult times in our history has vanished in the flames of madness and violence.

The entire Serb quarter of Potkaljaja looks as if it had been air-bombed, the church of the Christ the Savior is covered with soot from the fire. The Bishop's residence where I lived for years has been completely destroyed along with everything in it. Frescoes in the Holy Mother of God of Ljevis (see the links at the bottom), some dating back to the 12th century, have been barbarically mutilated, and the church itself shamefully desecrated. Prizren, a city that guarded centuries of cultural creativity and was the pride of the honorable and cultured residents of Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia, and the whole world now looks like a village in Afghanistan," said the Bishop, calling what occurred in Prizren the night of March 17 an act of URBICIDE (murder of a city).

"By this barbaric destruction of an entire city and its cultural monuments, as well as Christian holy shrines throughout Kosovo and Metohija - the torching of Devic Monastery, the desecration of the tomb of St. Ionnachius, the digging up of the dead at the cemetery in Podujevo and other unprecedented acts of violence and primitivism, the Kosovo Albanians have shown that their vision of society is not European and that the stories about democracy and Europe were just a facade covering up blind hatred and the desire to destroy everything bearing the marks of civilization".

"How can people destroy a city in which they themselves are living? How can they calmly sit on benches and nonchalantly stroll in front of burning churches whose ruins stink of urine and feces left behind by the attackers? Where did such barbarity at the dawn of the 21st century come from, barbarity promoted not by some small group of extremists but by thousands of people* who destroyed centuries of culture and civilization in their campaign of destruction?" asked the Bishop in a statement for the ERP KIM Info Service.

"Are the Albanian leaders and their religious mentors even aware that by destroying these cultural and historical treasures they are destroying their own future, their place in the history of European civilization, culture and spirituality?" said the Bishop, horrified by the scenes of destruction.

After visiting Prizren Bishop Artemije also stopped to see the burned monastery of Holy Archangels and then visited the Archangels monks in the village of Sredska. The Bishop consoled the monks, who are firmly determined to return to their holy shrine and to live in a prefabricated house until the monastery is restored. "Today I sent an official letter to the German commander in Prizren requesting that the monks be returned to the monastery as soon as possible with KFOR protection. "All delays in their return, as well as of the return of the sisterhood of Devic, on which we will also insist, will be interpreted as a sign of support for the policy of ethnic cleansing which has been carried out to forever destroy Christian holy shrines and prevent the return of expelled Serbs," said the Bishop, emphasizing that the destroyed homes of all tragedy-stricken Serbs must be repaired, and that all displaced people must be enabled to return to their centuries-old homes. "The organizers of last week's pogrom must be made to understand that the policy of terrorism and violence will not get them what they want because the civilized world will not tolerate such arguments by barbarian hordes."

"As well, in my letter to the German commander I expressed my sharp protest against the violence against the religious freedoms and dignity against our Serbs, residents of Prizren, who are temporarily lodged in the German military camp and who were subjected to Roman Catholic mass and communion yesterday without my knowledge and against their will. Taking advantage of the tragic experience of these people for purposes of religious proselytism is absolutely unacceptable and I will soon also discuss this issue with the Holy Synod of Bishops (of the Serbian Orthodox Church)," concluded Bishop Artemije in an exclusive interview with the ERP KIM Info Service.

The Site with photos of K-Albanian vandalism in Prizren is available again