October 31, 2004

ERP KiM Newsletter 31-10-04

www.nin.co.yu

NIN weekly, Belgrade
October 28, 2004

Interview
Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren

Our state is responsible for protection of its people and its cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija

Although the cultural heritage of Kosovo and Metohija represents the acme of European and civilized values, most churches and monasteries have been destroyed, burned down and leveled with the ground in vandal fashion by Albanian extremists. The only cry for help that has been acknowledged is that of the monastery of Visoki Decani, which is the first cultural and historical monument on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija to be on UNESCO's World Heritage List as of June this year.

By way of reminder: the monastery of Visoki Decani is located in the valley of the Pecka Bistrica River under the Prokletija Mountains near the town of Decani in Kosovo and Metohija. It is the endowment of King Stefan of Decani. It was built as a symbol of victory over Velbuzd and represents, in a certain sense, a sign of reconciliation between Stefan of Decani and his son, Dusan. Namely, the two quarreled after Stefan's third marriage. The father occupied and set fire to the son's palaces; after the cessation of hostilities, the latter had the father thrown into the dungeon of Zvecan. Decani frescoes glorify both father and son. The cross of Tsar Dusan and the cross of King Stefan of Decani are among the most precious artifacts preserved in the monastery.

Today Visoki Decani is the wealthiest Serbian treasury with riches that have yet to be assessed. During the war, 22 monks, a large number of Serbs and an occasional Albanian prayed in a monastery cut off from the world for all ties, including phones, were interrupted. Today Italian troops guard the precious objects of the Decani treasury.

What is the protection of Decani Monastery like since it has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List?

“It’s difficult to talk about any sort of protection after the destruction of 150 churches and monasteries. There simply is no protection. What has been destroyed now lies in ruins: burned, devastated, and destroyed. The process of restoration has not started anywhere on even one destroyed or burned building. What is left is fearful of meeting with the same fate.

“As far as UNESCO is concerned, it is a matter of the nomination of Decani Monastery and its addition to the World Heritage List. This process was initiated some ten years ago but it was interrupted when our country was excluded from all international organizations. A few years ago the matter was resuscitated and this year, thank God, the crowning result was that Decani Monastery, one of the most valuable cultural objects in Kosovo and Metohija, was added to the World Heritage List. And that is all as far as UNESCO is concerned.

“All work on Decani Monastery is going through an Italian organization in cooperation with our institutions in Belgrade – the Institute for the Protection of Monuments and the Ministry of Culture. UNESCO has not done anything in this respect so far.”

Your Grace, if I remember correctly, after the March pogrom against the Serbs and Serbian holy shrines in Kosovo and Metohija, UNESCO immediately sent a mission to tour the destroyed buildings?

“The UNESCO mission spent three days in Kosovo but was not able to see everything. They promised they would forward us the commission’s report. Unfortunately, the report from UNESCO has not arrived to this day. In any case, they did demonstrate interest but none of the destroyed objects is under their direct protection. We are grateful for the good will they demonstrated by conducting an assessment of the damage done. But I don’t think that they will be participating in the restoration of these monuments, or at least they have yet to demonstrate the readiness to do so. The Council of Europe has shown more interest in the restoration of our monuments in Kosovo and Metohija, as have Russian commissions and some international organizations, although everything is still at the level of promises, talks and assessments. Nothing concrete has been done so far.

“Not even that much has been done by our country. Even though we tried to get our commission to come out and conduct a concrete and complete assessment of the damage done after the March pogrom at least in cooperation with some international organizations, this still has not been done. The Ministry of Culture did participate in the Council of Europe’s missions, coming to Kosovo and conducting an investigation according to which reconstruction of all buildings is supposed to be done. However, our members did not participate in the writing of these reports and solely representatives of the Council of Europe wrote them. They presented their suggestions and to this day that’s where things stand.”

The Serbian enclave where Visoki Decani is located is now guarded by Italian peacekeeping troops. What will happen if the Italians leave? What comes after?

“Visoki Decani are protected and guarded for now by Italian KFOR, as are other Serbian enclaves protected by representatives of the international community and KFOR: the Americans, the French, the Germans... What will happen when they leave?

“First of all, I don’t believe they will leave until something concrete is resolved with respect to the status of Kosovo and Metohija, and especially with respect to our great holy shrines and cultural monuments. I don’t think they will simply pick up and leave and abandon this to the disposition, good or bad, of the local population because we know what they would like to do to our monuments - what they have already done to Zociste Monastery, the Holy Trinity and other [Serbian Orthodox] holy shrines.

“I believe that this will not happen and it should not be allowed to happen. And ultimately if KFOR and UNMIK do pick up and leave, our country is responsible for protecting both its people and its cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija.”

How satisfied are you with the state union of Serbia and Montenegro and its assistance to the people living in Kosovo and Metohija?

“I’m not. This year the Ministry of Culture is working and helping the monks and clergy with monthly donations. As far as the cultural heritage is concerned, there has been no activity nor any initiative related to its restoration shown so far.

“We have begun the restoration of the monasteries of Devic and Holy Archangels so that the monks and nuns could have at least one permanent building at each location in which to spend the winter. The Ministry of Culture has contributed some funds to complete the started work. Work is presently going on at Archangels but we have not received anything yet for Devic. We expect that at least those two buildings will be able to be completed in the near future because winter is almost upon us.

What about Gracanica, Bogorodica Ljeviska and the other Serbian monasteries?

“Gracanica, thank God, still stands in the same place. It has not been damaged because it is located in a somewhat bigger Serbian enclave. Life there is normal inasmuch as life can be called normal anywhere in Kosovo. However, since it is a slightly larger Serbian enclave, life appears normal. Ljeviska, as we know, was destroyed on March 17; it was torched and demolished. All the frescoes have been destroyed. Nothing at all has been done there with respect to renewal and restoration.”

How accurate is the claim that UNESCO has given significant material assistance for the renewal of some Albanian mosques and monuments, even though Decani is under its protection?

“So far UNESCO has given nothing for the restoration of our churches and monasteries, and I am not aware that it gave anything for the reconstruction or building and restoration of Albanian mosques damaged in the war. I am not aware of it.”

How has Decani been protected by UNESCO and other international organizations in the past?

“It has not been protected by UNESCO at all. Simply, Visoki Decani is protected by KFOR. Since 1999 the Italians have been immediately proximate to Decani. They have a strong checkpoint and they protect Decani from attacks by Albanian extremists. UNESCO did its part by including the monastery on its World Heritage List. This is also significant because more care will be given to its protection.”

What is UNESCO’s attitude toward other Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries?

“Other buildings are not under the jurisdiction of UNESCO because they are not a part of the World Heritage List which is UNESCO’s sole concern. I have already said that UNESCO sent a mission to Kosovo to determine the degree of destruction and devastation, even though these monuments are not [defined as being] of world importance. We are grateful to them for showing their interest. It is all they have done so far.”

Is there hope for the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija?

“I believe in the future of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija because I believe in God. I truly think that without God’s help and without hope in God’s help we could not survive down there. This faith and this hope in God’s help still keeps us there. We also hope that sooner or later the international community will do something to make normal life possible.”

Your Grace, we are speaking before your trip to the United States. What is the purpose of your visit and what do you expect from your spiritual mission and visit to the Serbs who live there?

“This will be my fourth trip to the United States this year always for the purpose and with the task of testifying before world’s powerful leaders – before the U.S. administration and before our people who live abroad about the real situation in Kosovo and Metohija, the situation of our people and our difficult position, lack of rights, meaning all human rights, as well as the position of our devastated and destroyed holy shrines. I have traveled to the U.S. before the conflict in Kosovo and Metohija, at the time of the conflict and especially after the conflict so in the last five years, I have visited the U.S. quite a few times. I have always been gladly received and listened to there. I received many promises. Unfortunately, those promises never materialized. Almost none of what was promised has been realized on the ground. But we still have hope and that is why we are visiting the U.S. again to talk and to testify.

By NADJA ANDREJEVIC

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