Jovanovic on Pristina's decision affecting pilgrim travel: An attempt to separate the Serbian people from the pillar of their existence

Luka Jovanovic, a teaching assistant at the Department of History of the Faculty of Philosophy in Kosovska Mitrovica, said that Pristina's decision requiring organized groups of pilgrims visiting Serbian holy sites in Kosovo to be accompanied by a licensed tour guide starting August 1 is not merely a technical measure, but one that could weaken the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and its connection to its monasteries, RTS reports.

Jovanovic believes the new rules should not be viewed as a random measure or merely a technical implementation of regulations, but as a decision directed against the Serbian community and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

"I believe this is an attempt to separate the Serbian people from what represents the pillar of their existence in Kosovo and Metohija, namely the monasteries. They have become places of pilgrimage and symbols of the survival of the Serbian Orthodox Church," Jovanovic said.

He explained that the growing number of pilgrim groups has become increasingly visible in Kosovo and recalled previous incidents during visits to monasteries, including arrests outside Visoki Decani.

"All of this has served to discourage people from making further visits, but it seems to me that this measure will also prove counterproductive. It could further strengthen believers' attachment to their holy sites," the historian said.

Jovanovic believes that the implementation of the new rules could have broader consequences for the position of the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren, as a continuation of efforts to weaken the Serbian Orthodox Church's ties to its holy sites in Kosovo.

The Eparchy of Raska and Prizren announced two days ago that it had received reports from pilgrimage groups returning from visits to holy sites in Kosovo and Metohija that the Kosovo Police had distributed leaflets containing a notice from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism regarding the implementation of the Tourism Law, which enters into force on August 1, 2026.

The notice states that individuals who professionally work as tour guides and lead organized groups for tourism purposes must possess the appropriate license, while organized groups arriving with a foreign tour guide who does not hold a Kosovo license must, during their stay, be accompanied by a local tour guide licensed in Kosovo. It also warns of fines for failing to comply with these rules.

The Eparchy pointed out that religious pilgrimages must be distinguished from commercial tourism activities.