Residents of Gracanica: Vidovdan brings us together, we must preserve it

Residents of Gracanica said that Vidovdan represents a time of gathering and the most important celebration of the year for them, stressing that its significance must not be diminished or relativized.

Zoran Stankovic from Livadje said that Vidovdan is a unique opportunity for a large number of people to visit Gracanica.

"Vidovdan means, above all, coming together. That is the first thing it brings to mind for me, because this is a unique occasion when a large number of people gather in Gracanica from other places as well. Many of our fellow citizens who were displaced long ago and left Kosovo come back to pay their respects at Gracanica Monastery or to visit Gazimestan. Above all, it is a gathering of the Serbian people. Secondly, it is one of the greatest celebrations we have during the year, one to which we are all devoted in one way or another. That is why, in my opinion, June is the most festive month of the year," Stankovic said.

Asked whether attempts to rewrite history could be observed, Stankovic said that this has been a major problem for a long time.

"It has been happening for decades. I do not know how this problem will be resolved, considering how serious it is and the way people tend to react. It is enough for a lie to be repeated several times for it to become accepted as the truth. That is why it will be very difficult," he said.

He added that residents preserve the memory of Vidovdan as part of their collective identity, but that even more should be done.

"I think we are already doing that to a great extent, but perhaps we could do even more, especially our fellow citizens from central Serbia, who should visit more often. What particularly makes me happy is that I see people coming from the Republic of Srpska, North Macedonia, and other places as well. Above all, we must achieve this by working with young people and teaching them about our values, our holy sites and our history," he said.

For Miljan Slavkovic, Vidovdan represents Serbian identity and is the most beautiful event commemorated in Gracanica.

"Vidovdan represents Serbian identity. For me, it is the most beautiful and most important occasion we commemorate here in Kosovo. This year I am going to Gazimestan. I have not been there for five years because I was working abroad, but this year I am definitely going, and I am very happy about it," the Gracanica resident said.

Another local resident said it was shameful that Albanians were trying to present Serbian holy sites as their own, stressing that Serbs living in Kosovo must preserve them.

"Vidovdan is a great holiday for the Serbs. As for the fact that there are godless people among us, there is nothing I can do about that. They claim that all of the holy sites belong to them, but where is our history? I know what I learned in school. What is happening is truly shameful. They may be trying to do it, but if we allow them to, they could succeed. We must preserve them," she said.