Ivanovic: Vidovdan gained strength and symbolism over time – It all began with the battle of Kosovo

Miloš Ivanovic, Research Advisor at the Historical Institute in Belgrade, stated that Vidovdan earned its status among the Serbian people due to the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, and that it has since gained in strength and symbolism, enriched by legends and myths.

"Vidovdan earned that status primarily on the basis of the battle that took place on June 15, 1389 (June 28 according to the new calendar), on the feast day of Saint Vitus. That’s where the name 'Vidovdan' came from. The battle was extremely significant because two rulers were killed, and it had major consequences for Serbian history in the Middle Ages. Although, it should be said that this was not the fall of the Serbian medieval state, as later tradition came to suggest. However, it was the last major open-field battle in medieval Serbian history," Ivanovic told Kosovo Online.

He added that over time, the date gained strength and symbolic value, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, when many important events in modern Serbian history also occurred on that day.

"We have the secret convention signed by King Milan with Austria-Hungary in 1881, of course the famous Sarajevo assassination in 1914, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Then, following the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the first Vidovdan Constitution. We also have the Cominform Resolution, which was again issued on that day in 1948," Ivanovic noted.

He also recalled one of the most significant events in recent history—the marking of 600 years since the Battle of Kosovo at Gazimestan in 1989.

He emphasized that for the Serbs, this “powerful symbolism” was especially strong during the First Balkan War.

"When the Serbian state was liberating those regions, when Kosovo and Metohija were liberated at the beginning of the 20th century, there was this strong symbolism that it was a return to the earlier period when it was part of the Serbian medieval state—and that, in a way, what was once lost at Kosovo was symbolically reclaimed," Ivanovic explained.

He stressed the immense symbolic significance that developed around the Battle of Kosovo through legends and myths.

"When it comes to the battle itself in 1389, the most accurate statement is that the course and outcome of the battle remain unknown. It is clear, however, that both rulers died, and that the consequences were especially damaging to one side. But the myth is what was constructed over time. That’s the story of betrayal. Of course, there was a man who killed Murad, the leader of the Ottoman army, but over time an entire narrative emerged about a slandered hero betrayed by Vuk Brankovic, who later allegedly betrayed at Kosovo," Ivanovic explained.

He added that strong Christian symbolism has always surrounded Vidovdan and the Battle of Kosovo.

"Lazar as a Christ-like figure betrayed by someone like Judas—Vuk Brankovic, who breaks bread with him. Over time, this was further developed in epic poetry, where these folk motifs were very present. But that’s the creation of archetypes—heroes, commanders, sacrifice for faith... And, of course, on the other side, the traitor—because in folk tradition the unfavorable outcome of the battle had to be explained by some other factor, as Serbian bravery was widely acknowledged," the historian concluded.