Ministry of Culture of Serbia: Pristina continues violence against cultural heritage, aiming to erase traces of Serb existence in Kosovo and Metohija

Regarding media reports about the occupation of about 50 acres of land where the foundations of the Monastery and Church of the Mother of God in Hvosno, dating back to the sixth century in the municipality of Istok, and the use of heavy machinery at that site, the Ministry of Culture of Serbia stated today that Pristina continued violence against Serbian sacred spiritual heritage with the aim of intimidation, persecution, and appropriation of cultural heritage as a part of the "project of a false state".

"The hypocrisy of seizing Serbian cultural heritage with gross forgeries under the guise of its protection is particularly evident in the fact that this is happening precisely in the area where Serbian returnees, refugees from the Albanian pogrom, are located, and during the time of religious holidays," the statement emphasizes.

The violence is calculated to achieve the strongest effect of inhumanity and desecration, according to the Ministry of Culture.

"This pattern is unfortunately well known, as it has often been used in violence against the heritage and rights of the Serbs. All of this should be even more visible and should require a reaction from the international community, given the shameless ambitions of Pristina to recommend itself for membership in international organizations through brutal violence against Serbian cultural heritage, especially those organizations that care about the heritage of universal value, such as the vast and exceptionally valuable Serbian sacral heritage in Kosovo and Metohija. Unfortunately, it is precisely its exceptional value for all of humanity that triggers the appetite for destruction and appropriation," the statement says.

It is also recalled that during the pogrom, 35 churches and monasteries were destroyed, including 19 monuments of culture of the first category, as well as 16 Orthodox churches that were not categorized.

Simultaneously, around 10,000 valuable frescoes, icons, chalices, and many other church relics, as well as baptismal, wedding, and death registers testifying to the centuries-long existence of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, were destroyed and stolen. Numerous Serbian cemeteries were also set on fire and desecrated.

Due to continuous threats, Serbian monasteries Gracanica, Visoki Decani, Patriarchate of Pec, and the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2006.

The statement emphasizes that the desecration of everything Serbian has always had the same goal: to eliminate the Serbs and traces of their existence from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, the cradle of their statehood and culture.

"Proof of this is the frequent desecration of Orthodox cemeteries, as a particularly brutal demonstration of hatred and anti-civilizational impulses. The Ministry of Culture once again appeals to all international organizations and institutions to finally react to the policy of hatred and violence within their mandates and competencies to protect the basic human rights of the Serbs and their cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo and Metohija. In facing multiple and constant violence and the denial of obvious historical truths, we will continue to persistently and dedicatedly nurture our tradition and culture as a unique spiritual expression of the Serbs and a universal good for all humanity," the Ministry concludes in the statement.