Young people are changing Cernica's tragic history – A place where every meter was marked by bloodshed

Cernica, a village near Gnjilane, is known as one of the places in Kosovo that suffered the most in the aftermath of the conflict, with a large number of local residents losing their lives, particularly between 1999 and 2003. Today, the young people of the village preserve the memory of the innocent victims while striving to change the tragic history of their hometown.

In the post-conflict period, seven people were killed in Cernica. The youngest victim was four-year-old Miloš Petrovic, who was waiting for his uncle to bring him an ice cream from a nearby store.

Miloš's brother, Lazar Petrovic, who witnessed the tragic event with his own eyes, is now a Russian language teacher at the school in the village, which operates under Serbia's educational system. The school, housed in an old private home, is attended by only 15 students and serves not only as a place of learning but also as a gathering place for friendship and play.

At one time, 120 Serbian families lived in this village near Gnjilane. Today, according to Petrovic, only 40 households remain.

"Following everything that happened, many people naturally moved away. Still, considering all that took place here, quite a few of us have remained. We continue to persevere, holding on to hope for a better tomorrow. The school operates under the system of the Republic of Serbia and has 15 students. Classes are held in a house that is a century old. That does not prevent us from working with the children. A month ago, one of our students participated in a national-level competition. Having a small number of students also has its advantages—we can devote more attention to each of them. The children have fewer opportunities to socialize, but they spend time together at school during breaks. The village health clinic is also located within the school complex," Petrovic said.

As young people had no place to gather, they decided to take matters into their own hands and began building the "Zavet" Youth Center, as well as a basketball court named after the slain boy, Miloš Petrovic.

The financial support they needed came from friends in central Serbia. The rest of the work was carried out by the villagers themselves. Today, local youth have a place where they can gather, watch sports matches, and celebrate birthdays.

"‘Zavet’ is our refuge. It is where we gather, watch games, socialize, and celebrate birthdays. I can say that we have changed the dark history of our village and introduced positive things. We also built a basketball court where the memorial tournament ‘A Basket for Seven’ is held in honor of the innocent victims. The tournament begins on July 20 and lasts until August 2. During those ten or so days, it is easier to breathe here. Many people come, and as many as 20 teams take part. That gives us strength," Petrovic noted.

This year, Cernica is also marking the 100th anniversary of the Church of St. Elijah. Petrovic said that a large number of visitors from central Serbia are expected to attend the celebrations.

"They constantly support us, and we owe them our

gratitude," he said.

Relations with neighboring Albanians are now good, and freedom of movement has improved, Petrovic added, although there is still a degree of caution because of past events.

None of the crimes committed in Cernica have been solved, yet the local Serbs do not seek to pass judgment, nor do they wish for new conflicts. Their only desire is to preserve the memory of the innocent victims.

"Let those who are responsible for justice render judgment. Our role is to light candles and visit the cemetery on anniversaries. On those days, there is always silence—no one says anything. Wounds may heal, but we always remember them. We walk through the village and see memorials everywhere. Every meter of this place has been marked by bloodshed," Petrovic said.

Concluding the conversation, he emphasized that life must go on:

"We built all of this in order to present a positive image of Cernica," Petrovic said.