The Devič Monastery - Burned to the ground

The Devič Monastery, one of the oldest Orthodox monasteries in Kosovo (13th century), became the first target of hatred in the March Pogrom of 2004.

History of the monastery

• Founded: 13th century (exact year unknown, probably around 1270)
• Location: The Dečani mountain, near the Srećka River, municipality of Klina
• Dedicated to: John the Baptist
• Significance: A convent, home of nuns for centuries
• Frescoes: Frescoes from the 14th century (rare and valuable)
• Icons: A collection of icons from the Middle Ages

The nuns before the attack

Living in the monastery were:

• Matica Dimitrijević - the abbess (71 years old, 50 years in the monastery)
• 6 nuns - of various ages
• 3 novices (new nuns in training)

• Prayer, work in the garden, upkeep of the monastery
• Isolated from the outside world - peace and spirituality
• Aware of the tension but believing that KFOR was protecting them

17 March 2004 - The day of the attack

14:30 - The first information

Contact with KFOR:

Abbess Dimitrijević called KFOR (the Italian contingent): "We see a group of people moving toward the monastery. Please, come as soon as possible."

15:00 - The crowd arrives

Estimate: 1,500-2,000 Albanians

• Arrived by bus from nearby towns (Suva Reka, Orahovac, Đakovica)
• Armed: Molotov cocktails, stones, clubs, axes
• Chanted: "Doli Srbija!" (Down with Serbia), "UCK! UCK!" (the Albanian army)
• Some in masks - organized

15:15 - The attack begins

• The crowd broke down the monastery gates
• Threw Molotov cocktails at the buildings
• Smashed the windows
• Entered the courtyard

• Gathered in the main church - prayed
• Expected death
• The abbess called KFOR by phone - a cry for help

15:30 - KFOR finally arrives

Italian KFOR soldiers (30 soldiers):

• Pushed through the crowd
• Entered the monastery
• Began the evacuation of the nuns

The nuns were evacuated in Italian armored vehicles while the crowd threw stones. Some nuns were injured by the stones.

16:00 - Total destruction

After the evacuation of the nuns:

• The church - set on fire, the roof collapsed, the frescoes from the 14th century DESTROYED
• The living quarters (residential buildings) - burned to the ground
• The library - hundreds of rare books burned
• The icons - a collection from the Middle Ages DESTROYED
• The garden and the estate - devastated

Material damage

UNESCO's assessment:

• Buildings: 100% destroyed
• Frescoes from the 14th century: Priceless - LOST FOREVER
• Icons: 50+ icons from the Middle Ages - burned
• Books: A library with rare manuscripts - burned
• Total material value: Priceless

A cultural loss for humanity

• Frescoes from the 14th century - rare examples of Byzantine painting - LOST FOREVER
• Architecture - an example of medieval construction - RAZED
• Historical continuity - 7 centuries of uninterrupted monastic life - INTERRUPTED

The nuns after the attack

Evacuation:

• Transferred to Gračanica (a Serbian enclave)
• Then to the Sopoćani Monastery (Serbia)

• Abbess Dimitrijević (71) - died 2 years later (2006) - "of a broken heart"
• The nuns were left with PTSD
• They never returned

Criminal responsibility - NO ONE punished

UNMIK police:

• Opened an investigation
• Arrested 12 suspects
• ALL RELEASED after a few days - "lack of evidence"

• 2,000 people were present
• KFOR soldiers were witnesses
• Photographic and video documentation
• But - there is no political will to punish

Reconstruction - partial

2006-2008:

• The Serbian government and church financed the reconstruction
• The basic buildings were rebuilt
• BUT - the frescoes and icons LOST FOREVER
• BUT - the nuns did not return - too dangerous

• The monastery stands - rebuilt
• BUT - empty, without monastic life
• KFOR patrols the surroundings - preventing new attacks
• Rare visitors - too dangerous for a longer visit

Symbolism

The Devič Monastery has become a symbol of:

• The destruction of Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo
• The failure of the international community to protect monuments
• Ethnic cleansing - not only of people, but also of culture
• Forgotten victims - who remembers the nuns of Devič?

"Devič was a home of peace and prayer for 7 centuries. In a few hours, they turned it into ashes. That was not an attack on a building - it was an attack on spirituality, on history, on humanity." - Patriarch Pavle, 2004.