Memorandum For Reconstruction Of Churches-The Eradication Of The Serbian Heritage In Kosovo And Metohija
Source: Diocese of Ras-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija
“Reconstruction which is not viable” - A new book on the reconstruction through the Memorandum
All the participants taking part from the Serbian side in this unavailing reconstruction process, must be excluded from all future reconstruction processes.
The Raska-Prizren Diocese and Serbian Government’s Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija have recently published a book, “Reconstruction which is not viable”. It recounts on how Memorandum for reconstruction of Serbian sanctuaries in Kosovo and Metohija has been carried out for entire three years.
In the book of some hundred pages, there are two reports on the results of reconstruction (compared to the official RIC report), made by Gordana Markovic, MArch. and dr. Milan Glisic, professor at the Architecture faculty in Belgrade; the public communiques issued immediately after Memorandum was signed in 2005, the text of Bishop Artemije’s addressing to the UNSC Ambassadors in April 2007, as well as the preface made by dr. Slobodan Samardzic (the then Minister for Kosovo and Metohija).
You can download the complete contents of the book here (3.5 MB). The book is richly documented by photographs, which most expressively testify to the fiasco of such a reconstruction process and to the downfall of Memorandum, confirming that the whole reconstruction process was followed by the official reports, which untruly and unfairly reported on the works done, in order to create a false picture of the success of reconstruction in the public. The masterminds of those Reports were exactly the RIC (Reconstruction implementation commission) and, unfortunately, Visoki Decani Monastery, i.e. vicar Bishop Teodosije Sibalic.
This false picture of a successful reconstruction was, on one hand, in function of creating and promoting independent Kosovo, while, on the other hand, the unavailing reality of the unsuccessful reconstruction was in function of eradication of the Serbian heritage and its forceful taking over by the Albanian element, as well as of further humiliation of the Serb people. It is a tragic and painful knowledge that the participants of this reconstruction process were exactly the representatives of the Serb people, and, unfortunately, the dignitaries of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
It is, anyhow, necessary to shed light on the Memorandum process of reconstruction from some aspects that had little or no mention so far.
The Diocese of Raska and Prizren stands firmly on a position that it was necessary, before starting any reconstruction, to carry out the damage assessment. That is natural and logical event sequence – to assess the damage inflicted by destruction and annihilation of the Serbian heritage and only then begin with other steps.
In this sense, the Diocese already in 2004 started the damage assessment, after the pogrom of March 17, and the data collected would have been used, among other things, for the legal process the Diocese started at the International Human Rights Tribunal in Strasbourg, against four European states (Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy) for their responsibility in the destruction of 150 churches.
This lawsuit lodged by the Raska and Prizren Diocese, one of the biggest obstacles to the realization of independent Kosovo, was, unfortunately, withdrawn, only few months after it had been lodged, due to great efforts and engagement of, above all, Visoki Decani Monastery, (such and engagement was, accordingly, in strong coordination with certain circles in the USA), and then due to the indescribable pressure and insisting coming from some Hierarchs (above all Metropolitan Amfilohije and Bishop Atanasije Jevtic), again by the instructions coming, through the international representatives, from the West.
Immediately after the lawsuit was withdrawn under pressure and compulsion in January 2005, and its original goal was to demand the rights and sanctioning the responsible for the crimes perpetrated against the Serbs and the Serbian heritage, the mention participants have begun the realization of the new process (this time according to the instructions and diktat coming from the West, USA and the EU countries) – implementing the Memorandum for the reconstruction of the destroyed churches (March 2005).
On of the consequences most jeopardizing for the Serbian interests in implementing the Memorandum, was exactly damage sanation without prior damage assessment. In such a way, after the lawsuit was withdrawn, the mentioned participants have begun with the “reconstruction” process, by which all the traces of crime will be erased, without opening the issue of responsibility of the felons (the Albanians and some western countries) for the crimes perpetrated, which basically abolished the perpetrators and those responsible for the perpetrated crimes. At the same time, through the well thought-of and organized propaganda the same participants spoke only of the inexistent successes of the “reconstruction”, bringing the public into delusion that there was significant progress, hiding, accordingly, the facts which testify to the real character of the reconstruction and the results achieved on the ground!
Thus, instead of opening the issue of responsibility for the crimes perpetrated, these participants opened the “reconstruction” through Memorandum, which brought, additionally, to occulting the state in which the sanctuaries were in after they suffered, and disabling, accordingly, an accurate and exact assessment of the inflicted damage. At the same time, amnesia is being created in generations of the Serbian people, with the impression that nothing, actually, happened, and that the “Albanian neighbours” will be “nice to live with like before”, imitating in such a way the tendencies that the felons be enabled to move free and undisturbed, finishing, probably, the unfinished business later.
Nevertheless, in the past few years, there have been no initiatives from the institutions of the State of Serbia, either, in starting the process of damage assessment. That would exactly be one of the palpable indicators that Serbia considers Serbian heritage in Kosovo and Metohija as its own, that she takes care of it with the attention of a good steward, and that she would do anything to protect it from further destruction and to enable it turn back in the condition it could again serve the interests and needs of the future generations of the Serbian people.
In such a way, the Diocese of Raska and Prizren makes an appeal to the newly formed authorities of Serbia to join the initiative of the Diocese that they might viably help the process of damage assessment, started again by the Diocese.
One of the most disputable elements of the “reconstruction” according to the Memorandum, from the constructional point of view, is the static stability of structures that were rehabilitated. Besides all the other construction deficiencies done in the “reconstruction” process, these shortcomings can have the most serious, even tragic consequences, and they are present in more than a few cases. We will mention here only a few examples, taking in account those mentioned exactly in the book “Reconstruction which is not viable”.
So, for St. George Cathedral in Prizren (otherwise pompously advertised by the RIC) it says in the book literally: “Roof construction has been done out of any construction logic, and it supports on the facade walls damaged in fire, jeopardizing structure’s stability”, as well as: “Why was the projected amount of steel and limestone in the roof increased for a few tons?” and then the conclusion follows “the roof carries the burden of about 600 tons, part of it is transmitted to the thick walls which were exposed to high temperatures and their bearing capacity was not examined”.
Who will dare, having in mind the listed data, to enter as user in this church? Who will, then, bear responsibility for eventual repeated downfall of the church, since the structure, damaged and weakened, bears the new burden, this time much heavier than it was before the destruction, and heavier than planned by the project itself? Will only the (incompetent and ill willed) Albanian contractors be responsible, or also the Serb representatives, who permitted them to play in such a crude way with our heritage?
It is almost the same situation in Devic Monastery, where “reconstruction of the Central dormitory is carried out without any constructive, technological or restaurateur logic. Another floor is being built on the non-reinforced, existing souterrain and ground walls, without any seismic reinforcement”. The accompanying photographs are, along the analyses exposed in the book, the best witnesses on the non-viability and the political character of the “reconstruction” which is carried out.
St. Elias Church with the Parish house, people’s hall and cemetery represents a “clamant example of how one should not carry out the protection and reconstruction… such a reconstruction was done so badly that it completely compromises the civil engineering branch”.
At the end, we yet put forward the example of “reconstruction” of Bishop’s residence in Prizren, where “the constructive elements of the reinforced concrete ceiling were not repaired after the fire, which, due to large quantity of coal stored in the cellar, lasted for fifteen days”; “these construction elements “look more like burned timber than concrete exposed to fire”. Not reinforcing these “constructive elements”, whose bearing capability is rapidly weakened (thus needing replacement by new constructions), the Albanian contractor only carried out sanation on them, creating only the illusion of reconstruction. Should one even mention anything about the security of those supposed dwelling in such a structure, and about the responsibility of the Serbian factors, who hailed with enthusiasm the “reconstruction” of the Bishop’s residence (prizing such an Albanian “deed” abundantly)?
In such a way a grotesque situation was created – the Albanians destroyed and burnt down Serbian sanctuaries; neither organizers nor perpetrators and accomplices were punished for the crimes Albanians perpetrated. A few “powerful” within the Serbian Orthodox Church prevent lodging a lawsuit against those responsible for the crimes and having them adequately sanctioned. The Albanians reconstruct the destroyed sanctuaries (highly possible that among them are those who were destroying them), thus money allocated for the reconstruction goes back to them. The works are (due to incompetence or ill-will) carried out poorly, with further tragic development possible; hence, new funding for a repeated reconstruction will be necessary in not so distant future. In the “reconstruction” process thus organized, the Albanians are given a possibility to gain experience and references necessary for the reconstruction of the Serbian Orthodox heritage (which they did not have so far), so in such a way they would finalize the process of taking over the competencies in care for the orthodox heritage and completely push out the institutions of Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church. They are also given an opportunity, regarding that they gave building/reconstruction money, work and knowledge, to take further patronage over the Serbian spiritual heritage, calling it “Albanian” and not Serbian.
Besides all this, certain circles within the Serbian Orthodox Church (the same ones that pursue the implementation of the Memorandum, regardless all the losses Serbian people suffers for that) prompt that the consecration of the “reconstructed” structures be done, and, even, the reception of the Bishop’s residence in Prizren, regardless the unheard-of trampling down of Constitutional principles and the centuries-old canonical regulations of the Orthodox Church, as well as all the constructional deficiencies and shortcomings, and the unacceptable strategic risks brought forth by this act.
The Diocese of Raska and Prizren firmly stands on the position that the model of reconstruction of Serbian sanctuaries according to Memorandum is unacceptable, that, due to disastrousness and damage it brought so far, it should be halted immediately (SOC representative in RIC, Vicar Bishop Teodosije, as well as Ministry of Culture representative, Mrs. Vera Loncarski, be dismissed and withdrawn from RIC), that model of a successful and viable reconstruction should be established and accepted (and it is already being applied by the Diocese (within the principles which would enable true care, protection and reconstruction of the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija). The present partakers, supporters and the promoters of the “reconstruction” according to the Memorandum must be dismissed from their further participation in the reconstruction, and excluded from all further reconstruction processes of the Serbian sanctuaries in Kosovo and Metohija (due to responsibility they bear for favouring such a reconstruction, as well as hiding the unacceptable deficiencies and risks).
Press-service of Raska and Prizren Diocese
http://www.eparhija-prizren.com/defaultE.asp?s=vestiep
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