American Serb History 101

This information is SO valuable, it must be reprinted here.... so EVERYONE can learn more....

Our esteemed V. Rev. Fr. Dr. Mateja Matejic

The Kosovo Ethics, which are implanted in the national consciousness of the Serbian people, have not changed for 600 years, nor will they ever change. The basic values of those ethics, bequeathed to Serbians on Vidovdan in 1389, have not been chiseled on 2 stone tablets, but are impressed in the inmost being of every Serb.
 
Every nation has 1 date in its history which it considers more important than any other. For the Serbs, the most important date in their history is June 15, by the old calendar - June 28, by the new calendar (Vidovdan).

On that day, in 1389, 600 years ago, Serbian and Turkish armies clashed on the Kosovo Field. Both the Serbian ruler Prince Lazar and the Turkish Sultan Murad I died as a result of the battle. In addition, a great number of Serbian military leaders, as well as a great number of Serbian warriors, lost their lives. Notwithstanding the fact that according to historical documents neither the Serbs nor the Turks won the battle, Serbia was so exhausted that it was unable to continue resisting the Turks 'a few decades later the heirs of Prince Lazar recognized Turkish suzerainty and 5 centuries of domination of the Serbs by the Turks ensued. That long and martyr-like enslavement changed the course of Serbian history and interrupted the cultural progress of the Serbs, which was clearly evident during the rule of the Nemanja dynasty.
 
It is difficult to assess the importance of the Kosovo Battle for world history. Such is also the case with the battles at the Alamo or Gettysburg, which are so important for American history. However, it is undeniable that the Battle of Kosovo was exceptionally significant not only for Serbia, but also for Europe and European Christian civilization. It is a fact that on Vidovdan, June 15, 1389, the Serbs, without help from a single European nation, defended on Kosovo Field not only the frontiers of their own territory and lives of their people, but, at the risk of losing their national independence, they also defended the interests and security of Christian Europe. In the conflict of 2 rival civilizations, the Muslim and the Christian, the Serbs checked the wave of the Turkish invasion, interposed themselves as a wall between the Turks and Europe, and enabled Europe to make preparations for its own defense. It is questionable whether the history of Europe would have been the same without the Battle of Kosovo and the sacrifice of the Serbian nation.
 
However, no matter how great the historical value of Kosovo and Vidovdan may be, for the Serbs they have an additional unique dimension and preeminence. Persons of non-Serbian origin may consider Kosovo as only a far-away, strange, and, even, unimportant geographical territory, and Vidovdan, June 15, 1389, as a date of a battle of which they know little or nothing.

As far as the Serbs are concerned, Kosovo is their Holy Land, the cradle of Serbdom, and their inalienable, historical, national, and cultural heritage. As far as they are concerned, Vidovdan, June 15, 1389, is not just the date of a battle, but their nation's identity, and the sacred will and testament, which contains religious, ethical, and national principles for all Serbian generations from the Kosovo Battle until the present.

In the national consciousness all of Serbian history is divided into 2 periods: prior to the Kosovo Battle and after the Kosovo Battle. And whereas the other battles in which the Serbs took part are mentioned only in historical textbooks, Vidovdan alone is included in the calendar, which registers holidays and the names of saints exclusively. Vidovdan alone has become a national holiday, which has been observed through the centuries, and it is observed on this occasion, 600 years after the Battle of Kosovo.
 
As a geographical territory, Kosovo was Serbian even before the year 1389, before Vidovdan. That ownership was not marked by sticks, in the way the prospectors for gold marked their claims, nor by the deeds written in ink on paper, but by ancient and magnificent churches and monasteries and by Serbian cemeteries and tombstones. The capitals of Serbian kings and the thrones of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs were in Kosovo. Moreover, with the Battle of Kosovo, Kosovo and Vidovdan merged into a single concept and became a synonym with a specific meaning: The Serbdom.

After June 15, 1389, one cannot speak of Kosovo apart from Vidovdan or about Vidovdan apart from Kosovo. They are inseparable because on Vidovdan 1389, on the Field of Kosovo, in the blood of Serbian warriors was written an indelible deed that forever confirms the Serbian ownership of Kosovo.

Vidovdan commemorations, which have been celebrated annually for centuries, are reconfirmations of both the Serbian ownership of Kosovo and of the Vidovdan-Kosovo ethics, which are the core of the Serbian national image and the essence of Serbian identity.
 
It should be emphasized that the Vidovdan commemorations are not celebrations of a Serbian military victory over the Turks, for the Serbs were not victorious in the Kosovo Battle. However, it is incorrect, and even malicious, to claim that at Vidovdan commemorations the Serbs "celebrate their defeat in the Kosovo Battle." Such a statement has no logical or historical support.

According to the historical documents, the Turks had not won a victory in the Battle of Kosovo. Neither a military victory nor a military defeat are not and could not have been either the reason or the meaning of Vidovdan commemorations. On those occasions the Serbs honor and commemorate the heroes of Kosovo who laid down their lives defending their faith, freedom, nation, and country.

At the same time, Vidovdan commemorations are the annual reviews of the post-Kosovo Serbian generations. They are evaluated in terms of Vidovdan-Kosovo ethics and on the basis of their reconfirmation of the Pledge of Kosovo. On Vidovdan, June 15, 1389, on the Kosovo Field, the Serbs chose once and for all their religious, cultural, ethical, and national identity. Their choice, in the form of an unwritten pledge, was handed down to all post-Kosovo Serbian generations and, through 600 years, Serbs have lived by that pledge.
 
In the course of 6 centuries the geographical boundaries and demographic constituency of Kosovo, as well as the political and social conditions have changed. Serbs, who represented a majority in Kosovo, have been reduced to a minority. Uncontrolled migration of thousands of people from neighboring Albania to Kosovo on one hand and, on the other, mass exodus of Serbs from that territory, because of the merciless oppression to which the Serbs have been subjected by the newcomers, especially in the period 1943-1988, has changed the status of the Serbian population from a majority to a minority.

Atrocities, unheard of even in uncivilized countries, have been perpetuated against the Serbian population in Kosovo. Regretfully, biased reporting in the world press, including the American, misrepresents the situation in Kosovo. Victims - Serbs, are portrayed as oppressors, whereas oppressors - the Muslim population in Kosovo - are depicted as victims.

It is incomprehensible that the freedom-loving Serbs, the allies of America in 2 world wars, are being taunted and attacked in the American press, whereas their oppressors, the former allies of Hitler and Mussolini in World War II, are undeservedly favored and supported. Thus, not only geographical territories, social and political conditions, but allegiances change, too.
 
Fortunately, Kosovo ethics remain unchanged and those values will always endure for all future Serbian generations. Those values, briefly defined, are as follows:
 
Uncompromising faith in God, without which there is no genuine philanthropy;
 
Philanthropy, as a confirmation of the professed faith in God;
 
Firm dedication to Christianity as it is confessed by the Orthodox Church;
 
Priority of the spiritual over the material;
 
Faithfulness to God, nation, and motherland;
 
Freedom as a precious value for which everything should be sacrificed, whereas it should not be sacrificed for anything in the world;
 
Honesty, righteousness, and love for peace - virtues to be practiced by individuals as a basis for healthy social relationships;
 
Placing common interest above personal interests and readiness to sacrifice for those interests;
 
Compassion to be extended even to enemies;
 
National unity as a condition for national existence.
 
This testament, this set of ethics of Kosovo, represents the greatest importance of Kosovo and Vidovdan.
 
Inseparable through six centuries, it is the reason we celebrate Vidovdan today.
 

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The Hilandar Research Library’s (HRL) millions of folia of manuscript material on microform from more than 100 different private, museum, and library collections in dozens of countries are utilized by scholars from all over the world. The collection includes several thousand Cyrillic manuscripts on microform, with over 1200 from several monasteries on Mount Athos, Greece, including the entire Slavic manuscript collection of Hilandar Monastery. The Hilandar Research Library also contains a large specialized reference collection, in print and in microform, as well as a growing collection of original manuscripts and artifacts from the medieval Slavic world. Located at The Ohio State University, the HRL shares its space with the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies.

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More About KOSOVO

(Diocesan OBSERVER-Nov., 2008)

     His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Liplje, and abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery in Kosovo, visited the Western American Diocese in June. A charity banquet was hosted by St. Sava's church in San Gabriel of Saturday, June 21st, at which His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gracanica Metropolitanate participated.  All this was made possible by the invitation of His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western Diocese.

     In his speech Bishop Teodosije said:  "The Kosovo testament is a renewal of teh evangelical covenant with jesus Christ.  Kosovo for us ia a Christ-centric event in which our people, led by St. Tsar Lazar chose a personal relationship with God.  By this choice they affirmed that they are people of God.... Being mindful of her role and meaning for the faithful, our Church today in Kosovo and Metohija is making every effort to rebuild her holy shrines.  In doing so, the Church also rebuilds the lives of her people, for where there are people there also is a Church, and there is God's Kingdom and there is our homeland.  In a spiritual sense, no leaders of this world are able to take away our holy Kosovo and Metohija, for it is a symbol of our covenant with Christ.  However, each one of us can contribute to the loss of Kosovo, i.e., we can take it away from ourselves and lose it if we separate ourselves from Christ.  We can lose it if we look at Kosovo and Metohija only as the territory without the people, as a political symbol, as a godless symbol of nationalism, instead of as the symbol of renewal of our covenant with Christ through the holy Lazar-Kosovo suffering and our resurrection in Christ."

Kosovo Ethics

 Uncompromising faith in God, without which there is no genuine philanthropy;
 
Philanthropy, as a confirmation of the professed faith in God;
 
Firm dedication to Christianity as it is confessed by the Orthodox Church;
 
Priority of the spiritual over the material;
 
Faithfulness to God, nation, and motherland;
 
Freedom as a precious value for which everything should be sacrificed, whereas it should not be sacrificed for anything in the world;
 
Honesty, righteousness, and love for peace - virtues to be practiced by individuals as a basis for healthy social relationships;
 
Placing common interest above personal interests and readiness to sacrifice for those interests;
 
Compassion to be extended even to enemies;
 
National unity as a condition for national existence.
 
This testament, this set of ethics of Kosovo, represents the greatest importance of Kosovo and Vidovdan.
 
Inseparable through six centuries, it is the reason we celebrate Vidovdan today.

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Here are some excerpts from V. Rev. Fr. Dr. Matejic's speech he delivered in Cleveland on June 29, 2008"

What is Kosovo?

Presently Kosovo is for all Serbs residing in Serbia, and others scattered all over the world, the source of sadness due to of injustice done to us by oppressors among whom are also our former allies. For their sake we had lost our country to enemies in the World War II, and now our former allies have broken up our country in parts. We are full of bitterness seeing that the illegally settled Moslems from Albania in Kosovo, under the protection of Christian soldiers from various countries with impunity murder Serbs, destroy and burn their churches and monasteries, and desecrate their cemeteries. We grieve seeing that those to whom Kosovo does not belong donate it to illegal settlers and give power to murderers and criminals.

We console ourselves remembering that various conquerors had taken from us Kosovo as a geographical territory, but it never had become theirs.  For the various plunderers Kosovo has always been just a geographical territory.  For the contemporary occupiers of Kosovo it is also  just a territory in which it is permissible to murder Serbs, take their vital organs and sell it on black market, burn and raze down Serbian centuries old churches and monasteries, and vandalize and desecrate Serbian cemeteries. For the powerful ones who are giving to Moslem usurpers land that is not their property, Kosovo is a territory rich with mines with precious ore and an area suitable to be a base for realization of their imperialistic geo-political aims.

However, for Serbs Kosovo is not just a geographical territory. For them, Kosovo is the cradle of Serbian nation, their Orthodoxy, and their Church and culture.

Kosovo is the place where the Serbs have adopted and nurtured religious and ethical values characteristic of every true Serb. Those supreme values are love for God, love of neighbor, love of freedom, love of truth, and love of justice.

Kosovo is Jevrosima, Prince Marko’s mother, who is the model for all Serbian mothers. She advises her son Marko:  Do not stain your soul with sin; it is better for you to loose your head than to stain your soul with sin...

Kosovo is also the mother of nine Jugovic brothers and the wife of the old Jug Bogdan. Her husband and nine sons died in the battle of Kosovo defending the country and Orthodox religion. After the battle, she strolled over the battle field of Kosovo, saw her husband and her nine sons killed, but did not cry. When the severed arm of her son Damjan was dropped in her lap, she did not shed tears either, but that killed her. The folk-singer tells us: her heart broke from sorrow she fell down dead   and gave up her soul to God.

Kosovo is the nine brothers Jugovic. Their sister, Princess Milica, begs each of them, one after another, to stay with her rather than to go to the battle of Kosovo. Her husband, Prince Lazar has given permission that one of the nine brothers may stay   with sister. Each of them refused the plea of their sister feeling that it was their duty to go to the battle and defend their country and religion rather than to stay with their sister.

Kosovo is Prince Lazar who together with his army prayed and received the Holy Communion, having decided to give precedence to the Heavenly Kingdom over the earthly one, which is to give up his life defending not only his country, but the entire Europe and Christianity. The sacrifice of Prince Lazar and his army postponed the invasion of Europe for more than a century.

Kosovo is the Maiden of Kosovo who strolls over the field of Kosovo, dressing the wounds of wounded warriors and grieving for the dead, among whom was her fiancé.

Kosovo is our Orthodoxy and our Svetosvlje. That no one can take from us, unless we ourselves abandon them.

Kosovo is centuries old magnificent Serbian monasteries and churches, erected for the glory of God. Yet they are also witnesses of the glory of Orthodoxy and Serbia, and they are deeds proving whose Kosovo has been for centuries. That is why the intruders and usurpers, under the protection of Christian mercenaries, are burning and destroying them. With the funds provided by Saudi-Arabia and other Moslem countries the so-called Kosovars, who are burning and  destroying Christian  churches  and  monasteries   are building mosques in every village in Kosovo whose inhabitants are willing to practice vahabism (kind of strict Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia) and terrorism. Those mosques are not only centers for spreading of Islam, but are also centers of vahabism and terrorism.

Kosovo is cemeteries with tomb stones and crosses on which the names of Serbian deceased and murdered Serbs are inscribed in Cyrillic letters. That is why the intruders and usurpers are vandalizing and destroying the old graves, while they fill the new, contemporary ones with the corpses of the new Serbian martyrs.

Kosovo is the ancient manuscripts and books containing the written testimony of the fact to whom Kosovo has belonged for centuries. The leaders of Great Powers do not know and do not want to read those manuscripts and books, but the history, truth and justice do read them.

Kosovo is the peonies of Kosovo, unique flowers in the whole world.  Their color is a deep red, like blood, because they grow from the soil saturated with the blood of Serbian warriors and martyrs from the day of Vidovdan in the year 1389. until today.
Kosovo is thousands of Serbian children, women and men who during the World War II were expelled from Kosovo, and when the communist regime ruled Serbia they were not allowed to return to their homes, whereas the borders with Albania were wide open to intruders.

Kosovo is also Serbian women, men and children who at the most recent times had to escape the terror of Kosovars finding the refuge in Serbia, where most of them dwell and live in dumper-like containers.
Kosovo is a few thousands of Serbian men, women and children who have survived the slaughter and whom no terror has scared and made them leave their homes and Kosovo. The Great Powers and their Moslem favorites have turned  Kosovo into a concentration camp for Serbs, but some Serbs remained to live in Kosovo under the most difficult and dangerous conditions. They are the brave guardians who are preserving Kosovo for future Serbian generation.

Kosovo is also ten years old Jovana Radovanovic and all Serbian children who live in contemporary Kosovo. In her letters published in her book Kosovo peonies, (Publisher Duga Books) Jovana is telling her story that is at the same time the story of all Serbian children who live in contemporary Kosovo. Here only a few passages   from her first letter will be quoted:
God help, my dear ones. I am Jovana Radovanovic, a student in the fifth grade and I am an outstanding student. I am 10 years old, soon to be 11. I live with parents in Kosovo and two sisters. The place where we live is named Orahovac; that is the only enclave in the part of Metohija. Orahovac is a divided town; in the larger part live Albanians who have everything needed for a normal life, whereas we Serbs live in a tiny part of the town comprising a total of 300 meters of the free territory. Yes, you read it correctly: only 300 meters.  It is that Serbian part and we live there. There is frequently shortage of electricity and it happens so that I and my sisters write our home works at the candlelight. …  … We do not dare to go out in the street because there is danger from evil people who stroll in the Serbian part. In the center of the Serbian part there is the church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God. There, together with my sisters and parents I pray God to save the entire Serbian people living in Kosovo and Metohija. …  … The church is encircled with barbed wire placed there by the KFOR for protection. In front of the church is positioned a great tank and there are (soldiers, MM) of the KFOR day and night guarding the church. The life in Kosovo is very difficult, but with God’s help it goes on.
            Most difficult is for us that we have no freedom of movement. That is what we children feel most.
            In her letter #6 Jovana writes:
            It is wonderful to be free like a bird and travel wherever you want. In Kosovo that is not possible, because the life of children in Kosovo is like in a cage. I am a bird in the cage which every day dreams that it lives free and flies free. But my wings are broken; the enemies have clipped them up to the shoulders. That is why I sit in the cage (camp) lonely and write all this. This way I feel a bit relieved, in a way I went out my grief and for a moment it leaves me. That is how every child in Kosovo lives and feels. Every child dreams about freedom and, believe me, every child thinks the way I think. Our wishes are same, the same dreams, the same sorrow, the same pain, everything same. All of us desire only one thing: freedom. We wish to move freely. We wish to breathe freely.

Persecutions and suffering are nothing new for the Serbs of Kosovo, as they are nothing new for Orthodox Christians. Who has not grabbed from us Kosovo as a territory, but it never remained in their possession.  We are not afraid of their taking away Kosovo from us, because everything that is usurped will again be ours. We are only afraid that it may be given or sold by some Serbs. Unfortunately, there are some Serbs in the government of Serbia who seem to be ready, - for their personal interest, - to surrender or sell Kosovo. To them we should say and shout in a very loud voice that they may temporarily give Kosovo away as a geographical territory, but never Kosovo as it has been identified here.

That Kosovo is Serbia, and if it would be lost, then everything that makes a Serb – a Serb, would be lost, too.

                                              Mateja Matejic,
                                                Protopresbyter-stavrofor