Reminder: March Pogrom 2004

Multiethnic democracy?

March 17, 2004 is remembered by pogrom of Kosovo Serbs and it's presented everywhere as an example of the worst ethnic and religious violence committed under the UN protectorate in its history - 35 Orthodox churches and monasteries are destroyed or damaged.

Is this a sign of civilized society and multiethnic democracy announced by Kosovo Albanians leaders?


Prizren (All Prizren churches were destroyed on March 17 and March 18)

1. Holy Virgin of Lyevish (14th century) burned inside
2. Church of Christ the Savior (14th century) burned
3. Cathedral of St. George (1856) burned and mined
4. Church of St. Nicholas (Tutic's church, 14th century) burned
5. Church of St. Nicholas (Runovic's church, 16th century) burned inside
6. Church of St. Kyriake (14th century, reconstructed later) burned, Potkaljaja quarter
7. Church of St. Panteleimon (14th century, reconstructed later) burned, Potkaljaja quarter
8. Church of St. Cosmas and Damian (14th century, reconstructed) burned, Potkaljaja quarter
9. Church of St. Kyriake, Zivinjane, near Prizren, mined (UNMIK/KFOR Report: March 19 - Explosion completely destroys old Orthodox Church near Zivinjane village)
10. Holy Archangels Monastery (14th century), burned Serbian Orthodox Seminary of Sts. Cyrillus of Methodius (UNMIK/KFOR Report March 17 - Orthodox Seminary in town centre & 3 Orthodox churches set on fire)
Bishop's residence in Prizren (now: 1) (UNMIK/KFOR Report - March 18: Archbishop seat, Archangel Monastery, an Orthodox Church and Orthodox Seminary set on fire & destroyed)

Orahovac
11. Church of St. Kyriake, (1852), Brnjaca, Orahovac 1852 (UNMIK/KFOR Report: March 18 - Orthodox Church set on fire & destroyed in Brnjaca village)

Djakovica
12. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (16-19th century), burned, along with the parish home, on March 17, razed to the ground during the following days Cathedral church of the Holy Trinity (two bell-towers which survived the 1999 mining were razed to the ground. Kosovo Albanians removed all material from the site in the following days, UNMIK/KFOR Report March 18 - Rioters remove debris of destroyed Orthodox Church with trucks & trailers Approx 5,000 K-Albanians participate.)
13. Church of St. Lazarus, Piskote, near Djakovica, reported destroyed (confirmed from an international source)
14. Church of St. Elias, near Bistrazin, damaged after the war and now completely destroyed (confirmed by Bishop Atanasije Jevtic)

Srbica
15. Devic Monastery (15th century) burned to the ground, the tomb of St. Ioanichius of Devic opened and desecrated. The tomb of the saint was set on fire. (UNMIK/KFOR Report March 18: 2,000 protestors gather and move towards Devic Monastery, Five K-Serbian nuns evacuated from area, Violent protestors set Monastery on fire)

Pec
16. Church of St. John the Baptist (Metropolia, along with the parish home) burned (confirmed from local international sources in Pec)
17. Church of Virgin Mary, Belo Polje nr. Pec, burned again inside and desecrated inside, (confirmed by Bishop Atanasije Jevtic who visited the site)
18. Church of St. John the Baptist (Pecka banja), reported burned (from local international sources)

Urosevac
19. Cathedral of St. Uros the Emperor, Urosevac, (UNMIK/KFOR Report: March 17 - 3 hand grenades thrown at Serbian Orthodox church - church set on fire, first time), at least 19 KFOR soldiers and policemen wounded defending the church, destroyed city cemetery (UNMIK/KFOR Report March 18 1,500 K-Albanians rampage - burn Orthodox Church & up to 5 K-Serb houses in townK-Albanian crowd attempts to set Orthodox Church on fire in K-Serb village of Talinovce Church was set to fire (1749 hrs) - 5 K-Albanian males arrested)
20. Nekodim village, Sv. Ilija, destroyed, along with the cemetery (confirmed by local sources)
21. Talinovac village, St. Peter and Paul church, destroyed, along with the cemetery (from the UNMIK/KFOR Report, see above)
22. Sovtovic, the cemetery church of the Holy Virgin, destroyed, along with the cemetery (confirmed by local sources)

Kamenica
23. Church in Donja Slapasnica, Kosovska Kamenica (info from Kamenica) under investigation.
The church in Kamenica was stoned and some windows are broken

Stimlje
24. Church of St. Archangel Michael in Stimlje, built in 1920 (UNMIK/KFOR Report: March 18: K-Serbian house & Orthodox Church set on fire)

Pristina
25. Church of St. Nicholas (19th cenutry), Pristina town (UNMIK/KFOR Report: March 18 - Rioters attack Old Orthodox Church in Taslixhe - gunfire in area Orthodox priest & 5 K-Serbian families evacuated by KFOR from Old Orthodox Church SPU officer shot & injured during attempt to secure Old Orthodox Church Orthodox Church, UN Habitat office & 3 UNMIK Police vehicles set on fire) The church burned to the ground, along with the parish home and all church archives (confirmed by priest Fr. Miroslav Popadic)

Kosovo Polje
26. Church of St Nicholas, Kosovo Polje, burned inside and desecrated, built in 1940, (local Serbian priest visited the church and found burned icons and inventory)
27. Church of St. Katherine, Bresje nr. Kosovo Polje, vandalized inside, built in 20th century, (visited by the local Serbian priest)

Vucitrn
28. Church of St. Elias, Vucitrn, 19th c., burned (UNMIK/KFOR Report: Orthodox Church set on fire in Vucitrn)
29. Churchin Priluzje (UNMIK/KFOR Report March 19: Orthodox Church set on fire in K-Serbian village of Priluzje)

Obilic
30. Church of St. Michael in Obilic, new church, large fire set up inside the church (UNMIK/KFOR Report: March 18 - Orthodox Church, numerous K-Serbian houses and apartment blocks set on fire)

Kosovska Mitrovica
31. Church of St. Sava, Mitrovica South, set on fire twice in a few days (burned) (UNMIK/KFOR Report - March 18: Molotov cocktails thrown into perimeter of KFOR-guarded Orthodox Church in South, Church & several neighboring houses set on fire Local Fire Brigade fight house fires but not Church, which is severely damaged)

Podujevo
32. Church of St. Andreas, Podujevo, built in 1929, destroyed on March 18, Czech media confirm that the cemetery was destroyed. (Czech officer confirmed that coffins were dug up and bones of dead scattered, UNMIK/KFOR Report - March 18 Orthodox Church set on fire)

Istok
33. Church of St. Peter and Paul (UNMIK/KFOR Report: Explosion damages Orthodox Church in the town)
34. (March 18 - UNMIK/KFOR Report: Explosion in Orthodox Church, Baja village)

Vitina
35. Church damaged by grenades on March 17 (according to UNMIK/KFOR Report: 4 K-Serbian houses set on fire & Orthodox Church badly damaged)

Six mortar grenades were fired at the Decani Monastery on March 17, around 22.00. No damage was made to the holy site (confirmed by KFOR and monks of the monastery).

The list is not final.


(Published: 09.03.2008.)

Send your comments