Christmas Day at Gračanica monastery

Christmas Day was celebrated in Gracanica monastery today. The occasion was marked with a liturgy, worshippers’ confessions and the opening of an exhibition, entitled “Serbian Cultural Heritage in Kosovo“. Christmas Day at Gracanica monastery After the liturgy, Bishop Artemije opened the exhibition jointly organized by the Raska-Prizren Eparchy and the Kosovo Ministry. The bishop reminded the congregation that the exhibition, organized to coincide with Serbia assuming the Council of Europe (CoE) presidency, was due to be opened originally on October 25, 2007 in Strasbourg, but was postponed following negative comments over its content from Council General Secretary Terry Davis. According to Artemije, Davis disapproved of the fact that the exhibition included parts of Serbian cultural heritage destroyed since the arrival of the international mission to Kosovo. He repeated that the CoE was responsible for its renewal and stressed that Serbian cultural treasures must not be destroyed while the international mission was present, and that renovation should have been taken care of earlier, now that the mission was already there. Besides works and the destroyed cultural heritage, the exhibition displays Serbian monuments included within UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites, and those whose renovation is under way. After Gracanica, where it will be open until January 27, the exhibition will move to other towns and cities in Serbia and abroad. The exhibits will be displayed in Banja Luka, Geneva and Moscow, in order to familiarize the world with the cradle of Serbian spirituality and its cultural heritage, said the bishop. Since 1999 and the arrival of the international mission, Orthodox Christmas Day has become a public holiday for all Kosovo’s residents, regardless of nationality, as well as for members of the civil and military mission.

Christmas Day at Gračanica monastery

After the liturgy, Bishop Artemije opened the exhibition jointly organized by the Raška-Prizren Eparchy and the Kosovo Ministry.

The bishop reminded the congregation that the exhibition, organized to coincide with Serbia assuming the Council of Europe (CoE) presidency, was due to be opened originally on October 25, 2007 in Strasbourg, but was postponed following negative comments over its content from Council General Secretary Terry Davis.

According to Artemije, Davis disapproved of the fact that the exhibition included parts of Serbian cultural heritage destroyed since the arrival of the international mission to Kosovo.

He repeated that the CoE was responsible for its renewal and stressed that Serbian cultural treasures must not be destroyed while the international mission was present, and that renovation should have been taken care of earlier, now that the mission was already there.

Besides works and the destroyed cultural heritage, the exhibition displays Serbian monuments included within UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites, and those whose renovation is under way.

After Gračanica, where it will be open until January 27, the exhibition will move to other towns and cities in Serbia and abroad.

The exhibits will be displayed in Banja Luka, Geneva and Moscow, in order to familiarize the world with the cradle of Serbian spirituality and its cultural heritage, said the bishop.

Since 1999 and the arrival of the international mission, Orthodox Christmas Day has become a public holiday for all Kosovo’s residents, regardless of nationality, as well as for members of the civil and military mission.