Preparations for the celebration of Vidovdan in Kosovo and Metohija are nearing completion, and the Vidovdan festivities have lasted for a full month. Citizens in Kosovo and Metohija and their guests had the opportunity to attend book and magazine promotions, enjoy concerts of traditional, folk, and popular music, admire young ballerinas and actors, and visit art exhibitions.
The holiest day of the Serbian people, as Vidovdan was called by writer Matija Bećković, is being welcomed by Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija with hope for a better tomorrow and faith in the Kosovo covenant. That is why every year the Vidovdan celebrations begin with children, through a folklore festival in the courtyard of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels in Prizren.
Over 900 children from all parts of Kosovo and Metohija gathered in the imperial city, sending a message that Serbs are on their own land.
“This guarantees that we are determined to survive, that we are determined to guide our children and build that defensive system with which a child must live every day, to feel that they are their own on their own land. These are true guardians of cultural heritage on the ground, Serbian cultural heritage on the ground. No matter how much someone may choose not to see us, they will have to see us,” said Đorđe Lakušić from the Kopaonik Cultural and Artistic Society.
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They will also have to see Serbs as a lighthouse and monument at Gazimestan, which is dedicated to Prince Lazar and Serbian soldiers, defenders of Europe and Christianity from the Ottomans, who on June 28, 1389, replaced the earthly kingdom with the heavenly one.
“I think that day brings mixed emotions, because we know that many of our heroes died that day to preserve the state, and you must remember all those heroes who fell so that we could survive here. At the same time, it is a message for unity on that day,” said Gordana Đorić from Laplje Selo.
The Battle of Kosovo is precisely the embodiment of unity and resistance to conquerors and has been an inspiration for artists for centuries, as have Serbian holy sites: Gračanica, Visoki Dečani, Peć Patriarchate, and Draganac.
The Vidovdan Art Colony 2026 was held for the 28th time in Gračanica. The “Longin” award for overall artistic achievement was presented to painter Joškin Šiljan, while the “Dimitrije Popović” award for the most successful visual artist was given to academic sculptor Stefan Boškoćević. The Art Gallery in Gračanica has become even richer.
“Despite all differences in approaches and artistic styles, this year’s production still has one connecting thread: the thread of tranquility that resides in our churches, monasteries, and cultural monuments, which the artists visited during their seven-day stay in Kosovo and Metohija. That tranquility runs through the entire opus of this year’s colony and gives hope for survival in difficult times,” said Nebojša Jevtić from the Art Gallery “Priština” in Gračanica.
Times are indeed difficult, so young people in Kosovo and Metohija, eager for a normal life without fear, eagerly await guests, especially cheerful ones. This year, they were delighted by the group Zana.
The most visited event is the Election of the Kosovo Maiden, a blend of modern and traditional. The girls proudly wore folk costumes from all parts of their country.
The first and second runners-up this year are Milica Jovanović from Ugljare and Jovana Kovačević from Prilužje, while the winner, who will present the “Kosovo Maiden’s Cup” award to the awarded poet at the Vidovdan Poetry Vigil, is Anastasija Perić from Gračanica.
“I did not expect to win at all. Maybe I expected to be second or first runner-up, but definitely not the winner,” Perić said.
First runner-up Milica Jovanović emphasized that they preserve culture in this way.
“This means a lot to me because in this way we preserve our tradition and culture,” she said.
Second runner-up Jovana Kovačević expressed a similar view.
“To preserve tradition and continue what our ancestors left us,” Kovačević said.
The girls may have had slight stage fright, but the jury also had a difficult task.
“The Kosovo Maiden is the one who, through her behavior, attitude, appearance, and posture, stands out and therefore takes first place,” said Andrijana Živanović, president of the jury.
And in the most beautiful scenery in the world, in the courtyard of Milutin’s Gračanica, ensembles and soloists of traditional music from Kosovo and Metohija took turns performing.
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Source: Euronews.rs Foto: ATA/Wikipedia
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