On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the inclusion of the Monastery of Visoki Dečani on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, in collaboration with the Diocese of Raška-Prizren, organized an exhibition at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, dedicated to the exceptional universal values of Serbian holy sites on Kosovo and Metohija, the preservation of which is also UNESCO’s mission.

At the beginning of the opening ceremony in the Segur Hall, Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, followed by Mr. Arnaud Gouillon, Director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the Serbian Government, addressed the attendees today.

Mr. Nikola Selaković, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, spoke about the numerous activities through which the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia strives to underscore the significance of Serbian holy sites and cultural monuments on Kosovo and Metohija, enlisted on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, as well as the ongoing struggle to preserve them for future generations.

The exhibition was officially opened with an inspired address by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije:

– Your Eminences and Your Graces, brethren Hierarchs, honorable Minister Selaković, respected Director Eloundou Assomo, esteemed Mr. Gouillon, Your Excellencies, reverend fathers, ladies and gentlemen, dear brothers and sisters,

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (Matthew 5:15)

Where it is more befitting to recall these words of the Savior than here in Paris, the City of Light, on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the inclusion of a truly extraordinarily valuable cultural and religious beacon, the Monastery of Visoki Dečani, on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The light that radiates from this city, a jewel of history and culture for the entire European continent, is, in all likelihood, the same quiet light emanating from the vigil lamps of Dečani, and with which Visoki Dečani illuminates both Orthodox Serbs and the entire civilized world. This light is a reflection of Him who is the True Light that enlightens every man and the whole world – our Lord Jesus Christ – and an expression of the faith of our ancestors in Him, embodying all that is truly good, sublime, and beautiful. Because of this, numerous churches and monasteries in Serbia, France, and around the world are not only spiritual beacons but also masterpieces of architecture and art for all of humanity.

For centuries, through difficult and complex historical circumstances that the Serbian people have endured, and sadly continue to endure today, Visoki Dečani has silently and dignifiedly fulfilled its primordial mission of spreading light, bearing witness, even in the darkest times, to the truth that light is the only correct path and the ultimate goal of every man. Even in times when the darkness of evil, sin, hatred and violence was densest, and when it seemed that it would prevail, the monastery has illuminated the way to goodness, virtue, peace, and love.

Dečani, like all Christian holy sites, has always borne witness, through its perseverance and activity, to holiness as the highest ideal and imperative of the Gospel, expressed in the Lord’s words: You shall be holy for I am holy! (Leviticus 19:2). In such a manner, they testified that holiness is humanity’s fundamental calling – i.e. that every man is created to become holy. Thus, monasteries are places of true transformation, for primarily through asceticism, fasting, prayer, love of God and neighbor, and other virtues, people are spiritually reborn.

Both the founders of monasteries and those who found abode in them are people belonging to a specific nation, but being enlightened and sanctified by God’s grace, they transcend national boundaries and, having become Christlike, they become universal figures belonging to all in terms of love. Is this not illustrated by the countless Orthodox Christians and people of other faiths and nationalities who have turned to – continuing to do so today – Saint King Stefan of Dečani, beseeching and receiving divine aid through him? This applies equally to the monasteries themselves as holy places, including Dečani, which transcend borders of the nation and Church they belong to. However, this monastery has universal significance, as it belongs to the entire world, which does not negate the fact that it primarily belongs to the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church, which created them, giving rise to baseless claims by certain groups and peoples seeking to distort historical facts and appropriate others’ spiritual and national heritage. Such aggressive initiatives have prompted UNESCO to protect Dečani and other holy sites the existence of which was in question in such circumstances of potential threat and, God save, destruction.

Exactly twenty years ago, Visoki Dečani was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is why we gathered here this evening. Two years later (2006), three more Serbian holy sites on Kosovo and Metohija (the Patriarchate of Peć, Gračanica, and the Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš) were also listed as World Heritage in Danger. By placing Visoki Dečani and other three mentioned Serbian holy sites under its protection, UNESCO has recognized their universal significance for all civilized world, while safeguarding it for future generations, for all those who seek peace, strive for goodness, and love light. That is why, both as a Church and a nation, we are immensely grateful to UNESCO, whose efforts have once again proven the truth of the Gospel’s words: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5). May this quiet, inexhaustible light that emanates from Visoki Dečani, enlightening the entire world, inspire all of us gathered here, as well as all people in its vicinity and around the world, guiding us always through life. With this, I declare the exhibition officially open.

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At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, the choir of the Theological Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius from Prizren performed a half-hour concert. The event was attended by His Eminence Metropolitan of Raška-Prizren kyr Teodosije, His Grace Bishop of Paris and Western Europe kyr Justin, Protodeacon Radomir Vrućinić – Rector of the Seminary of Saint Sava; and Protodeacon Dragan Radić – professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade.

The monasteries of Visoki Dečani, the Patriarchate of Peć, Gračanica, and the Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš in Prizren are exceptional achievements of Serbian medieval art and Christian holy sites of the highest rank. They hold special significance for the ecclesiastical and national history of Serbia but, most importantly, for the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church. These holy sites are first-class cultural monuments, selected to represent the pinnacle of Serbian artistic creation in the region of Kosovo and Metohija during the Middle Ages. Their histories are interwoven and closely connected through their founders, as well as the painters and builders who demonstrated a recognizable artistic style and occasionally left their signatures on these monuments. All four sites were commissioned by Serbian secular and ecclesiastical leaders.

Serbian cultural heritage on Kosovo and Metohija remains the most endangered cultural property in all of Europe today. Despite including four magnificent sites that are part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List and hold outstanding universal value, constant attacks on Serbian heritage on Kosovo and Metohija, along with attempts to rename and falsify historical facts, have become everyday occurrences. Continuous assaults on the faithful and on Serbian Orthodox Church sites in Kosovo and Metohija complicate daily life and hinder efforts to protect Serbia’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. In 2023 and 2024 alone, there were 31 attacks, most of which targeted the destruction and desecration of religious and cultural properties.