Easter Celebration in Captivity
By Z. V. Vlaskalic
Blic, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Translated by S. Lazovic
Tuesday 17 April 2001

"Blic" with Serbs and Russian soldiers in the monastery of Devic in Kosovo on Easter, completely surrounded by Albanians.

With a small group of Serbs from Kosovska Mitrovica whom members of French KFOR provided with armored transporters, we arrived in the only monastery in Drenica in central Kosovo to spend the Easter holiday. After traveling 30 kilometers south of the divided city on the Ibar River by a badly asphalted road full of potholes, we arrived at the monastery of Devic. On this occasion members of the Russian KFOR contingent increased security in a larger area around the monastery. At the entrance to the monastery itself, a Russian soldier in full battle gear and winter uniform kept an alert watch over the surroundings. He greeted us with a smile and in good Serbian:

"Welcome!"

The eight nuns were happy because of the arrival of the Serb group. Since 1997, Serbs have only been able to come to Devic accompanied by a police escort; today they are only able to come with an armed KFOR escort. We settled in the large residence halls of the sole remaining monastery in Drenica. The Russian troops were nearby. Jasmina Nedeljkovic, a young mother who brought her two month-old daughter Danijela by armored transporter to be christened here, received a separate room intended for mothers with children. She also had the special attention of the French troops and all the other Serbs who came from Mitrovica.

After a short rest, dinner and a nap, we attended the Easter evening liturgy. In the church there were also more than 20 Russian soldiers. We were impressed by their singing and recital by heart of the liturgy of Jovan Zlatousti. After liturgy everyone received an Easter egg.

As we were leaving the church, the oldest nun, Sister Andjelija, said "The great snows do not bode well." She did not say why.

"For five years already we have been living in captivity. The faithful come to see us by armored transporter and under armed KFOR escort. Today we have christened a child here to whom I am the godmother. Here we have christened more than 20 of the Russian soldiers who protect us. But we celebrate all holidays in captivity because when people are not at liberty to come here when they wish, there is no freedom. I believe that God will grant that we may soon be free," says the prioress of Devic, Mother Anastazija.

A year ago Father Serafim of the monastery of Zociste near Orahovac came here to help the nuns.

"We do not have freedom of movement but many Serbs from all parts of the country and the world are trying to help us. You see, one group of Serbs from the U.S. gave us an electrical generator so we no longer have power interruptions and fears that the Albanians from the area will cut our electrical cables. Presently there are no attacks but the Albanians are coming nearer to the shrine. A few days ago two Albanians came to the monastery spring; when the Russian troops asked them what they were doing there, they responded that they were ‘walking in the woods’ and just came upon the spring," says Father Serafim.

Mladen Stosic (75) from Kijevo near Klina also came with the group of Serbs from Mitrovica.

"I lived for a year in Serbia but I couldn’t stay there any longer so I checked into the collective refugee center in Mitrovica. I came to Devic to remember how I met my future wife on this very spot 50 years ago. We would walk to Devic from Kijevo in four or five hours. I cannot imagine Serbs coming to the monastery in these steel monstrosities," says Stosic. The youngest visitor to Devic, two month-old Danijela, was the center of attention. Her christening was even attended by a couple of the Russian soldiers.

"I wanted to christen the child here because this is where my husband Boban’s entire family was christened. We didn’t want to break that tradition," says Jasmina Nedeljkovic, the baby’s mother.

Easter dinner on Sunday afternoon was attended by the Serb guests and the Russian troops alike but also by the Frenchmen who came back the next day with transporters to return the Serbs to the north of Kosovo. The roast suckling pig, strong plum brandy and stuffed cabbages were favorites among the guests.