A lecture titled The Covenant was held at Draganac Monastery on Sunday, June 29, as part of the Morava Spiritual Evenings.
The speakers were Professor Saša Filipović from the Faculty of Contemporary Arts in Belgrade, and journalist and writer Živojin Rakočević, who reflected on the people’s understanding and role in preserving the Kosovo Covenant.
Zivojin Rakovecic
The first part of the lecture, dedicated to the very idea of a covenant, was given by Rakočević, who compared the Kosovo Covenant to the New Testament.
“On another level, the Kosovo Covenant looks like this… You have the Kosovo Supper as the Last Supper, you have Judas, you have the one who suffers, and the one who resurrects. On that level, Kosovo is a Gospel. The essence lies in the two key figures of the Covenant: Prince Lazar and Miloš Obilić. This Vidovdan we’ve heard countless times that Lazar chose the Heavenly Kingdom. But there is also one who suffers for the earthly kingdom. Miloš and Lazar are one and the same.”
The Covenant as Balance of Perfect Man and Perfect God
“They reflect the divine-human nature of the Kosovo Covenant. The New Testament and our Lord are the perfect balance of the perfect Man and the perfect God. The Kosovo Covenant contains that same balance — Lazar and Miloš as one. This realization within our people helped us survive 500 years of slavery. It gave us what Bishop Atanasije called permanent liturgical memory — our own people’s Gospel. Every time we lost this balance of Lazar and Miloš, things turned out badly.”
Rakočević also emphasized that before the Battle of Kosovo, the Serbs had the most mature civilization in the Balkans. From that culture arose epic poetry and a spiritual strength that later carried the people through centuries of hardship.
Sasa Filipovic
The Blessing of Saint Bosiljka of Pasjane
Professor Filipović then spoke about the martyrdom of Saint Bosiljka of Pasjane and the discovery of her relics, highlighting how difficult that era was for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Abductions of young women were almost a daily occurrence, often followed by forced conversion to Islam to escape death. Bosiljka Rajčić, a beautiful 17-year-old girl from Pasjane, bore witness to the Kosovo Covenant by suffering for Christ and Orthodoxy.
He also reminded the audience of the extraordinary number of Serbian sacred sites and toponyms in Kosovo and Metohija, proving the priceless heritage of this land.
“Cartographer Ljubiša Gvojić recorded 1,994 Serbian toponyms in Kosovo and Metohija. That means every 2.5 kilometers there is a trace: 1,181 churches, 113 monasteries, 48 hermitages, 8 memorial chapels, 534 Orthodox cemeteries, 96 fortresses and old towns, and 14 noble estates. This is astonishing — undeniable proof that Kosovo is truly a spiritual center.”
Preserving Our Spiritual Heritage Means Preserving the Covenant
“Kosovo and Metohija is not only about Gračanica, Dečani, or the Virgin of Ljeviša. It is also about all these small churches and shrines that we keep alive with our presence, liturgies, and prayers. Despite administrative obstacles that forbid any restoration, I believe that with the prayers of our saints we will keep the Covenant alive and preserve all of this.”
Music program
Music program
The lecture gathered more than a hundred attendees. The musical part of the evening featured Milijana and Novak Mitrić and Nevena Djordjević from Novo Brdo. With the blessing of Metropolitan Teodosije and Abbot Justin, the monastery and our organization will continue organizing similar events in Kosovo Pomoravlje.
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