Serbia celebrates Vidovdan - the main national holiday with tears in our eyes
Today, June 28 (June 15, old style) is the main national holiday of Serbia, “Vidovdan” (Vids Day) - in memory of the famous battle on Kosovo in 1389 and Lazar Hrebelyanović (the last independent ruler of Serbia), who died in this battle and subsequently canonized by the Orthodox Church.
On this day, in 1389, the Battle of Kosovo, 5 kilometers from modern Pristina, took place between the united army of Serbian feudal lords in alliance with the Kingdom of Bosnia on the one hand and the army of the Ottoman Turks on the other. The Serbian troops were led by Prince Lazar Hrebelyanović, Vuk Branković and the great voivode Vlatko Vuković. The Ottoman army was commanded by Sultan Murad I along with his sons Yaqub and Bayezid.
Most of the fighting armies and both leaders died in the battle: Lazar, who was captured and then executed, and Murad, killed by Milos Obilic.
The Serbian hero Milos Obilic faced certain death: pretending to go over to the enemy’s side, he made his way into the Turkish camp. After Obilic was brought to the tent of Murad I, the Serbian warrior killed the Sultan with a blow of a dagger and died himself.
Prince Lazar, whom many Serbs still call their king, was cut off by the Turks and then hacked to death.
The holy relics of Lazarus are kept in the Ravanica monastery in Kosovo, and the severed head is still in Turkey today - for centuries the Turks have stubbornly refused to return it to the Serbs.
Many believe that for this reason a legend arose that Serbia would regain its former power only when the head of Prince Lazar was again united with his relics.
In Vidovdan, the cuckoos stop calling in memory of the fallen Kosovo heroes. On this day in Serbia they do not sing, play or have fun.
In a folk song about the Battle of Kosovo, the death of the Serbian state is interpreted as follows: on the eve of the battle, Prince Lazar receives a letter from heaven from an Angel in which he is given: in tomorrow’s battle he will defeat the Turks if he chooses the Earthly Kingdom, and will be defeated and die if he chooses the Kingdom Heavenly.
Lazarus chose Heavenly - and the next day he lost the battle and lost his life.
Despite the victory of the Ottoman forces, immediately after the battle the Sultan's army made a hasty march towards Adrianople due to heavy losses, as well as the fears of the heir Murad Bayezid that the death of his father could lead to unrest in the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Kosovo plays an important role in Serbian national identity, history and folklore.
Lazar and Milos Obilic are venerated as saints by the Serbian Orthodox Church.
After the Battle of Kosovo, Serbia became a vassal of Turkey, and in 1459 it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, after their “victory” the Turks turned back, stopping the march deep into the Balkan Peninsula. In the Christian world there were even rumors for a long time about the victory of the Serbs in Kosovo.
And today this date is considered in Serbia both a holiday and a day of mourning. Traditionally, solemn services, Divine Liturgies, and memorial services are held on this day. Every year Serbs, not only from Serbia, but also from abroad, come to Kosovo Field to pay tribute to their history and not to forget the feat of their ancestors. Traditionally, citizens of Russia also come, lovingly treating the fraternal people, although now this has become much more difficult due to the actions of the separatist regime in Pristina.
This is what is paradoxical: the Serbs preserve the memory of an event that happened 630 years ago! And no one says that “the memory has already been erased” and “the new generation is not interested in these stories,” as now, unfortunately, you can hear about the Victory in the Great Patriotic War from some Russian figures...
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic decided to spend this day together with representatives of the Serbian community of Montenegro in the city of Kraljevo, where the annual “Vidovdan Academy” is held. The opening ceremony of the civil airport Ladzhevtsi near Kraljevo is also planned before the Academy; the Serbs of Montenegro will also take part in the opening ceremony along with President Vučić. After the Academy, negotiations between Vucic and representatives of the Serbs from Macedonia in Croatia are planned.
Serbia celebrates Vidovdan, its main national holiday, with tears in its eyes.