Serbs Of Kosovo
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Kosovo Serbs are one of the ethnic groups of
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
. There are around 100,000 Kosovo Serbs as of 2014 and about half of them live in
North Kosovo North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
. Other Serb communities live in southern Kosovo. After
Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
, they form the largest ethnic community in Kosovo (4-7%). The medieval
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
(1217–1346) and the
Serbian Empire The Serbian Empire ( sr, / , ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expanded the state. Under Dušan's rule, Serbia was the major power in the ...
(1346–1371) included parts of the territory of Kosovo until its annexation by the Ottomans following the
Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...
(1389), considered one of the most notable events of Serbian history. Afterwards, it was a part of the
Serbian Despotate The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and ...
. Modern Serbian historiography considers Kosovo in this period to be the political, religious and cultural core of the medieval Serbian state. In the Ottoman period (1455-1913), the situation of the Serbian population in Kosovo went through different phases. In the 16th century, the
Serbian Patriarchate of Peć The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephalous ...
was re-established and its status strengthened. At the end of 18th century, the support of the Patriarchate to the Habsburgs during the
Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War (german: Großer Türkenkrieg), also called the Wars of the Holy League ( tr, Kutsal İttifak Savaşları), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Pola ...
of 1683–1699 triggered a wave of migrations to areas under the control of the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
. After the independence of the
Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was ...
to its north, Kosovo came increasingly to be seen by the mid-19th century as the “cradle of Serb civilization” and called the "Serbian
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
". Kosovo was annexed by the
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
in 1912, following the
First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
. As a region of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
, Kosovo was divided in several banovinas. In the pre-World War II period, the Yugoslav colonisation of Kosovo took place which aimed to increase the number of Serbs in Kosovo with colonists from
Central Serbia Central Serbia ( sr, централна Србија / centralna Srbija), also referred to as Serbia proper ( sr, link=no, ужа Србија / uža Srbija), is the region of Serbia lying outside the autonomous province of Vojvodina to the nort ...
and
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...
. After World War II, Kosovo's districts were reunited as the
Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo, Социјалистичка Аутономна Покрајина Косово, separator=" / ", sq, Krahina Socialiste Autonome e Kosovë ...
. Serbs were one of the constituent people of the province within the
Socialist Republic of Serbia , life_span = 1944–1992 , status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia , p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia , flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg , p2 ...
(1944–1992). As a result of the
Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...
and following by its
declaration of independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
, in 2008 it is
partially recognised Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral declarative political act of a state that acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state (may be also a recognized state). Recognition can be accorde ...
by the international community. Serbs are the second largest community in
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
. More than half of Kosovo's pre-1999 Serb population (226,000), including 37,000
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
, 15,000 Balkan Muslims (including Ashkali,
Bosniaks The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
, and Gorani), and 7,000 other non-Albanian civilians were expelled to central
Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
, following the
Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...
. According to the 2013 Brussels Agreement the establishment of a
Community of Serb Municipalities The Community of Serb Municipalities ( sr, / ), or Association of Serb Municipalities ( sq, Asociacioni i Komunave Serbe, AKS), is a planned self-governing association of municipalities with a Serb majority population in Kosovo. The proposal f ...
, a
self-governing __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
association of
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
with a majority Serb population in Kosovo is proposed.


Terminology

The formal names for the Serb community in Kosovo is "Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija" (''Srbi na Kosovu i Metohiji'') or "Serbs of
Kosmet The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija ( sr, Косово и Метохиja, Kosovo i Metohija; sq, Kosova dhe Metohija), commonly known as Kosovo and abbreviated to Kosmet or KiM, is an autonomous province defined by the constituti ...
" (''Kosmetski Srbi''), in use by the community itself and the Serbian government. They are also referred to as ''Serbs of Kosovo'' ( sr, Косовски Срби/Kosovski Srbi) or ''Serbs in Kosovo'' ( sr, Срби на Косову/Srbi na Kosovu, sq, Serbët në Kosovë). The term "Kosovo Serbs" is predominantly used in English. They are known by the demonym ''Kosovari'', though this is properly used for inhabitants of the region of Kosovo (in the narrow sense – centred around the Kosovo Field), along with ''Metohijci'' (of
Metohija Metohija ( sr-Cyrl, Метохија, ) or Dukagjin ( sq, Rrafshi i Dukagjinit, ) is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According ...
).


History


Medieval period

Sclaveni The ' (in Latin) or ' (various forms in Greek, see below) were early Slavic tribes that raided, invaded and settled the Balkans in the Early Middle Ages and eventually became the progenitors of modern South Slavs. They were mentioned by early Byz ...
raided and settled the western Balkans in the 6th and 7th century. The White Serbs are mentioned in ''
De Administrando Imperio ''De Administrando Imperio'' ("On the Governance of the Empire") is the Latin title of a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is ("To yown son Romanos"). It is a domes ...
'' as having settled the Balkans during the reign of Byzantine Emperor
Heraclius Heraclius ( grc-gre, Ἡράκλειος, Hērákleios; c. 575 – 11 February 641), was List of Byzantine emperors, Eastern Roman emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exa ...
(r. 610–641), however, research does not support that the White Serbian tribe was part of this later migration (as held by historiography) rather than migrating with the rest of Early Slavs. Serbian linguistical studies concluded that the Early South Slavs were made up of a western and eastern branch, of parallel streams, roughly divided in the
Timok The Timok (Serbian and Bulgarian: Тимок; ro, Timoc), sometimes also known as Great Timok ( sr, Велики Тимок, Veliki Timok; ro, Timocul Mare), is a river in eastern Serbia, a right tributary of the Danube. For the last 15 k ...
Osogovo Osogovo ( Bulgarian/Macedonian: ), or Osogovska Planina or Osogovski Planini (Осоговска Планина or Осоговски Планини), is a mountain range and ski resort between the south-western part of Bulgaria (Kyustendil Provi ...
Šar line. However, per
Ivo Banac Ivo Banac (; 1 March 1947 – 30 June 2020) was a Croatian-American historian, a professor of European history at Yale University and a politician of the former Liberal Party in Croatia, known as the Great Bard of Croatian historiography. , Banac ...
in the early Middle Ages Eastern Herzegovinian dialects were Eastern South Slavic, but since the 12th century, the
Shtokavian dialects Shtokavian or Štokavian (; sh-Latn, štokavski / sh-Cyrl, italics=no, штокавски, ) is the prestige dialect of the pluricentric Serbo-Croatian language and the basis of its Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin standards. I ...
, including Eastern Herzegovinian, began to separate themselves from the rest of the Eastern South Slavic dialects. The Bulgarian Khan
Presian Presian ( bg, Пресиян, Персиян, Пресиан) was the khan of Bulgaria in 836–852. He ruled during an extensive expansion in Macedonia. Origin The composite picture of the Byzantine sources indicates that Presian I was the son o ...
(836–852) took over the territory of Kosovo from the Byzantines in the mid-9th century and Kosovo remained under the influence of the first Bulgarian Empire until the Byzantine restoration of the early 11th century. In 1040–41 a massive Bulgarian rebellion broke out, which included Kosovo. Another rebellion broke out in 1072, in which Serbian prince
Constantine Bodin Constantine Bodin ( Bulgarian and sr, italic=no, Константин Бодин, ''Konstantin Bodin'';  1072–1101) was a medieval king and the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from 1081 to 1101, succee ...
was crowned Emperor of Bulgaria at
Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...
, however, despite some initial success, Bodin was eventually captured in southern Kosovo and the rebellion was suppressed. Vukan I, the new independent Serbian Grand Prince, began raiding Byzantine territories, first in
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
, advancing into Macedonia (1091–95). He broke several peace treaties which he personally negotiated with the Byzantine Emperor at
Zvečan Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
and
Lipljan Lipjan ( sq-definite, Lipjani) or Lipljan ( sr-Cyrl, Липљан) is a town and municipality located in the Pristina District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Lipjan has 6,870 inhabitants, while the municipality has 57,605 i ...
, until finally submitting in 1106. In 1166, a Serbian prince,
Stefan Nemanja Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince ( Veliki Župan) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška, lat. ) from 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nemanji ...
, the founder of the
Nemanjić dynasty The House of Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Немањић, Немањићи; Nemanjić, Nemanjići, ) was the most prominent dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages. This princely, royal, and later imperial house produced twelve Serbian monarchs, who rul ...
, asserted independence after an uprising against the Byzantine Emperor
Manuel I Comnenus Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; " born in the purple"), was a Byzantine empero ...
. Nemanja defeated his brother, Tihomir, at Pantino near Pauni, and drowned him in the
Sitnica The Sitnica ( sq, Sitnicë; sr-Cyrl, Ситница) is a river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar at Mitrovica, and it is the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo. History In the 14th century, during the reign of king Milutin ...
river. Nemanja was eventually defeated and had to return some of his conquests, and vouched to the Emperor that he would not raise his hand against him. In 1183, Stefan Nemanja embarked on a new offensive allied with the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
after the death of
Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...
in 1180, which marked the end of Byzantine domination over the region of Kosovo. Nemanja's son, Stefan, ruled a realm reaching the river of Lab in the south. Stefan conquered all of Kosovo by 1208, by which time he had conquered Prizren and Lipljan, and moved the border of his realm to the Šar mountain. In 1217, Stefan was crowned ''King of Serbs'', due to which he is known in historiography as Stefan "the First-Crowned". In 1219, the
Serbian Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the population in ...
was given autocephaly, with
Hvosno Hvosno ( sr-Cyrl, Хвосно, "thick wood") was a medieval Serbian county ( sr, / ) located in the northern part of the Metohija region, in what is today Kosovo. It roughly encompassed the areas of the modern Istog and Peja municipalities. ...
,
Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...
and
Lipljan Lipjan ( sq-definite, Lipjani) or Lipljan ( sr-Cyrl, Липљан) is a town and municipality located in the Pristina District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Lipjan has 6,870 inhabitants, while the municipality has 57,605 i ...
being the Orthodox Christian
eparchies Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...
with territory in modern-day Kosovo. By the end of the 13th century, the centre of the Serbian Church was moved to
Peć Peja (Definiteness, Indefinite Albanian language, Albanian Albanian morphology#Nouns (declension), form: ''Pejë'' ) or Peć ( sr-Cyrl, Пећ ) is the fourth largest List of cities and towns in Kosovo, city of Kosovo and seat of Peja Municipali ...
from
Žiča The Žiča Monastery ( sr, Манастир Жича, Manastir Žiča, or ) is an early 13th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of ...
.
Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...
serving as the capital of Serbia during the 14th century, and was a centre of trade. King
Stefan Dušan Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gr ...
founded the great Monastery of the Holy Archangel near Prizren in 1342–1352. During those periods, several major monasteries were endowed with vast possessions in the regions of
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
and
Metohija Metohija ( sr-Cyrl, Метохија, ) or Dukagjin ( sq, Rrafshi i Dukagjinit, ) is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According ...
. The Serbian Kingdom was elevated into an
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
in 1345–46. Stefan Dušan received
John VI Kantakuzenos John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus;  – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under And ...
in 1342 at Pauni to discuss an alliance against the Byzantine Emperor. In 1346, the Serbian Archbishopric at Peć was upgraded into a
Patriarchate Patriarchate ( grc, πατριαρχεῖον, ''patriarcheîon'') is an ecclesiological term in Christianity, designating the office and jurisdiction of an ecclesiastical patriarch. According to Christian tradition three patriarchates were esta ...
, but it was not recognized before 1375. After the death of Dušan in 1355, the
fall of the Serbian Empire The fall of the Serbian Empire was a decades-long process in the late 14th century. Following the death of childless Emperor Stefan Uroš V in 1371, the Empire was left without an heir and the magnates, '' velikaši'', obtained the rule of its pr ...
began, with feudal disintegration during the reign of his successor,
Stefan Uroš V Saint Stefan Uroš V ( sr-cyrl, Свети Стефан Урош V, ; 13362/4 December 1371), known in historiography and folk tradition as Uroš the Weak ( sr-cyr, Урош Нејаки, Uroš Nejaki), was the second Emperor (Tsar) of the Ser ...
(r. 1355–1371). Parts of Kosovo became domains of
Vukašin Mrnjavčević Vukašin (Cyrillic script: Вукашин) is an old Slavic name of Serbian origin. It is composed from two words: Vuk (wolf) and sin (son), so it means sin vuka (son of wolf). In some places in Croatia and Bosnia it can be found as a surname. ...
, but Vojislav Vojinović expanded his demesne further onto Kosovo. The armies of Vukašin from
Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
and his allies defeated Vojislav's forces in 1369, putting a halt to his advances. After the Battle of Maritsa on 26 September 1371 in which the Mrnjavčević brothers lost their lives,
Đurađ I Balšić Đurađ I Balšić ( sr-cyr, Ђурађ I Балшић), or Gjergj Balsha I ( sq, Gjergj Balsha I) was the Lord of Zeta between 1362 and 13 January 1378. He was the eldest of the three sons of Balša I, and belonged to the Balšić family. Lif ...
of
Zeta Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; grc, ζῆτα, el, ζήτα, label= Demotic Greek, classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived f ...
took Prizren and Peć in 1372. A part of Kosovo became the demesne of the
Lazar of Serbia Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-cyr, Лазар Хребељановић; ca. 1329 – 15 June 1389) was a medieval Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire. Lazar's state, ...
. The
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
invaded the realm of
Prince Lazar Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-cyr, Лазар Хребељановић; ca. 1329 – 15 June 1389) was a medieval List of Serbian monarchs, Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbia ...
on 28 June 1389, at the
Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...
near
Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
, at
Gazimestan Gazimestan (, , ) is the name of a memorial site and monument commemorating the Battle of Kosovo (1389), situated about 6-7 kilometres southeast of the actual battlefield, known as the Kosovo field. The name is a portmanteau derived from Arabic ...
. The Serbian army was led by Prince Lazar who led 12,000–30,000 men against the Ottoman army of 27,000–40,000 men. Lazar was killed in battle, while Sultan
Murad Murad or Mourad ( ar, مراد) is an Arabic name. It is also common in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Turkish, Persian, and Berber as a male given name or surname and is commonly used throughout the Muslim world and Middle East. Etymology It ...
also lost his life, believed to have been assassinated by Serbian knight
Miloš Obilić Miloš Obilić ( sr-cyr, Милош Обилић, ) was a legendary Serbian knight who is reputed to have been in the service of Prince Lazar during the Ottoman invasion of Serbia in the late 14th century. He is not mentioned in contemporary sou ...
. The outcome of the battle is deemed inconclusive, with the new Sultan Bayezid having to retreat to consolidate his power.
Vuk Branković Vuk Branković ( sr-cyr, Вук Бранковић, , 1345 – 6 October 1397) was a Serbian medieval nobleman who, during the Fall of the Serbian Empire, inherited a province that extended over present-day southern and southwestern Serbia, enti ...
came to prominence as the local lord of Kosovo, though he was an Ottoman vassal at times, between 1392 and 1395. Another battle occurred in Kosovo 1448 between the Hungarian troops supported by the Albanian ruler
Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...
on one side, and Ottoman troops supported by the
Branković dynasty The House of Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Бранковић, Brankovići / Бранковићи, ) is a Serbian medieval noble family and dynasty. According to genealogies created in the first half of the 15th century, the family descends via female ...
in 1448. Skanderbeg's troops en route to help John Hunyadi were stopped by the Branković's troops, who was more or less an Ottoman vassal. Hungarian regent
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
lost the battle after a 2-day fight, but essentially stopped the Ottoman advance northwards. In 1455, southern regions of the
Serbian Despotate The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and ...
were invaded again, and the region of Kosovo was finally conquered by the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and incorporated it into the Ottoman administrative system. In 1455, new castles rose to prominence in
Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
and
Vučitrn Vushtrri ( sq-definite, Vushtrria) or Vučitrn ( sr-Cyrl, Вучитрн), is a city and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in northern Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Vushtrri has 26,964 inhabitants, while the m ...
, centres of Branković District.


Early Modern period

The
Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
brought
Islamization Islamization, Islamicization, or Islamification ( ar, أسلمة, translit=aslamāh), refers to the process through which a society shifts towards the religion of Islam and becomes largely Muslim. Societal Islamization has historically occur ...
with them, particularly in towns, and later also created the Kosovo Vilayet as one of the Ottoman territorial entities. During the Islamisation many Churches and Holy Orthodox Christian places were razed to the ground or turned into
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s. The big Monastery of Saint Archangels near Prizren was torn down at the end of the 16th century and the material used to build the Mosque of Sinan-pasha, an Islamized Albanian, in Prizren. Although the
Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...
was officially abolished in 1532, an Islamized Serb from Bosnia,
Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
Mehmed-pasha Sokolović influenced the restoration of the
Serbian Patriarchate of Peć The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephalous ...
in 1557. Special privileges were provided, which helped the survival of Serbs and other Christians on Kosovo. Kosovo was taken by the Austrian forces during the War of the Holy League (1683–1698). In 1690, the Serbian Patriarch of Peć
Arsenije III Arsenije ( sr-cyr, Арсеније; ) is a Serbian given name, a variant of the Greek name ''Arsenios''. Diminutives of the name include ''Arsen'', ''Arsa'' and ''Arso''. It may refer to: *Arsenije Sremac (d. 1266), second Archbishop of the Serbi ...
, who previously escaped a certain death, led 37,000 families from Kosovo, to evade Ottoman wrath since Kosovo had just been retaken by the Ottomans. The people that followed him were mostly
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
, but there were numerous Orthodox Albanians and others too. 20,000 Serbs abandoned
Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...
alone. Due to the oppression from the Ottomans, other migrations of Orthodox people from the Kosovo area continued throughout the 18th century. By contrast, some
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
adopted Islam and gradually fused with the predominant Albanians, and adopting their culture and even language. By the end of the 19th century,
Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
replaced the Serbs as the dominating nation of Kosovo. In 1766 the Ottomans abolished the
Serbian Patriarchate of Peć The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephalous ...
and the position of Christians on Kosovo was greatly reduced. All previous privileges were lost and the Christian population had to suffer the full weight of the Empire's extensive and losing wars, even to take the blame for the losses. During the
First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
, Serbs from northern parts of Kosovo prepared to join the uprising and an Ottoman-Albanian coalition arrived to suppress their efforts, before they could partake in the uprising. Ottoman violence resulted in a number of Serbs migrating to central Serbia in order to join rebels led by
Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ;  – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...
.
Kelmendi Kelmendi is a historical Albanian tribe (''fis'') and region in Malësia ( Kelmend municipality) and eastern Montenegro (parts of Gusinje Municipality). It is located in the upper valley of the Cem river and its tributaries in the Accursed Mo ...
were the only Albanian tribe to fully support Serb rebels. After the independence of the
Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was ...
to its north, Kosovo came increasingly to be seen by the mid-19th century as the “cradle of Serb civilization” and called the "Serbian
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
". The term ''Arnauti'' or ''Arnautaši'' was coined by 19th and early 20th century Serbian ethnographers to refer to the
Albanians in Kosovo The Albanians of Kosovo ( sq, Shqiptarët e Kosovës, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovar/Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars/Kosovans, constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo. Kosovo Albanians belong to the ethnic Albanian sub-gr ...
, which they perceived as Albanised Serbs;
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
who had converted to Islam and went through a process of
Albanisation Albanisation, Albanianisation (UK English, UK), Albanization, or Albanianization (US English, US) is the spread of Albanian culture, Albanians, people, and Albanian language, language, either by integration or Cultural assimilation, assimilation. D ...
.''Religion and the politics of identity in Kosovo''
p. 73
see footnotes
In modern anthropology, the historical validity of the term has been criticized as well as use as a tool of nation-building and homogenization policies of the Serbian state. Atrocities against Serbs during the Serbian–Ottoman War took place at the beginning of the century, with the Kosovo Albanians accused of driving some 150,000 Serbs out of Kosovo and conducting a campaign of terror against the Serbian population who remained. In 1901, massacres of Serbs were carried out by Albanians in
North Kosovo North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
and
Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
.


Modern period

The arising
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
planned a restoration of its rule in Kosovo as Ottoman might crumbled on the Balkan peninsula. The period witnessed a rise of Serbian nationalism. During the
First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
, the
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
and the
Kingdom of Montenegro The Kingdom of Montenegro ( sr, Краљевина Црна Горa, Kraljevina Crna Gora) was a monarchy in southeastern Europe, present-day Montenegro, during the tumultuous period of time on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World ...
fought alongside the Kingdoms of
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
as part of the
Balkan League The League of the Balkans was a quadruple alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Eastern Orthodox kingdoms of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the ...
to drive the Ottoman forces out of Europe and to incorporate the spoils into their respective states. Serbia, Montenegro and Greece had occupied the entire Western Balkan (Albanian-inhabited territories) with the exception of Vlora in the hope of achieving recognition with their new borders. Resistance from the Albanians across their entire region in favour of their own proposed independent nation state led to fighting between the Balkan League armies (less geographically uninvolved Bulgaria) and Albanian forces. To end the conflict, the Treaty of London decreed an independent
Principality of Albania The Principality of Albania ( al, Principata e Shqipërisë or ) refers to the short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by Wilhelm, Prince of Albania, that lasted from the Treaty of London of 1913 which ended the First Balkan War, through ...
(close to its present borders), with most of the Vilayet of Kosovo awarded to Serbia and the Metohija region awarded to Montenegro.


World War I and First Yugoslavia

During the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, in the winter of 1915–1916, the Serbian army withdrew through Kosovo in a bid to evade the forces of the Central Powers. Thousands died of starvation and exposure. In 1918, the Serbian army pushed the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
out of Kosovo, and the region was unified as Montenegro subsequently joined the Kingdom of Serbia. The monarchy was then transformed into the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
. The 1918–1929 period of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes witnessed a decrease in the Serbian population of the region and an increase in the number of Albanians. In 1929, the state was renamed the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
. The territories of Kosovo were split among the
Zeta Banovina The Zeta Banovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Zetska banovina, Зетска бановина), was a province ( banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of all of present-day Montenegro as well as ...
, the Banate of Morava and the Banate of Vardar. The state lasted until the
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
and
Axis occupation of Yugoslavia World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was swiftly conquered by Axis forces and partitioned between Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and their client regimes. Shortly after Germany attacked the US ...
(1941).


World War II

After the
invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 25'' was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was p ...
(6–18 April 1941), the Axis powers divided territory among themselves. Kosovo and Metohija was divided between
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
and
Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...
occupation. The largest part of what is today
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
was under Italian occupation and was annexed into a
axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
Greater Albania Greater Albania is an irredentist and nationalist concept that seeks to unify the lands that many Albanians consider to form their national homeland. It is based on claims on the present-day or historical presence of Albanian populations in th ...
, the Albanian Kingdom through a decree on 12 August 1941, while northern parts were included in
German-occupied Serbia The Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia (german: Gebiet des Militärbefehlshabers in Serbien; sr, Подручје Војног заповедника у Србији, Područje vojnog zapovednika u Srbiji) was the area of the Kin ...
, and southeastern parts into the Bulgarian occupational zone. Parts of eastern Montenegro and western Macedonia were also annexed to Albania. During the occupation, the population was subject to expulsion, internment, forced labour, torture, destruction of private property, confiscation of land and livestock, destruction and damaging of monasteries, churches, cultural-historical monuments and graveyards. There were waves of violence against Serbs in some periods, such as April 1941, June 1942, September 1943, and continuous pressure in various ways. Civilians were sent to camps and prisons established by the Italian, German and Bulgarian occupation, and the Albanian community. The expulsion of Serbs proved problematic, as they had performed important functions in the region, and been running most of the businesses, mills, tanneries, and public utilities, and been responsible for most of the useful agricultural production. Most of the war crimes were perpetrated by the
Vulnetari The Vulnetari ("volunteers") were a volunteer militia of Albanians from Kosovo set up in 1941 by Italian forces after the successful invasion of Yugoslavia. They served as an auxiliary force for civilian control and protection of villages. Some ...
("volunteers"),
Balli Kombëtar The Balli Kombëtar (literally ''National Front''), known as Balli, was an Albanian nationalist, collaborationist and anti-communist resistance movement during the Second World War. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and by Midhat Frashëri. The movem ...
and the SS Skanderbeg Division. The Skanderbeg Division was better known for murdering, raping, and looting in predominantly Serbian areas than for participating in combat operations on behalf of the German war effort. The most harsh position of Serbs was in the Italian (Albanian) zone. A large part of the Serb population was expelled or forced to flee in order to survive. Serbian estimations put the number of expelled at around 100,000; an estimated 40,000 from the Italian-occupation zone, 30,000 from the German zone, and 25,000 from the Bulgarian zone. It is estimated that 10,000 Serbs and Montenegrins were killed in Kosovo during WWII.


Second Yugoslavia

The Province of Kosovo was formed in 1946 as an autonomous region to protect its regional
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
majority within the
People's Republic of Serbia , life_span = 1944–1992 , status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia , p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia , flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg , p2 ...
as a member of the
Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yugo ...
under the leadership of the former Partisan leader,
Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
, but with no factual autonomy. After Yugoslavia's name changed to the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
and Serbia's to the
Socialist Republic of Serbia , life_span = 1944–1992 , status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia , p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia , flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg , p2 ...
in 1953, the Autonomous Region of Kosovo gained some autonomy in the 1960s. In the 1974 constitution, the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo's government received higher powers, including the highest governmental titles – President and Premier and a seat in the Federal Presidency which made it a ''de facto'' Socialist Republic within the Federation, but remaining as a Socialist Autonomous Region within the Socialist Republic of Serbia. In 1981, Albanian students organized protests seeking that Kosovo become a Republic within Yugoslavia. Those protests were in Serbian and
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
were defined official on the Provincial level marking the two largest linguistic Kosovan groups: Serbs and Albanians. In the 1970s, an Albanian nationalist movement pursued full recognition of the Province of Kosovo as another republic within the federation, while the most extreme elements aimed for full-scale independence. Tito's government dealt with the situation swiftly, but only gave it a temporary solution. The ethnic balance of Kosovo witnessed unproportional increase as the number of
Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
rose dramatically due to higher birth rates.
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
barely increased and dropped in the full share of the total population down to 10% due to higher demographic raise of the Albanian population. In 1981, Albanian students organized protests seeking that Kosovo become a Republic within Yugoslavia. Those protests were harshly contained by the centralist Yugoslav government. In 1986, the
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Serbica, sr-Cyr, Српска академија наука и уметности, САНУ, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, SANU) is a national academy and the ...
(SANU) was working on a document, which later would be known as the
SANU Memorandum The Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, known simply as the SANU Memorandum ( sr-cyr, Меморандум САНУ), was a draft document produced by a 16-member committee of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) from ...
. An unfinished edition was filtered to the press. In the essay, SANU explained the Serbian peoples history as victims of a 500-year and more genocide from Kosovo, and therefore called for the revival of Serb nationalism. During this time,
Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević (, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of ...
's rise to power started in the League of the Socialists of Serbia. Milošević used the discontent reflected in the SANU memorandum for his political goals. One of the events that contributed to Milošević's rise of power was the ''Gazimestan Speech'', delivered in front of 1,000,000 Serbs at the central celebration marking the 600th anniversary of the
Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...
, held at
Gazimestan Gazimestan (, , ) is the name of a memorial site and monument commemorating the Battle of Kosovo (1389), situated about 6-7 kilometres southeast of the actual battlefield, known as the Kosovo field. The name is a portmanteau derived from Arabic ...
on 28 June 1989. Soon afterwards, as approved by the Assembly in 1990, the autonomy of Kosovo was revoked back to the old status (1971). He had said "Strong Serbia, Weak Yugoslavia – Weak Serbia, Strong Yugoslavia" Milošević, however, did not remove Kosovo's seat from the Federal Presidency. After
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
's secession from Yugoslavia in 1991, Milošević used the seat to attain dominance over the Federal government, outvoting his opponents.


Breakup of Yugoslavia and Kosovo War

After the
Dayton Agreement The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement or the Dayton Accords ( Croatian: ''Daytonski sporazum'', Serbian and Bosnian: ''Dejtonski mirovni sporazum'' / Дејтонски мир ...
of 1995, the
Kosovo Liberation Army The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA; , UÇK) was an ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and Serbia during the ...
, ethnic-Albanian
paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
organisation that sought the separation of Kosovo and the eventual creation of a
Greater Albania Greater Albania is an irredentist and nationalist concept that seeks to unify the lands that many Albanians consider to form their national homeland. It is based on claims on the present-day or historical presence of Albanian populations in th ...
, began attacking Serbian civilians and Yugoslav army and police, bombing police stations and government buildings, killing Yugoslav police and innocent people of all nationalities, even Albanians who were not on their side. , mass graves of Kosovar Albanian victims are still being found. There have been many reports of abuses and war crimes committed by the KLA during and after the conflict, such as massacres of civilians (
Lake Radonjić massacre The Lake Radonjić massacre or the Massacre at Lake Radonjić ( sr, Масакр на Радоњићком језеру, sq, Masakra e Liqenit të Radoniqit) refers to the mass murder of at least 34 Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian civilians ne ...
,
Gnjilane Gjilan, or Gnjilane ( sr-cyr, Гњилане) is the eighth largest city in Kosovo and seat of Gjilan Municipality and Gjilan District. Name Ottoman chronicler Evliya Çelebi mentions ''Morava'' as a settlement of the Sanjak of Vučitrn. ...
, Staro Gracko, Klečka etc.), prison camps ( Lapušnik), organ theft and destruction of medieval churches and monuments. According to the 1991 Yugoslavia census, there were 194,190 Serbs in Kosovo after the Kosovo War, a large number of Serbs fled or were expelled and many of the remaining civilians were subjected to abuse. During the unrest in Kosovo, 35 churches and monasteries were destroyed or seriously damaged. After Kosovo and other
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
, Serbia became home to highest number of refugees and
IDPs An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced displacement, forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the Refugee#Definition ...
(including Kosovo Serbs) in Europe. In total, 156 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have been
destroyed Destroyed may refer to: * ''Destroyed'' (Sloppy Seconds album), a 1989 album by Sloppy Seconds * ''Destroyed'' (Moby album), a 2011 album by Moby See also * Destruction (disambiguation) Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a ...
since June 1999, after the end of the Kosovo War and including the 2004 pogrom. Many of the churches and monasteries dated back to the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. KLA fighters are accused of vandalizing Devič monastery and terrorizing the staff. The KFOR troops said KLA rebels vandalized centuries-old murals and paintings in the chapel and stole two cars and all the monastery's food.


21st century

The interim Kosovo government unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on Sunday, 17 February 2008. Serbia refuses to recognise this declaration of independence. Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence has been recognised by 98 UN countries, and one non-UN country, the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
(Taiwan). The remaining Kosovo Serbs (mostly in
North Kosovo North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
) want to remain part of Serbia, but Serbian majority towns are now rare in Kosovo. Some officials in the Serbian government have proposed a partition of Kosovo, with
North Kosovo North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
and
Štrpce Štrpce (Serbian Cyrillic: Штрпце) or Shtërpca ( sq-definite, Shtërpcë), is a town and municipality located in the Ferizaj District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 13,630 inhabitants. After the 2013 Brussels Ag ...
becoming part of Serbia or given autonomy. The United States opposes the partition of Kosovo, stressing that the "great majority of countries around the world are not going to stand for that." In response to the seizure of railways in Northern Kosovo and formation of Serbian offices to serve as part of a parallel government, Kosovo's Prime Minister stated that they would "not tolerate any parallel institution on Kosovo's territory" and would assert their authority over all of Kosovo. The UN's Special Representative in Kosovo said the "international community has made it very clear that no partition of Kosovo will be acceptable."
Ivan Eland Ivan Eland (; born February 23, 1958) is an American defense analyst and writer. He is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace and Liberty at the Independent Institute. Eland's writings generally propose libertarian and non-intervent ...
, a Senior Fellow at the
Independent Institute The Independent Institute is an American libertarian think tank based in Oakland, California. Founded in 1986 by David J. Theroux, the institute focuses on political, social, economic, legal, environmental, and foreign policy issues. It has more ...
, suggested such "a partition within a partition" would prevent a "Serbia-Kosovo War" and provides the "best chance" of Kosovo having a long-term stable relationship with Serbia. Chairman of the Serb Municipalities of Kosovo Alliance Marko Jakšić dismissed the talk of partition and said the action of Serbs in Kosovo is to protest the Kosovo declaration. Oliver Ivanović, a Kosovo Serb political leader, said he was against Kosovo's partition because "most Serbs live south of the Ibar and their position would become unsustainable". A Reuters analysis suggested that Kosovo may be divided along ethnic lines similar to Bosnia-Herzegovina. James Lyon of the
International Crisis Group The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a transnational non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, performing research and analysis on global ...
thinktank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental o ...
was quoted as saying, "the Republika Srpska style is acceptable for Serbia, but within the confines that it (Kosovo) is still part of Serbia."
Pieter Feith Pieter Cornelis Feith (born 9 February 1945) is a Dutch diplomat, formerly serving as the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) and as the International Civilian Representative in Kosovo. About Feith was born in Rotterdam, the Netherl ...
, the European Union's
special representative Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...
in Kosovo, and the
International Civilian Representative for Kosovo The International Civilian Representative for Kosovo (ICR), supported by the International Civilian Office (ICO), was the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for Kosovo (appointed by the Council of the European Union) which was re-appoint ...
said no plans are under discussion to carve out a canton or grant any other autonomy to Serbs living in the north of Kosovo. He told the
Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
, Kosovo, daily Koha Ditore, "It is quite clear that the privileged relations between the Serbs here (in Kosovo) and Belgrade are in the spheres of education, health care, and religious objects," adding that "the government in Pristina has to be respected." On 30 September 2008, Serbian
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Boris Tadić Boris Tadić ( sr-cyr, Борис Тадић, ; born 15 January 1958) is a Serbian politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2004 to 2012. Born in Sarajevo, he graduated from the University of Belgrade with a degree in psychology ...
stated that he would consider partitioning Kosovo if all other options were exhausted. The former Foreign Minister for
Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
,
Goran Svilanović Goran Svilanović ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Свилановић; born 22 October 1963) is a Serbian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), from 1 January 2013 until 31 December 2018, followin ...
, applauded the suggestion saying "finally this is a realistic approach coming from Serbia. Finally, after several years, there is a room to discuss." After his comments aroused controversy in the media, Tadić reiterated that he was suggesting this as a possibility only if all other options were exhausted. In the Brussels Agreement of 2013, Serbia agreed to grant the government in Pristina authority over Kosovo, while Pristina made an agreement to form
Community of Serb Municipalities The Community of Serb Municipalities ( sr, / ), or Association of Serb Municipalities ( sq, Asociacioni i Komunave Serbe, AKS), is a planned self-governing association of municipalities with a Serb majority population in Kosovo. The proposal f ...
, which has not been fulfilled. Kosovo Serbs have accepted many aspects of Kosovo's rule and Kosovo Serbs now vote on Kosovo central election commission ballots in local elections. During the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic, Kosovo Serbs found themselves in a limbo, stuck between different orders issued by Serbia and Kosovo. In November 2020, during the COVID pandemics, Kosovo policemen and inspectors stormed and temporarily closed several Serb-owned pharmacies in North Kosovo, attempting to confiscate medicine supplies, because the items were allegedly not registered within the central system in
Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
. The act was met with citizen protest which were on the verge of escalation. In December 2020, the vaccines for COVID-19 were sent to North Kosovo by Serbia without any consultation with Kosovan authorities.
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
opposed the arrival of those vaccines, claiming that they were illegally distributed by Serbia. Only few people were vaccinated and the remaining vaccines were sent back after an investigation was launched. In 2021 health workers from North Kosovo protested against arrests of their colleagues who are employed in the hospitals which take care of patients with COVID-19. They described the actions as "inhumane" and sent protesting letters to various international institutions and organisations. Kosovo’s Serb minority is often the target of demonstrations of hostility and attacks. In addition to that, members of the Kosovo Serbs community face mistreatment and prejudice in Serbia too.


Demographics

During the 20th century, the Serb population of Kosovo constantly decreased. Today, Serbs mostly populate the enclaves across Kosovo, as well as
North Kosovo North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
, which comprises 11% of Kosovo's territory and where they comprise 95% of population. . Diplomats from the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
have voiced concern over slow progress on minority rights.
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
pointed out discrimination against Serbs and Roma in Kosovo immediately after the
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
.
ECMI The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) is a research institute based in Flensburg, Germany, that conducts research into minority-majority relations in Europe. ECMI is a non-partisan and interdisciplinary institution. It is a non-profit, in ...
calculated, based on 2010 and 2013 estimations, that ca. 146,128 Serbs resided in Kosovo, that is, ca. 7.8% of the total population. In 2012, the
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia ( sr-Latn, Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji) is a volunteer, non-profit organization concerned with human rights issues in Serbia. It was formed in September 1994 as one of many national ...
estimated that the number was 90–120,000. The Republic of Kosovo-organized 2011 census did not take place in
North Kosovo North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
, and was boycotted by a considerable number of Serbs in southern Kosovo. The ECMI did call "for caution when referring to the 2011 Census in Kosovo". There are ten municipalities constituted by a Serb numerical majority. These are the four northern municipalities of
North Mitrovica North Mitrovica, sr-Cyrl, Ceвepнa Митровица; sq, Mitrovica e Veriut or ''Mitrovicë Veriore'' or North Kosovska Mitrovica,, sr-Cyrl, Северна Косовска Митровица is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica ...
,
Leposavić Leposavić ( sr-Cyrl, Лепосавић, ) also known as Leposaviq or Albanik ( sq, Leposaviqi or ''Albaniku''), is a town and the northernmost municipality in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 18,600 ...
,
Zvečan Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
,
Zubin Potok Zubin Potok ( sr-cyr, Зубин Поток, sq-definite, Zubin Potoku); is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 15,200 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consis ...
, and the six southern (enclave) municipalities of
Gračanica Gračanica () may refer to: Places Bosnia and Herzegovina *Gračanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town and municipality in Tuzla *Gračanica (Bugojno), a village in Central Bosnia *Gračanica, Gacko, a village in Republika Srpska *Gračanica, Proz ...
,
Štrpce Štrpce (Serbian Cyrillic: Штрпце) or Shtërpca ( sq-definite, Shtërpcë), is a town and municipality located in the Ferizaj District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 13,630 inhabitants. After the 2013 Brussels Ag ...
,
Novo Brdo Novo Brdo ( sr-Cyrl, Ново Брдо), or Novobërda and Artana ( sq-definite, Novobërdë or ''Artanë''), is a municipality located in the Pristina district of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 6,729 inhabitants. T ...
, Ranilug,
Parteš Parteš (Serbian Cyrillic: Партеш) or Partesh ( sq-definite, Parteshi), is a town and municipality located in the Gjilan District of Kosovo. The municipality was established on 19 August 2010. It is inhabited by Serbs, and as of 2013, it ha ...
and
Klokot Klokot ( Serbian Cyrillic: Клокот) or Kllokot ( sq-definite, Kllokoti), is a town and municipality in the District of Gjilan in southeastern Kosovo. The municipality was established on 8 January 2010, the settlements having been part of t ...
. As of 2014, the
OSCE The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
estimates that around 96,000 Serbs live in Kosovo. The UNHCR estimated in 2019 that the total number of IDPs (Serbs and non-Serbs) from Kosovo in Serbia are 68,514. Serbia has claimed (2018) that a total 199,584 IDPs from Kosovo (Serbs and non-Serbs) origin have settled and live in Serbia after the war based on the original data it gathered in 2000. The UNHCR reported in 2009, based on the official figures by the government of Serbia, that around 205,835 IDPs who fled from Kosovo lived in Serbia. These included Serbs, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians. The registration data in 2000 are the only official data which have been generated and there has been no re-registration of IDPs in Serbia since 2000. The same figure has been used in all official reports since then with some statistical reconfigurations. As such, the reliability of the registration of IDPs living in Serbia has been questioned.U Srbiji živi skoro 200.000 interno raseljenih lica sa Kosova i Metohije
Radio-televizija Vojvodine, 1 October 2018: Prema najnovijim podacima, u Srbiji, ne računajući teritoriju Kosova i Metohije, živi 199.584 interno raseljenih lica sa KiM od čega su 68.514 lica, odnosno 16.644 porodice, u stanju potrebe - nemaju odgovarajuće stambeno rešenje i adekvatne prihode kojim bi mogli sebi takvo rešenje da obezbede.
In 2003, the number of Kosovo Serb IDPs in Montenegro was 12,000. The numbers do not include those that have received Montenegrin citizenship. As of 2015, there were at least 6,600 Kosovo Serb refugees in Montenegro. By 2019, there were 135 IDPs in total in Montenegro from Kosovo.


Culture

The Battle of Kosovo is particularly important to Serbian history, tradition, and national identity.
Eparchy of Raška and Prizren Eparchy of Raška and Prizren, al, Eparkia Rashkë - Prizren. Also known as the Eparchy of Raška-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija ( sr, / ; sq, Eparkia Rashkë - Prizren). is one of the oldest eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church, featuring t ...
of Serbian orthodox church take care of Serbian people and Orthodox heritage in Kosovo. Numerous
Serbian Orthodox monasteries This is a list of Serbian Orthodox Christian monasteries in Serbia and near areas (Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo), also Romania, Hungary, Greece, Germany, United States of America, Canada, and Australia. ...
and churches are spread around Kosovo. Some of them include: Banjska monastery, Devič monastery,
Gračanica monastery Gračanica () may refer to: Places Bosnia and Herzegovina * Gračanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town and municipality in Tuzla *Gračanica (Bugojno), a village in Central Bosnia * Gračanica, Gacko, a village in Republika Srpska * Gračanica, P ...
,
Patriarchal Monastery of Peć Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...
, Visoki Dečani monastery and Our Lady of Ljeviš. The last four make up the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo, founded by the
Nemanjić dynasty The House of Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Немањић, Немањићи; Nemanjić, Nemanjići, ) was the most prominent dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages. This princely, royal, and later imperial house produced twelve Serbian monarchs, who rul ...
, is a combined
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. Medieval
fortifications A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
built by Serbian rulers and lords present important cultural heritage. In connection with social gatherings among the Serbs around the churches and monasteries called ''Sabori'' during the ''
Slava Slava may refer to: Ships * ''Slava'' class cruiser, a modern Russian warship ** Soviet cruiser Slava (1979), now Russian cruiser ''Moskva'', a ''Slava'' class guided missile cruiser sunk during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine * Russian ba ...
'' and ''Hram'' (Patron of the monastery) there was a belief that everyone must dance (to instrumental accompaniments) in order to gain and secure good health. In upper
Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...
the Sabor was held on 21 November by the ruins of the monastery of the Holy archangel founded by the Serbian Emperor
Stefan Dušan Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gr ...
the Mighty in the 14th century. There were also great social gatherings at the Kaljaja fortress. Serbian folk music is rich in a large number of songs from Kosovo, which were especially preserved in the performances of Jordan Nikolić and
Mara Đorđević Mara Đorđević (born Marija Mišović; 31 January 1916 in Odobești, Romania – 22 January 2003 in Pančevo Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; german: Pantschowa; hu, Pancsova; ro, Panciova; sk, Pánčevo) is a list of cities ...
. The Serbs in Kosovo speak the dialects of Zeta-South Raška, Kosovo-Resava, and Prizren-South Morava.


UNESCO World Heritage Sites


Prominent people


Monarchs

*
Lazar of Serbia Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-cyr, Лазар Хребељановић; ca. 1329 – 15 June 1389) was a medieval Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire. Lazar's state, ...
, Serbian ruler who led the army in the
Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...
*
Dragana of Serbia Dragana ( Serbian, bg, Драгана) was a Serbian princess and the Empress consort of Bulgaria as the second wife of Ivan Shishman (r. 1371–1395). She was a daughter of the Serbian Prince Lazar and Princess Milica Nemanjić. Early life Dr ...
, Bulgarian empress consort *
Musić noble family The Musić ( sr-cyr, Мусић, Musići / Мусићи) was a Serbian noble house that served the Serbian Empire (1345–1371), and during its fall (1371–1389) it served Tsar Lazar's Serbia. The eponymous founder was ''čelnik'' Musa, who m ...
*
Jelena Balšić Jelena, also written Yelena and Elena, is a Slavic given name. It is a Slavicized form of the Greek name Helen, which is of uncertain origin. Diminutives of the name include Jelica, Jelka, Jele, Jela, Lena, Lenotschka, Jeca, Lenka, and Alena. Not ...
, Serbian noblewoman *
Jovan Dragoslav Dragoslav ( sr-cyr, Драгослав) or Jovan Dragoslav (Јован Драгослав; 1290–1315) was a Serbian nobleman with the titles of ''kaznac'', and then '' veliki kaznac'', serving King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321). The ''kaznac' ...
, Serbian nobleman * Mladen, magnate and '' vojvoda'' *
Vuk Branković Vuk Branković ( sr-cyr, Вук Бранковић, , 1345 – 6 October 1397) was a Serbian medieval nobleman who, during the Fall of the Serbian Empire, inherited a province that extended over present-day southern and southwestern Serbia, enti ...
, lord of
District of Branković The District of Branković ( sr, / ) or Vuk's Land ( sr, link=no, / ) was one of the short lived semi-independent states that emerged from the collapse of the Serbian Empire in 1371, following the death of the last Emperor Uroš the Weak (1346 ...
*
Đurađ Branković Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Anka ...
, lord of District of Branković *
Mara Branković Mara Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Мара Бранковић) or Mara Despina Hatun (c. 1416 – 14 September 1487), also known as ''Sultana Marija'' or ''Amerissa'', was the daughter of Despotate of Serbia, Serbian monarch Đurađ Branković and Eire ...
* Kantakuzina Katarina Branković *
Mahmud Pasha Angelović Mahmud Pasha Angelović ( sr, Махмуд-паша Анђеловић/Mahmud-paša Anđelović; tr, Veli Mahmud Paşa; 1420–1474) was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1456 to 1466 and again from 1472 to 1474, who also wrote Persia ...
, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire


Politicians

*
Radivoje Milojković Radivoje Milojković ( sr-Cyrl, Радивоје Милојковић; 9 January 1833 – 16 December 1888) was a Serbian politician. In the aftermath of Prince Mihailo's assassination in 1868, he served as Interior Minister under several Libera ...
, prime minister of
Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was ...
* Dušan Mugoša, Presidents of the Assembly of
SAP Kosovo The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo, Социјалистичка Аутономна Покрајина Косово, separator=" / ", sq, Krahina Socialiste Autonome e Kosovë ...
*
Ilija Vakić Ilija Vakić ( sr-cyr, Илија Вакић; born 30 July 1932) is a Serbian retired politician who served as Chairman of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within SFR Yugoslavia from May 1967 to May 1974.
,
Chairman of the Executive Council The Chairman of the Executive Council of the Isle of Man was the executive head of the Isle of Man Government from 1961 to 1986. The title of the office was changed in 1986 to Chief Minister. Chairmen See also *Chief Minister * Executive Co ...
of SAP Kosovo * Bogoljub Nedeljković, Chairman of the Executive Council of SAP Kosovo *
Dragan Tomić Dragan Tomić ( sr, Драган Томић; 9 December 1935 – 21 June 2022) was a Serbian politician, a member of the Socialist Party of Serbia, who was the President of the National Assembly of Serbia, holding the position from 1994 to 2001 ...
, acting
President of Serbia The president of Serbia ( sr, Председник Србије, Predsednik Srbije), officially styled as the President of the Republic ( sr, Председник Републике, Predsednik Republike) is the head of state of Serbia. The curr ...
*
Aleksandar Tijanić Aleksandar Tijanić ( sr-cyr, Александар Тијанић; 13 December 1949 – 28 October 2013) was a Serbian journalist and director of the country's public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia from 2004 to 2013. During his career he wa ...
, Minister of Information of Serbia and director of the
Radio Television of Serbia Radio Television of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Радио-телевизија Србије, sr-Lat, Radio-televizija Srbije, italics=yes; abbr. RTS/PTC) is Serbia's public broadcaster. It broadcasts and produces news, drama, and sports programming thro ...
*
Ivica Dačić Ivica Dačić ( sr-cyr, Ивица Дачић, ; born 1 January 1966) is a Serbian politician serving as first deputy prime minister of Serbia and minister of foreign affairs since 2022, roles which he previously served under governments of Mirk ...
,
Prime Minister of Serbia The prime minister of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, премијерка Србије, premijerka Srbije; masculine: премијер/premijer), officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, председница Влад ...
*
Jorgovanka Tabaković Jorgovanka Tabaković ( sr-cyr, Јоргованка Табаковић; ; born 21 March 1960) is a Serbian politician who has been the governor of the National Bank of Serbia since 2012. A member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), she has ...
, Governor of the National Bank of Serbia *
Goran Svilanović Goran Svilanović ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Свилановић; born 22 October 1963) is a Serbian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), from 1 January 2013 until 31 December 2018, followin ...
, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro *
Slobodan Petrović Slobodan Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Петровић, ; born 21 December 1969) is a Kosovo Serb politician and former Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Kosovo. He was a member of the Kosovo Assembly and until 2020 he was the he ...
, Deputy Prime Minister of
Republic of Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...
* Aleksandar Jablanović, Minister of Communities and Returns of Republic of Kosovo * Branislav Grbić, Minister of Communities and Returns of Republic of Kosovo * Dalibor Jevtić, Minister of Communities and Returns of Republic of Kosovo *
Oliver Ivanović Oliver Ivanović ( sr-cyr, Оливер Ивановић; 1 April 1953 – 16 January 2018) was a Kosovo Serb politician. Ivanović served as the State Secretary of the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija from 2008 to 2012 and was also a member of ...
, State Secretary of the
Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija The Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija ( sr, Министарство за Косово и Метохију, Ministarstvo za Kosovo i Metohiju) was the ministry in the Government of Serbia responsible for the issues relating to Kosovo and Metohija. ...
*
Bogoljub Karić Bogoljub Karić ( sr-Cyrl, Богољуб Карић, ; born 17 January 1954) is a Serbian businessman and politician. Early life and education Bogoljub was born to Janićije Karić and Danica Kuzmanović. He earned a degree in Geography at the ...
, businessman and politician * Vladimir Dobričanin, doctor and politician, Member of the
Parliament of Montenegro The Parliament of Montenegro ( cg, Скупштина Црне Горе, Skupština Crne Gore) is the unicameral legislature of Montenegro. The Parliament currently has 81 members, with each member elected to a four-year term. Following the 2006 ...
*
Borislav Pelević Borislav Pelević ( sr-cyr, Борислав Пелевић; 22 November 1956 – 25 October 2018) was a Serbian politician. He was president of the nationalist Party of Serbian Unity (SSJ), a party with marginal importance in Serbian politics, u ...
* Dragan Velić * Radovan Ničić *
Slaviša Ristić Slaviša Ristić ( sr-cyr, Славиша Ристић; born 17 November 1961) is a Serbian politician and figure in the Kosovo Serb community. He was for many years the president (i.e., mayor) of Zubin Potok, a predominantly Serb municipality in ...


Religious people

*
Joanikije II Joanikije ( sr-cyr, Јоаникије) is the Serbian variant of Greek name '' Ioannikios''. It may refer to: *Joanikije I, Serbian Archbishop (1272–76) * Joanikije II, Serbian Archbishop (1338–46) and first Serbian Patriarch (1346–54) * Joa ...
, Archbishop of Peć and first Serbian Patriarch *
Pajsije Pajsije of Janjevo ( sr, Пајсије Јањевац / Pajsije Janjevac; Janjevo, 1542? – Peć, 2 November 1647) was the Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch from 1614 to 1647, seated at the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć. He was also a w ...
, Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch *
Vikentije Popović-Hadžilavić Vikentije Popović-Hadžilavić ( sr-cyrl, Хаџи-Лавић или Хаџилавић, Janjevo, Ottoman Empire, c. 1650 – Sremski Karlovci, Habsburg monarchy, 23 October 1725) was metropolitan of the Serbiam Orthodox Metropolitanate of Karl ...
, the first metropolitan of
Metropolitanate of Karlovci The Metropolitanate of Karlovci ( sr, Карловачка митрополија, Karlovačka mitropolija) was a metropolitanate of the Eastern Orthodox Church that existed in the Habsburg monarchy between 1708 and 1848. Between 1708 and 1713 ...
*
Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta ( sr-cyr, Арсеније IV Јовановић Шакабента, ; 1698 – 18 January 1748) was the Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch from 1725 to 1737 and Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Habsbu ...
, Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch *
Lazar the Serb Lazar ( sr, Лазар, russian: Лазарь), also known as Lazar the Serb or Lazar the Hilandarian (fl. 1404), was a Serbian Orthodox monk-scribe and horologist who invented and built the first known mechanical public clock in Russia in 1404. ...
, monk and horologist who invented and built the first known mechanical public clock in
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
* Martin Segon, Catholic Bishop of
Ulcinj Ulcinj ( cyrl, Улцињ, ; ) is a town on the southern coast of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 10,707 (2011), the majority being Albanians. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coast ...


Military people

*
Miloš Obilić Miloš Obilić ( sr-cyr, Милош Обилић, ) was a legendary Serbian knight who is reputed to have been in the service of Prince Lazar during the Ottoman invasion of Serbia in the late 14th century. He is not mentioned in contemporary sou ...
, knight during the invasion of the Ottoman Empire * Vuk Isaković, military commander in Austrian service during the Austrian-Ottoman Wars *
Čolak-Anta Antonije "Anta" Simeonović, better known as Čolak-Anta ( sr-cyr, Чолак-Анта Симеоновић; 1777–1853) was a Serbian fighter and military commander (''Vojvoda''), one of the most important figures of the First Serbian Uprising ...
, military commander and one of the most important figures of the
First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
*
Vukajlo Božović Vukajlo Božović ( sr-cyr, Вукајло Божовић; d. 1926), known as Priest Vukajlo (поп Вукајло) was a Serbian Orthodox priest and revolutionary. Božović participated in the Balkan Wars, as a commander of a detachment in Ibar ...
, Serbian Orthodox priest and revolutionary who participated in the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
as a commander of a detachment in
Ibarski Kolašin North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
*
Jake Allex Aleksa Mandušić (Serbian Cyrillic: Алекса Мандушић; July 13, 1887 – August 28, 1959) was a Serbian-American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during World War I. He was also known as Jake Al ...
,
Serbian American Serbian Americans ( sr, / ) or American Serbs (), are Americans of Serb ethnic ancestry. As of 2013, there were about 190,000 American citizens who identified as having Serb ancestry. However, the number may be significantly higher, as there w ...
soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
who received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for his service in the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
*
Boro Vukmirović Borko "Boro" Vukmirović (Cyrillic: Борко Боро Вукмировић; 1 August 1912 – 10 April 1943) was one of the organizers of the anti-fascist uprising in Kosovo.''Narodni heroji Jugoslavije''. Belgrade: Mladost, 1975 He was posthumo ...
, one of the organizers of the anti-fascist uprising in Kosovo * Živko Gvozdić, commander in the Balkan Wars and World War I * Kosta Pećanac,
Chetnik The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
commander *
Lazar Kujundžić Lazar Kujundžić-Klempa ( sr-cyr, Лазар Кујунџић: 1880 – May 25, 1905) was a Serbian Chetnik commander (vojvoda) who was active in Old Serbia and Macedonia. Biography He was born in Orahovac, near Prizren. He graduated fro ...
, Chetnik commander * Sava Petrović-Grmija, Chetnik soldier *
Božidar Delić Božidar Delić ( sr-cyr, Божидар Делић, ; 20 February 1956 – 23 August 2022) was a Serbian general and politician who served as the vice president of the National Assembly of Serbia from 2007 to 2012 and again from 2 to 23 August ...
, general of the
Army of Yugoslavia The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodn ...
* Veljko Radenović, Serbian police general * Zoran Radosavljević, pilot *
Milan Mojsilović Milan Mojsilović ( sr-cyr, Милан Мојсиловић; born 3 August 1967) is the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, having been appointed on 14 September 2018. Military career Mojsilović was born in Kosovska Mitrovica, S ...
, Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces


Writers

*
Elder Grigorije Elder Grigorije ( sr, Старац Григорије; 1310–55) was a Serbian Orthodox clergyman and writer. Grigorije hailed from the Prizren region, and was a nobleman in the Serbian Empire until he took monastic vows and received the monas ...
, Serbian Orthodox clergyman and writer *
Marko Pećki Marko Pećki (village of Ljevoši, near Peć in Kosovo, Serbia, 1360 – Ljevoši, Kosovo, Serbia, after 1411) was a Serbian medieval writer and poet who lived at the time of Prince Lazar of Serbia and Stefan Lazarević. He is best known for the " ...
, writer and poet *
Konstantin Mihailović Konstantin Mihailović, also known as Constantine of Ostrovica, born in 1430, was a Serbian soldier and author of a memoir of his time as a Jannissary in the army of the Ottoman Empire. Mihailović was born in the village of Ostrovica, near Rud ...
, author of a memoir of his time as a
Jannissary A Janissary ( ota, یڭیچری, yeŋiçeri, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and the first modern standing army in Europe. The corps was most likely established under sultan Orha ...
in the army of the Ottoman Empire. * Dimitrije Kantakuzin, writer who lived in the 15th century *
Vladislav the Grammarian Vladislav the Grammarian (Bulgarian and sr, Владислав Граматик; 1456–79) was a Bulgarian Orthodox Christian monk, scribe, historian and theologian active in medieval Bulgaria and Serbia, regarded as part of both the Bulgarian an ...
, an Orthodox Christian monk, scribe, historian and theologian *
Grigorije Božović Grigorije Božović ( Pridvorica, Ottoman Empire, now in Kosovo, 15 November 1880 - Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 4 January 1945), was a writer, professor of the Prizren seminary, one of the leaders of the Serbian movement in Macedonia, prima ...
, writer * Lazar Vučković, poet *
David Albahari David Albahari (, ; born 15 March 1948)Biography
at
, Serbian Jewish writer * Darinka Jevrić, poet *
Dejan Stojanović Dejan Stojanović ( sr, Дејан Стојановић, ; born 11 March 1959) is a Serbian poet, writer, essayist, philosopher, businessman, and former journalist. His poetry is characterized by a recognizable system of thought and poetic de ...
, poet, writer and essayist * Novica Petković, writer, professor and member of ANURS * Mošo Odalović, poet


Science and education

*
Gligorije Elezović Gligorije Elezović ( sr-Cyrl, Глигорије Елезовић; 18 January 1879 — 17 October 1960) was a Serbian historian and member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scie ...
, historian and member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts * Atanasije Urošević, geographer and ethnologist *
Radivoje Papović Radivoje Papović ( sr-cyr, Радивоје Паповић) was the Rector of the University of Pristina, in Kosovo, for most time part of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, ...
, Rector of the
University of Pristina The University of Pristina ( sq, Universiteti i Prishtinës) is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the K ...
* Nebojša Radunović, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at
University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-b ...
's
School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...
and a corresponding member of the
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Serbica, sr-Cyr, Српска академија наука и уметности, САНУ, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, SANU) is a national academy and the ...
* Marko Savić, pianist and professor at the University of Pristina Faculty of Arts *Anđelko Karaferić, musician, Professor of
Counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
and Associate Dean at the University of Pristina Faculty of Arts *
Andrijana Videnović Andrijana Videnović (born 1 September 1964) is a Serbian theater and movie actress and Associate Professor of Diction at the University of Priština Faculty of Arts, in North Kosovo. She is married to Dragan Jovanović Danilov. Selected filmogr ...
, actress and Associate Professor of Diction at the University of Pristina Faculty of Arts *Jasmina Novokmet, conductor, professor and former Associate Dean at the University of Pristina * Aleksandra Trajković, pianist, Assistant Professor of Piano and Chief of the Piano Department at the University of Pristina *
Tomislav Trifić Tomislav Trifić ( sr-cyr, Томислав Трифић; born 4 March 1949) is a Serbian graphic artist and dean of the University of Pristina Faculty of Arts, in North Kosovo, Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), o ...
, graphic artist and Dean of the University of Pristina Faculty of Arts *
Branibor Debeljković Branibor Debeljkovic (1916-2003) was a Serbian artist, researcher and historian professor of History of photography, photography at the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. He was a member of the German Society for Photography (DGPh) and the Eu ...
, artist, historian and professor * Slađana Đurić, professor of philosophy and sociology


Art


Visual art

* Svetomir Arsić-Basara, sculptor *
Branibor Debeljković Branibor Debeljkovic (1916-2003) was a Serbian artist, researcher and historian professor of History of photography, photography at the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. He was a member of the German Society for Photography (DGPh) and the Eu ...
, photographer *
Aleksandar Joksimović Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, fashion designer * Trajko Stojanović Kosovac, graphic artist, painter, scenographer * Slobodan Trajković, painter


Cinema and theatre

*
Ljuba Tadić Ljubomir "Ljuba" Tadić ( sr-cyr, Љубомир Љуба Тадић; 31 May 1929 – 28 October 2005) was a Yugoslav actor who enjoyed a reputation as one of the greatest names in the history of former Yugoslav cinema. Biography He made his scr ...
,
Dobričin prsten The Dobričin prsten award ( sr-Cyrl, Добричин прстен) is the life-achievement award for theatrical acting, considered the most distinguished one in the Serbian theater. The name of the award (''Ring of Dobrica'') refers to the gol ...
and four-time
Golden Arena for Best Actor Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall * Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershi ...
winner * Mira Stupica, Dobričin prsten and
Golden Arena for Best Actress The following is a list of winners of the Golden Arena for Best Actress at the Pula Film Festival. List of winners Yugoslav Film Awards (1955–90) Croatian Film Awards (1990–present) Footnotes :A.  Although the festival was opened ...
winner * Dragoslav Ilić *
Dragan Maksimović Dragan Maksimović ( sr-cyr, Драган Максимовић; 7 February 1949 – 4 February 2001) was a Serbian actor. Biography Maksimović (nicknamed Maks) performed in more than sixty theatrical plays, movies and TV productions, between 19 ...
* Miodrag Krivokapić * Saša Pantić *
Milan Vasić Milan Vasić (19 December 1928, Donja Pecka, Mrkonjić Grad, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes – 26 December 2003, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina) was a Serbian historian. He was a member of the Academy of Sciences a ...
* Predrag Vasić


Music

* Jordan Nikolić, folk singer who interpreted traditional songs from Kosovo * Brankica Vasić Vasilisa, performer of traditional songs from Kosovo and Macedonia *
Milica Milisavljević Dugalić Milica ( sr-Cyrl, Милица; pronounced 'Millitsa') is a feminine name popular in Balkan countries. It is a diminutive form of the given name Mila, meaning 'kind', 'dear' or 'sweet'. The name was used for a number of queens and princesses, inc ...
, performer of traditional songs from Kosovo *
Bora Spužić Kvaka Bora Spužić Kvaka (Serbian Cyrillic: Бора Спужић Квака; 10 November 1934 – 9 March 2002) was a Serbian vocalist and recording artist with a career spanning almost three decades. Biography Spužić was born as Velibor Spužić o ...
, folk singer * Dragica Radosavljević Cakana, folk singer * Viktorija, rock artist who represented
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
in the
Eurovision Song Contest 1982 The Eurovision Song Contest 1982 was the 27th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Harrogate, United Kingdom, following the country's victory at the with the song "Making Your Mind Up" by Bucks Fizz. Organised by the ...
as part of Aska * Đani, folk singer * Jana, folk singer * Tina Ivanović, folk singer *
Slađa Delibašić Slađana Delibašić ( sr-cyr, Слађана Делибашић; born November 7, 1968), also known as Slađa D., is a Serbian singer and dancer. Born in Kosovska Mitrovica and raised in New Belgrade from the age of 11, she gained popularity in t ...
, pop singer and dancer * Peđa Medenica, pop-folk singer *
Stefan Đurić Rasta Stefan Đurić ( sr-cyr, Стефан Ђурић; born 16 November 1989), better known as Rasta ( sr-cyr, Раста), is a Serbian rapper and singer from Priština. He gained mainstream recognition with his singles "Kavasaki" (2014) and "Cava ...
, popular musician *
Nevena Božović Nevena Ivanović (; sr-cyr, Невена Ивановић, ; , ; born 15 June 1994) is a Serbian singer and songwriter. She made her singing debut by representing Serbia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with song "Piši mi", placing ...
, pop singer who represented Serbia in the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the fifth edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in the Ahoy indoor sporting arena in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 8 December. The host country was chosen by the European Bro ...
, with band
Moje 3 Moje 3 ( sr-cyr, Моје 3; English: ''My 3'') was a Serbian girl group consisting of Mirna Radulović, Nevena Božović and Sara Jovanović. They represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö with the song " Ljubav je svud ...
in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2013 The Eurovision Song Contest 2013 was the 58th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Malmö, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Euphoria" by Loreen. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EB ...
and solo in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2019 The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 was the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, following the country's victory at the 2018 contest with the song " Toy" by Netta. Organised by the European Broad ...


Sport

*
Milutin Šoškić Milutin Šoškić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милутин Шошкић; 31 December 1937 – 27 August 2022) was a Serbian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is considered one of FK Partizan's greatest players. Biography He was b ...
, football player and Olympic champion *
Vladimir Durković Vladimir Durković (Serbian Cyrillic: Владимир Дурковић; 6 November 1937 – 22 June 1972) was a Serbian football defender. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Career Club career Durkov ...
, football player and Olympic champion *
Stevan Stojanović Stevan Stojanović ( sr-cyr, Стеван Стојановић; born 29 October 1964) is a retired Serbian football goalkeeper best known for captaining Red Star Belgrade side which won the 1991 European Cup Final. Club career He came through ...
, football goalkeeper and European Cup champion *
Goran Đorović Goran Đorović ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Ђopoвић; born 11 November 1971) is a Serbian retired footballer who played mainly a central defender but also as a left back. In his country, he played for Prishtina and Red Star. He spent the rest of ...
, football player *
Ranko Popović Ranko Popović (; born 26 June 1967) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Japanese club Machida Zelvia. Playing career Born in Peć, SAP Kosovo, SR Serbia, Popović started out at local club B ...
, football player and coach * Mladen Dodić, football player and coach *
Dragoljub Bekvalac Dragoljub Bekvalac ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Беквалац, ; born 14 July 1952) is a Serbian retired footballer and current coach. Playing career Bekvalac spent most of his playing years with Novi Sad in the Yugoslav Second League. He also r ...
, football player and coach * Darko Spalević, football player *
Nenad Stojković Nenad Stojković (; born 26 May 1956) is a Serbian football manager and former player. Club career During his 18-year professional career, Stojković played for Partizan (1974–1984), Monaco (1984–1986), Montpellier (1986–1988), Mulhouse ( ...
, football player * Nikola Lazetić, football player *
Miloš Krasić Miloš Krasić ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Красић; born 1 November 1984) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a winger. He represented the Serbia national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and at one point in his career, he ...
, football player and 2009 Serbian Footballer of the Year * Milan Biševac, football player * Miodrag Anđelković, football player * Aleksandar Čanović, football player *
Miroslav Vulićević Miroslav Vulićević (; born 29 May 1985) is a retired Serbian professional footballer who played as a defender. Club career Early years Vulićević began playing football at Kosmet Leposavić, before moving to Bane. He made his debut for their ...
, football player * Miloš Ostojić, football player * Milan Milanović, football player * Aleksandar Paločević, football player * Đorđe Jovanović, football player * Sreten Mirković, boxer and European Amateur Championships silver medalist * Marko Simonović, basketball player, Olympic and World Cup silver medalist *
Miloš Bojović Miloš Bojović (born December 2, 1981) is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is a 1.98 tall guard who currently plays for Limburg United of the Pro Basketball League The Pro Basketball League (PBL), was the highest tier level profes ...
, basketball player * Miljana Bojović, basketball player *
Bojan Krstović Bojan Krstović (born November 1, 1980) is a Serbian professional basketball player who last played for Kragujevački Radnički. He is a 1.94 m (6 ft 5 in) tall shooting guard. Professional career He began playing basketball at the age of 1 ...
, basketball player *
Dejan Musli Dejan Musli ( sr-cyr, Дејан Мусли; born January 3, 1991) is a Serbian professional basketball player for MoraBanc Andorra of the Liga ACB. Standing at , he plays at the center position. Professional career FMP In the youth Musli won t ...
, basketball player *
Milena Rašić Milena Rašić ( sr-cyr, Милена Рашић; born 25 October 1990) is a retired Serbian professional volleyball player. She played for Serbia women's national volleyball team. She won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and also comp ...
, volleyball player, World and European champion, Olympic silver medalist * Milica Simić, badminton player * Vaso Komnenić, high jumper * Darko Radomirović, middle distance and long-distance runner *
Sonja Stolić Sonja Stolić (Serbian Cyrillic: Соња Столић, born April 21, 1980 in Kosovo Polje, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian middle distance and long-distance runner. She competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officia ...
, middle distance and long-distance runner *
Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic ( sr-Cyrl, Новак Ђоковић, translit=Novak Đoković, ; born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player. He has been ranked world No. 1 for a record total 373 weeks, and has finished as the year-end No. 1 ...
, tennis player, World No.1 and 17-time Grand Slam champion *
Danijela Rundqvist Danijela Kristina Rundqvist (born 26 September 1984) is a Swedish retired ice hockey player and three time Olympian with the Sweden women's national ice hockey team, Swedish national ice hockey team. Playing career Rundqvist plays hockey at th ...
, Swedish ice hockey player and two-time Olympic medalist *
Luka Dončić Luka Dončić ( ; ; born February 28, 1999) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Slovenian national team. Born in Ljubljana, Dončić shone ...
, Slovenian basketball player, European and EuroLeague champion


Other

* Sima Igumanov, merchant who made a fortune through tobacco trade and invested his fortune in building educational facilities * Bogdan Radenković, an organizer of the
Serbian Chetnik Organization Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also * * * Old Serbian (disambiguation) ...
and one of the founders of the
Black Hand Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to: Extortionists and underground groups * Black Hand (anarchism) (''La Mano Negra''), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based in the Andalusian region of Spain during the early 1880s * Black Hand (e ...
*
Đorđe Martinović Đorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе;transliterated Djordje) is a Serbian given name, a Serbian variant, derived from Greek '' Georgios'' (''George'' in English). Other variants include: Đurđe, Đurađ, Đura, Đuro, Georgije. It may refer to: * Đo ...
, farmer from who was at the centre of a notorious incident in May 1985 *
Zvezdan Jovanović Zvezdan Jovanović ( sr-cyr, Звездан Јовановић; born 19 July 1965), also known as "Zmija" ("Snake") is a Serbian former paramilitary and Commander in the Serbian police's Special Operations Unit (Serbia), Special Operations Unit, ...
, former paramilitary, JSO Commander and convicted criminal *
Anđelka Tomašević Anđelka Tomašević (Serbian Cyrillic: Aнђeлка Томашевић; born 6 July 1993) is a Serbs, Serbian model and beauty pageant titleholder. She represented Serbia in Miss Earth 2013 pageant in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines and al ...
, Miss Earth Serbia 2013 and Miss Universe Serbia 2014 * Katarina Šulkić, Miss Serbia 2015


See also

*
Community of Serb Municipalities The Community of Serb Municipalities ( sr, / ), or Association of Serb Municipalities ( sq, Asociacioni i Komunave Serbe, AKS), is a planned self-governing association of municipalities with a Serb majority population in Kosovo. The proposal f ...
* Serbian enclaves in Kosovo * ''Enclave'' (film), a 2015 Serbian film *
Gorani people The Gorani (, ) or Goranci (, ), are a Slavic Muslim ethnic group inhabiting the Gora region—the triangle between Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia. They number an estimated 60,000 people, and speak a transitional South Slavic dialect, ...
*
Janjevci Janjevci (, sq, Janjevët, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Janjevci, Јањевци) or Kosovo Croats ( sq, Kroatët e Kosovës, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kosovski Hrvati, Косовски Хрвати) are the Croats, Croat community in K ...


Notes


Annotations


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

;Books * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;Journals * * ;Conference papers *


External links


Filling the Vacuum: Ensuring Protection and Legal Remedies for Minorities in Kosovo
by Minority Rights Group International (May 2009)
Groups working with all demographics in Kosovo
{{Ethnic groups in Kosovo Ethnic groups in Kosovo
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
History of Kosovo