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119-525: Mount Rumija is a site of great religious significance. The Cross of Jovan Vladimir is carried every year during August on the Feast of Pentecost from the village of Velji Mikulići to the summit of Rumija. Traditionally, in addition to Orthodox Christians of the Bar area, Catholics and Muslims also take part in the procession and ascent to the summit of Rumija. The pilgrimage has symbolised cooperation among

238-586: A Greek liturgical text. In 1368 Dyrrhachium was taken from the Angevins by Karlo Thopia , an Albanian lord. In 1381 he rebuilt, in Byzantine style, a church ruined in an earthquake in the narrow valley of the stream Kusha, a tributary of the Shkumbin River—near the site of the town of Elbasan in central Albania (built in the 15th century). The church was dedicated to Saint Jovan Vladimir, as

357-548: A Venetian ally, was crowned Croatian king. Venice, the Dalmatian towns, Croatia, and Vladimir's Duklja, were thus aligned in a compact pro-Byzantine bloc connected to Byzantium via Dyrrhachium. The close relations with Byzantium, however, did not help Prince Vladimir. Samuel attacked Duklja in 1009 or 1010, as part of his campaign aimed at breaking up that pro-Byzantine bloc, which could have threatened him. Vladimir retreated with his army and many of his people to his fortress on

476-497: A bad omen. The ascending devotees sing: Krste nosim, Boga molim, Gospodi pomiluj. I carry the cross, I pray to God, Lord, have mercy . In the past, the standard-bearer of the Mrkojevići clan, a Muslim, walked next to the cross with a flag in his left and a knife in his right hand, ready to use it if anyone attempted to take the cross. The clan especially feared that the participants from Krajina might try to recover

595-538: A beatific soul. She approached her father and begged that she might go down with her maids and wash the head and feet of the chained captives. Her father granted her wish, so she descended and carried out her good work. Noticing Vladimir among the prisoners, she was struck by his handsome appearance, his humility, gentleness and modesty, and the fact that he was full of wisdom and knowledge of the Lord. She stopped to talk to him, and to her his speech seemed sweeter than honey and

714-482: A brass ball attached to its lower arm, into which a stick is inserted when the cross is carried. The cross is 45 cm (18 in) high, 38 cm (15 in) wide, and 2.5 cm (1.0 in) thick. According to Russian scholars Ivan Yastrebov and Pavel Rovinsky , the cross was originally kept in the Prečista Krajinska Church, in which Kosara had interred Vladimir. The peak of Islamization of

833-618: A church atop the summit and disruption of harmony among religions. Vijesti also gave much space to minority spokespeople such as publishing the Albanian reaction by Montenegrin politician Mehmet Bardhi who stated that the action was the biggest provocation toward Albanians within a 50 year period. The MOC stated that the whole affair demonstrated the SOC's improper use of religion for political purposes. The newspaper Dan, against Montenegrin independence, published statements from ordinary people and

952-410: A crown with a double lily wreath, his right foot on a sword. He holds a cross, a sceptre, and an olive branch in his right hand, while his crowned severed head is in his left hand. He wears an ermine cloak and a robe with floral designs, adorned with large gems surrounded by pearls. The Greek text beneath the illustration names the saint as Jovan Vladimir, the pious Emperor of all Albania and Bulgaria,

1071-625: A custom to grant the region to the heir of the throne or some other member of the royal family. In 1219, two dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church were created on the territory of modern-day Montenegro, Eparchy of Zeta centered in the Monastery of Holy Archangel Michael on Prevlaka , and Eparchy of Budimlja centered in the Monastery of Đurđevi Stupovi . Several other monasteries also date to this period, such as: Morača , Praskvica , Vranjina , and others. Serbian Despotate

1190-476: A golden cross as a token of safe conduct. The chronicle relates the prince's reply: We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, was suspended not on a golden cross, but on a wooden one. Therefore, if both your faith and your words are true, send me a wooden cross in the hands of religious men, then in accordance with the belief and conviction of the Lord Jesus Christ, I will have faith in

1309-490: A hill above the village of Pesočani in the Municipality of Debarca , there is a locality called Vladimirovo, where some ruins can be seen. The locals claim that it is where Vladimir was born and later brought his severed head. The Church of St Athanasius near Pesočani, now ruined, is reputed to have been built by Vladimir. People from the region gathered there each year on the eve of his feast day. They lit candles on

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1428-534: A hill named Oblik, close to the southeastern tip of Lake Skadar. According to the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja, he performed a miracle there: the hill was infested with venomous snakes, but when he offered up a prayer to the Lord, their bites became harmless. Part of Samuel's army lay siege to the hill, and the remainder attacked the nearby coastal town of Ulcinj , which was part of the fortification system of

1547-499: A joyous celebration and sports, and have a communal meal. On the way back, some people pick the so-called herb of Rumija ( Onosma visianii ), whose root is reputed for its medicinal properties. The procession ends at the Church of St Nicholas, and folk festivities at Velji Mikulići continue into the night. Until the next Feast of Pentecost, the cross is kept at a secret location. It was formerly known only to two oldest male members of

1666-637: A plot by Ivan Vladislav , the last ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire . He was beheaded in front of a church in Prespa , the empire's capital, and was buried there. He was soon recognized as a martyr and saint . His widow, Kosara, reburied him in the Prečista Krajinska Church, near his court in southeastern Duklja. In 1381, his remains were preserved in the Church of St Jovan Vladimir near Elbasan , and since 1995 they have been kept in

1785-646: A seasonal influx of Serbs in Montenegro, during the summers. Despite the geopolitical separation, the economic balance and relationship shared between the two countries continues to be strong. The national language of Montenegro has historically and traditionally been called Serbian. According to Pavle Ivić , two sub-dialects of the Shtokavian dialect (of the Serbian language ) were spoken in Montenegro:

1904-557: A territorial contact with Prince Vladimir's Duklja, which was in turn connected to the Byzantine Theme of Dalmatia , consisting of Adriatic towns northwest of Duklja. The Republic of Venice , an ally of Byzantium, militarily intervened in Dalmatia in 1000 to protect the towns from attacks by Croats and Narentines . Venetian rule over Dalmatia on behalf of Basil was confirmed by the emperor in 1004 or 1005. Svetoslav Suronja ,

2023-472: A throne, surrounded by twelve panels showing scenes of his life and miracles. Saint Jovan Vladimir is represented on frescos in three monasteries of Mount Athos : Hilandar , Zograf , and Philotheou ; and three Bulgarian monasteries: Rila , Troyan , and Lozen. Hristofor Žefarović , an artist from Macedonia, painted the frescos in the rebuilt church of the Serbian Monastery of Bođani , in

2142-527: Is a traditional cap worn by Montenegrins and Montenegrin Serbs, originally in the shape of a flat cylinder , having a red upper surface (called tepeluk ) not dissimilar to the Herzegovina and Lika caps . It was wholly red until Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović Njegoš surrounded it with a black rim (called derevija ), and the definition given was as a sign of grief of occupied Kosovo . The Kosovo Myth

2261-612: Is backed by a small percentage of the Orthodox Christians in Montenegro. The government has recognized the church, however none of the Eastern Orthodox churches have. The leader is the controversial Miraš Dedeić , a former Serbian Orthodox clergyman with Serbian nationalist views who, after being suspended from the Serbian Church, went to Rome and became a Greek Orthodox clergyman. The Montenegrin cap

2380-513: Is contained, among other hymns, in the Church Slavonic akolouthia published as part of Srbljak , praises the saint: Ꙗ́кѡ сокро́вищє многоцѣ́нноє и исто́чникъ то́чащъ зємни́мъ то́ки нєдѹ́ги ѿчища́ющыѧ։ и на́мъ подадє́сѧ тѣ́ло твоє̀ свѧщє́нноє, болѣ́знємъ разли́чнимъ пода́ющє исцѣлє́нїе и благода́ть божєствє́ннѹю притєка́ющимъ къ нє́мѹ, да зовє́мъ ѥмѹ́։ ра́дѹйсѧ кнѧ́жє Влади́мирє. In a Bulgarian liturgical book written in 1211, Vladimir

2499-596: Is known as the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity. The symbolic action aimed at demonstrating the dominance of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) over other religions and to reaffirm the Serbian character of Montenegro, the event also revealed the close links between Metropolitan Amfilohije and the army. The SOC stated that a former Orthodox church existed in that location until 1571, which was destroyed by

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2618-512: Is named Kraljič ( kralj means "king"). A cross, held by tradition to be the one that Jovan Vladimir received from Ivan Vladislav, and had in his hands when he was martyred, is a highly valued relic. It is under the care of the Andrović family from the village of Velji Mikulići near Bar and, according to the Androvićs, has been for centuries. The cross is made of yew wood plated with silver, with

2737-639: Is the last independent medieval Serb state and it included most of modern-day Montenegro. Montenegro saw independence under the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty , at first as a principality and then as a kingdom. Both the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Montenegro fought together as independent states in the Balkan Wars and in the First World War. At the end of the war in 1918 tensions arose between

2856-531: Is the patron saint of the modern-day town of Bar in south Montenegro, built at its present location in 1976 about 4 km (2.5 mi) from the site of the old town of Bar, which was destroyed in a war and abandoned in 1878. A religious procession celebrating the saint passes on his feast day through the town's streets with church banners and icons. The procession is usually led by the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Montenegro and

2975-516: The Bačka region (then part of the Kingdom of Hungary) in 1737. There, he depicted Jovan Vladimir in a row of six Serb saints, wearing a crown and sceptre , clad in a full-length tunic , loros (a type of stole ), and chlamys . In the same row stands another Serb saint from present-day Montenegro, Stefan Štiljanović . Žefarović's frescos in Bođani are regarded as the earliest work showing Baroque traits in

3094-535: The Bogomil and Messalian heretics. From his early youth, Jovan Vladimir longed for the Kingdom of God. After he was married, he prayed day and night, and abstained from intercourse with his wife. She was a heretic like her brother, whom she incited to kill Jovan. When the two brothers-in-law rode together, accompanied by soldiers, the heretic suddenly struck Jovan with a sword at a mountain pass named Derven, but could not cut him. Only when Jovan gave him his own sword

3213-575: The Eastern Herzegovinian dialect and Zeta-South Sanjak dialect . The Eastern Herzegovinian dialect is spoken in Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Today, the national standard is based on the Zeta-South Sanjak dialect. Some 42.9% of the population of the country speak Serbian as their mother tongue, including 37% of the declared Montenegrins. Serbian was the official language of Montenegro until 2007 when

3332-830: The Montenegrin Orthodox Church from the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church . The Montenegrin language eventually gained international recognition and was assigned the ISO 639-2 and -3 code [cnr] in December 2017. However, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church is canonically unrecognized as of 2021. In 2006, the NGO Serbian People's Council of Montenegro was created, headed by Momčilo Vuksanović , and in 2008 an official representative electoral body of Serbs in Montenegro

3451-472: The Montenegrin referendum in 1992 which ended with a 95.96% of votes in favour for a state union with Serbia and with the changing of the socialist political system towards a multi-party one. The country was renamed Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . In this period between 1990 and 1998 Montenegro was ruled by Momir Bulatović who had close relations with the Serbian president Slobodan Milošević and who

3570-478: The Orthodox cathedral of Tirana , Albania. The saint's remains are considered Christian relics , and attract many believers, especially on his feast day, when the relics are taken to the church near Elbasan for a celebration. The cross Vladimir held when he was beheaded is also regarded as a relic. Traditionally under the care of the Andrović family from the village of Velji Mikulići in southeastern Montenegro ,

3689-525: The Ottomans . The SOC is against removal of the church. In letters addressed to politicians, Amfilohije stated to Milo Đukanović that any removal would be an act of vandalism and Patriarch Pavle asked Svetozar Marović "not to destroy the church that the Turks destroyed in 1571". The installation of the church caused controversy, as construction of the church was not approved by Montenegrin authorities and

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3808-667: The Serbian Orthodox Church , the strongest religious institution of Montenegro (with a total of 460,383 followers or 74%). One of the largest places of worship is the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Podgorica . The future of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has been threatened by the newly formed Montenegrin Orthodox Church which has claimed Serbian Orthodox churches in Montenegro, and

3927-559: The Serbian art . Žefarović created in 1742 in Vienna a copperplate with scenes of the saint's life and miracles. Its printed impressions were disseminated to many Orthodox Christian homes in the Balkans. The same author included him among the rulers and saints whom he illustrated in his Stemmatographia . A lithography in the 1858 edition of the Greek akolouthia shows the saint wearing

4046-498: The ethnic Montenegrins . Additional 0.47% of the population is made up of Serbs-Montenegrins ( Срби-Црногорци / Srbi-Crnogorci ) and Montenegrins-Serbs ( Црногорци-Cрби / Crnogorci-Srbi ). During the Slavic migrations of the 6th and 7th centuries, most of the territory of modern-day Montenegro was settled by Serbs (which are the ancestors of modern Montenegrins ) who they created several Serb principalities in

4165-614: The 11th-century Byzantine historian John Skylitzes described Vladimir as a wise, pious, just, and peaceful ruler. Vladimir's reign coincided with a protracted war between the Byzantine Emperor Basil II (r. 976–1025) and the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire , Tsar Samuel (r. 980–1014). Basil II might have sought the support of other Balkan rulers for his fight against Samuel, and he intensified diplomatic contacts with Duklja for this purpose. A Serbian diplomatic mission, most likely sent from Duklja, arrived in

4284-663: The Andrović family, and since around 2000 the Androvićs have appointed a committee to keep the cross. The oldest preserved hagiography of Saint Jovan Vladimir is contained in Chapter 36 of the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja. This chronicle, written in Latin, was completed between 1299 and 1301 in the town of Bar, then part of the Serbian Kingdom . Its author was Rudger, the Catholic Archbishop of Bar , who

4403-546: The Bulgarian archbishop David. He then allowed himself to fall into Vladislav's hands, and was executed. The motivation behind the murder is unclear. Since Samuel's defeat in 1014, the Bulgarians had been losing battle after battle, and Vladislav probably suspected or was informed that Vladimir planned to restore Duklja's alliance with Byzantium. This alliance would be particularly disturbing for Tsar Vladislav because of

4522-553: The Byzantine capital of Constantinople in 992 and was recorded in a charter of the Great Lavra Monastery , written in 993. In 1004 or 1005, Basil recovered from Samuel the city of Dyrrhachium , a major stronghold on the Adriatic coast, south of Duklja. Since 1005, Basil had also controlled the coastal lands north and south of that city, parts of the Byzantine Theme of Dyrrhachium . Byzantium thus established

4641-642: The Byzantines in 1014, and on 6 October that same year, the tsar died of a heart attack. He was succeeded by his son, Gavril Radomir , whose reign was short: his cousin Ivan Vladislav killed him in 1015 and ruled in his stead. Vladislav sent messengers to Vladimir demanding his attendance at the court in Prespa, but Kosara advised him not to go and went there herself instead. Vladislav received her with honor and urged Vladimir to come as well, sending him

4760-631: The Fatherland known as the Chetniks . At the end of the war the socialist Yugoslavia was created and the two became republics within the Yugoslav federation. Yugoslav Partisan Milovan Đilas described himself as a Montenegrin Serb and described Montenegro as the spiritual homeland of Serbs, saying "I am not a Montenegrin because I am a Serb, but a Serb because I am a Montenegrin. We Montenegrins are

4879-487: The First Bulgarian Empire. As Vladimir and Kosara had no children, his successor was his uncle Dragimir, the ruler of Travunia and Zachlumia. Accompanied by soldiers, he set off for Duklja to establish himself as its ruler, probably in the first half of 1018. When he came to Kotor, the town's inhabitants ambushed and killed him after inviting him to a banquet, and his soldiers returned to Travunia. Duklja

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4998-777: The Greens. During the period of the monarchic Yugoslavia, ruled by the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty , the tensions between Serbs and Croats were increasing and most of the Montenegrin politicians supported the Serbian proposed centralised state. During the Second World War both Serbs and Montenegrins were very active in both resistance movements, the Yugoslav Partisans and the Yugoslav Army in

5117-507: The Krajina region was reached at the end of the 18th century. The church was torn down, though it is uncertain when and by whom, but the cross was preserved by the people of the region. They believed that it could protect against evil and ensure a rich harvest, and kept it as sacred, although they had converted to Islam. The cross was later taken from them by the neighboring clan of Mrkojevići . As they too converted to Islam, they entrusted

5236-518: The Littoral . The bronze sculpture King Jovan Vladimir , 4 m (13 ft) in height, was installed at the central square of Bar in 2001; it is a work by sculptor Nenad Šoškić. Although Vladimir was only a prince, he is referred to as "king" in the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja. He is called the Holy King in southeastern Montenegro, and hence the hillock thought to be the site of his court

5355-636: The Orthodox Archbishop of Ohrid, Cosmas , who resided at the Monastery of St Jovan Vladimir, near Elbasan. Copies of the book were distributed to other Orthodox churches and individuals. The akolouthia was also published in 1741 in Moscopole , an Aromanian center in southeastern Albania, as part of a compilation dedicated to saints popular in that region. A shorter hagiography of the saint, based on his life contained in this akolouthia,

5474-553: The Ottoman Empire, a hagiography of the saint and a service to him were written in Greek in 1690 at the monastery. It stood under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Ohrid , which became a notable spiritual and artistic force during the leadership of Archbishop Joasaph from 1719 to 1745. In this period, the veneration of Saint Jovan Vladimir was promoted in southern Albania and western Macedonia, as well as beyond

5593-417: The Prespa prison, praying day and night, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and foretold that he would shortly be freed, but that he would die a martyr's death. His fate in captivity was described in a romantic story involving him and Theodora Kosara , Tsar Samuel's daughter. This is the chronicle's description of how they met: It came to pass that Samuel's daughter, Cossara, was animated and inspired by

5712-438: The Priest of Duklja . His hagiographies in Greek and Church Slavonic were first published , respectively, in 1690 and 1802. The saint is classically depicted in icons as a monarch wearing a crown and regal clothes, with a cross in his right hand and his own head in his left hand. He is fabled to have carried his severed head to his place of burial. Duklja was an early medieval Serbian principality whose borders coincided for

5831-487: The SOC that supported the church and were against its demolition by state authorities. At the time in Montenegro, rumors existed that later were unfounded which claimed the SOC may attempt to install similar buildings atop other mountain peaks in the country. A decree that stipulated the demolishment of the structure was adopted by the Montenegrin Ministry for Spatial Planning in 2009. The proposed removal of

5950-508: The Theme of Dyrrhachium. Vladimir eventually surrendered, a decision the chronicle attributed to his wish to deliver his people from famine and the sword. He was sent to a prison in Samuel's capital of Prespa , located in western Macedonia . Having failed to conquer Ulcinj, which received men and supplies by sea from Dalmatian towns, the tsar directed his forces towards Dalmatia. There, he burned

6069-490: The act generated anger from people that viewed Rumija as a symbol of religious harmony. The use of the Air Force helicopter was perceived by some people in Montenegro as a provocation in the wake of 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum . Minority communities stated that Mt Rumija was for all religious and ethnic groups in the country. Montenegrin pro-independence organisations like the newly created Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOC) and like-minded political parties interpreted

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6188-448: The action as a threat toward the pursuit of independence and as the SOC designating ownership over locations in the country. So-called the Doclean Academy of Sciences and Arts issued an announcement that accused Amfilohije of appropriating the location as a Serbian site and criticised the action as "vandalistic" and "clerico-fascist". The act was criticised in Montenegro by public figures such as Andrej Nikolaidis who stated there never

6307-448: The archbishopric, in Bulgaria and among the Serbs in the Kingdom of Hungary . The monastery became the see of the newly founded Archbishopric of Dyrrhachium in the second half of the 18th century. In more recent times the monastery fell into disrepair, and in the 1960s it was closed by Albania's Communist authorities; in 1967 the reliquary with the saint's relics was moved to St Mary's Church in Elbasan. The dilapidated monastery

6426-589: The book Lives of the Serbian Saints , published in London in 1921 by the Anglican Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge . In Cosmas's writing, the saint was named "Jovan from Vladimir"; his father was Nemanja (historically, Grand Prince of Serbia from 1166 to 1196), and his grandfather was Simeon (Bulgarian Tsar from 893 to 927). He married a daughter of Samuel, the tsar of Bulgaria and Ohrid . He succeeded his father as emperor of Albania, Illyria, and Dalmatia. After Byzantine Emperor Basil defeated Tsar Samuel, Emperor Jovan defeated Basil. He also fought against

6545-444: The chronicle are based on oral traditions and its author's constructions, and are for the most part dismissed by historians. The hagiography in the chronicle is the source for the "Poem of King Vladimir" composed in the 18th century by a Franciscan friar from Dalmatia, Andrija Kačić Miošić . The poem is part of Miošić's history of the South Slavs in prose and verse, written in the Serbo-Croatian vernacular of Dalmatia. This book

6664-439: The chronicle's account that Kosara transported Vladimir's body "to a place known as Krajina, where his court was": While his court was possibly in the region of Krajina before his captivity, after he married Kosara it could have been near Elbasan, in the territory of Dyrrachium he received from Tsar Samuel. He was interred near the latter court, which was replaced in the chronicle with the former. An Orthodox monastery grew around

6783-412: The chronicle, descendants of his uncle Dragimir. The Vojislavljevićs succeeded in those endeavors, though Vladimir was not recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Despite its hagiographic nature, Chapter 36 contains a lot of reliable historical data. Chapters 34 and 35, which deal with Vladimir's father and uncles, are probably based on the prologue of the 11th-century hagiography. Chapters 1–33 of

6902-406: The church generated different positions among public opinion. A survey in 2011 found that 43% of respondents were against demolition and 23.7% supported removal. In the same survey the group against demolition was split along national affiliation lines with 71% of respondents that identified as Serb and 37% as Montenegrin holding that position. A divergence exists between the government position on

7021-437: The church near Elbasan, and became the center of veneration of Saint Jovan Vladimir, which was limited to an area around the monastery. In the latter half of the 15th century, the territory of present-day Albania was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire , in which Islam was the privileged religion. After losing the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the Ottomans went on the defensive in Europe. In the climate of revival of Christianity in

7140-408: The court and residence of Serbian rulers once stood in Krajina. Vladimir's reign is recounted in Chapter 36 of the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja , completed between 1299 and 1301; Chapters 34 and 35 deal with his father and uncles. These three chapters of the chronicle are most likely based on a lost biography of Vladimir written in Duklja sometime between 1075 and 1089. Both the chronicle and

7259-408: The creation of a separate Montenegrin language , regarded before as a dialect of the Serbian language , including the creation of a new Montenegrin Cyrillic alphabet which shares the same letters with the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet except for the addition of two new letters. The Serb population of Montenegro is opposed to the idea of a linguistic separation, just as they are opposed to the separation of

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7378-407: The cross is only shown to believers on the Feast of Pentecost , when it is carried in a procession to the summit of Mount Rumija . Jovan Vladimir is regarded as the first Serbian saint and the patron saint of the town of Bar in Montenegro. His earliest, lost hagiography was probably written sometime between 1075 and 1089; a shortened version, written in Latin, is preserved in the Chronicle of

7497-445: The cross to the Andrović family—their Orthodox Christian neighbors. The Mrkojevići considered it more appropriate for the cross to be kept in a Christian home, rather than in a Muslim one. The cross, followed by a religious procession, is carried each year on the Feast of Pentecost from Velji Mikulići to the summit of Mount Rumija . The procession is preceded by a midnight liturgy in the village's Church of St Nicholas. After

7616-576: The evening of 21 May, because, in the Orthodox Church, the liturgical day is reckoned from one evening to the next. Despite the name of the service, the all-night vigil is usually not held throughout the entire night, and may last only for two hours. In the Church of St Jovan Vladimir near Elbasan, it lasts from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Hymns either to Jovan Vladimir or to another saint whose commemoration falls on 22 May , are chanted, on that liturgical day, at set points during services in all Orthodox churches. Saint Jovan Vladimir

7735-418: The five small stripes on the top represent the remaining remains of the once greater Serbian realm, which became increasingly popular amongst the common folk during the reign of Prince Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš . Within the stripes is angled a six star, representing the last free part, Montenegro, shining upon the fallen and conquered. Worn by the rulers and chieftains, the version with the Four Ocil symbol in

7854-406: The graceful Wonderworker and Great Martyr , and true Myrrh-gusher. In his hagiography included in the Synaxarium of Nicodemus the Hagiorite, the saint is referred to as Emperor of the Serbs (τῶν Σέρβων βασιλεύς). Several legends about Jovan Vladimir have been recorded in western Macedonia. One has it that, after he was beheaded, he brought his head to the Monastery of St John of Bigor . On

7973-444: The honeycomb. Kosara then begged her father for Vladimir's hand, and the tsar granted her request. He restored his new son-in-law to the throne of Duklja. In reality, the marriage was probably a result of Samuel's political assessment: he may have decided that Vladimir would be a more loyal vassal if he was married to his daughter. Resolving thus the question of Duklja, Samuel could concentrate more troops in Macedonia and Thessaly ,

8092-456: The iconostasis indicates that Vladimir was an important figure of local veneration. He was often depicted in the company of Saints Clement and Naum in Macedonian churches. A number of 18th-century painters from central and southern Albania painted the saint in churches of the region, especially in the area of Moscopole. A portable icon of the saint was created in 1739 at the Ardenica Monastery in southwestern Albania. It depicts him seated on

8211-420: The inscription which Thopia placed above its south entrance declared in Greek, Latin, and Serbian. The saint's relics were kept in a reliquary , a wooden casket, which was enclosed in a shrine , 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, within the church. Serbian scholar Stojan Novaković theorized that Vladimir was buried near Elbasan immediately after his death. Novaković conjectured that the earthquake which ruined

8330-421: The issue and a large section of public opinion. Divisions over the church highlight its symbolism and attachment among people in Montenegro toward land as a location demarcating a sense of belonging. Ivan Vladimir#Cross of Vladimir Jovan Vladimir or John Vladimir ( Serbian Cyrillic : Јован Владимир ; c. 990 – 22 May 1016) was the ruler of Duklja , the most powerful Serbian principality of

8449-518: The life-giving cross and holy wood. I will come. Two bishops and a hermit came to Vladimir, gave him a wooden cross, and confirmed that the tsar had made a pledge of faith on it. Vladimir kissed the cross and clutched it to his chest, collected a few followers, and set off for Prespa. As he arrived, on 22 May 1016, he went into a church to pray. When he exited the church, he was struck down by Vladislav's soldiers and beheaded. According to Skylitzes, Vladimir believed Vladislav's pledge, told to him by

8568-403: The liturgy, the ascent begins up a steep path to the 1,593 m (5,226 ft) summit of Rumija. The cross, carried by a member of the Andrović family, leads the procession, followed by an Orthodox priest and the other participants. Catholics and Muslims of the region have traditionally participated in the procession. It is carefully observed that no one precedes the cross; to do so is considered

8687-530: The main site of his conflict with Byzantium. The chronicle claims that the tsar also gave Vladimir the whole territory of Dyrrachium. The prince could in fact have been given a northern part of that territory, which was partially under Samuel's rule. A brief note on Vladimir by John Skylitzes may indicate that the prince also received some territory in Raška (i.e. Serbia). His paternal uncle Dragimir , ruler of Travunia and Zachlumia, who had retreated before Samuel's army,

8806-414: The morning, the reliquary is placed at the center of the church under a canopy, before being opened. After the morning liturgy has been celebrated, chanting priests carry the reliquary three times around the church, followed by the devotees, who hold lit candles. The reliquary is then placed in front of the church, to be kissed by the believers. The priests give them pieces of cotton that have been kept inside

8925-406: The most part with those of present-day Montenegro . The state rose greatly in power after the disintegration of the early medieval Principality of Serbia that followed the death of its ruler, Prince Časlav , around 943. Though the extent of Časlav's Serbia is uncertain, it is presumed it included at least part of Bosnia . Serbia had subsequently come under Duklja's political dominance, along with

9044-588: The needs of their peoples. When Kosara came to him instead, Vladislav received her with apparent kindness; therefore Vladimir came as well. Vladislav was able to cut off his head only after Vladimir gave him his own sword. The saint then carried his severed head to the church he had built near Alba, and died there; it was AD 1015. He was buried in the church. During Vladislav's siege of Dyrrachium, Vladimir appeared before his murderer when he dined, and slew him while he cried for help. The saint's relics then gushed myrrh , curing various illnesses. The kontakion which

9163-408: The neighboring Serbian principalities of Travunia and Zachlumia (in present-day Herzegovina and south Dalmatia ). The Byzantines often referred to Duklja as Serbia. Around 1000, Vladimir, still a boy, succeeded his father Petrislav as the ruler of Duklja. Petrislav is regarded as the earliest ruler of Duklja whose existence can be confirmed by primary sources , which also indicate that he

9282-560: The new Constitution of Montenegro replaced the Constitution of 1992. Amid opposition from pro-Serbian parties, Montenegrin language was made the sole official language of the country and Serbian was given the status of a recognised minority language along with Bosnian , Albanian , and Croatian . Since 2006, both in linguistic and other aspects of cultural life, ethnic Serbs of Montenegro have been exposed to gradual "non-coercive" "Montenegrinisation". The Serbs are adherents of

9401-525: The newlyweds setting off for Vladimir's court, which Miošić places in the Herzegovinian city of Trebinje . The Greek akolouthia on Saint Jovan Vladimir, containing his hagiography, prayers to him, and hymns to be chanted in church services on his feast day, was printed in Venice in 1690. The book was reprinted with small changes in 1774 and 1858. It was written from oral traditions by the deputy of

9520-581: The old church happened during Thopia's rule, and that Thopia reinstated the relics in the rebuilt church. If Vladimir was previously buried in Duklja, Novaković reasoned, he would not be absent, as he was, from Serbian sources written during the reign of the Nemanjić dynasty, who ruled over Duklja (later named Zeta) from 1186 to 1371. Novaković did not consider the idea that the relics might have been removed from Duklja to Dyrrhachium in around 1215. He commented on

9639-470: The principality around 1010 and took Vladimir prisoner. A medieval chronicle asserts that Samuel's daughter, Theodora Kosara , fell in love with Vladimir and begged her father for his hand. The tsar allowed the marriage and returned Duklja to Vladimir, who ruled as his vassal . Vladimir took no part in his father-in-law's war efforts. The warfare culminated with Tsar Samuel's defeat by the Byzantines in 1014 and death soon after. In 1016, Vladimir fell victim to

9758-423: The proximity of Duklja to Dyrrhachium, which was a target of the tsar's war efforts. In early 1018, Vladislav led an unsuccessful attack against Dyrrhachium, outside whose walls he found his death. The chronicle asserts that Vladimir appeared before Vladislav when he dined in his camp outside Dyrrhachium, and slew him while he cried for help. The same year, the Byzantine army—led by the victorious Basil—terminated

9877-487: The region; In southern parts of modern Montenegro, Principality of Duklja was formed, while western parts belonged to the Principality of Travunija . Northern parts of modern Montenegro belonged to the inner Principality of Serbia . All of those early polities were described in historiographical works of Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenetos (944–959). In 1018, all of Serbian principalities came under

9996-602: The religions and ethnic groups within the country, even during difficult moments. On 18 June 2005, a small prefabricated metal church was placed by a helicopter atop the summit of Mount Rumija by the 172nd Airborne Brigade of the Serbian and Montenegrin Army of Podgorica at the request of the Council Church of Podgorica, a dependent of the Orthodox Serb Metropolitan of Montenegro. The metal building

10115-447: The reliquary since the previous feast. There are numerous stories about people, both Christians and Muslims, who were healed after they prayed before the saint's relics. On the eve of the Feast of Saint Jovan Vladimir, an all-night vigil is celebrated in the churches dedicated to the saint, as is celebrated in other Orthodox churches on the eves of their patron saints' feasts. The liturgical celebration of Vladimir's feast day begins on

10234-425: The remains of the church's walls and prayed to the saint. Tradition has it that the Monastery of St Naum had a bell tower named after the saint, in the foundation of which a portion of his relics was placed. In the western fringe of Macedonia, which is now part of Albania, Jovan Vladimir was remembered as a saintly ruler, cut down by his father-in-law, an emperor, who believed the slanderous accusation that he

10353-424: The ruler of Serbian lands; he ruled from the town of Alba. He was captured and imprisoned by the Bulgarian ruler Samuel. After marrying Samuel's daughter Kosara, he returned to his country. Emperor Basil, having overcome Bulgaria, attacked the Serbian lands, but Vladimir repulsed him. Basil advised the new Bulgarian ruler, Vladislav, to kill Vladimir by trickery. Vladislav invited Vladimir to visit him, as if to discuss

10472-409: The sacred object. At the end of the 19th century, the number of Muslims in the procession dropped as their religious and political leaders disapproved of their participation in it. After World War II, Yugoslavia's socialist government discouraged public religious celebrations, and the procession was not held between 1959 and 1984. Tradition has it that a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity stood at

10591-612: The saint with a mustache and short beard, wearing a cloak and a crown inscribed with lilies , holding a cross in his right hand, and his severed head in his left hand. A portable icon in Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula , dated around 1700, shows the saint mounted on horseback. An icon of Saints Marina and Jovan Vladimir, dated 1711, is part of the iconostasis of the Monastery of St Naum near Ohrid in western Macedonia. The icon's position on

10710-571: The saintly founder of the dynasty. Several years after his burial, Kosara transported the remains to Duklja. She interred him in the Prečista Krajinska Church, near his court, in the region of Skadarska Krajina . The relics drew many devotees to the church, which became a center of pilgrimage . Kosara did not remarry; at her request, she was interred in Prečista Krajinska , at the feet of her husband. In around 1215—when Krajina

10829-490: The salt of the Serbs. All the strength of the Serbs is not here [in Montenegro] but their soul is." Đilas also has said "The Montenegrins are, despite provincial and historical differences, quintessentially Serbs, and Montenegro the cradle of Serbian myths and of aspirations for the unification of Serbs.". After the separation of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia in 1991 and 1992, SR Montenegro held

10948-549: The star's place had become across the years with growth of nationalism excessively popular amongst the ordinary people, the symbol of the Serbian Orthodox Church , which effectively worked on maintaining and raising the national identity. According to the 2023 census, Serbs are the second largest ethnic group and constitute 32.93% of the population of Montenegro. They are absolute majority in five and relative majority in another four municipalities, and constitute less than 20% of population in only seven out of total 25 municipalities in

11067-464: The summit until it was razed by the Ottomans; in another version, the church crumbled after a boy and a girl sinned within. Before 2005, there was a custom to pick up a stone at a certain distance from the peak and carry it to the supposed site of the church in the belief that when a sufficient quantity of stones were collected, the church would rebuild itself. A new church dedicated to the Holy Trinity

11186-555: The supreme rule of the Byzantine Empire . The Serb regions of Duklja and Travunija broke away from Byzantine rule c. 1034–1042, under prince Stefan Vojislav , founder of the Vojislavljević dynasty . His son Mihailo I Vojislavljević (d. 1081) liberated Zahumlje and inner Serbia , creating a united Serbian polity and taking the title of king (c. 1077). The reign of his son, King Constantine Bodin (d. 1100),

11305-505: The time, from around 1000 to 1016. He ruled during the protracted war between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire . Vladimir was acknowledged as a pious, just, and peaceful ruler. He is recognized as a martyr and saint , with his feast day being celebrated on 22 May . Jovan Vladimir had a close relationship with Byzantium but this did not save Duklja from the expansionist Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria , who conquered

11424-466: The towns of Kotor and Dubrovnik , and ravaged the region as far northwest as Zadar . He then returned to Bulgaria via Bosnia and Raška (i.e. Serbia). A consequence of this campaign was the Bulgarian occupation of Duklja, Travunia, Zachlumia, Bosnia, and Raška (i.e. Serbia). Venetian, and indirectly Byzantine power in Dalmatia was weakened. Samuel had succeeded in breaking up the pro-Byzantine bloc. The chronicle states that while Vladimir languished in

11543-509: The tree bowed down before him. The saint was interred in the church which was subsequently built at that place and dedicated to him. Serbs of Montenegro Overseas Serbs of Montenegro ( Serbian : Срби у Црној Гори / Srbi u Crnoj Gori ) or Montenegrin Serbs ( Serbian : Црногорcки Cрби / Crnogorski Srbi ), compose native and the second largest ethnic group in Montenegro (32.93% of country's population), after

11662-424: The two states - a change which was officiated by the referendum on Montenegrin independence on 21 May 2006. A total of 419,240 votes were cast, representing 86.5% of the total electorate. Of them, 230,661 votes or 55.5% were in favour of independence and 185,002 votes or 44.5% were against. Since independence, the Montenegrin society has been divided among many issues. The independence supporters are advocating for

11781-658: The two states as the Montenegrin Whites with Serbian support deposed Nicholas I of Montenegro and proclaimed Montenegro's unification with Serbia as part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (renamed into Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929), while the Montenegrin Greens opposed it. The conflict led to the Christmas Uprising , in which the Whites with support from the Serbian army defeated

11900-446: Was Aron , Tsar Samuel's brother. His wife and her brother murdered him because of his pure life and Orthodox faith. Paisius combined Ivan Vladislav and Jovan Vladimir into one character attributed with Vladislav's parentage and Vladimir's sainthood. An important model for the iconography of Saint Jovan Vladimir is an engraving in the 1690 edition of the Greek akolouthia. It is a work by Venetian engraver Isabella Piccini. She depicted

12019-477: Was a church in that location and Amfilohije received negative press from Montenegrin media of appropriating the site for one faith to the exclusion of others and generating inter religious disharmony. The newspaper Vijesti , supporting Montenegrin independence, adopted a stance that reflected the position of Montenegrin authorities. Commentaries and reactions in Vijesti were mainly about the illegality of installing

12138-534: Was a womanizer. The enraged emperor, accompanied by soldiers, found Vladimir on a mountain pass named Qafë Thanë (also known as Derven), on the road between the Macedonian town of Struga and Elbasan. He struck his son-in-law with a sword, but could not cut him. Only when Vladimir gave him his own sword was the emperor able to cut off his head. Vladimir took his severed head and went towards the site of his future church. There stood an oak, under which he fell after

12257-419: Was consecrated on the site by the Serbian Orthodox Church on 31 July 2005. The procession arrives at the peak before dawn, and at sunrise the morning liturgy begins. After prayers have been offered, the procession goes back to Velji Mikulići, again following the cross. The participants would formerly gather on a flat area 300 m (980 ft) from the peak, where they would spend some five or six hours in

12376-594: Was first printed in Venice in 1756 and was soon read beyond Dalmatia, including Serbia and Bulgaria (then under Ottoman rule, as was most of the Balkans ). The "Poem of King Vladimir" is composed in a manner derived from the style of the South Slavic oral epics. It describes Vladimir's captivity in Bulgaria, the love between Kosara and him, Tsar Samuel's blessing of their marriage, and their wedding. It concludes with

12495-609: Was followed by a period of regional fragmentation, lasting throughout much of the 12th century. After 1180, all of what is today Montenegro came under the rule of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja , the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty . The region of Zeta , formerly known as Duklja, became a crown land of the united Serbian state. It was given to Vukan Nemanjić (d. 1208), the oldest son of Stefan Nemanja, and later to crown prince Stefan Radoslav , son of King Stefan Nemanjić , who succeeded his father as Serbian King in 1228. Thus it became

12614-573: Was formed as the Serbian National Council of Montenegro , with Momčilo Vuksanović as president. The links between the two nations remain strong, and the fact that for the last two centuries a great number of Montenegrins had emigrated to Serbia further strengthens the ties. The Montenegrin littoral is still the main tourist destination for citizens of Serbia, and a large population of Serbians own property in Montenegro. Many of these properties consist of summer homes, and contribute to

12733-497: Was given back his lands to rule, also as the tsar's vassal. Thereafter, as recorded in the chronicle, "Vladimir lived with his wife Cossara in all sanctity and chastity, worshipping God and serving him night and day, and he ruled the people entrusted to him in a Godfearing and just manner." There are no indications that Vladimir took any part in his father-in-law's war efforts. The warfare culminated in Samuel's disastrous defeat by

12852-649: Was in close relations with Byzantium. The principality consisted of two provinces: Zenta in the south and Podgoria in the north. A local tradition has it that Vladimir's court was situated on the hillock called Kraljič, at the village of Koštanjica near Lake Skadar , in the Krajina region of southeastern Montenegro. Near Kraljič lie the ruins of the Prečista Krajinska Church (dedicated to Theotokos ), which already existed in Vladimir's time. According to Daniele Farlati , an 18th-century ecclesiastical historian,

12971-497: Was included in a list of tsars of the First Bulgarian Empire: "To Boris , . . . Samuel, Gavril Radomir, Vladimir, and Vladislav, ancient Bulgarian tsars, who inherited both the earthly and the heavenly empires, Memory Eternal ." According to the earliest work of Bulgarian historiography composed in 1762 by Paisius of Hilendar , Vladimir, also named Vladislav, was a Bulgarian tsar and saint. His father

13090-711: Was included in the Synaxarium composed by Nicodemus the Hagiorite , printed in Venice (1819) and Athens (1868). Cosmas's text was the basis for the Church Slavonic akolouthias on the saint, which appeared in Venice (1802) and Belgrade (1861). The latter was printed as part of the third edition of Srbljak , a compendium of akolouthias on Serb saints, published by the Serbian Orthodox Church. The saint's life in English, translated from Church Slavonic, appeared in

13209-482: Was known to be much less sympathetic towards the Serbo-Montenegrin ties and would become an open supporter of the independence of Montenegro. In 2003, three years after the fall of Milošević in 2000, and after insisting on international diplomacy, the former Yugoslavia became known as the state union of Serbia and Montenegro . The process of becoming a single state union ironically lead to the separation of

13328-441: Was not mentioned again in the sources until the 1030s. Some scholars believe that it was placed under direct Byzantine rule around 1018, while others believe it remained a Byzantine vassal state under an unknown native ruler. Jovan Vladimir was buried in Prespa, in the same church in front of which he was martyred. His relics soon became famous as miraculously healing, attracting many people to his tomb. Shortly after his death he

13447-557: Was probably of Czech origin. He wrote Chapter 36 as a summary of an older hagiography of Vladimir, written in Duklja most likely sometime between 1075 and 1089. This is the period when Duklja's rulers from the Vojislavljević dynasty endeavored to obtain the royal insignia from the Pope, and to elevate the Bishopric of Bar to an archbishopric. They represented Prince Vladimir as the saintly founder of their dynasty; they were, according to

13566-479: Was recognized as a martyr and saint, being commemorated on 22 May, his feast day . At that time, saints were recognized without any formal rite of canonization . Vladimir was the first ruler of a Serbian state who was elevated to sainthood. The rulers from the Nemanjić dynasty , who reigned over the Serbian state which later capital was in Stari Ras , would almost all be canonized—starting with Nemanja ,

13685-501: Was returned to the Church in the 1990s. The restoration of its church and other buildings was completed in 2005. Since around 1995 the relics have been kept in the Orthodox cathedral of Tirana , the capital of Albania, and are brought back to the monastery only for the saint's feast day. Each year on the Feast of Saint Jovan Vladimir, a great number of devotees come to the monastery, popularly known as Shingjon among Albanians. In

13804-903: Was the murderer able to cut off his head. Jovan caught it in the air and rode on to the church he had built near Elbasan. There he put his head down, saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, in your hands I place my spirit," and died; it was AD 899. He was buried in the church, which then became the scene of many miracles. The saint's beneficent power is described in the hagiography: ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ ὑπάρχει, καὶ ἐν ὅλω τῷ κόσμω ἐπικαλούμενος διάγει. ἐκεῖ ἐν τοῖς Οὐρανοῖς Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ παρίσταται, καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα οὐδ᾿ ὅλως ἀφίσταται. ἐκεῖ πρεσβεύει, καὶ ὧδε ἡμῖν θριαμβεύει. ἐκεῖ λειτουργεῖ, καὶ ὧδε θαυματουργεῖ. κοιμῶνται τὰ Λείψανα, καὶ κηρύττει τὰ πράγματα. ἡ γλῶσσα σιγᾷ, καὶ τὰ θαύματα κράζουσι. Τίς τοσαῦτα εἶδεν; ἢ τίς ποτε ἢκουσεν; ἐν τῷ τάφῳ τὰ ὀστέα κεκλεισμένα, καὶ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ Κόσμῳ τὰ τεράστια θεωρούμενα. According to Vladimir's life in Church Slavonic, he succeeded his father Petrislav as

13923-413: Was under the rule of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanjić —the relics were presumably removed from this church and transported to Dyrrhachium by the troops of Michael I , the despot of Epirus . At that time Despot Michael had briefly captured from Serbia the city of Skadar , which is only about 20 km (12 mi) east of the church. Jovan Vladimir was mentioned as the patron saint of Dyrrhachium in

14042-520: Was very popular in the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro . The enforcement of the cap upon the Montenegrin chieftains by Peter II was a mark of expression of then's dominating Serbian national identity. The national telling recorded the most often version of the cap as following: the black wrapper was a sign of grief for the once big Empire , the red the bloody defeat at the Battle of Kosovo and

14161-481: Was very supportive to keep close ties between the two republics within the state union. Montenegro was also included by the economic sanctions imposed on Serbia during the 1990s. During the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia both Serbia and Montenegro suffered the attacks of the NATO forces and several targets inside Montenegro were also bombarded. All this contributed to the rise in power in Montenegro of Milo Đukanović who

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