Center for Protection of Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija - MNEMOSYNE, as a nongovernmental, non-political and non-profit organization, brings together the active experts and cultural workers with experience in conservation of national heritage at Kosovo and Metohija, who are ready to contribute even in conditions far from the regular ones.
Center MNEMOSYNE has established cooperation with experts from almost all institutions active in conservation of cultural and natural monuments in Serbia, the Serbian Orthodox Church, state bodies and institutions, international organizations and experts involved in conservation of cultural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija since 1999, with various levels of success and results.
Within the completely altered system of heritage conservation at Kosovo and Metohija after 1999, the experts gathered around the Center MNEMOSYNE have started an independent association of experts where they have been working patiently and conscientiously for almost twelve years. This expert association was registered both in Belgrade and with the UNMIK administration in Priština, with the goal of activating and enhancing all mechanisms of heritage conservation at Kosovo and Metohija, matching the international and state regulative.
Center MNEMOSYNE has defined and offered a model of activities on heritage conservation, based on professional principles and international standards. This model of activities includes several well-defined principles of activity:
Short overview of the most important program activities in the last ten years
PROJECTS OF CENTER MNEMOSYNE
Principle used by Center MNEMOSYNE in formulating new projects is the principle of applicableness and sustainability: all projects are based on a realistic foundation. They are not only respecting the complexity of the present situation at Kosovo and Metohija, but have also originated as a response to it.
Projects of Center MNEMOSYNE are directed toward solving the four main groups of challenges:
I. Determining the present state of cultural and natural heritage, defining the measures of urgent and long-term conservation, preparing the list of priorities and project proposals for individual objects and units where the activities will be continued.
-1999/2001 - Center MNEMOSYNE has participated in realization of the single international project – Urgent protection of natural and cultural heritage in Metohija where cooperation between Serbian and Italian experts was achieved. The project was also presented by publications in Serbian and English, a CD publication and by exhibitions in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Podgorica, Moscow and Lahti (Finland). Competing with 236 proposals from all the European countries it was awarded by the European Union / Europa Nostra as an exceptional study in the domain of cultural heritage; the award was presented in Madrid in June 2006. Consequently, the Center became the first Serbian recipient of this prestigious award.
- Within the initiative of Government of Republic of Italy for protection of cultural heritage in Serbia (2000–2003), the Center has prepared project proposals for the most important cultural monuments (Monastery Patriarchy of Peć, Monastery Dečani, Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš and Monastery Gračanica) and the settlement of Velika Hoča. The Center has also defined the general program of Italian donation for four museums in Belgrade – National, Ethnographic, Museum of Applied Arts and Museum of Modern Arts.
- In the period 2004-2006, the Center has performed several analyses and offered several strategic documents for the needs of Ministry of Culture as well as the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija (Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija):
- Together with the Museum in Priština it started the initiative for establishing the Regional Center for study and protection of Serbian cultural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija and participated in preparing the Elaborate for reorganization of cultural institutions at Kosovo and Metohija (2005/2006).
- In 2006, the experts from the Center have prepared several proposals for conservation and recovery of heritage at Kosovo and Metohija for needs of negotiating team from Government of Republic of Serbia, including the Statement on opinions which exclusively pertains to the principles of negotiating about the challenges and topics in the field of conservation of cultural heritage and the principles of establishing a sustainable productive system of conservation of cultural and natural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija (2006).
II. The second group of projects by Center MNEMOSYNE includes projects of conservation and revitalization, leading to concrete suggestions for integrating the heritage into the industrial activities, everyday life and environmental conservation, in order to create suitable conditions for rehabilitation of rural areas and return of exiled Serbian families.
-2004-2006 – The Center has defined the Project of integral protection of settlement Velika Hoča: it prepared the documentation for the eight registered objects of traditional architecture; the participating experts have prepared the main developing projects for the focused objects of traditional architecture; published the publication Velika Hoča – Pearl of Metohija (by authors Milan Ivanović and M.A. Mirjana Đekić) with a proposal of strategy for settlement conservation; started the preparation of Documentation base for preparing the program and developmental documents for the settlement of Velika Hočain cooperation with the group of experts and the Coordination Center of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija (2006). Within the Project of integral protection of settlement Velika Hoča, the Center has realized the part of the project pertaining to establishment and equipping a restaurant of national cuisine, an integral line for vine producing within a private winery and a particularly important education program for twelve young citizens of Velika Hoča, with the goal of optimal utilization and presentation of industrial-production potentials, hospitality industry -tourist capacities and the cultural assets of this settlement. The realization of these activities was supported by the European Agency for Reconstruction – Priština, Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Services of Serbia and Ministry of Education of Serbia (2005 – July 2006).
- The Center has realized a program of cooperation with students from Belgrade University, within the Project Ethnographic studies of Velika Hoča (2003/2005). The Center entered the same project into the program Policies for Culture programme (2003). Additionally, a media campaign for conservation and protection of cultural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija was developed in cooperation with Orange Studio, one of the leading advertising agencies in Serbia (2003).
- For the needs of open competition by European Agency for Reconstruction – Priština (Enhancement of civil society), the Center had prepared a project Revitalization of the Winery of the Patrnogić family in the village of Velika Hoča, with the goal of creating suitable conditions for revitalization of immediate industrial activities (production of grapes and placement of wine with geographic origin) which were estimated as already having the resources and staff that may reach positive socio-economic effects in a relatively short period, ensure return and realistic existence of exiled families and survival of present inhabitants of the enclave (2003).
- The Center provided full expert and logistic support for preparing two additional projects of Local Office in the settlement of Velika Hoča – Increase of tourist capacities, financed by IOM (International Organization for Migrations) and Reconstruction / revitalization of Culture Center, financed by the People’s Office of the President of the Republic (2005/2006).
- Launching of guided itinerary programs of eco-tourism in the area of Rudnik Mt. (Serbia: Šumadija) aimed at wise use of natural and traditional values of mountainous and hilly landscapes, one of the numerous projects prepared for applying at the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) – Belgrade, 2003.
- In cooperation with seven women’s industry collectives from Kosovo and Metohija, the Center has defined the project Network of Women’s Handicraft Workshops in Serbian Enclaves in Kosovo/UNMIK), at the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) – Priština (2006).
III. The third group of projects includes publications prepared with a well-defined goal and purpose, first, to present the research results and form a practical presentation of the following project, as in the case of publication Velika Hoča – Pearl of Metohija, and second, the documents, studies and monographs that are the best representation of heritage at Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the significant and outstanding scientific results in various fields of social, cultural, political and economic life. They include:
-the Final Report for the Project Urgent protection of natural and cultural heritage in Metohija (group of authors), 2003.
-Velika Hoča – the Pearl of Metohija (Milan Ivanović and M.A. Mirjana Đekić, authors), 2003.
-First Charter of Monastery Dečani (Dr Milica Grković), 2004.
-Proceedings: Kosovo and Metohija in light of ethnology, (group of authors), 2004.
-Contribution to Bibliography of Kosovo and Metohija (Gordana Jovanović), 2004.
-March pogrom at Kosovo and Metohija in 2004,2004.
-Land of the living (Academy Member Vladimir Stojančević, Dr Ljubodrag Dimić, Dr Đorđe Borozan), 2004.
-Kosovo and Metohija in Republic of Serbia and Western Balkans (Dr Milovan Radovanović), 2005.
-Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian and Regional Context (Dr Milovan Radovanović), 2005.
-Monastery Dečani (Dr Milka Čanak-Medić, Dr Branislav Todić), 2005.
-Drenica – the other Serbian Holy Land (Tatomir Vukanović), 2005.
-Proceedings Archeology of Kosovo and Metohija, 2007.
-The Archeology of Kosovo and Metohija, Proceedings of the Conference held at the National Museum in Belgrade, December 12- 14, 2006, 2008.
-The word remained (Tome II, Milorad Radunović), 2009.
-Velekince, Roman and Medieval Necropolis (Slobodan Fidanovski), 2010.
-The Predicament of Serbian Orthodox Holy Places in Kosovo and Metohija (group of authors), 2010.
-King Milutin’s Charter to Monastery Banjska – St. Stephen’s Charter (Đorđe Trifunović, editor in chief), 2011.
-Dečani Monastery (Branislav Todić and Milka Čanak – Medić), 2011.
-Ethnographic Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija (Mirjana Menković and Mina Darmanović, ongoing work), 2011.
-Dolac and Čabići (Gojko Subotić, Academy Member, ongoing work), 2011.
-Document foundation for preparing the program and development documents for the settlement of Velika Hoča (group of authors, ongoing work), 2012.
IV. The fourth group of projects includes the activities, programs and prepared publications with the goal of integrating the conservation of cultural heritage in Serbia within the framework of international system of conservation of cultural assets.
- The Center has established cooperation at the project MUSA NetWork,initiated by EUROCENTRО from Brussels and realized by Italian experts from region Marche in cooperation with the province Ascoli Piceno and museum societies from the regions Macerata, Ancona and Pesaro and Urbino (2003-2005/2006). The goal of this project was to promote setting a permanent network (Musa NetWork) of cultural workers from various institutions active in conservation of cultural heritage (museums, cultural heritage) and initiate the exchange of good practices and pilot actions for managing the integrated system of cultural heritage and cultural activities in the countries of the Adriatic Basin.
- After the invitation by Council of Europe/European Commission, for the needs of the Regional Program for Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe, the Center has developed several analytical documents in 2003-2005:
- Cultural heritage – choice of the most important documents of European Council in the field of cultural heritage (Mirjana Menković, Editor), 2004.Special publication.
- For the needs of the international conference in Bari, on the topic SOS Kosovo – saving the Serbian medieval monuments, in organization of University in Bari and Association Bridge to Belgrade, an exhibition was prepared including a poster presentation (23 posters) on the topic of destruction of Serbian cultural heritage and persons at Kosovo and Metohija (2005).
- Proposal of a framework for a new organization. Title: Network of professional conservators of Serbia. A legal person as an independent, non-political, non-profit, decentralized partnership interest network of expert organizations and individuals for project networking in culture in Serbia. Ministry of Culture, Belgrade, 2006.
- In 2007 the experts from the Center have prepared two important documents:
- In 2007 the Center has specified to the Ministry of Culture of Serbia the need of cooperation with the non-governmental sector in the field of conservation of cultural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija, as well as organizing expert debates through dialogue in culture in Serbia. A document prepared for the needs of the Ministry was titled: An essay on the state of museums – europeization of museums in Serbia from utopia to reality (2008).
- In 2008-2009, the experts from the Center were involved in the Project Orthodox Holy Places in Kosovo, initiated by the Catholic University in Roma in cooperation with Vatican and the Catholic University in Washington, USA. A study named Report on Serbian Orthodox Sacred/Holy Places in Kosovo and Metohija was prepared for the needs of this project (2008).
- In 2009, the Ministry of Culture has approved the Project Creating information and standardizing the documentation on the cultural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija, defined with the goal of enhancement of expert and technical potential for creating, managing and adapting the information and documentation systems on all types of cultural assets at Kosovo and Metohija (2009).
- ARTBOOK – Serbian and Euro – Mediterranean Book craftsmen, a project defined in cooperation with the Center for Book Conservation from Arles, France, was prepared for the open competition by the European Union, Belgrade 2010. For the needs of this project, Center MNEMOSYNE was registered at the List of European associations for cultural heritage - RS-2010-CXK-1502982278, Serbia (2010).
*(PADOR is an on-line database in which organisations register themselves and update regularly their data, through the Europeaid website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/onlineservices/pador/index_en.htm )
- For the period 2010-2013, the Center has defined the project Kosovo and Metohija Interpretative Center – new approaches in solving the contemporary social issues (problems/topics) in Serbia.
- Ministry of Culture (2010). The main goals of the project: dissemination of information and interpretation for proper understanding of the broadest modern discourses on socio-economic and cultural conditions at Kosovo and Metohija and their connections with the events in previous periods; creating an open institution and a public forum creating new audience which is able to watch, learn, debate and discuss all the issues relevant for the community; communicating with the widest groups of Serbian society and their sensitization to participation in enhancement of conditions at Kosovo and Metohija; enhancement of those segments of culture that may survive the social baggage of burning topics and difficult questions (Ames, 1990, Cultural Empowerment).
- Ministry of Culture (2011). Project Interpreting the heritage – educational workshops on natural and cultural heritage. The main goals of the Project: Development of museum and educational programs dedicated to recovery and development of multicultural society and enabling expression of the local inhabitants through the museum exhibitions and other public programs; awakening of public conscience and responsibility for Kosovo and Metohija and its universal and national heritage; communicating with the widest groups of Serbian society and their sensitization to participating in improving conditions for natural and cultural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija; development of new partnership relationships in culture, with institutions, organizations, associations, groups and individuals on national and local level; starting educational programs in the field of heritage for all interested associates of culture institutions at Kosovo and Metohija, for all independent interpreters and collectors of heritage, the young, the students and education workers who initiate and support collecting, storing and presenting of the cultural and natural heritage at Kosovo and Metohija, with the goal of their education and direction toward the proper ways of collecting, storing, presenting and utilization of heritage.
The Center has collected and prepared a rich photographic and technical documentation (over 5000 photographs and 1500 slides) and correspondence important for further work on protection and conservation of heritage at Kosovo and Metohija. The complete photographic documentation was digitalized in cooperation with the Department of Historical Sciences of SASA, the Board for Art History and with the financial support by Ministry of Culture.
For the expert team of the Center
M.A. Mirjana Menković
President of Center Mnemosyne
Studentski trg 13
11000 Belgrade
Serbia
Tel/Fax: +38111/32-81-206
mnemosyne@open.telekom.rs
The reconstruction of Center Mnemosyne web-site in 2011 was financially supported by Serbian diaspora in Canada, led by Dr. Đorđe Hajduković from Montreal.
Center Mnemosyne wants to express their special gratitude.