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800 Homes Destroyed, Around 4,000 Serbs Displaced: 22 Years Since the Pogrom against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija

Twenty-two years have passed since the March pogrom against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. It all began with a report by the Kosovo public broadcaster, which the day before falsely claimed that Serbs were responsible for the drowning of three Albanian boys in the Ibar River.

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Newsmax Balkans

18.03.2026. 09:35

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800 Homes Destroyed, Around 4,000 Serbs Displaced: 22 Years Since the Pogrom against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija
Foto: AP/Pier Paolo Cito

That report, on March 17 and 18, triggered a wave of violence against Serbian civilians, their property, and religious sites. According to data from the Humanitarian Law Center, 23 people were killed: one Macedonian, nine Serbs, and 13 Albanians.

Six towns and nine villages were ethnically cleansed, and more than 4,000 Serbs were forced to leave their homes. A total of 35 churches and monasteries were desecrated or completely destroyed.

PROČITAJTE JOŠ

The central commemoration was held in Gracanica, where a memorial service was conducted at the monastery, a wreath was laid at the memorial site, and an exhibition dedicated to the March pogrom was opened.

At the commemorative academy, speakers addressed the horrors and consequences of the violence. Metropolitan of Raska and Prizren Teodosije expressed regret over the disappearance of Serbs from many towns, while also stressing the need to persevere in preserving heritage and holy sites.

"Much that is old has been lost, but it has been restored. We are witnesses that no evil or violence can force us to renounce the heritage left to us by our ancestors", Teodosije said.

He emphasized that reconstruction does not refer only to buildings but also to the spiritual life of the community, and that Kosovo can be lost only if people themselves renounce their identity and heritage.

"We can lose Kosovo and Metohija only if we ourselves renounce it",he added.

“The consequences are devastating”

Historian Marko Markovic told Newsmax Balkans that Serbs will never forget the violence of 2004, as images of arson, displacement, and suffering are deeply etched into the collective memory.

“The consequences of the March pogrom are also devastating, not only for the village where I still live, but across the entire territory of Kosovo and Metohija,” the historian said.

Printscreen: Newsmax BalkansMarko Markovic

An exhibition was also opened in the building of the former city museum, dedicated to this tragic event as a reminder of the suffering and a warning to future generations.

This day remains deeply rooted in the collective consciousness of Kosovo Serbs as a symbol of suffering, but also of perseverance in preserving their identity and faith.

“Citizens will simply go to ATMs and withdraw money, and that does not lead to higher inflation. Americans do not like sanctions to be circumvented in a crude manner. When we tried to replace ownership, they told us, ‘Do you really think we don’t know that?’ The same applies to circumventing sanctions through Dina cards. Banks issuing those cards could very quickly come under U.S. sanctions themselves,” Stevanovic told Newsmax Balkans.

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Tagovi:
Kosovo and Metohija Serbia Gračanica churches March Pogrom Marko Marković

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