Destroyed And Desecrated Serbian Orthodox Churches In Kosovo And Metohia (1999-2000)

17. ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, in Samodreza near Vucitrn

The Church of St John the Baptist, in Samodreza near Vucitrn, is known in history as "the white church of Samodreza" in which saint Prince Lazar gave the Holy Communion to the Serbian knights on the eve of the Battle of Kosovo (1389). The new church, made from blocks of white marble according to the design of A. Deroko and P. Popovic, was erected on the foundations of the old church, in 1932. The famous poet and painter Zivorad Nastasijevic painted the frescoes in the new church in the same year. Albanians desecrated the church and damaged the frescos in 1981.

The outside view of the vandalized church	The bishop in front of his church	The walls of the desecrated church covered vith UÇK (KLA) graffitti (NATO+UÇK+France)

At the end of June 1999, after the French KFOR forces were deployed in the area, Albanian extremists vandalized Samodreza church, burned the interior.