Hundreds of Serbian citizens have marked on Thursday in Gazimestan, the Day of St. Vid, known as Vidovdan.
Participants displayed flags of Serbia and Russia, as well as other Serbian nationalist symbols with political messages.
As in previous years, the Orthodox religious ceremony, the ritual known as the "dirge" is held near the monument of the Battle of Kosovo.After the end of the religious ceremony, the citizens gathered in Gazimestan, which this time were less than in previous years and listened the speech of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Atanasije Jevtic.
He criticized very strongly and with encouraging tones the Serbian authorities, which has been accused of cheating and intimidating the Serbs and they are repeling from the war for Kosovo.
"Unfortunately, there are those who are in power, who are afraid. They say they do not want for the Serbian citizens to be killed. But, Kosovo's children can be killed. Meanwhile they do not want their children to be killed. If we have to give our lives for the new Kosovo liberation and thanks God, this is what will happen," said the Bishop Atanasije.
According to him, in Serbia there are many people who are ready to fight for Kosovo.
Citizens who have come to Gazimestan have said that Vidovdan is a celebration for all the Serbs, without religious and political hue.
A Serbian citizen, named Ivana, told Radio Free Europe that St. Vid's Day is related to the Battle of Kosovo of 1389. According to her, This holiday belongs to all the Serbs.
"This is the historical and spiritual foundation of our national being. Unites all the Serbs," said Ivana.
Bora Radulovic from Gorazhdevci said that the St. Vid's day is one of the most important Orthodox days, especially for Kosovo Serbs. According to her, this holiday is also considered national.
"I think yes, this is on a national and nationalistic basis. But this is our religious holiday because we are in our country," Radulovic told Radio Free Europe.
Unlike in previous years, there was no representative of the state of Serbia in Gazimestan on Thursday.
Aleksandar Vulin, the Minister of Defense of the Government of Serbia, warned of the participation in this event. But, the Kosovo government has not given permission to Vulin to enter Kosovo. Furthermore, the Kosovo Government officials have warned that anyone who enters illegally in Kosovo, legal measures will be taken against him or her.
In Gazimestan today there are seen increased forces of the Kosovo Police, who have ensured the order and progress of the manifestation, which ended without incidents.
Kosovo police said everything went according to the operational plan and no incidents were recorded.
In 1989, at the time of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, the celebration of the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo returned to the peak of nationalism in the former Yugoslavia, with the proclamation of the unification of Serbia as a result of the collapse of Kosovo's autonomy. This was also the warning of bloody wars that led to the destruction of the former Yugoslav federation.