Minister Bogdanović in interview with Vikend novine: Vandalism at headquarters of our past is accompanying scenery of processions

Podgorica, Montenegro (15 February 2020) -- We are witnessing numerous devastations for which there is no reasonable explanation, rather than the principle of protection and preservation of cultural heritage is an imperative, particularly to those who manage it,  Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović stated.

In recent decades, religious buildings were exposed to significant changes of the owners i.e. holders, often without respect to the profession rules and with worrying changes to authenticity and integrity, the Minister of Culture recalled in an interview with Vikend novine.

"The Ministry of Culture continuously act upon the requests of representatives of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and dioceses that operate in the territory of Montenegro, respecting the international and national legal solutions in the protection of cultural heritage. Stressing complaints for "silence" of professional services, as an excuse for the devastation of cultural property, cannot be a justification," Minister Bogdanović noted.

The state has not always had adequate control over this type of heritage and accordingly, distortion of original cultural values of the religious buildings was not effectively prevented, the Minister of Culture also noted.

As an owner i.e. holder of numerous cultural assets, the Serbian Orthodox Church did not adequately cooperate with the professional services and institutions of protection, Minister Bogdanović stressed.

"During the restoration of religious buildings, their disregard for conservation principles has, in a substantial part, resulted in the disruption of those values, for which they are protected by law and acquired the status of the cultural asset. The devastations were not only related to the architecture of the buildings, but also to the murals, iconostasis, as well as the immediate surroundings. Entering new elements which, by materialization, appearance and form, often changed the authentic appearance of the religious building and thus negatively affected their original values, also was a particular problem," Minister Bogdanović stated.

He also pointed to the data of the 2005 Report on the State of the Immovable Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, which show there is devastation in all and categories and kinds of cultural goods.

"The consequences of illegally and unprofessionally performed works on religious buildings were registered and 80% out of the total, refer to Orthodox churches. Unfortunately, illegal works are continuing, which we have also reported in the revaluation process," Minister Bogdanović added.

The professional services acted on the requests of the parties, in accordance with their competences and capacities, Minister Bogdanović noted on the journalist statement that those who blame the former Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, i.e. the remaining Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Property for devastation of the cultural heritage, are not rare.

"Depending on the condition and complexity of the cultural asset, as well as the research process, it is the fact that some procedures require more time, but this does not entitle the applicant to take the law into his own hands and independently carry out the rehabilitation of cultural assets," Minister Bogdanović noted.

Regarding the current story about the Law on Freedom of Religion, Minister Bogdanović noted that this Law further enhances the normative framework for the protection of intangible and material heritage.

"This is all the more significant, when we know that cultural goods are protected in line with national and international regulations for the protection of cultural goods, regardless of their secular or religious character, time, place and method of creation, origin, or ownership. On the other hand, the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property exclusively treats the protection of valorised cultural heritage, while there is non - valorised part - starting with potential cultural assets, all the way to religious buildings, to which this Law does not apply. For this reason, it is precisely the Law on Freedom of Religion that gives us an opportunity for more appreciable investments in religious buildings," Minister Bogdanović stated.

He also referred to the latest in a series of vandalisms that are following maintenance of the processions in the cities of Montenegro, which took place on the Duklja Ruins.

"The act of vandalism on Duklja is not the only vandalism on our cultural heritage. Their target was also the Memorial Tomb dedicated to fallen soldiers from the National Liberation War in Golubovci, who gave their lives for the freedom of all Montenegrin citizens. A reasonable man and especially a believer cannot give the answer to why Duklja, or why the Memorial Tomb. But the examples of vandalism at the headquarters of our past, as an accompanying scenery of processions in Montenegrin cities, certainly show what their primary mission is - to undermine the true heritage and values of Montenegro and its historical and cultural heritage," Minister Bogdanović noted.

Ministry of Culture