| Church of St. Elijah | |
|---|---|
| Црква Светог Илије Громовника Kisha e Shën Ilias Bubullimës | |
 Church of St. Elijah after its2004 destruction byKosovo Albanians | |
  Church of St. Elijah Location in Kosovo | |
| 42°54′25″N21°12′11″E / 42.907°N 21.203°E /42.907; 21.203 | |
| Location | Podujevë |
| Country | Kosovo |
| Denomination | Serbian Orthodox |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Dedication | Saint Elijah Saint Andrew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Demolished | 1941–1971, 1999, 2004–2005, 2006 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Raška and Prizren |
TheChurch ofSaint Elijah (Serbian:Црква светог Илије,romanized: Crkva svetog Ilije;Albanian:Kisha e Shën Ilias), also known asSaint Andrew's Church, is аSerbian Orthodoxchurch located on a small hill near the city ofPodujevo (Podujevë), inKosovo. The complex includes an Orthodox cemetery. It was built in 1929, and has been demolished several times, as of 2010, the church has been rebuilt and renovated five times.
The Church was shelled, and dome was destroyed in 1941, duringWorld War II.[1] TheAlbanian nationalist groupBalli Kombëtar was responsible for the shelling. Later, after the creation ofYugoslavia, the church was restored by the Serbian residents ofPodujevë Reconstruction was finally finished in 1971.[1][2]
In 1999, the church was burnt down in what appeared to "be a well-planned action, conducted by criminal elements" afterKosovo Force (KFOR) patrols changed shifts.[3] The barb wire that guarded building was cut and the door was forced open.[3] It was found to be demolished, desecrated and its interior was burned.[4]
In 2003, UNMIK made a request of theDiocese of Raška and Prizren to evacuate movable church inventory, as an attack seemed inevitable.[citation needed] The church was destroyed on 18 March 2004, during2004 unrest in Kosovo. According to Czech KFOR Captain, Jindrich Plescher, the church was attacked by a mob of 500 Albanians.[5] Czech media confirmed that Czech soldiers had to leave the Church compound that was destroyed along with the cemetery. The Albanians set a large fire in the middle of the church which severely burned it.[5] Plescher stated that the Albanian attackers had dug up coffins from the nearby Serbian cemetery and scattered the bones of the dead.[5] St. Andrew was shelled, a bell tower completely destroyed with explosives and the wall that surrounded the church was demolished. TheReconstruction Implementation Commission, an EU funded project managed by theEuropean Commission Liaison Office implemented by theCouncil of Europe, in order to promote the Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage in Kosovo, noted:
"Looted and burnt down. Apse blown up with explosives. Floors, internal surfaces and joinery damaged. Roof cover partially removed. Boundary wall demolished."[6]
After the destruction of the church, Czech KFOR soldiers found and confiscated the stolen bell of the St. Elijah Church from an Albanian family.[7] The bell was a gift from Yugoslav KingAlexander I Karađorđević to the Podujevë Church in 1932, two years prior to hisassassination inMarseilles. The Albanian representatives asked three times for the bell, saying that the bell belonged to the Podujevë municipality.[7] The Czech KFOR battalion refused, saying that the bell is the property of theSerbian Orthodox Church, and Lieutenant colonel Josef Kopecky with Czech and Slovak soldiers delivered the bell to theGračanica Monastery.[8] The chaplain of the battalion personally cleaned the bell.[7]
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On 12 May 2006, the church was attacked once again by Kosovo Albanians.[9] After partial reconstruction, led by theCouncil of Europe fund, the main doors of the church were breached, and all of the windows on the church were broken again.[10]
