The Serbian Orthodox monastery of Visoki DeÄani was a sensible objective over the post-war years, victim of grenaden launches, insults written on the walls and in January came the arrest of four armed people outside the monastery gate. The monastery was declared a World Heritage UNESCO site in 2004, added to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2006 and plays today an important symbolic-religious role representing the Serbian minority in an Albanian ethnic majority territory. It is estimated that, in Kosovo, have been destroyed or severely damaged about 150 Orthodox churches in 17 years. Since 1999, the KFOR Multinational Battle Group West is responsible for the site's daily supervision - twenty-four hours a day. The monks live in a state of siege, often more imaginary than real, and bind their safety only to the presence of the KFOR contingent. Despite that, their daily routine follows the rhythm of the seasons. Sometimes, however, their forced isolation, diurnal prayers and livelihood activities are interrupted by land disputes and various tensions with local authorities who don’t recognize the monastery legitimacy. The monks' fear and anxiety comes to lights considering the many verbal threats sent them by the extremist part of Kosovan society. “Without the presence of the KFOR soldiers, the monastery would be destroyed, both immediately after the war and virtually today.†Fr. Peter said. Some elements still remain - obviously connected to ethnic and religious tensions - which do not allow the soldiers to leave the monastery without any protection.
