SS Cosmas and Damian Monastery Zociste

SS Cosmas and Damian’s Monastery is situated in the tiny village of Zociste, 5 km south-east of the Orahovac village, near Prizren. It has been built in the time of the Serbian Medieval Nemanjic Dynasty, but the founder of the Monastery is not known, nor the year of its construction is recorded. The Monastery of Saint Healers Cosmas and Damian is first mentioned in 1327 in the chryssobull /founding charter/ of the Holy King Stephen of Decani who donated certain estates around the Monastery to the Chilandary Monastery on Mount Athos. The Church of the Holy Healers Cosmas and Damian /who according to the legend charged no fee for curing the ill/ had a semi-round vault and a wide narthex. The oldest preserved frescoes of the Zociste Monastery, especially one of a prophet’s bust, date back to the 14th century, representing the monumental style of painting.

The beautiful church of the Holy Healers Cosmas and Damian in the village of Zociste has been repainted several times. The most important spiritual treasure of the Zociste Monastery are the holy relics of Saints Cosmas and Damian /celebrated November 1/14/. There were many miracles performed through the prayers of these saints. The Monastery of Saint Healers of Cosmos and Damian in Zociste village had a valuable collection of icons, books (from the 15th century), and liturgical vessels. The carved door of the iconostasis was known for its exceptional beauty. Before the war in Kosovo and Metohija there was a young brotherhood of four monks who were under the spiritual guidance of Bishop Artemije, organized as a cenobitic community. The brethren of the Holy Healers Cosmas and Damian Monastery were active in mounting and laminating paper icons for sale and blessing. They were also active in missionary work, especially with children who were the most frequent visitors to the Monastery. The Monastery of Zociste used to be frequented by Albanian and Roma Moslems who paid special respect for this shrine. Usually they would bring their sick and have the monks read them prayer or leave them lie under the holy relics of St. Cosmas and Damian. During the war 1998-1999 the Monastery was often targeted by KLA terrorists. In summer 1998 the KLA extremists arrested entire brotherhood and a dozen of elderly civilians who had found refuge in the Monastery before the Albanian terror. On the intervention of the ICRC they were all set free. In that period almost all Serb settlements were depopulated except nearby Serbian Velika Hoca village. The journalist team of Radio Priština Đura Slavuj and Ranko Perenić, who went to the Monastery of the Holy Healers – Sveti Vrači in Zočište to make report on return of the kidnapped monks, but were never found and since then no one had seen them. Along facts of the family there were last time seen in the Velika Hoča village in the morning, from where they left by mistake direction Orahovac village, which was at that time under the control of the OVK – UCK. The blue Fiat 128 which they drove was never found. After the end of the war in June 1999 ethnic Albanians looted and devastated the remaining Serb houses and expelled the last Serbs from this area. The monks were forced to leave the Monastery already in June 1999. They were evacuated to other Monasteries of the Diocese of Ras and Prizren. The Monastery of Zociste was totally demolished in September 1999 and deserted. The miraculous relics of SS Cosmas and Damian were transferred to Sopocani Monastery.

Five years after destruction by Albanian terrorists, in 2004 Zociste Monastery was reconstructed and brotherhood renewed the monastic life. With the blessing of the Bishop of Ras-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija Diocese, Bishop Artemije, the reconstruction works were conducted and supervised by Father Petar who, together with Italian forces actively participated in work relating to the construction of new buildings. The Church of Zociste Monastery was reconstructed in October 2004 mostly by the stone of the former shrine in the original style. Then monks returned to Zociste Monastery and the Holy Liturgy was held. The Holy relics of SS Cosmas and Damian were brought back to the Monastery where they still give healing and consolation to the sick. The icon-painting workshop is re-established. The Zociste Church is fresco painted by the famous icon painter Milos Janicijevic Raski, with his young associate Ivan Jovic. The fresco decoration of the Zociste Church started with the composition of the Christ Birth in the altar, followed with the Christ Ascension, which is depicted in the dome. For the religious Serbs in Velika Hoca and Orahovac villages it is still the most spiritual value and thus often visited and highly respected. It is one of the favorite destinations of numerous visitors and religious people, international civilian and military representatives. Orthodox Serbs, pilgrims from Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina also visit Zociste Monastery regularly escorted by military or police. The Zociste Monastery is constantly observed by the Austrian KFOR forces and, besides religious services regularly held, nowadays one of the priority is safe return of Serb population to the village and rebuilding the good neighboring relationship between Serbian and Albanian population.