Street scene in Mitrovica North.
Mitrovica is physically divided by the Iber River. There are two distinct municipalities: North and South. In the South municipality of Mitrovica, Albanians make almost 97% of the population, the north municipality is Serb-majority. Tther ethnic groups are Roma, Turks, Bosniaks and others
Since 2012 the New Bridge over the Ibar River is patrolled 24/7 by Italian Carabinieri from KFOR.
Kids playing with firecrackers in Mitrovica North before the Orthodox New Year.
Petition in Mitrovica North led by Aleksandar Arsenijević, President of political party "Serbian Democracy". In December 2023, Kosovo Police took a piece of land without permission, including a sports center, the municipality building and waste management building. The government claims to build a new police base there.
Kosovo police's special unit in front of a hotel in Bansjka.
On 24 September 2023, armed Serb militants surged into North Kosovo. Triggered by a situation with trucks blocking a bridge, the attack led to the death of a Kosovar police officer. The assailants sought refuge in Banjska Monastery, later retaken by Kosovo Police, resulting in three militants' death and the confiscation of weaponry. The incident increased tensions in the region. Since then, Kosovo built several police stations in North Kosovo and increased its presence. In Banjska, up to this date, a hotel and spa have been confiscated and used to host Kosovo police.
Milica lives in North Kosovo. She is taking care of her two daughters and her sister who has special needs. Because of the terrible economy, she is unable to find a job. She relies on social security aids she received from Serbia (2000 dinars, around 17€ per month).
Her father fought during the 99 war. He died a few years later of cancer. Several studies have pointed out that depleted uranium from the NATO bombings was causing high rates of cancer in the region. Her sister was born in this condition in 2002. Although no evidence has been found, this could be also due to the uranium released after the war.
"I want to let my daughters decide if they want to stay or leave."
Early 2024, the Government of Kosovo announced the ban of Serbian dinar. Most of the Serbs living in Kosovo still use the Serbian currency. Serbia still operates public services in Serbian municipalities: ambulance, school, hospital, etc.
This created a wave of panic among the Serbs who rushed into the banks in order to know what to do.
Farmer in Strpce, a Serbian enclave. With this small family-owned farm, they manage to feed 4 houses.
Serbian cross in the mountain near the village of Sevce.
This represents the coat of arms of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Serbian 4 C's meaning SAMO SLOGA SRBINA SPASAVA ("ONLY UNITY SAVES THE SERBS").
Because of its remoteness, the village stayed intact during and after the 99 war.
Shepherd dog in Sevce. The village was once famous for raising the best shepherd dogs in Kosovo.
Man and his horse in the streets of Sevce. He uses it to move across the mountain.
Father Dionisije in the ruins of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels, a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Prizren, Kosovo. The monastery was looted and destroyed after the Ottomans arrived in 1455, and in 1615 it was razed to the ground and its material was used for the construction of the Sinan Pasha Mosque, Prizren.
After the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and retreat of the Yugoslav army forces, reconstructed objects were burned and looted in June 1999, by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), after the Kosovo Force (KFOR) arrived. During the 2004 unrest in Kosovo, the monastery was burned and looted again. The entire monastery complex is under protection of the Republic of Serbia, as a Monument of Culture of Great Importance. One priest lives in the monastery which is under constant protection of Kosovo police in a special protection zone
Vladimir is one of the last Serbs in Prizren.
It was once the most multiethnic city in Kosovo, including Albanians, Serbs, Roms, Turks, Ashkali, Egyptians, Gorani, Romani.
Before the war, there were less than 50% of Albanians. Now, only 6 Serbs remain in Prizren.
Woman kissing an icon in the church.
Orthodox ceremony of the Liturgy in Velika Hoca, a Serbian enclave.
The villages keeps its traditions, even though it is isolated (one of the last serbian villages in 60km). There were 5000 inhabitants before the war, now 800 remain. KFOR protected the village.
Poor family in Velika Hoca.
Half of the house burnt due to an accidental fire.
The father was killed during the war, while looting wood in the forest.
Slava is a family's annual ceremony and veneration of their patron saint. The ceremony is found mainly among Orthodox Serbs.
Milan Petrović in the middle of his vineyard in Velika Hoča.
In December 2022, the Kosovo Police surrounded the family house and confiscated 44,000 liters of wine. A number of locals went on the street to protest. They claimed that the beverages were sold without authorization, and the mention "Kosovo y Metohija" on the labelwas forbidden.
In 2023, Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia, invited the family and offered his help to recover from this drama.
Old orthodox cemetery in Orahovac.
Today, only 240 residents live around the church, in a very small portion of the city. The rest is populated by Albanians.
Before the war 5000 Serbs used to live here. 84 people were killed in the municipality between 1999 and 2004. This cemetery was also completely destroyed.
Aerial view of Velika Hoca, a remote Serbian enclave known for its vineyards Kosovo
The village had 3000 inhabitants before the war, now 750 remain.
Branko and Isidora are the only students of the class. They are in their third year of high school. Next year they'll move to Mitrovica to continue their studies. The high school in Gorazhdevac only has 15 students.
In 2003, two kids were killed in the Bistrica river, next to the town. Since then, nobody can swim anymore. Serbia built a swimming pool next to the school in 2005.
Teenagers playing basketball in Ranillug. Basketball is one of the most popular sports for Serbs in Kosovo.
There is a mixed feeling among the youth. Some want to leave Kosovo as soon as possible. Others want to study elsewhere and then come back.
Gracanica monastery, one of the four orthodox monasteries protected by UNESCO.
The other churches and monasteries are vulnerable and some of them are claimed by Kosovo Government.
Lulzim Hetemi, the ethnic Albanian mayor of Kosovo's northern municipality of Leposavic, has lived and slept in his office since a month after he was elected in April, guarded by NATO troops and Kosovo special police.
Hetemi, a beekeeper, was elected with only 100 votes in an election that was boycotted by ethnic Serbs who are a minority in Kosovo as a whole, but who make up more than 97% of the total population of Leposavic.
While ethnic Albanians comprise the great majority of Kosovo's 1.8 million people, 50,000 Serbs in its north reject Kosovo statehood and see Belgrade as their capital, 15 years after Kosovo declared independence following a guerrilla uprising. Serbia does not recognise Kosovar independence.
"I work for the citizens first. I help Serbs to find jobs for the municipality everyday. But Serbs need to learn that they are in Kosovo. For Albanians, it was difficult to change our currency after the war, but we took this challenge and have euro now. Serbs need to do the same and adapt."
Farmer in a small enclave.
Children of Nebojsa, a Serbian priest living in Istok. Since the war, only Albanians live in this town. He has been sent here with his family by the Orthodox patriarch to run the church.
In the background, the Kosovo Liberation Army sign (KLA; Albanian: UÇK) was an ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and Serbia during the 1990s. Albanian nationalism was a central tenet of the KLA and many in its ranks supported the creation of a Greater Albania.
The KLA received large funds from Albanian diaspora organizations. There have been allegations that it used narcoterrorism to finance its operations.[20][21] Abuses and war crimes were committed by the KLA during and after the conflict, such as massacres of civilians, prison camps and destruction of cultural heritage sites.
Living among the ghosts of such times must be unpleasant.