About history and fantasy: Who didn't build the St. Sava Temple

A few days ago, Aleksandar Vučić stated in the "Ćirilica" show that he, that is, his government, made it Church of Saint Sava. "We didn't finish it now, but we made it now," he repeated in case someone missed it, stressing that it was a huge amount of money that could only be invested when the state, under him, became so strong.

In a way, it is difficult to refute claims that are so obviously false with rational arguments. But since they are spoken by the president of the country, they cannot be simply ignored.

What did Aleksandar Vučić say about the Church of St. Sava and what is he trying to convey? What is the real history of the Temple?

Thank you President Putin.

For the sake of interest, in 2020, the year in which the official opening of the Temple was planned, over 140 articles mentioning the Temple of Saint Sava were published in the local daily papers. Analyzing who most often talked about the Temple, I came to the conclusion that the statements of representatives of the Church about the Temple were listed in 25 articles, and the statements of Aleksandar Vučić in 28 texts. In other words, his statements about the Temple were transmitted in three texts more than the statements of all representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church combined.

Then, in the dailies of that year, he was among those most often mentioned as being responsible for the completion of the construction of the Saint Sava Temple, in third place. In second place was Patriarch Irinej, and the most frequently mentioned then was the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Because it was Vučić who repeated in the media: "It is ours to say a big thank you to President Putin today", as well as that the Church of Saint Sava, considering the financial investments, is as Russian as ours.

It seems that he has now decided to play with local memory or forgetting - he is more than skilled at that game - and to take the gold medal from the one he himself crowned.

New Hagia Sophia

Aleksandar Vučić said about the Temple, among other things, that it is not only the most beautiful Orthodox, but also the most beautiful Christian temple in the world - he said this when he spoke about Patriarch Irinej as the one who built the Temple, emphasizing their great closeness, as well as that is the Temple "our new Saint Sophia of the entire Orthodox world."

In other words, who built the most beautiful temple in the world, the new Hagia Sophia? Aleksandar Vučić says that he, that is, they, his government, did it in the last ten years.

Is it another attempt to break into history, one in a series of examples of the "new golden age" narrative, or is it just about addressing your electorate, bewitching those who believe the president's words more than their eyes?

In short, the construction of the Temple began in 1935. It was built 12 meters above the ground, but soon the construction stopped. Namely, the Second World War began. During the communist regime, there were various and numerous ideas to build everything that was not a temple instead of a temple - from an ice rink, to a museum, to a gallery, while the foundations served as warehouses for businesses. After 88 requests, the then patriarch German 1985 gets the green light light to continue construction.

Construction began again on August 12, 1985. The walls were raised to their full height of 40 meters. The deed approving the continuation of construction was signed by the then President of the Presidency of Serbia, Dušan Čkrebić, who in 2007, as a sign of gratitude, received the Order of Saint Sava from the Serbian Orthodox Church, writes the official portal of the Temple of Saint Sava.

The biggest achievement was the raising of the central dome weighing 4.000 tons. It was made on the ground, and then, together with a copper sheet covering and a large gilded cross 12 meters high and weighing 4 tons, it was raised and placed on the walls. The lifting, which lasted 40 days, was completed on June 26, 1989.

In 2000, when Patriarch Pavle was the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, a new phase in the construction of the Temple began.

Zoran Đinđić and Patriarch Pavle

At one time, in an interview for "Politika", Archimandrite Danilo Ljubotina claimed that Patriarch Pavle was not in those early years for great works: "The Patriarch, ascetic as he was, after the bombing of the country and poverty, told Prime Minister Đinđić: 'The people are starving, it is inappropriate to do such big jobs'. Đinđić did not give up: 'The money will pass, but the Temple will remain unfinished'. That's how he convinced him."

The Society for Building the Temple was renewed in 2001, and the first president was Zoran Đinđić. Each of the more than 30 companies in the Society donated a certain amount of money. In those first years of the 21st century, representatives of both the Church and the state often said that all citizens should participate in the construction of the Temple, that is, that it should not be the endeavor of one. They didn't refer to the golden age, they didn't put themselves in the foreground, but they talked about reconciliation and spiritual renewal.

In the last decade, large financial resources were provided by the Russian state and companies, as well as undoubtedly by the state of Serbia. And yes, it really is a huge investment. That is why the Temple was completed in its magnificence and splendor. The former member of parliament from the SNS, Srbislav Filipović, said in the Parliament a few years ago that the Church of Saint Sava "has come to completion and that is exactly the work of this government".

And then: "It's a work, if we're going to say personalized and personal, the work of President Aleksandar Vučić." It is the work of that responsible policy, because that policy managed to secure the money for it. That's where money matters."

It seemed at that time that MP S. Filipović overstepped the measure. But the bar is set now and higher. Or lower.

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