Archival Documents and Reconstruction Reports (2004–2011)
Overview of primary reports of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission, annual procurement registers, contract completion notices, and international evaluation reports by the Council of Europe, UNMIK, OSCE, and UNESCO.
Documentary Collections and Reports
The Background — Historical Overview of the Establishment of the RIC
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) / Council of Europe & European Commission Liaison Office
Foundational historical text of the original RIC website explaining the post-March 2004 damage assessments chronologically. The record notes that UNMIK invited UNESCO, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe to assess damage to 34 identified Serbian Orthodox religious sites. Three joint technical assessment missions between May and July 2004 produced an overall report and two detailed site reports, leading to an initial allocation of €3.7 million from the PISG budget and €0.5 million from the SRSG reserve fund. Crucially, the document distinguishes the initial Implementation Committee (IC), established in June 2004 and dissolved in September 2004, from the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) established under the second Memorandum of Understanding in March 2005 (first plenary meeting in May 2005), as well as the 2006 establishment of the International Expert Board (IEB).
RIC Mechanism — Mandate, Technical Unit, Procurement and Funding
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC)
Detailed account of the institutional architecture of the RIC under its Terms of Reference signed in August 2005 and revised in May and September 2006. Lists the five Commission members: Council of Europe Representative (Chairperson), Serbian Orthodox Church Representative, Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments (Belgrade) Representative, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Representative, and Institute for the Protection of Monuments (Pristina) Representative. Explains the Pristina-based Technical Unit (international project manager and five local Serbian and Albanian staff), project preparation by the Serbian IPM office in Leposavić, tender evaluation and approval by the Holy Synod, joint site supervision, capital funding (€6M from the Kosovo Assembly since 2004, €2M from EAR for two Prizren priority sites, €35,000 from the US Office in 2005, and US$65,000 from the US Ambassador's Fund in September 2007), and annual statistics (2005: 30 sites conserved/protected; 2006: 8 sites; 2007: 13 sites; 2008: 9 sites; 2009: 4 sites prepared for tender).
RIC Sites Catalogue (35 Numbered Entries and Individual Site Dossiers)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC)
Central catalogue of the archived RIC website containing 35 numbered entries in English and Serbian. Each entry links to an individual technical site dossier structured into Site Description, 2004 Damage Assessment, 2005 Protective Interventions, 2006–2008 Reconstruction Works, and 2009 Further Interventions Programmed. Comparative analysis of the English and Serbian versions reveals that entries #04 (Episcopal Church of St George) and #14 (Episcopal Residence in Prizren) share the same HTML file, while entry #28 represents the Atelier-Museum of sculptor Agim Çavdarbasha in Çaglavicë/Čaglavica, handed over to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in 2005.
Current Activities on RIC Sites (Updated: April 2009)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC)
Dated April 2009 RIC report confirming the completion of two specific works contracts from the 2007 tender cycle and one donor furnishing action. First, for site RIC03 (Monastery of St Joanikije at Devič, Skenderaj/Srbica), works under Contract No. 43000-07-023-5-2-1 ('Construction of a boiler house and installation of the heating system at Devič Monastery') are reported finished. Second, for site RIC04 (Episcopal Church of St George, Prizren), works under Contract No. 43000-07-020-5-2-1 ('Internal repairs to the Episcopal Church of Saint George, Saint Nicholas (Tutić’s) and Saint Kyriake') are reported finished, while the project for the second phase of internal repairs, bells and porch at St George's Cathedral was prepared for tender. Third, furniture was delivered to the reconstructed parish houses at St Nicholas Church in Pristina and St Elias Church in Vučitrn/Vushtrri through donations from the US Embassy, USAID (implemented by IOM), and the German Embassy.
List of Tenders Issued by the RIC in 2005 (16 Protective Works Tender Lots)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC)
Tabular record of 16 tender lots (Ref. Nos. 1 to 16) issued by the RIC during 2005 for the first phase of emergency protective interventions, site clearance, temporary roofing, and fencing across 30 sites. The document shows how geographically proximate monuments were grouped into joint tenders (e.g., Ref. 2 for Bistražin, Assumption of the Virgin, and Piskote in Gjakova/Đakovica; Ref. 3 for Kosovo Polje, Obilić, and the two churches in Lipljan; Ref. 8 for Tutić’s and Runović’s churches in Prizren; Ref. 9 for Holy Saviour and St Kyriake in Prizren; Ref. 11 for Vučitrn and Mitrovica; Ref. 15 for five sites in Ferizaj/Uroševac and Shtime/Štimlje). Notably, entry Ref. 12 records the Podujevo church under the dedication 'Church of St. Elias, Podujeve/Podujevo'.
List of Tenders Issued by the RIC in 2006 (12 Tender Procedures)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC)
List of 12 tenders carrying official reference numbers 43000-06-001-5-2-1 through 43000-06-012-5-2-1, launching the second phase of reconstruction (major structural and conservation works across 8 priority sites) in 2006. Covers lead roof repair and restoration works at Our Lady of Ljeviš (001 and 010), reconstruction of St George's Cathedral in Prizren (002), works on St Nicholas Church and its priest house, baptistery and belfry in Pristina (003 and 006), three tenders at Devič Monastery — old konak, church interior, and central konak (004, 005, and 011), Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in Belo Polje near Peć (007), Old Church of St George — Runović in Prizren (008), Church of St Elias in Vučitrn (009), and the perimeter wall at the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin in Gjakova/Đakovica (012).
List of Tenders Issued by the RIC in 2007 (25 Tender Entries with Statuses)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC)
The most extensive annual RIC tender register, containing 23 new 2007 tenders (43000-07-001 through 43000-07-023) plus 2 carried-over 2006 references (06-005 and 06-006). The English table provides critical methodological evidence because it explicitly flags four cancelled tenders ('Cancelled': 07-005 and 07-012 for Gjakova/Đakovica, 07-013 for the Podujevo belfry, and 07-014 for internal repairs at Tutić’s Church and St Kyriake in Prizren) that were subsequently re-issued under new numbers (07-016 for Gjakova, 07-020 for the three Prizren churches, and 07-022 for the Podujevo belfry). It also identifies four restricted tenders ('restricted': 07-006 for wall paintings restoration in 10 churches, 07-007 and 07-017 for iconostasis reconstruction in 7 churches, and 07-008 for icon painting in 7 churches).
Professional Training Workshops under the RIC (November 2006 – July 2008)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) / International Expert Board (IEB) & European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments (EKBMM)
Record of eight completed professional seminars, site visits, and workshops for local architects, conservators, and archaeologists nominated by the Belgrade and Pristina Institutes for the Protection of Monuments between November 2006 and July 2008. Highlights the five-day workshop at the European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments (EKBMM) in Thessaloniki (11–15 November 2007, covering conservation methodology, wall paintings, stone and wood conservation, plaster infusions, and visits to monuments in Thessaloniki and Chalkidiki), lectures by International Expert Board (IEB) specialists Pedro Ponce de Leon on conservation philosophy (18 September 2007), Demetrios Athanasoulis on archaeological standards (20 September 2007), and Michael Eatherley on structural conservation (17 October 2007), archaeological training led by Ruben Thorpe (15–23 August 2007), and the discussion forum led by Dr John Bold and Martin Cherry of the Council of Europe (10 July 2008).
RIC, Council of Europe and UNMIK Archival Press Releases (2005–2007)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) / Council of Europe / UNMIK
Catalogue of 20 public statements and press releases published under the Public Information section between 9 May 2005 and 7 December 2007, referencing 20 English and 20 Serbian PDF files under /inc/eng/docs/ and /inc/srp/docs/. Chronologically tracks the formation of the RIC in May 2005, commencement of works in October and November 2005, the SRSG's visit to Dečani and Prizren churches (24 November 2005), completion of Phase I protective works (21 December 2005), launch of Phase II reconstruction in May and September 2006, archaeological finds at St George's Cathedral in Prizren (12 October 2006), the 2007 RIC exhibition, and statements by Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis.
Report on the Implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Cultural Heritage & RIC Mandate Section)
Council of Europe / UNMIK
Official document published in the Council of Europe repository on 31 May 2010, which in its cultural heritage section and footnote 22 describes the mandate of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) and its responsibility for 34 Serbian Orthodox religious sites damaged or destroyed in March 2004. Serves as independent institutional confirmation of the 34-site mandate scope, clarifying the distinction between the official programme scope and the 35 numbered entries in the former website's catalogue.
OSCE Mission Report on Cultural Heritage Protection and Reconstruction through the RIC Mechanism
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE Mission in Kosovo)
OSCE Mission report analyzing institutional challenges in the reconstruction process, including temporary suspensions, withdrawal and re-entry of stakeholders into the commission framework, and progress on individual religious sites such as Devič Monastery and churches in Prizren and Pristina. In this documentary collection, data from the OSCE report is cited strictly as a dated snapshot from the report's period, never presenting works ongoing at that time as current activities.
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo — UNESCO World Heritage List (Ref. 724bis)
UNESCO World Heritage Committee
Official UNESCO World Heritage dossier Ref. 724bis. Dečani Monastery was inscribed in 2004, and in 2006 the inscription was extended to three additional monuments — the Patriarchate of Peć, Gračanica Monastery, and the Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljeviš in Prizren — at which time the serial property was also placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Within the RIC Kosovo collection, this dossier explains why among the four UNESCO components only the Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljeviš (#01) was directly included on the 34-site RIC mandate list, and why several RIC dossiers reference separate UNESCO programmes under 2009 planned works.
UNMIK Press Release on the SRSG's Visit to Bishop Teodosije in Gračanica and the Importance of the RIC Mechanism
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
Official UNMIK news release dated 31 May 2011 reporting on the meeting between the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Bishop Teodosije of Raška and Prizren at Gračanica Monastery, emphasizing the importance of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) mechanism. Confirms that in May 2011 the RIC framework remained an active reference point in discussions between international and Church representatives, prior to the rickosovo.org domain losing its active website by spring 2012.
RIC and MCYS Press Release on Archaeological Finds at St George's Cathedral in Prizren (12 October 2006)
Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) & Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS)
Joint press release by the RIC and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports dated 12 October 2006, recorded in the archival Public Information index under the title 'Archaeological finds at St George' (file 2006.10.12RIC-MCYS_PR-archaeology_eng.pdf and Serbian counterpart 2006.10.12_ric_mcys_pr_archaeology_st_george_srb.pdf). Documents archaeological findings uncovered during clearance, foundation excavation for new pillars, and reconstruction works at the Cathedral of St George in Prizren (#04) in 2006.
Key Research Findings from Primary Records
| Documented Fact | Analytical Context |
|---|---|
| In March 2004, 34 Serbian Orthodox religious sites damaged or destroyed during the riots were identified as the scope of the RIC mandate, whereas the Sites catalogue on the archived RIC website contains 35 numbered entries. | The 35-item catalogue includes the Atelier, Gallery and Museum of Agim Çavdarbasha (#28, a secular site handed over to the Ministry of Culture in 2005), while entries #04 (Cathedral of St George) and #14 (Episcopal Residence in Prizren) point to the same HTML file. Furthermore, 34 denotes the RIC programme scope, not the total number of churches damaged across 1999–2004. |
| The initial Implementation Committee (IC) was established by a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2004 and operated from August until mid-September 2004, whereas the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) was established under a new Memorandum in March 2005 and held its first plenary meeting in May 2005. | Secondary sources sometimes imprecisely cite either 2004 or 2005 as the founding year without distinguishing the dissolved IC (2004) from the reconstituted RIC (2005). |
| In the dossier of the Church of St Nicholas (Tutić’s Church) in Prizren (#05), wall paintings restoration for 2009 is recorded as a programmed/planned intervention, not as a confirmed completed work. | The English original reads '2009 - FURTHER INTERVENTIONS PROGRAMMED: Wall paintings restoration', whereas the Serbian heading reads only '2009 - DALJE INTERVENCIJE: Restauracija zidnih slika', which without the English counterpart could mislead readers into assuming the work was completed in 2009. |
| The church in Podujevo (#11) is listed in the RIC Sites catalogue and 2007 tenders as the Church of St. Andrew, whereas in the 2005 RIC tender list (#12) and ecclesiastical sources it is recorded as the Church of St. Elias / Elijah. | Both names in RIC documentation refer to the same church in Podujevo built in 1929/1930 (reconstructed in 1971), whose apse was blown up with explosives in March 2004. |
| By April 2009, works under contract 43000-07-023-5-2-1 (boiler house and heating system at Devič Monastery) and contract 43000-07-020-5-2-1 (internal repairs at the Cathedral of St George, Tutić’s Church of St Nicholas, and the Church of St Kyriake in Prizren) were completed. | Completion of this contract refers to the first phase of internal repairs; the same document states that the project for the second phase of internal repairs, bells and porch at St George's Cathedral was only prepared for tender as of April 2009. |
| The reconstruction of the Prizren Seminary of Sts Cyril and Methodius (#12), including the 19th-century Uncle Sima’s building, was funded and managed in 2005–2007 by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR), while in 2007 the RIC issued tender 43000-07-011-5-2-1 for the roofs of the dormitory and dean’s buildings. | The RIC Mechanism page states that EAR committed €2 million to manage and complete reconstruction works at two RIC priority sites in Prizren. |