The Serbian Orthodox Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prizren comprises four main buildings: the oldest structure is the 19th-century 'Uncle Sima’s Building' (the 1871 Endowment of Sima Andrejević Igumanov), while the remaining three structures (including the Dean’s Building and Dormitory) were built mainly in the 1990s. In March 2004, all four buildings were burned down and severely damaged. Between 2005 and 2007, the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) funded and implemented the full reconstruction of Uncle Sima’s Building, while in 2007 the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) reconstructed the roofs of the Dean’s and Dormitory buildings and programmed their full rehabilitation for 2009.
Historical and Architectural Significance
The Serbian Orthodox Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prizren is one of the most important historical educational institutions of the Serbian Orthodox Church, founded in 1871 as the endowment of the Prizren merchant and benefactor Sima Andrejević Igumanov (1804–1882). In the May 2009 archival dossier of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC), the site is described as a complex of four main buildings. The oldest structure—referred to in the English dossier as Uncle Sima’s building (translating the traditional Serbian affectionate name Čika Simina zgrada) and in the Serbian 2007 entry as the Endowment of Sima Igumanov (Zadužbina Sime Igumanova)—was built in the 19th century as the original seminary schoolhouse.
The remaining three buildings in the compound—specifically including the Dean’s Building and the Dormitory Building—were later additions constructed mainly during the 1990s to provide student accommodation, classrooms, library space, and faculty offices. Situated in the urban heart of Prizren near the Episcopal Cathedral of St George (#04) and the Old Church of St George (#07), the Seminary complex formed a major architectural and institutional anchor of Prizren’s cultural heritage.
Listed as entry #12 in the RIC Sites catalogue, the Seminary is notable for the division of operational responsibility between the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) and the RIC mechanism. As documented on the RIC Mechanism page, in addition to the €6 million committed by the Kosovo Assembly, €2 million was committed by the European Agency for Reconstruction to directly manage and complete reconstruction works on two RIC priority sites in Prizren. Under this arrangement, the EAR directly managed the reconstruction of Uncle Sima’s Building, while the RIC procured the roof reconstruction of the Dean’s and Dormitory buildings.
Destruction and Recorded Damage (March 2004)
During the March 2004 riots, the entire Seminary complex in Prizren was set on fire and gutted. According to the 2004 Damage Assessment in the RIC dossier, the older 19th-century building (Uncle Sima’s Building) was burned and collapsed, leaving only the fire-damaged perimeter walls standing.
The remaining three buildings of the complex (including the Dean’s Building and Dormitory) were equally damaged and burned down, with their roofs, floors, interiors, and building services destroyed by fire.
Reconstruction and Conservation Works (2005–2009)
The RIC archival record documents a dual-track institutional recovery for the Prizren Seminary: the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) funded, tendered, and implemented the reconstruction of the 19th-century Uncle Sima’s Building between 2005 and 2007, while the RIC tendered and executed the roof reconstruction of the Dean’s and Dormitory buildings in 2007.
| Year | Completed Works and Interventions | Stage Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Reconstruction funding and project management framework established under the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) priority allocation for Prizren. | Completed |
| 2006 | Technical project preparation and tender procurement process for the reconstruction of Uncle Sima’s Building. | Completed |
| 2007 | Full reconstruction of the 19th-century Uncle Sima’s Building (Sima Igumanov Endowment) implemented by the EAR; parallel reconstruction of the roofs of the Dean’s Building and Dormitory Building under a RIC contract. | Completed |
| 2008 | No structural or conservation interventions carried out on the complex during calendar year 2008. | Completed |
| 2009 | Further interventions programmed: full reconstruction of the Dean’s and the Dormitory buildings. | Planned |
The Prizren Seminary dossier (#12) explains why the complex does not appear in the 2005 or 2006 RIC tender lists. For 2005, the RIC site sheet states: 'The reconstruction is being funded and managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR)', and for 2006: 'Project preparation and tender process by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR)'. This corresponds directly to the capital funding summary in , which notes the €2 million EAR commitment for managing and completing two priority sites in Prizren.
In 2007, physical reconstruction proceeded along two parallel tracks. First, the EAR implemented the complete structural and architectural reconstruction of the 19th-century Uncle Sima’s Building (the Sima Igumanov Endowment), restoring its collapsed floors, roof, and facades. Second, the RIC issued its own public tender—Contract 43000-07-011-5-2-1 (Reconstruction works at the Dormitory and Dean’s Building (Serbian Orthodox Seminary Complex), Prizren)—under which the roofs of both the Dean’s Building and the Dormitory Building were reconstructed in 2007 to weatherproof the 1990s structures.
Conservation Context and Monument Condition
In the May 2009 Commission report, 2008-RECONSTRUCTION WORKS records No interventions carried out, while 2009-FURTHER INTERVENTIONS PROGRAMMED lists the full reconstruction of the dean’s and the dormitory buildings. Following the wind-down of the European Agency for Reconstruction, European Union support transitioned to the European Commission Liaison Office (ECLO) in joint action with the Council of Europe.
Subsequent institutional sources—including the 31 May 2011 UNMIK report on SRSG visits to Bishop Teodosije and Diocese of Raška and Prizren statements from 2010–2012—document the wider multi-phase rehabilitation that enabled the Seminary to reopen in Prizren in autumn 2011. Within the strict documentary scope of the RIC archive, this dossier distinguishes the works verified as completed by May 2009 (the EAR reconstruction of Uncle Sima’s Building and the 2007 RIC roof reconstruction on the Dean’s and Dormitory buildings) from the interior reconstruction of the Dean’s and Dormitory buildings that remained programmed in May 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which buildings make up the Orthodox Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius complex in Prizren?
According to the RIC dossier, the complex consists of four main buildings: the oldest is the 19th-century 'Uncle Sima’s Building' (the 1871 Endowment of Sima Andrejević Igumanov), while the other three—including the Dean’s Building and the Dormitory—were built mainly in the 1990s.
What damage did the Seminary complex suffer in March 2004?
In the March 2004 fire, the older 19th-century building burned and collapsed so that only its fire-damaged perimeter walls remained standing, while the other three buildings in the complex were equally damaged and burned down.
Who funded and managed the reconstruction of Uncle Sima’s Building?
According to RIC Dossier #12 and the 'RIC Mechanism' page, the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) funded, tendered (2005–2006), and implemented (2007) the reconstruction of Uncle Sima’s Building as part of its €2 million allocation for two priority sites in Prizren.
Which works at the Seminary were tendered directly by the RIC in 2007?
Under RIC Contract 43000-07-011-5-2-1 ('Reconstruction works at the Dormitory and Dean’s Building (Serbian Orthodox Seminary Complex), Prizren'), the RIC reconstructed the roofs of the Dean’s and Dormitory buildings in 2007.
What does 'Uncle Sima’s building' refer to in the RIC documentation?
'Uncle Sima’s building' is the English translation of 'Čika Simina zgrada', the popular name for the 1871 Endowment of Sima Andrejević Igumanov ('Zadužbina Sime Igumanova'), the historic founding schoolhouse of the Prizren Seminary.
Sources and Further Reading
- EU/CoE Support to the Promotion of Cultural Diversity in Kosovo (PCDK) & Previous Reconstruction Action — Council of Europe (Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage) (2010–2014) · Source document ↗
- Report Submitted by UNMIK Pursuant to Article 2.2 of the Agreement Between UNMIK and the Council of Europe Related to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ACFC/SR/II(2009)002) — Council of Europe / UNMIK (31. maj 2010.) · Source document ↗
- OSCE Mission in Kosovo Report on Cultural Heritage Protection and Reconstruction Process (Document 74597) — OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2008–2010) · Source document ↗
- UNMIK SRSG visits His Grace Bishop Teodosije in Gračanica Monastery — United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) (31. maj 2011.) · Source document ↗
- Episkopi Atanasije i Teodosije primili šefa UNMIK-a i komandanta KFOR-a u manastiru Gračanica — Diocese of Raška and Prizren (Serbian Orthodox Church) (2. mart 2010.) · Source document ↗
- Intervju episkopa Teodosija o obnovi srpskih pravoslavnih svetinja na KiM (Politika / Eparhija raško-prizrenska) — Diocese of Raška and Prizren / daily Politika (2012.) · Source document ↗
