How Hilandar Remained Serbian: We Have Aleksandar Obrenović to Thank for the Glorious Sanctuary!
The young king knew what he had to do when a problem arose in the form of a large unpaid debt to the Bulgarians, who were thus close to taking over the monastery.
How Hilandar Remained Serbian: We Have Aleksandar Obrenović to Thank for the Glorious Sanctuary! King Aleksandar Obrenović repaid a significant debt to the Bulgarians, thereby saving the Serbian monastery of Hilandar from being taken over. In gratitude, he brought the Miroslav Gospel and the monastery’s charter to Serbia, though they were later lost in a bombing. He and his wife also gifted a valuable embroidered altar curtain to the Serbian Orthodox Church, symbolizing the connection between the Obrenović dynasty and the Nemanjić lineage.
- King Aleksandar Obrenović, the first Serbian crowned king after Kosovo, repaid a large debt to the Bulgarians, preventing them from taking over the Hilandar monastery.
- As a reward for saving the monastery, King Aleksandar brought the original Miroslav Gospel and the monastery’s founding charter to Serbia.
- King Aleksandar and his wife gifted a lavish embroidered altar curtain to the Serbian Orthodox Church, featuring figures of Nemanjić dynasty founders.
- The altar curtain, designed by Vladislav Titelbah, is still housed in the Belgrade Cathedral Church.
- The Obrenović dynasty emphasized its connection to the Nemanjić dynasty, linking their roles as state-founding houses.
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