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Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić will spend Christmas Day and Christmas in Hilandar. This will be the first official visit by a Serbian president to the Holy Mountain monastery in the past two decades.
As “Novosti” learns, Vučić will attend the Christmas Eve dinner and solemn service at two in the morning. In addition, it is planned to be present at the Christmas liturgy and pay tribute to the saints of the famous Hilandar treasure, such as the Mother of God Trojerucica and the Mother of God Mlekopitateljnica.
A conversation is also planned with the Abbot of the Imperial Lavra, Methodius, who will acquaint him with the life of the monk, but also with the dynamics of the restoration works of the sanctuary that was destroyed in the great fire of 2004. Then, the fire it engulfed eight buildings, while the 14th-century dining room of the Holy King Milutin and the Chapel of the Holy Archangels were damaged. The fire engulfed half the monastery complex.
As said, the president is willing to order even larger investments in the restoration of Hilandar, so that the works are completed as soon as possible. Furthermore, the head of state did not ask for any special treatment in relation to other believers coming to Mount Athos.
By the way, Vučić’s predecessor Tomislav Nikolić visited Hilandar several times during his tenure, but those were private visits, while Vojislav Kostunica visited the investiture of Saint Sava and Saint Simeon of Myrrh as Prime Minister in 2006.
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