KOSOVO, REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO, a self-proclaimed state recognized by some states in Europe, the USA, Albania, Afghanistan, etc.

Serbia did not recognize the independence of Kosovo and, according to the Serbian constitution, Kosovo is an autonomous province.

Kosovo is a historical region in the south of Serbia, also known as the region of Kosovo and Metohija, covering an area of ​​10,887 sq. km. in the upper reaches of the valleys of the Drin and Ibar rivers. The main city is Pristina (194.3 thousand people). Other largest cities are Prizren (117.4 thousand), Pecs (78.8 thousand), Kosovska Mitrovica (73.1 thousand) and Djakovica (72.9 thousand). Kosovo is inhabited by 1953.7 thousand people. The region has a high population density - 179 people per 1 sq. km. km. The name of the region comes from the Serbian Kos-thrush. The largest ethnic group is the Albanians; according to 1991 data, they made up 77% of the population of the region, Serbs - 13%, Bosnian Muslims - 4%, Roma - 2% and Montenegrins - 2%.

Kosovo in its modern borders corresponds to the medieval regions of Metohija, Prizren and Kosovo Pole, which the great Župan Stefan Nemanja, the ruler of Serbia, annexed to his state in 1180-1190. This area became one of the centers of the medieval Serbian state: Pec was the residence of the Serbian Orthodox archbishops and patriarchs, Prizren was the temporary Serbian capital. There were 1,300 monasteries in Kosovo until the end of the 20th century. Most of the names in the region are Serbian. Kosovo in the history of Serbia is also of great importance because of the military defeat of the country and its Christian allies, which the Turks inflicted on them in the Battle of Kosovo Field in 1389. The Serbian prince Lazar Khrebelyanovych was killed, and Serbia became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. However, victory was given to the Turks. Serb national hero Milos Obrenovic killed the Turkish sultan In Serbian national culture, Kosovo remains a great emotional symbol of rebirth after a national tragedy. Until the 17th century, the majority of the population of the region were Serbs. During the wars between Austria and the Ottoman Empire in 1690, the Serbian Patriarch Arseniy III (Chernoevich), many of his clergy, as well as part of the population that supported the Austrians, moved with them to the southern part of Hungary. Over time, their properties and houses were taken over by Muslim Albanians who previously lived in the area. Muslim privileges in the Ottoman Empire led to the Islamization of the Albanians. By the end of the nineteenth century, Serbs already made up about half of the region's population. Serb devotion to sacred places in Kosovo has continued even after the change in the ethnic composition of its population. During the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, Serbia returned Kosovo. Serbian and then Yugoslav authorities pursued a policy of assimilation or expulsion of Albanians. Schools teaching in the Albanian language were closed, the lands of the Albanians were confiscated. Thousands of Albanians emigrated. The Serbian authorities were forced to fight the Kosovar rebels (Kachaks) and nationalist organizations, which enjoyed the support of Albania.

In the spring of 1998, the UN and the OSCE proposed that the FRY conclude a three-year agreement under which NATO would be able to send 30,000 troops to Kosovo to ensure peace and democratic elections. The Yugoslav authorities regarded this step as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. After many days of negotiations in October 1998, S. Milosevic concluded an agreement with the American representative R. Holbrook, according to which the sky over Kosovo was provided for patrol by NATO reconnaissance aircraft, and 2,000 OSCE observers were brought into the region. At the same time, Serbian special forces were being withdrawn from Kosovo.

In February 1999, in France, in the castle of Rambouillet, under the auspices of the contact group, negotiations began between the Serbian authorities and representatives of the Kosovo Albanians to find options for overcoming the crisis, which ended in vain. The Yugoslav leadership strongly opposed the introduction of NATO troops into Kosovo. The second round of negotiations in March 1999 also failed.

During this period, the situation in Kosovo became critical. In response to the escalation of hostilities by the Kosovo Albanians, a 40,000-strong Serbian army was brought into the region, which again began, together with the police, to eliminate the KLA bases. Armed clashes were accompanied by casualties among the local population. Many Albanian families fled to Albania and Macedonia, where refugee camps were set up. The Western media blamed the Serbs for the genocide of the Albanians. The facts cited to prove this were not subsequently confirmed. This was the reason for the NATO military action against Yugoslavia in the spring and summer of 1999 and the subsequent movement of the Albanian population from Kosovo to other countries. The NATO aggression, codenamed "Allied Force", began on March 24 and lasted 78 days until June 10, 1999. Air strikes were carried out throughout the country, including Belgrade and other major cities; many enterprises, hospitals, bridges were destroyed. More than 2 thousand Yugoslav citizens died, including the elderly and children, and the total damage, according to some sources, amounted to approx. $100 billion A mass exodus of Albanians from Kosovo began. Both Serbs and Albanians perished under the bombings. Finally, Yugoslavia agreed to the withdrawal of its troops from Kosovo and the entry into the region of multinational international forces under the auspices of NATO - KFOR. These forces also included Russian units (3 thousand people).

After the cessation of NATO bombing in June 1999, the return of Albanian refugees began, at the same time, Serbs began to leave the territory of Kosovo, who were attacked by Albanian extremists under the cover of NATO troops. In 2001, from the territory of Kosovo, Albanian extremists launched armed operations in Macedonia.

According to UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, the territorial integrity of the FRY is recognized and management in Kosovo is carried out under the supervision of international civilian forces (UN Mission in Kosovo - UNMIK) and international security forces (KFOR) with the participation of NATO. There was a 50,000-strong military contingent of KFOR forces in the country, which by the beginning of 2002 was reduced to 39,000. After the fall of the power of the Union of Right Forces and the transfer of Milosevic to the Hague Tribunal, the situation did not change. Following the example of Montenegro, Kosovo introduced the German mark as a unit of account. More than 50 discriminatory laws against Albanians have been repealed, but most of them are applied de facto against non-Albanians, especially Serbs. Terrorists who used to operate as part of the KLA are now attacking the remaining Serbian residents in the province and blowing up Serbian churches.

As a result of the local elections held on October 28, 2000, the forces that supported the moderate position of Ibrahim Rugova won, but at the same time, the position of the extremist forces led by the leader of the KLA, Hashin Tati, was strengthened. The election results were not recognized by Belgrade.

Since 2001, the role of the EU in solving the Kosovo problem has been increasing. In the spring of 2001, the situation escalated sharply due to the intervention of the KLA in the conflict between Macedonians and Albanians.

On November 17, 2001, elections to the local parliament (Assembly) were held in Kosovo, the results of which were recognized by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Kosovo on November 24. 64.3% of registered voters took part in them. The largest number of votes was won by the Democratic League of Kosovo (leader I. Rugova) - 45% of the votes (47 mandates out of 120); in second place is the Democratic Party (leader H. Tachi) - 26 seats; in third place is the Serbian coalition "Return" with 22 mandates (10 of them were reserved for it initially). The remaining mandates were distributed among smaller parties.

On March 4, 2002, after two unsuccessful attempts (December 10, 2001 and January 10, 2002), I. Rugova was elected President of Kosovo, for whom 88 out of 119 deputies voted. However, Rugova has many opponents: representatives of the Thaci faction accuse him of being too soft towards the Serbs, and representatives of the Return, on the contrary, consider his positions to be anti-Serb. On the same day, a government was formed headed by the leader of the Democratic Party, B. Rejepi. The Prime Minister considers the main goal of the Kosovars to be independence. The troubled region of Kosovo continued to be under the supervision of international peacekeeping forces.

The UN Security Council did not reach a consensus on resolving the situation in Kosovo. Russia supported Serbia in this matter. UN Special Representative Martti Ahtisaari was the actual author of Kosovo's independence. He developed a development plan for the area. According to his plan, Kosovo actually gained independence, but did not receive the right to unite with Albania, nor would it have the right to unite again with Serbia.
On January 9, 2008, Kosovo parliamentarians voted for the appointment of Hashim Thaci as head of the government of Kosovo.

On February 17, 2008, Kosovo's parliament unilaterally declared the province's independence from Serbia. There were armed clashes and conflicts between the inhabitants of Kosovo: Serbs and Albanians.

In February 2008, the recognition of Kosovo's independence began, and this process continues to this day. Among those who recognized independence: the USA, Australia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, Albania, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Greece and other countries, EU members supported the Kosovo Albanians.

Russia has not recognized the independence of Kosovo and believes that a precedent is being created that will destroy the system of international law. President Putin commented on the decision: “I would like to emphasize once again that we believe that supporting the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence is immoral and illegal. The territorial integrity of states is enshrined in the fundamental principles of international law, there is UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which speaks of the territorial integrity of Serbia, and all UN members must follow these decisions.” Russia will take this factor into account when deciding on the recognition of unrecognized states in the former Soviet Union.

The Serbian Parliament adopted at an extraordinary meeting on February 18, 2008 a decision to annul the declaration declaring independence in the Kosovo region. The deputies voted for this decision unanimously.

November 15, 2009 municipal elections were held. The Democratic Party of Kosovo won the majority.

The first negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo took place in 2011 in Belgium. At the talks, it was possible to agree on the issues of the customs regime and air traffic. In 2012, an agreement was signed between Serbia and Kosovo, according to which Serbia gave Kosovo permission to participate in regional forums, but with a special clause on the status of Kosovo.

Negotiations held between Pristina and Belgrade in late 2011 and early 2012 were of the greatest importance for the outcome of the campaign. March 2011 In Belgium, direct negotiations were held between representatives of Serbia and Kosovo on the issues of the customs regime and air traffic. The European Union acted as an intermediary in the negotiations. The parties managed to reach agreements on the resumption of air traffic, as well as determine the procedure for the activities of border and customs services.

In February 2012, Serbia and Kosovo signed an agreement according to which Belgrade, which does not recognize the self-proclaimed republic, agreed to the participation of Pristina in international regional forums, provided that there is a special reference to its name - a footnote stating: "This inscription does not define the status of Kosovo and corresponds UNSCR 1244". B. Tadic, who signed this agreement, called it a success of his international policy, as the document will allow his country to apply for the official status of a candidate member of the European Union. At the same time, the Serbian Radical Party called the agreement treason. B. Tadic's rating dropped significantly after these negotiations.

You can get from Belgrade to Pristina by a regular daily bus, which we did by walking around the capital of Serbia. The territory of the Republic of Kosovo, according to the Constitution of Serbia, is part of the Republic of Serbia and is part of it as the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija, so we did not formally leave Serbia. However, Kosovo is a self-proclaimed state, and in 2010 the International Court of Justice recognized the legitimacy of the decision of the Kosovo authorities to declare independence. Many countries of the world also recognized their independence. When leaving Serbia, we were not given any stamps in our passports about crossing the border, but the Kosovo border guards “stamped” our documents, marking them as arrivals ... In the capital of Kosovo, the city of Pristina, we settled in a small hotel owned by an Albanian family, which itself lives in it. The father of the family is an elderly man, a professor of the Russian language, and he used to teach at the university. But his son, who manages affairs at the hotel, does not know Russian at all, so we communicated with him only in English.

1. The population of Pristina is about 200 thousand people. Walking on the first day through the streets, we Danlux came across a monument to Bill Clinton. And the boulevard where this sculpture is located is also named after the ex-president of America. Next to the monument on the lawn is a plate carved with a quote from Clinton's speech, where he assures that he will support the idea of ​​Kosovo's freedom to the very end. Albanians are grateful to him for his help in achieving independence. Bill was personally present at the opening of the monument.

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3. In general, the "American theme" in this city is somehow too much: five meters from the Clinton monument there is a women's clothing store "Hillary". Every now and then you meet young people dressed in T-shirts with the image of the American flag. There is a street named after George W. Bush, there is an American school and even an American university. And on the roof of one of the hotels is a small copy of the Statue of Liberty. I have not been to America yet, but in Pristina I sometimes had the feeling that I was in one of the US states...

4. Residential buildings next to the Clinton monument.

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7. A tent was set up on one of the squares in the city center, where doctors were on duty. It was quite hot and sunny outside, you could go up to such a tent, measure your blood pressure (which Denis did), take bottled water for free, get a consultation.

8. Monument to Skanderberg - the leader of the Albanian anti-Ottoman uprising of the 15th century, the national hero of the Albanians, sung in folk songs. Behind is the government building.

9. Pedestrian street in the city center.

10. Monument to Mother Teresa on a pedestrian street, a Catholic church named after her is also being built in the city (it can be seen in the sixth photo). Albanians are very proud that Mother Teresa, although born in what is now Macedonia, was an Albanian by nationality.

11. Such memorial plaques in memory of the fallen soldiers of the Kosovo Liberation Army can often be found in the city.

12. Unusually give the crowns of trees a shape.

13. In the center of Pristina there is a "space" building, which is the hallmark of the city. This is the Public Library.

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15. Next to the library is an abandoned, unfinished and desecrated Orthodox church more than once. Many Orthodox churches in the country were destroyed.

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19. Installation "Newborn" (newborn) was installed on the first anniversary of independence. The letters are painted with the flags of countries that have recognized the sovereignty of Kosovo, the Russian flag is missing here, as you might guess.

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21. A sports complex used to be located here, and now it is a large shopping center.

22. Speed ​​bump in Pristina.

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24. To be honest, when we went to Kosovo, I expected to see a large number of military equipment and people in uniform, because the war for independence took place in this territory not so long ago. But we did not see any tanks in Kosovo, we only saw the remaining road signs limiting either the speed or the carrying capacity of NATO tanks on the roads. Peace and tranquility in the region is provided by KFOR (Kosovo Force - an international force led by NATO) from different countries, and many of them are women.

25. Museum of local lore.

26. In some places in the center of Pristina you can find small houses of the century before last.

27. Walked through residential areas.

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29. A month and a half after our return, on July 1 of this year, the Kosovo authorities introduced a visa regime for 87 countries, including Russia. Russian citizens can obtain a Kosovo visa only through the country's embassy in Istanbul.

30. After Kosovo, we traveled around Montenegro, and then returned to Belgrade again, and so, on departure from Belgrade, the border guards in Denis's passport over the stamps put by the Kosovo border guards at the entrance and exit from Kosovo put the stamp "not valid". They didn’t notice these stamps in my passport, so they didn’t put anything on top :)

Kosovo is a republic of Southeastern Europe, partially recognized by other states. It is located in Europe, in the geographical region of the same name. Constitutionally, this region belongs to Serbia, but the population of Kosovo is not subject to their laws. The capital of the republic is Pristina.

The population, according to the 2011 census, is more than 1.7 million people. Mostly Serbs and Albanians live here, and only about 3-5% are other nationalities.

Name and history

The very name of the republic is translated as "the land of blackbirds."

The history of the local population living on these lands began 2 thousand years ago. The Illyrians were the first to live here. In the VI century, the Slavic peoples settled. Christianity was adopted in the 9th century. Gradually, this region became the cultural and religious center of the Serbian state. It was here that the largest majestic cathedrals and temples were built. However, in the 15th century, after prolonged military skirmishes, this territory was ceded to the Ottoman Empire.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Serbian Principality was formed on European lands, which strengthened its political positions and conquered Kosovo from the Turks.

In 1945, the federal state of Yugoslavia was formed in the south of Eastern Europe. Kosovo (republic) stood out as an autonomous region within Serbia. In the 1990s, this territory survived the Civil War. In 1989, a referendum was held, which marked the withdrawal of autonomy from Serbia. However, it was only Albania. Military skirmishes and conflicts began in the country. As a result, many local residents died, and even more were left homeless. The unrest continued for several years, until in 1999 NATO bombed military bases. Since this year, the republic has been under special control and guardianship of the UN. In 2008, it declared independence from Serbia, but only unilaterally. The latter did not adopt this resolution.

Geography of the region

The state of Kosovo is located on a flat area, in its shape resembling a rectangle. The area of ​​the region is just over 10 thousand km2. The average height is 500 m above sea level, the highest peak is Dzhyaravitsa, located in the Prokletiye mountain system, on the border with Albania. Its height is 2,656 m. The climate of the republic has a pronounced continental type: with cold winters and hot summers. Average winter temperatures - -10 ... -12 ° С, summer - + 28 ° ... + 30 ° С. Large rivers in Kosovo: Sitnica, Ibar, South Moravia, White Drin.

Administrative-territorial structure of the republic

Administratively, Kosovo is a republic divided into 7 districts: Kosovsko-Mitrovitsky, Pristinsky, Gnilansky, Djakovitsky, Pechsky, Uroshevatsky, Prizrensky. They, in turn, are divided into municipalities. There are 30 of them in total. The municipalities of Zvechan, Leposavich and Zubin Potok, located in the northern region of the republic and inhabited by Serbs, do not submit to the authorities of Kosovo and do not recognize independence. In fact, this territory has its own government, which is concentrated in the city of Kosovsk-Mitrovica. The Kosovo authorities have submitted a bill to establish a separate autonomous municipality on these lands. In addition to the northern region, Serbs live in smaller numbers in other municipalities of Kosovo. So-called enclaves, independent autonomous districts, have been created there.

Development

At present, according to the Constitution adopted in 2008, Kosovo is a republic of a unitary and parliamentary type. The head of state is the president, whose election falls on the shoulders of parliament. The prime minister holds the executive power in the republic.

Transport in Kosovo - road and rail. Medicine in the republic is free, but without policies. Medical education can only be obtained in the capital - the University Clinical Center.

The city of Pristina (Kosovo) has a population of 200 thousand people and is the largest city in the republic. Another major center is Prizren, with just over 100,000 people living in it.

Primary level education is developed, there are 1,200 educational institutions of junior and middle level in the territory of the republic. However, there is a big problem with the distribution and certification of teachers.

In terms of the cultural development of the state, only memories remained of the former religious center. During the hostilities, most of the country's Orthodox monuments were desecrated and destroyed.

Economy of Kosovo

Kosovo is a country that is currently considered one of the poorest in Europe. The state has occupied this position since the time it was part of Serbia, and after leaving it, it became even more aggravated. Massive unemployment, low living standards, minimum wages - all this has haunted Kosovo for many years, despite the country's great economic potential.

Domestic and foreign policy

The population of Kosovo is characterized by the following feature: the majority of the able-bodied population, not being able to earn money in their own country, work abroad unofficially, sending their children and parents the means of subsistence. According to statistics, out of 1,700 thousand people, 800 thousand are currently outside the country.

Large mineral deposits are concentrated on the territory of Kosovo, such as magnesite, lead, nickel, cobalt, bauxite, and zinc. The republic ranks 5th in the world in terms of brown coal reserves. Kosovo has a huge international external debt, some of which was paid by Serbia until 2008.

As a result of secession from Serbia, Kosovo allowed the German currency, the German mark, into the state, and then, together with European countries, switched to the euro. Serbian money remained in the northern region - dinars.

Problems

The status of Kosovo is unclear and causes some concern, therefore investors are not attracted to the country. This reason leads to the appearance of shadow business in the republic. Tobacco, cement and gasoline are mainly exported from the country. There is also a thriving drug trade in Kosovo. According to UN estimates, more than 80% of illicit drugs from Kosovo cross the border into Europe.

Population

The population of Kosovo is 1 million 700 thousand people. According to the ethnic composition, it is located in the following percentage: 90% - Albanians, 6% - Serbs, 3% - Gypsies and 1% are other nationalities: Turks, Bosnians, Ashkali, Gorani. Albanians are the vast majority of Kosovo's population. The state language of the republic is Albanian and Serbian. Albanian is based on the Latin alphabet, while Serbian is based on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Tourism

A fairly large number of people from neighboring countries come to see the local sights. And not in vain. This area is rich in stunning places and will not leave anyone indifferent. You should fully plan your time and set a clear schedule in order to maximize attendance at interesting places. The population here is hospitable and will always help - you just need to ask for help. Be sure to learn English well so as not to get into an awkward situation with not knowing the local language.

Currently, peace has been established on the territory of the republic, there are no more military conflicts, so the country is slowly starting to restore cities and, of course, the economy. The most difficult thing is that Kosovo as a separate state has not yet been recognized by everyone, which greatly aggravates its development.

Democratic Party candidate Boris Tadic narrowly defeated Tomislav Nikolic, leader of the Serbian Radical Party, in the second round of elections.

Kosovo (Kosovo and Metohija) is an autonomous province within Serbia. Currently, the region is predominantly populated by Albanians (over 90%). Of the two million population of Kosovo, Serbs make up about 100 thousand (6%) with a national center in Kosovska Mitrovica.
In the medieval period, the core of the medieval Serbian state formed on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and from the 14th century until 1767, the throne of the Serbian patriarch was located here (near the city of Pec). Therefore, the claims of the Serbs to the province of Kosovo and Metohija are based on the principles of historical law. Albanians, in turn, insist on the predominance of ethnic law.

Historically, Albanians have long lived in Kosovo, but did not constitute a significant part of the population until the beginning of the 20th century. To a large extent, the ethnic composition of the region began to change after the Second World War, when Josip Broz Tito allowed the Albanians who ended up on the territory of Yugoslavia during the war to remain in Kosovo. For the first time, the territory of Kosovo was separated into an autonomous region within Serbia within the framework of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945. The Yugoslav Constitution of 1974 granted the territories that were part of Serbia the de facto status of republics, with the exception of the right to secede. Kosovo, as an autonomous socialist region, received its own constitution, legislation, supreme authorities, as well as its own representatives in all major union bodies.

However, in the late 1980s, the result of the internal political crisis, which led to a surge of violence and major economic difficulties, was the abolition of the autonomous status of Kosovo. A new basic law of Serbia was adopted, which entered into force on September 28, 1990 and restored the supremacy of republican laws over regional laws throughout the republic. Kosovo was left with only territorial and cultural autonomy.

Kosovo Albanians did not recognize the new constitution; Parallel Albanian power structures began to be created. In 1991, an illegal referendum was held in Kosovo, which approved the independence of Kosovo. Kosovo nationalists proclaimed the unrecognized "Republic of Kosovo" and elected Ibrahim Rugova as president. The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was created in 1996 to fight for independence.

In 1998, the inter-ethnic conflict escalated into bloody armed clashes. On September 9, 1998, the NATO Council approved a plan for military intervention in the Kosovo conflict. On March 24, 1999, without UN sanction, a NATO military operation called "Allied Force" began, which lasted until June 20, 1999, when the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops was completed.

Since 1999, more than 200,000 ethnic Serbs have left the region due to ethnic conflicts between Serbs and Albanian separatists.

Today, the Kosovo settlement remains the most problematic issue on the Balkan agenda. In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244 of June 10, 1999, the central role in the peace process is assigned to the UN and its Security Council, and the civilian UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR) are deployed in the province. 16.5 thousand military personnel.

Under the auspices of UNMIK, there is an international police force (3,000 men). Its tasks include ensuring law and order in the province, monitoring the activities of the Kosovo Police Service (6.2 thousand people). The quota of the Russian police contingent in UNMIK is 81 people.

In May 2001, the head of UNMIK approved the "Constitutional Framework for Interim Self-Government in Kosovo", which fixed the procedure for the formation of regional power structures. In accordance with this document, on November 17, 2001, the first elections to the Assembly (Parliament) of Kosovo were held.

On October 24, 2005, the UN Security Council, in the form of a presidential statement, gave the green light to the process of determining the future status of Kosovo. Martti Ahtisaari (Finland) has become the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the status process. The meeting of the Contact Group (CG) at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers, held in Washington on November 2, 2005, approved the "Guidelines" for the development of the future status of Kosovo. The document fixes the priority of the negotiated solution, the leading role of the UN Security Council at all stages of the status process, the consideration of all status options with the exception of the division of Kosovo, as well as the return of the situation in the province to the period before 1999 and unification with other territories.

One of the factors influencing the development of a decision on the status of the province was the constitution of Serbia, adopted as a result of a nationwide referendum on October 28-29, 2006. Its preamble contains the provision that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia.

Russia supports international efforts aimed at building a democratic multi-ethnic society in Kosovo on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Russia is actively participating in the solution of the Kosovo problem within the framework of the UN Security Council and the Contact Group (Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, USA, France). At the same time, the Russian side upholds the priority of a negotiated settlement, the principles of universality and multivariance in resolving the issue of Kosovo's status, rejecting the thesis that there is no alternative to the independence of the province. Russia proposed to develop a "road map", which could take into account the legitimate interests of the parties and the priorities of the leading international factors of the Kosovo settlement, marked the milestones of the parties' movement towards agreement, including on the paths of their European integration prospects. The United States believes that the only way out of the impasse is the "Ahtisaari plan", which implies an independent status for the region under international control. Representatives of the US and the European Union say that the negotiations have exhausted themselves, and the status of the region will be determined within the framework of the EU and NATO.

Kosovo is a small piece of land in the south of the former Yugoslavia. Today it is a partially recognized state, since many countries, including Russia, do not recognize Kosovo's independence. Until now, the status of the country and its history causes a lot of controversy, in which Kosovo acts as a symbol of confrontation between the United States and Russia. Unfortunately for the country, it did not go beyond the role of a symbol in the political struggle of the superpowers.

Today, Kosovars are among the poorest people in Europe. In various ratings, Kosovo is usually compared in terms of living standards with Belarus and Moldova, but in appearance everything is much worse. There is practically no production of its own, with the exception of the enterprises of the Kosovo Steel Group, although the United States is going to build a military plant here. As of 2015, a third of the population of Kosovo lived on less than 1.42 euros a day. The unemployment rate here reaches 45%, and residents prefer to leave for other countries in search of a better life. Most migrants seek asylum in Germany, Austria and Scandinavia, while others settle in Hungary. Those who were able to leave send money to their homeland and live like that.

According to the World Bank, Kosovo demonstrates rather high economic growth rates for the Balkans - 3% last year (Montenegro - 3.4%, Serbia - 0.9%). But without constant investment from the EU and the creation of new jobs, the country simply will not survive.

They don't have their own money here, they use the euro. Back in 1999, the region adopted German marks in order to abandon the Serbian dinar. When Germany switched to the euro, Kosovo inherited this currency: the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) used the euro, and the Kosovars have not yet invented their own currency.

But since 2008, they have been printing their own passports, which can be used to travel abroad. Kosovar can travel to those states that have recognized the independence of the republic. There is no way to get into Russia, but they say you can get into China or Spain. Only Greece and Slovakia have officially announced that they do not recognize the independence of Kosovo, but recognize the passports of citizens of the republic and are ready to let them in.

In the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia, Russia has always been on the side of the latter. But I did not notice any particular hostility towards the Russians in Kosovo, probably because Russia did not take active actions against the Albanian "liberators". Many locals, including Albanians, communicate quite friendly. Serbs have mixed feelings about Russians. On the one hand, of course, "brothers", on the other, there was resentment that Moscow did not really help to keep Kosovo in difficult years.

The main reason for the negative attitude towards the Russians in Kosovo can be our football fans, who at every match with the participation of the Albanian and Russian teams (whether national teams or clubs) continue to shout that "Kosovo is Serbia!" By the way, the other day Kosovo was also accepted into UEFA, so soon expect at least brawls in the stands.

A bit of history.

Once upon a time, the region was really Serbian, and the Serbian patriarch even sat in the city of Pec. Everything changed when the Turks came. Serbs from Kosovo were consistently ousted, although they fiercely resisted. The Albanians, on the other hand, liked the Turks with their Islam at first, so that already in the middle of the 19th century the population was divided 50 to 50. Then the Albanians decided that they didn’t really need the Turks either, and created their own state.

When Yugoslavia came together from small pieces in 1918, the Serbs hoped to drive the Albanians out of Kosovo once and for all. But then the Second World War happened. The Italians just took and annexed Kosovo to Albania. The Albanians were encouraged and drove out as many Serbs as they could. When Yugoslavia was nevertheless liberated, Tito set to work. He hoped to chop off Albania for himself, so he actively stimulated the next settlement of Kosovo by Albanians.

With the coming to power of Milosevic, the Albanian freemen ended, but then it was time for Yugoslavia to disintegrate. On September 22, 1991, the Republic of Kosovo declared independence, and Albania recognized it a month later. Yugoslavia was not going to let go of its land anywhere, and another massacre began in the region with the active participation of the Kosovo Liberation Army (this is such an Albanian guerrilla-terrorist group), the Yugoslav army, and then NATO. During the fighting, most of the Serbian population left the region, and it became almost completely Albanian.

The situation escalated again in 1999, when the Albanians accused the Serbs of genocide due to the massacre in Racak. Whether there was a massacre of civilians or not is still a moot point. But for NATO, this was the reason to start bombing Belgrade.

Since 1999, Kosovo has been under the control of the UN, which has gradually transferred power to the local administration. Former Albanian field commanders ended up in power, which did not add love to the republic from the Serbs. In 2008, the Republic of Kosovo declared its independence for the second time. By that time, the former Yugoslav region had not been subordinate to Belgrade for a long time.

Now the population of Kosovo is almost entirely Albanians. Serbs live in a small group in the north of Kosovo and are not subject to Pristina. The republic lives its own life, trying to develop the economy, it does not particularly conflict with Serbia, because it is one of the main trading partners.

Kosovo's independence has already been recognized by 108 states out of 193 UN members. But Kosovo cannot become a full member of the UN as long as Russia and China, members of the Security Council, oppose it. In fact, it has long been an independent territory, but in limbo. These Kosovars are strange guys: they could have held a referendum on joining Albania a long time ago (as is customary in decent countries) and not take a steam bath. Why torment Belgrade like that, which is still hoping and waiting...

Russians are remembered here from 1999, when our paratroopers outplayed everyone, making the famous throw at Pristina. At that moment, when President Clinton and the NATO command were already opening champagne and celebrating the victory, Yeltsin decided that the celebration would not be complete without our paratroopers. And since we were not invited, we ourselves will come. And they came.

On June 10, 1999, the main part of the NATO military operation in the former Yugoslavia ended, and on June 12 they wanted to send peacekeeping troops to Kosovo. Ours were stationed 700 km from Pristina, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the night of the 12th, 200 of our paratroopers in armored personnel carriers and trucks moved into Kosovo and easily captured the Slatina airport. The airport was important because it was the only one in the region that could receive any type of aircraft, including heavy military transport. And it was through him that the Americans planned to launch a ground operation. Our dug in at the airport, set up their roadblocks and also began to open champagne.

On the morning of the 12th, guests from NATO arrived in tanks and helicopters. The reception was not exactly warm. Our paratroopers did not allow British helicopters to land. The British tankers ran into a Russian barrier, behind which stood a simple Russian soldier with a grenade launcher. There was an awkward pause, but the conflict was avoided. The commander of the British grouping in the Balkans, Michael Jackson, said that "he will not allow his soldiers to unleash a third world war." Instead of attacking, he gave the command to surround the airfield.

As history has shown, Yeltsin could not take advantage of the successes of our paratroopers and soon leaked everything to the Americans. Slatina airport was recognized as a joint base for peacekeeping forces under Russian protection. In 2003, we completely left Kosovo. Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Kvashnin then remarked: "We have no strategic interests left in the Balkans, and we will save twenty-five million dollars a year on the withdrawal of peacekeepers."

Today, Kosovars consider the Americans heroes who helped them free themselves from Serb oppression.

01. The central street of the capital of Kosovo, Pristina, is called Bill Clinton Boulevard: this is the gratitude of the Kosovars for saving them from the Yugoslav army. By the way, the boulevard is crossed by the street of George Bush (presumably the youngest, because it was under him that the States recognized the independence of Kosovo). And for some reason, in several Kosovo cities there are streets named after Woodrow Wilson.

02. The street was inaugurated in 2002 by the President of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova.

03. At the same time, a portrait of Clinton measuring 15 by 6 meters was installed on a local residential high-rise building - a gift from the Albanian diaspora in the United States.

04. In November 2009, a monument to Clinton was unveiled next to the same house. It is a bronze-looking statue three meters high. Next to the monument there is a plate carved with a quote from Clinton's speech, in which he promised to support the idea of ​​Kosovo's freedom to the end.

05. The monument stands in a very depressing area, against its background there is an advertisement for pate and bread, around graffiti and devastation.

06. Around the corner - a garbage dump.

07. America is loved here.

08. If you need to hang a flag, then hang a lot at once. Necessarily the flag of Kosovo, the flag of Albania, the flags of the United States and the European Union.

09. Optionally, you can hang a NATO flag.

10. The joy of gaining independence quickly passed. The Americans and the European Union forgot about Kosovo: there are many things to do, and the country ended up with nothing.

11. Now you can meet a cow in the city center.

12. Inscription on the wall: "Where is Ukshin Hoti?" There was such a professor of international law and philosophy at the University of Pristina (an Albanian, of course), who was actively pressed by the Serbian authorities from the 80s, and in 1994 was eventually imprisoned. In 1999, the term of imprisonment expired, but Hoti disappeared. Nobody has seen him since. The Kosovars believe that he has already died, and the Serbian punishers are to blame for this.

13. Chuck Norris - NIS agent. At least that's how Google translated it. NIS is the Serbian subsidiary of Gazprom Neft. If everything is correct, then the slogan is quite in the spirit of our Monstration.

14. Obituaries are hung right on the poles in the center.

15. The city is very poor, devastation and dirt are everywhere.

16. The inscription on the banner on the right: "The 643-day strike continues for the former workers of the stainless steel pipe factory in Ferizai." Ferizai is the Albanian name for the city of Uroševac. Above the inscription: "Day 710". That is, the strike went a little beyond its time limit. On the left, as I understand it, the dates of court decisions, apparently somehow related to the closure of the plant.

17. View from my hotel window

18. Sale of cigarettes

19. Many houses are abandoned.

20.

21. One of the most famous buildings in Pristina is the National Library of Kosovo. It was built in 1982 by the Croatian architect Andrija Mutnyakovich. It has two characteristic features, because of which it constantly falls into the ratings of the strangest and most ridiculous buildings in the world. These are anti-aircraft windows with domes of various sizes (there are 99 of them in total) and metal honeycombs that completely cover the facade. The building itself consists of parallelepipeds of different sizes.

22. How do you feel? The author of the library project claims that the architecture of the building is a mixture of Byzantine and Islamic forms. In other sources, the architect noted that this style is associated with the "pre-Romanesque architecture of the Balkans."

23. A few meters from the entrance, vegetable gardens are laid out and clothes are being dried. Now there is no time for knowledge.

24. Interior.

25.

26. Corner of Civilization - American Center. There are even automatic doors, and there are computers inside.

27. Around - Kosovo depression.

28. The country is Muslim, but you can't tell it from the outside. Few walk in scarves.

29. In terms of fashion, local women are very relaxed.

30. I heard that these are some fashionable shoes about which Shnurov sang.

31. Fashion

32. In the center stands the unfinished Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior. At one time, the war and the flight of the Serb population of Pristina prevented the completion of the temple. Since 1999, Albanian radicals have regularly desecrated it (for example, someone thought to relieve themselves right in the church building), and the temple also served as a rooming house for the homeless. In early 2016, the Kosovo authorities installed new metal doors in the building, but this is hardly a reliable way to protect it. Ideas were voiced in the local media to make a nightclub or a museum in the church, but it never came to that.

33. And this is being completed by the Catholic Cathedral named after Mother Teresa, who, as you remember, was an Albanian. Nobody is going to desecrate it.

34. Mosque

35.

36. Kosovo is very fond of emphasizing that they are part of Europe.

37. In fact, Kosovo today is a poor, dirty country that no one cares about. Along the route to Macedonia, there are a huge number of shops that dismantle and sell old household appliances, tires, furniture and other rubbish that flocks here from all sides of well-fed Europe.

38. The main advantage of Kosovo is that you can quickly leave here. No matter where. Any country bordering Kosovo would be much better off.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.