Holy Prince Lazar

Holy Martyr Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović led the Serbian army to the Battle of Kosovo. Bestowing his fate in the God’s hands, on Vidovdan 1389, along with his army and allies, he resisted the Ottoman army under command of Sultan Murad I. But Lazar was captured and slain in the battle. His remains are now in the Ravanica Monastery.

RELIGION AND TRADITION

On 28 June (15 June by the Julian calendar), the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates the day he was killed and on that occasions, all the Serbian martyrs and warriors who died for their faith are celebrated.

ART

Folk epic song: Zidanje Ravanice (Building of Ravanica)Car Lazar i carica Milica (Tsar Lazar and Tsaritsa Milica)Propast carstva srpskog (fall of the Serbian Empire)Obretenije glave knezaLazara (The Miracle of Lazar’s Head), Pohvala knezu Lazaru (Eulogy to Prince Lazar) by Jefimija the nun, Knez Lazar, a painting by Đura Jakšić

HISTORY

Lazar Hrebeljanović was born as a son to a highly ranked courtier at the Emperor  Dušan’s court, Pribac Hrebeljanović. He marriede Milica, the daughter Prince Vratko of the Nemanjic lineage. He also served at the Emperor  Dušan’s court and then with his successor, Emperor Uroš (The Weak). After the Maritsa Battle in 1371, he became the lord of the area around the Morava river, bearing a title of the “Ruler of the Serbian Lands”. He built the Ravanica Monastery and the Lazarica Church (Kruševac), as well as many other monasteries and churches. Three years prior to the Battle of Kosovo he was victorious over the Turks in the battle of Pločnik; but the Ottomans were unstoppable in their invasion of the Balkans.