"Jo kishe [No church]".

[Corrected on the 14th of January 2007]

I had originally written that:

This writing is on a wall facing the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour, which was unfinished when the 1998-1999 war began and which has been attacked repeatedly since; its ruins are protected - in theory and in practice - but it remains a focus for Albanian nationalist aggression.

Although I got the literal translation of the graffiti correct, it appears I got the interpretation of the site and the meaning very wrong. Anonymous, Kosovar and Bytycci have all corrected me. According to them, the graffiti protested against the proposed demolition of the school for its replacement with a cathedral.

Anonymous said that:

this writing is not facing a church and there are no church remaints - the church never started to be built in that site. this building is a school and people have problems haveing their schools demolished and replaced with religious builings. it is not a fucus of 'albanian nationalist aggression', it is a focus of people trying to save Prishtina's little remaining heritage, part of which is this old school building.

(Another anonymous commenter corrected my reading of the "no church" graffiti elsewhere.)

Kosovar said that:

Man, you are either plain stupid and don't kno about it or you're really dumb and actually like it! I was disgusted with your Kosovo/a posys! About 89% of your photo comments were wrong; you got translations wrong, history wrong and context wrong in almost verything.[...] 'Jo Kishe' grafitti has nothing to do with the Serb Church. It protests the plans to demolish the school where it was written, in order to build a Catholic cathedral.[...]

Now, if you don't know shit, it's OK, you may learn. But not knowing shit and pretending that you do, that's STUPID!!! You're disinforming people here! And what about all the terrorist labeling and such? You have an agenda or what? Shame on you...

Kosovar

p.s. If you really didn't know, your friend wasn't suggesting, but correctly translated the 'K'qyre Punen Tone [mind your own business]!!!' graffitti. However, have it as a suggestion from me!

Bytycci patiently explained that:

This doesnt have to do with the Church in front of it. This is written in opposition to the plans to destroy this school and build a catholic cathedral instead.

Patently, I didn't know shit, but it wasn't for want of trying; I didn't know that there had been any moves to demolish this school to replace it with a cathedral. I read this graffiti in relation to what I knew about the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour and although it may have been a mistake, it was a genuine mistake.

As I remember it, over the road is the university library and, on the same site, is the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour; it would be correct to say that it is not directly opposite, but locals do describe it as being "by the library"; Bytycci commented that the graffiti didn't have to do with "the church in front of it", but they may have been referring to the cathedral that the graffiti was protesting against or they may have been using my description so that I and others knew what they were referring to, so I wouldn't want to claim that Bytycci agreed with my understanding of the relationships between the buildings.

"Sht[e]pija e Shqiptarit pronarit [This house is Albanian-owned]": this writing was only a few doors down from the last.

Prishtine buildings 31c

Prishtine buildings 31b

Prishtine buildings 31a

Prishtine buildings 30: during the war, members of both sides committed war crimes, though they were committed by Serb nationalists, predominantly; since, however, these war crimes or terrorist acts have been committed by Albanian nationalists, primarily.

I cannot say whether this destruction was caused by Serb nationalists in 1999 or Albanian nationalists in 2000; it should also be noted that, in at least one case, I was informed by locals that the deterioration of the building was a product of neglect, rather than of violence.

"Shtepi eshte Shqiptari [This house is Albanian]": this writing and equivalents to it are seen everywhere; as far as I can tell, it functions to identify Albanian households so that paramilitaries pass over them, in an echo of the story of Passover.

According to the tradition of Passover, the Angel of Death was sent to punish the Egyptians - the Israelites' oppressors - and the Israelites daubed their doors with the blood from sacrificial lambs to identify themselves so that the Angel of Death passed over them.

Prishtine buildings 29: this is a home, damaged but being restored.

Mother Teresa Memorial

"Zgjedhjet legjitimimi sovranitetit Serb mbi Kosove... Debatir [Elections legitimise Serb sovereignty over Kosovo... Debate]"

[Updated on the 12th of February 2007]

Elsewhere, Kosovar told me that, "Debatir is an acronym and it doesn't translate as Debate"; unfortunately, he didn't tell me what it was an acronym of and I haven't been able to find out anywhere else. So, If anyone knows, I would be grateful to find out, but until that time, I can't correct the apparent mistake.

"Stop vrasjet [Stop killing]"

United Nations Mission In Kosovo (UNMIK)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Grand Hotel Prishtina: this is the central hotel for internationals; I could only afford to stay in guest houses or with generous hosts in the Hospitality Club.

Prishtine buildings 28: I do not know what the central building was or what happened to it, but I suspect it was damaged during the 1998-1999 war.

"AAK... Ramush": Ramush Haradinaj was a UCK (KLA) leader who formed the Aleanca per Ardhmerin ne Kosoves (Alliance for the Future of Kosovo), after the war. The AAK and its rival, the PDK (Partia Demokratike e Kosoves [Democratic Party of Kosovo]), were defeated in elections by Lidhja Demokratike e Kosoves (Democratic League of Kosovo), but the AAK entered into a coalition with the LDK and under Rugova as president, Haradinaj was made prime minister. On the 4th of March 2005, however, Haradinaj was indicted for war crimes allegedly committed by him and the KLA troops under his command during the 1998-1999 war against Milosevic and the Serbian nationalists.

"PDK... Thaci": Hashim Thaci was a UCK (KLA) leader who formed the Partia Demokratike e Kosoves (Democratic Party of Kosovo) after the war; the party's reputation was tarnished by the apparent involvement of some of its members in organised crime. Both it and its rival, the Aleanca per Ardhmerin ne Kosoves (Alliance for the Future of Kosovo), formed by another UCK (KLA) leader, Ramush Haradinaj, after the war, were defeated in elections by Lidhja Demokratike e Kosoves (Democratic League of Kosovo), which was formed by the head of the parallel institutions, Ibrahim Rugova.

"Jo standarde [No standards]": although the writing is in the same style as that of the Vetevendosje (Self-determination) organisation's graffiti, one of their members denied their involvement in this dismissal of the United Nations' policy of "standards before status", in which Kosovo would be denied a final decision on status (which would, implicitly, be independence) [until it had achieved certain human rights standards]. The policy of "standards before status" has been singularly unsuccessful, because it punishes civilians for not preventing the acts of gangsters and terrorists who the UN itself has been unable to suppress; it has been supplanted by a policy of "standards with status", in recognition of the fact that it is only with security that the ethnic Albanian majority will feel safe enough to once more live alongside their Serb and Roma former neighbours [so the state could achieve those human rights standards].

"Une Nuk Merrem i ne Interesat e Kosoves [I don't attend to the interests of Kosovo]": this interesting alternative for the acronym UNMIK expresses the popular frustration with the state of affairs in Kosovo six years after its liberation; Kosovo still has unemployment rates of more than 60% and poverty rates of more than 50%, its water and electricity supplies are still unreliable and there is an atmosphere of instability and insecurity, although much of this is produced by business and political interests and mafia and terrorist activity, rather than by UNMIK actions.

There is also the tag, "DNr", which, if it does refer to DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Orders, could still be either a personal or political plea. (DNR orders are directions for those who do not want to be resuscitated if their heart stops, or for the doctors who do not want to resuscitate them, for fear of doing more harm than good.)

"Qendra Tregtare edhe Pallatin e Rinise dhe te Sporteve [Trade Centre and Youth and Sports Building]": the wall hanging is a photograph of Adem Jashari, a UCK (KLA) fighter killed by Milosevic's troops in 1998 along with every other member of his family, adult and child, apart from one eleven-year-old girl.

"'Great Britain: We are with you!' People of Kosova": this notice was posted in many places after the 7th of July bombings in London; cleverly signing it as a notice by the people of Kosova - the Albanian, rather than the prevailing English language, spelling - this expresses the solidarity of the people of a future, independent state of Kosovo. It also feeds into the discourse of the War on Terror that both Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs employ enthusiastically in their attempts to win sympathy for their cause.

Prishtine buildings 27

"Fuck Rugova": Ibrahim Rugova led the non-violent resistance against Serbian nationalist aggression and headed the parallel institutions that Kosovo operated after its autonomy was denied by Slobodan Milosevic; when he involuntarily appeared with Milosevic during the conflict, he was seen by many to be appealing for NATO to stop bombing and by some to be committing treason. Despite challenging Milosevic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, being chosen as president and working tirelessly to achieve the independence and reconstruction of Kosova, a few still target and try to assassinate Rugova as a traitor; it may also be true that they try to assassinate him as a political rival.

Prishtine building 26: these palimpsests - layers of activity that have built up over time - are visible throughout Kosovo.

"Muzeu i Kosoves [Museum of Kosovo]" 5: the "armet gjate shekujve IX-XX ne Kosove [arms from the Ninth to the Twentieth Century in Kosovo]" contains this poster, which reads, "disa pjesetare te UCK-se ne mesin e tyre edhe komandanti i Z.O. [Zones Operative] te Dukagjinit Ramush Haradinaj - 1999 Dukagjin", which translates as roughly, "some UCK [KLA] members and the commander of the Dukagjin Operation Zone, Ramush Haradinaj, in the middle - 1999 Dukagjin".

"Muzeu i Kosoves [Museum of Kosovo]" 4: the "armet gjate shekujve IX-XX ne Kosove [arms from the Ninth to the Twentieth Century in Kosovo]" contains this hanging, which aspires to a time when there are "jo me arme [no more guns]".

"Muzeu i Kosoves [Museum of Kosovo]" 3: "the goddess on the throne" was made by members of the Bardhosh culture about six thousand years ago. As the United Nations' Special Representative of the Secretary-General Michael Steiner said, "she is not the expression of any ethnic group, but represents something that transcends ethnicity and politics - she represents the culture and richness of the whole region".

"Muzeu i Kosoves [Museum of Kosovo]" 2: this is a US army PR exercise. If it weren't for the photographer, they would've been in, photographed and out within two minutes; as it was, he wanted to have a range to choose from, so they had to feign interest for at least five. This can be contrasted with the Museum of the League of Prizren, which has to accommodate large groups of educated and eager visitors from the Multi-National Brigade South-West (MNBSW).

"Muzeu i Kosoves [Museum of Kosovo]" 1: at the time it housed two exhibitions, one of the prehistory of Kosovo, the other of "armet gjate shekujve IX-XX ne Kosove [arms from the Ninth to the Twentieth Century in Kosovo]".

Prishtine building 25: I believe that this is a mosque that was built in the Ottoman period, but I can't seem to find references to it in the material I have to hand; it's quite sad to think that I only have sources about the damaged and destroyed cultural heritage.

Great Hammam: this was built in the Fifteenth Century, but has fallen into disuse and disrepair. UNESCO detailed its "very bad" condition: "stone deterioration, loss of plaster, vegetation growing everywhere. Some cupolas open to the sky, roof completely missing over much of the structure. The sewage system of the shop was routed through the building and this has caused damage to the hypocaust."

"Akademia e Shkencave dhe e Arteve e Kosoves [Academy of Arts and Sciences of Kosovo]"; this was built in the Eighteenth Century.

Prishtine buildings 24: this shows the fifteenth-century Fatih [Imperial] Mosque and neighbouring buildings.

Clock tower: as far as I know, this was built in the Seventh Century C.E.

Sultan Mehmet II al-Fatih [Imperial] Mosque: this is the entrance to the mosque, built for Sultan Mehmet al-Fatih II in 1461. UNESCO has described its "poor" state: "dampness from the roof and the soil. Some areas of stone work are damaged. Cracks in construction elements. Doors and windows need to be repaired."

Prishtine buildings 23: the writing on the premises on the left reads, "pronar shiptar [Albanian owner] / M. Hoti"; curiously, the word for "Albanian" - "Shqiptar" - was misspelled, "Shiptar", as it is when it is used as a racist term. I presume that, as the writer is Albanian, a mistake is excused by those who would otherwise be offended; it It is also possible that, as the term "shiptar" is equivalent to "nigger", it is similarly being reclaimed by its targets.

[Edited and citations added on 16th September 2009]

(I don't think it's pre-war, Kosovo Serb graffiti. The peculiar Racial Slur Database does say that 'its use parallels that of the word "nigger".... [i]n that Albanians use the word "shiptar" to address/describe one another, while taking insult from its use by non-Albanians'. Nonetheless...)

I shouldn't have presumed that the writer was Kosovar Albanian; but Hoti is an Albanian surname (and a Catholic Albanian tribe).

I initially assumed a Kosovar Albanian had written it after the war, because of other graffiti on other buildings that 'this house is Albanian [shtepi eshte Shqiptari]' and 'this house is Albanian-owned [sht[e]pija e Shqiptarit pronarit]'.

In the Urban Dictionary, Strahinja G. wrote that 'Shiptar is a slang word, used by the Serbs, Macedonians and other slavs for albanians. Albanian [i]n alb language is called Shqiptar, so "shiptar" derives from that, but it's mainly used as an insult, not just a term of expression'.

On Fistful of Euros, Douglas Muir commented that '"Shiptar" is a fairly nasty slur, very roughly equivalent to the American "nigger"'.

Prishtine buildings 22: the cobbled street is being maintained; the writing on one of the historic buildings is the tag of the organisation, "Vetevendosje [Self-determination]".

This is the Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments (Instituti per Mbrojtjene Monumenteve Kultutore), which is part of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (Ministria per Kulture, Rini dhe Sport).

Prishtine building 21: with the poverty as prevalent as it is here, it is common to see features - or even entire structures - breaking down, as their owner and guardians are too poor to conserve, let alone restore them.

Sculpture 2: this monument, ostensibly neutral, has to be surrounded with barbed wire to protect it from graffiti artists and possibly more violent attacks.

Sculpture 1: this is, as far as I can tell, a Communist victory monument; in style, it resembles the Communist victory monument in Mitrovice.

[Updated on the 14th of January 2007]

As the sculpture in Mitrovice/Mitrovica turned out to be a monument to mining, rather than victory, so Han_Solo commented that:

This is a monument from communist era, but it is not any "vicotry" monument. It represents Brotherhood and Unity of all nationalities living in former Yugoslavia, ideals spread by Tito (which, by the way kept the same national groups of former Yugoslavia in peace for more than 50 years, the longest in modern history).

Prishtine building 20

Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg: this statue was erected in honour of Gjergj Kastrioti, who was titled Skanderbeg in recognition of the scale of his achievements for the Ottoman Empire (rivalling the successes of Alexander the Great), but who then turned and defended his homeland against Ottoman domination; the wreath marks this, the 600th anniversary of his birth.

"(UNM)IK jasht nga Kosova [(UNM)IK out from Kosova]"; worryingly, the Nazi swastika writing appears to be in the same handwriting as the demand.

[Updated on the 14th of January 2007]

Bytycci commented that:

Swastikas like this are very often older than the other grafitti. Most of them are from the pre-war periods, and often written by Serb kids. But I have seen new ones too, which are likely written by Albanian kids.

"Our Prime [Minister] has a job to do here": these posters are part of a(n unsuccessful) campaign to protect Prime minister Ramush Haradinaj from prosecution for possible war crimes; informal international opinion is divided over whether he will be let off entirely or whether he will be convicted and given a token sentence.

Memorial to Prishtine soldier killed in combat 2; the graffiti in the background reads "dead zone".

"Te gjitheve na mungojne [We are all missing them]"

"Independence for Kosova... the only way to peace in the Balkans"; unfortunately, a minority in Kosovo evidently reject the correlate of this - that peace in the Balkans is the only way to independence for Kosova.

"Fuck the FARK [Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosova]": the FARK was a faction within and a rival of the mainstream KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army), which was led by Hashim Thaci; the paramilitaries were funded with the taxes on Albanian emigres, collected by the government-in-exile, led by President Ibrahim Rugova's Prime Minister Bujar Bukoshi.

Prishtine building 19: the graffiti on the second wall panel reads, "ne jemi kulture perju [we are losing(?) our culture]"; I can't remember or read the writing on the fourth panel.