Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine attended the State programme for the Jubilee Celebration of the Edict of Milan at the archeological site Viminacium where there is an exhibition “Constantine the Great and Edict of Milan 313. – The birth of Christianity in the Roman Provinces on the territory of Serbia”.
H.E. President of Serbia Mr. Tomislav Nikolic oficcially opened the exhibition “Constantine the Great and Edict of Milan“ with 180 artefacts from Emperor Constantine era that have been exhibited.
The exhibition was graced with the presence of: Prof. Dr. Oliver Antic, special advisor to H.E. Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, President of Serbia, H.E. Mr. Ivan Mrkic, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Milan Bacevic, Minister of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning, H.E. Mr. Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, H.E. Mr. Armando Varricchio, Ambassador of Italy, H.E. Mr. Semuel Samson, Ambassador of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Francois-Xavier Deniau, Ambassador of France, H.E. Mr. Masafumi Kuroki, Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Mr. Mohammed Nabhan, ambassador of Palestine, H.E. Mr. Jan Varso, Ambassador of Slovakia, and many other distinguished guests.
“THE EDICT OF MILAN 313 – 2013, SERBIA“ PROJECT is a national programme marking the jubilee – 17 centuries of the proclamation of the Edict of Milan, a legal document which put an end to the three centuries-long persecution of Christians and ensured “the authority of every person to practise the religion that he or she preferred”. The Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Organizing committee for the Event, co-chaired by the President of the Republic of Serbia, His Excellency Mr Tomislav Nikolic, and His Holiness the Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church, decided that the year 2013 be the Year of All-Christian Joy that will be observed in Serbia by a number of events and celebrations. “The Edict of Milan 313 – 2013, Serbia“ Project is of national and international importance and is aimed at national and international publics to explain the wealth and influence of Roman heritage in Serbia in shaping today’s European civilisation, and the contributing to a stronger position of Serbia on the economic, cultural and tourist maps.
A hundred years ago, Serbia also marked the previous anniversary – 16 centuries of the proclamation of the Edict of Milan, in a magnificent way. The celebration was held 28-30 December 1913 in Nis, in the presence of members of the Serbian Royal Family, delegations from Orthodox countries and the Orthodox Churches of Russia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, as written in “Orthodoxy” the newspaper of the Serbian Patriarchy of that time.