NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM V
“1700. Anniversary of the Proclamation of Constantine as Emperor, 306-2006.”

Within the celebration of the St. Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena Day, the City of Niš organized the fifth International scientific symposium "Niš and Byzantium". It was an opportunity for the City of Niš to remind the scientific public, local as well as international, of the 1700 anniversary of the proclamation of Constantine as Emperor (306-2006). Thus the people from Niš have joined the people of York in the aim to enlarge the event that happened in the City of York.

The government of the Republic of Greece (Ministry for education) has recognized the importance of the symposium " Niš and Byzantium ". Nowadays this scientific meeting is considered as a prestigious one and has been put on the world byzantologists' congresses list. This year the symposium was realized with the precious support from the very center of the Byzantian civilization and culture, from the Hellenic Republic Ministry for education, Greek Embassy in Belgrade and Greek Consulate in Niš as well as thanks to the personal engagement of His Excellency Mr. Athanasios Anastopoulos and Greek editing department of the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš.

This support came spontaneously by Greece. Niš, the native place of St. Emperor Constantine who laid the foundations of the Byzantium Empire, together with Greece, the cradle of the Byzantine civilization, are predestinated to persist on the way of establishing the truth about Byzantium. Misunderstandings, or, even delusions on Byzantium from the past times that brought immeasurable damage to the European Unity, are slowly left behind and the knowledge and scientific arguments are exposed at the Niš Symposium.

Long ago forgotten Byzantine dream on one God and the unique Empire, seems to become a reality. That reality was conceived at the moment of Constantine's birth in Niš and began with the proclamation of Constantine as emperor in the far Britain, in the City of York. Therefore the fifth symposium "Niš and Byzantium" undertook the honour to mark the 1700. anniversary of the proclamation of Constantine as emperor.

Also this year, thanks to the great understanding of the University of Niš, the symposium was held in the main University auditorium. As usually, the following exhibition was set up at the University hall. This year it was "Burned down monuments of Kosovo and Metohija– two years after", opened by the City Architect Mr. Jovan Mandić and and one of the authors Mr. Radomir Petrovic.

International byzantologists' symposium "Niš and Byzantium" can not be mentioned apart from the name of the Niš Bishop Irinej who gave his blessing to this meeting and thanks to that it has been maintained. The opening ceremony started with the blessing of the Niš Bishop Irinej and with the welcome word of the Mayor Mr. Smiljko Kostic. The meeting was welcomed also by H.E.Mr. Athanasios Anastopoulos, Consul of Greece in Niš and on behalf of the Greek editing department of Niš Philosophy Faculty the participants were addressed by Dr. Dimosthenis Stratigopoulos. The meeting was opened by Mr. Ioanis Sisiou in Greek and in Serbian, who indicated the general importance and all lamination of the Byzantine Art. The end of the work sessions was crowned by a detour of the urban complex of the glorious Byzantine city named Komplos and its churches, latter Koprijan, the Serbian city fortified by the prepossessing walls.

The symposium participants, excellent connoisseurs of both Niš and Byzantium, contributed by their knowledge to the lightening of the Byzantium past, as well as its reflection on the latter spiritual, cultural and artistic creativeness of Niš, the Balkans and Europe. Thus through the scientific arguments have been revealed the influences of the Byzantine world on the contemporary Europe.

Therefore, standing for the union of Europe, we have to remember St. Constantine, the founder of the Byzantine Empire who culturally, civilizationally and spiritually united European peoples. A well meaning spectator who has good knowledge will remark that that union still lasts, recognizable also through the presented paper works at the International Scientific Byzantologists Symposium NIŠ AND BYZANTIUM.

The scientific power of the symposium participants , exclusivity and quality of the presented paper works , promotion of the work proceedings and its CD version with the website presentation http://www.nis.org.yu/news/doc/pe-konstantin.phtml , make enough guarantee that the tradition of gathering of the famous byzantologists in Niš will be maintained.

Miša Rakocija