The paragraph from the epic "The Fall of Constantinople"

DON'T FORGET

Without delving into the depths of this historical epic "The Fall of Constantinople" by the writer Igor Tintor, as the author himself has left it to you, dear readers, driven by the desire to convey and animate the images of a great historical event as credibly as possible, to make you question and seek answers with your own inquiries, I would like to briefly reflect on this work. Who are we if we forget our past? Are we the masters of our present? Do we have hope for future days and the strength to understand the fate that leads other nations and us... Where? Do we believe that we have the courage to impartially see the world around us and within us, and to draw strength from many legends, myths, true and uncertain historical sources, to look at the misfortune of the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the ruin of its disappearance for the fate of these spaces where we live, increasingly detached from our bright history and gazing into the darkness that spread after the fall of Constantinople, even to this day, in the complex Christian world, our world.

It is as if the epic of the writer Igor Tintor begs us not to forget who we are. Constantine the Great, with his righteous sword and the power of faith, elevated Christianity and liberated it from the clutches of paganism. But he could not foresee that the West and the East would conflict in the interpretation of that faith, and like brothers Cain and Abel, commit numerous sins due to the thirst for power. The bringer of the Edict of Milan and the founder of the city of Constantinople, later Istanbul, did not anticipate the day when the strength of faith would be extinguished by the invasion of barbarians and the general decadence of the Western Roman Empire. However, the Eastern part of the Empire continued to exist as the only legitimate successor to the Roman Empire, and its inhabitants retained the right to be called Romans, passing that right on to other nations that assimilated into it. This empire is more commonly known to us as Byzantium, whose splendor continued to shine in the darkness of barbarism for many centuries. Every light has dark clouds hanging over it, and often that light goes out under the power of a centuries-old storm. Thus, Byzantium had its rise, peak, and fall! This epic is dedicated to the last days of the beast that is breathing its last, left on the windmill of the Western brothers, brothers whose barbarism, with their faith, culture, and strength, returned to the paths of light, and the threats of the Ottoman Empire that surrounded it, ready to deliver the final, deadly blow. The year 1453 closed a new era in front of the walls of Constantinople, marking the end of a civilization that neither the Western powers nor the Ottomans equally desired. Both sides, driven by their interests, longed for its end. Because a beast that is breathing its last is still a beast, and in such a state, still instills fear in those who determine its fate and pass judgment. In such a storm, ironically, the bearer of the name Constantine, the Emperor, tries something impossible. With his bravery, determination, and strength, he tries to raise the fallen beast or at least momentarily dispel the dark clouds that have overshadowed Byzantium. He is forced to reconcile the irreconcilable, to unite the ununitable, to defend the indefensible. Why does the author dedicate the epic to him? Because he poetically admires him as did the defenders on the walls while he led them against the Ottoman threat that had already spilled over the shores of Europe. Perhaps because his roots, Serbian, flow through the veins of the last Byzantine Emperor? Through his mother, Princess Jelena Dragas, he is of Serbian blood, blood that mixed with Greek, his father's. But what bound that blood together? Faith, Orthodoxy. The author knows that Roman blood flows in the veins of his people, that in the days when many forget, he does not want to forget and calls on all of us not to forget who we are and to delve deeper into our history than what is recommended to us from the West. The tragedy of the fate of the Empire and Constantinople, the beloved city of Emperor Constantine Dragas, his desperate struggle to save what is difficult to save, is not only the theme of this epic but also a warning not to forget lightly. By looking at the western side of the world and its civilization, let us remember who elevated that civilization from the ashes of the darkness of many centuries, who kept the flame of the fire of civilization for a long time, resisting the strengthened and forgetful Western forces and the born, new faith and its conquering aspirations, first of the Arab, and then of the Ottoman Empire. The main and secondary characters of this epic, as real protagonists of the decisive battle for Constantinople, intertwine with myths and legends, but this mixing does not distract us from the truth and reality; rather, it compels us to ask deeper questions and provides answers, urging us to search for the truth. The epic "The Fall of Constantinople" by Igor Tintor is a confirmation of the boundless strength and spontaneity of his poetic creation and his plea not to forget and not to humiliate ourselves with forgetfulness, but to remember and pay tribute in the work of our hearts to all the sacrifices given for the defense and our sanctuaries that shone for centuries behind the walls of Constantinople. And let us always remember and respect the heroism and sacrifice of the last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos Dragas. Perhaps it will strengthen us in the belief that the beast will rise again and that Orthodoxy and the Christian world itself will be one soul and one body!? Maybe.

Zoran Đorđević Mid Writer