A brief life of the holy king Dragutin

The holy and pious king Stefan Dragutin Nemanjić, in monasticism Theoktist, was the eldest son of King Uroš and Queen Helena, Saint Helena of Anjou. At birth, he was determined to have the right to succeed his father on the royal throne, and accordingly, he was provided with an appropriate upbringing and education. His biographer testifies to the fact that Dragutin, as a young man, was distinguished by his clarity of mind and was adorned with exceptional piety. Dragutin was married to the Hungarian princess Catherine by his father in 1268. This marriage was preceded by a war between Uroš and Hungary, in which the Serbian king suffered a defeat and, having fallen into captivity, was forced to make concessions. One of the conditions of the peace agreement also concerned the position of his son Dragutin, who, as the future Hungarian son-in-law, was to receive certain areas to govern.Thus, in a Hungarian charter from 1271, Dragutin is mentioned as a “young king”, although his father avoided giving him land to govern and kept him at court. Some interpret this behavior of King Uroš as his despotic character, but it is certainly also a question of statesmanship. Namely, the fragmentation of Serbian territories and the weakening of central authority brought into question the achievements of his previous Nemanjić rule in unifying and strengthening the Serbian national corps. In any case, the young king did not accept such a situation, certainly not without great influence from the Hungarian side. Having secured military assistance from Hungary, he went to war against his father. Archbishop Danilo II claims that before the decisive showdown, the young king once again begged his father to grant him a part of the land to govern, in accordance with the obligations he had undertaken, but King Uroš was not ready to compromise. The decisive battle took place on the Gatačko Polje, in August 1276. Stefan Uroš was forced to abdicate and retreat to a monastery. Dragutin took power in the autumn of 1276 under less than favorable circumstances. The then Archbishop Joanikije followed the defeated King Uroš, so that the church in the Serbian land was left without a leader. The authorities were not satisfied, the treatment of his father significantly tarnished Dragutin’s reputation. According to the Holy Scriptures, the Lord disciplines those he loves, sending physical and mental suffering as a warning. In the sixth year of his reign, according to his biographer, King Dragutin fell from his horse near the town of Jeleč and broke his leg in the fall, which called into question the possibility of continuing his state service. He understood this personal tragedy as a warning from God – punishment for his unfilial behavior towards his father, but also an opportunity to actively atone for his sins. At the council in Deževo in 1282, he abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Milutin, handing over to him all the insignia of autocratic royal power. After his abdication from the throne, Dragutin was given the administration of the region of Srem and Usora by his brother-in-law, the then Hungarian ruler. Dragutin had the blessing of God to stand out as the first in many matters. There were many differences in the holy Nemanjić lineage, and Dragutin was not immune to earthly temptations either. But, also, Dragutin was the first among the Serbian kings who, as a sign of repentance and humility, renounced the throne, and not in old age, but in the height of his strength. He found the strength to spend the rest of his life in service to God and his people, taking on various physical and spiritual feats, in accordance with the Orthodox ascetic tradition. That is why Dragutin is a penitent king, but also a king-ascetic. Towards the end of his earthly feat, he received monastic tonsure, taking the name Teoktist – the one who acquired, gained God. The one who approached God and became close to God. He presented himself to the Lord on March 12, 1316. His body rested in the Đurđevi Stupovi monastery in Ras, but due to the Turkish conquests and devastation, no trace of him was lost. We must not forget King Tvrtko,(great-granddaughter of King Dragutin through the female line) who was crowned in the Mileševa Monastery, next to the White Angel, over the venerable ark of Saint Sava, as King of the Serbs, Bosnia, Primorje and the Hum Land, taking the name Stefan – the dynastic name of the Nemanjićs. Tvrtko’s desire was to base his autocracy on the stronghold of the holy Nemanjić dynasty, precisely on the basis of his kinship with King Dragutin. The endowment consciousness, which was nurtured by all the Nemanjićs, made Dragutin remembered as the founder, restorer and decorator of many holy places: the Sopoćani Monastery, Peter’s Church in Ras, Đurđe’s Pillars and many others. Thus, his name was incorporated into the common work of the holy Nemanjić lineage. Like all Nemanjićs, he was exposed to the influence and pressure of Rome, additionally burdened by the burden of Hungarian politics. His activities, however, unequivocally confirm his firm and unwavering commitment to the Orthodox heritage of St. Sava. The numerous monasteries – from Papraća and Lovnica, through Vozućica and Ozren, all the way to Liplje and Stuplje – are the strongest confirmation of Dragutin’s far-reaching vision, but also of his national commitment. Although we cannot claim with certainty based on historical facts that the king himself was the founder of each of the numerous monasteries in the former regions of Usora and Soli, folk tradition links their establishment precisely to his personality. Is the memory of the holy King Dragutin alive in the contemporary generation of Usora Serbs, and to what extent? We will leave this question without a concrete answer, because any attempt to reach it would inevitably bring with it reproach. The seven hundredth anniversary of the repose of the holy King is an opportunity to correct this mistake, and to renew the memory and tradition of his image and work. The town square in Teslić, which is the heart of the Usora land, will be adorned from this year with a monument to the holy King Dragutin. The crown that has been illuminating this square for many years at Christmas, to the general joy and pride of our people, as if it had announced the arrival, leveled and illuminated the path, so that the people of Serbian Usora would welcome the holy king as worthily as possible. Through the prayers of the holy King Dragutin – monk Theoktist, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy and save us! AMEN!

The Home of King Dragutin Debt to Ancestors, Pledge to Descendants In its sacred history

the pious Serbian people found and testified to God as the eternal Meaning in faith. In that testimony, they confirmed their ancestors and their descendants. Every feat to gather what was scattered had the goal of showing that the life of the Serbian host was enlightened by the Gospel and seasoned with active love for God, homeland and family. In the holy Hilandar, Saint Sava gave us the Gospel as the treasury of Life and taught us how to search for Christ; Saint King Dragutin, as the governor of Usora, the land we walk today, taught us repentance and feat; Saint Prince Lazar showed us how to die for the Gospel in the hope of the Resurrection. And all this, gathered in history, in us, led us to be earthly builders, servants of the true House of God, which He established,for our sake and our salvation. God has so graciously willed that the Serbian people build and create, to continue to decorate what He has begun, and all for the glory of His name. Guided by the glory of the name of God, and with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan of Zvornik and Tuzla, His Eminence Photius, in Teslić in the Summer of the Lord 2025, the construction of the Orthodox Spiritual Center “Holy King Dragutin” began. This spiritual center, as a gathering place with many different contents, aims to form a single whole together with the Church of the Holy Trinity in Teslić – a spiritual complex that will enable the Church to respond to the challenges of the time that is coming to us. In its contents, this home will unite the entire spiritual, cultural, historical and identity heritage of the Serbian Orthodox people from the area of ​​the Hierarchal Vicariate of Teslić.

The planned contents are appropriate for this goal and purpose, and the facility would include:

• a hall for tribunes and lectures in which believers will be taught the truths of faith and the rich cultural treasure that our history carries with it;
• a hospitality room, which will be a table of love;
• a memorial room dedicated to the warfare of the Serbian people with an emphasis on the historical and spiritual significance of all those who have invested their lives in our homeland;
• a memorial chapel dedicated to Serbian saints and martyrs, as a place for spiritual conversation with God in the assembly of all saints from our race;
• a library, archive and treasury that will have an educational character;
• administrative premises: a reception hall and offices of the regency, the Church Municipality, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Sisters’ Circle and apartments for priests.

All of this, combined into one whole, will aim to establish the Serbian people with their Church and show the unity that we must hold on to – and create together.