Meticulous record of more than 300 medieval structures, extensive fieldwork on numerous archeological sites, more than 100 texts and several critical books on medieval architecture mark professor Aleksandar Deroko's work on preserving medieval architectural heritage in Serbia and the former Yugoslavia. They are all aptly illustrated with his drawings and photographs. Deroko's genuine interest in medieval architecture and its preservation shaped his student days between the two world wars, a period also characterised by a clash between traditionalism and modernism in architecture. Destruction from war, public negligence of medieval heritage, the so-called "golden rush" when many hoped to uncover lost medieval treasures, and the overall lack of clear methodologies for the preservation of architectural heritage displeased young Deroko, who often publicly expressed his opinion on the urgent need for medieval structures to be saved and restored, and in particular religious architecture. Even his undergraduate thesis for his architectural degree, which focused on the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade, was inspired by medieval religious architecture and its values. This paper addresses the relevance of Deroko's work today, especially in the light of his understanding of medieval architecture as art and a dynamic cultural symbol relevant for architectural practices.