SERBIA - National review, No 66

Prologue

GALLERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS 

Prologue
GUIDES TO OUR LIVES
Flies on a Hook

Vitrage
NUMBERS, EVENTS, INTERESTING THINGS

Album
ATLAS OF AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY
Ars Phantastica

Paths
IN THE YOUNGEST NATURE PARK IN SERBIA
The Hidden Zlatibor
”Zlatibor” Nature Park covers nearly 42.000 hectares, making it the sixteenth biggest in the country. The most remote areas of untouched nature are under the highest level of protection. The main idea is to prevent further uncontrolled construction work outside of the Zlatibor settlement and thus preserve natural beauties of the central part of the mountain. Now, within the area of extraordinary importance, objects of nature, rare flora and fauna species, traces of old cultures, remains of traditional folk architecture, gain a special value

Text and Photo: Svetlana Dingarac

Waters
HYDROTECHNICAL HERITAGE OF VOJVODINA AND ITS POTENTIALS
Less Known Face of the Plain
They were endless marshes and brought many troubles. A boundless puddle which sometimes threatened to swallow everything. Efforts to make canals for draining surpluses of water, dry the marsh and turn it into granaries began in the XVIII century. The construction of the 110 kilometers long Big Canal of Bačka began already in 1793. Last year observed sixty years since the beginning of the Danube-Tisa-Danube hydrosystem construction. Today it is a network of natural and artificial water streams, almost a thousand kilometers long, thereof 600 navigable. There are 86 bridges on it, many locks, dams, pumping stations… A real treasure waiting to be utilized better

Text and Photo: Miodrag Grubački

Party
CELEBRATION OF THE SERBIAN NEW YEAR IN RUMA
Jolly Count-Down
In Srem, people already know that this evening is the most interesting in Ruma, so many gather there. This time, ”Neverne bebe”, Dragana Radosavlјević, and the local ”Boca bend” performed on the crowded City Square. People sang both on stage and in the audience, as it should be. The municipality of Ruma, the sponsor of the celebration, did its best. And it will continue to support this nice custom

Text and Photo: Mile Vajagić

Care
Religious Charity Trusteeship of BELGRADE MOVES MOUNTAINS
The Heart Heals Everything
Renewed in 1996, upon the orders of then Patriarch Pavle, this Trusteeship prepares and distributes thousands of meals. It offers educational, legal, medical (...) support free of charge. It helps orphanages, shelters, nursing homes. Its members visit the ill and weak, prisoners, hospitals, especially pediatric oncology departments. Especially important is the concrete support to Serbian families to have four and more children, as well as the intention to apply extraordinary Russian experiences in Serbian lands to stop the birth rate drop of catastrophic proportions

By: Danijela Knežević Stevanović

Pilgrimages
IN JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY, BURSTING WITH ANCIENT MEMORIES
Eternal Return Home
This city of cities is sacred for three big religions. The City of Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Son of God. God took the dust for creating the first man from here. From here, from the Rock of Genesis, the world spread into its present form. This is where Cain and Abel made offerings to God, this is where prophet Mohammad ascended in his sleep. Faith here grows into true joy. Into a feeling of ”presence of God”. Patriarch Teophilos the Third tells us: ”Each arrival to Jerusalem for us believers is a return home”

Text and Photo: Dušica Milanović

Notebook
A DIFFERENT VIENNA, BROUGHT IN OUR YOUNG EYES
Colorful Face of the Old Strictness
Vienna might really be the ”night sky full of rainbows”. Maybe one can see everything from the heights of the giant carousel. Maybe the one in the Museum district or ”Butterfly House” is the liveliest face of modern Vienna. Maybe one should really shuffle cards more often to understand the time and its game. It is nice that all of us can see the city differently. By our measure

Text and Photo: Dragana Barjaktarević

Lighthouses
ST. LUDMILA, SERBIAN PRINCESS FROM THE IX AND X CENTURY
Pillar of the Northern Nemanjić Lineage
Her father Slavibor was duke of Milceni, a large Polabian tribe in White Serbia. She became wife of Duke Bořivoj. The two of them were the first in Bohemia to be baptized, by the hand of St. Methodius personally. After her husband’s death, she preserved the lives of her sons and thereby founded the famous Přemyslid dynasty, which ruled for about four centuries. She brought up her grandson Wenceslaus, future king, in Christian and old Slavic spirit, enabling him to successfully oppose Germanization. Her distant descendant is Sigmund of Luxembourg, the one who gave Stefan the management of Belgrade. She died a martyr death and rests in the Church of St. George in Hradčany (Prague Castle). Miracles have been happening on her tomb for centuries

By: Tatjana Marković

Traces
A SHORT CHRONICLE OF A FAMILY THAT LEFT A SIGNIFICANT TRACE IN RECENT SERBIAN HISTORY
Knights of Garaš
They were revolutionaries, ministers, prime ministers, national strategists, writers, scientists. They gave three Academy members – great grandfather, grandfather, (great) grandson – a rare, perhaps even unique example in the world. They carried their family name, Garašanin, as a measure and obligation, not privilege. Even today, Ilija’s ”Memorandum” is one of the most frequently mentioned Serbian documents

By: Petar Milatović

Worlds
PAINTER RANKO KRSTAJIĆ AND HIS RAY OF THE MICROCOSMS
The Primal Speech about Meaning
He is a son of Montenegro, resembling Njegoš. His fantastic realism is no aesthetic dandyism, decadency or pose. In his spiritual speleology, Krstajić descends below mountains, rocks and stars, to the very spring of life, to paint its pulses, rhythm and breathing. In accordance with his last name, there is much of Christ-like in this iconography and understanding of the world. The ancient originates from Christ’s passion, the mysticism of his heart transforms cosmic into divine

By: Dejan Đorić

Ethno
SVETLANA STEVIĆ, FOLK SINGER, VOICE FROM THE DEPTHS OF SERBIA
Songs Protect the Truth about Us
We had difficult times before, when Serbian people were forced to be silent, to quiet down. However, even then, they weren’t separated from God, they didn’t renounce their family saints and customs, although sometimes they had to put covers over the windows. What hit us today, new yet ancient, will also pass, like any scourge. We’ll survive and return to where we need to be. Our identity is strong and has deep roots. We’re not born yesterday and we’ll not disappear tomorrow. Our old songs, legends, wisdoms, the enormous treasury of knowledge and experience, teach us that. There are also enough young people capable of preserving the flame until dawn

By: Vlada Arsić

Champions
MOMČILO VUKOTIĆ, FOOTBALL CHAMPION, BETWEEN NOSTALGIA AND HOPE
Sports Swallowed by Money
He still remembers his hundredth goal scored for ”Partizan” in a game against ”Dinamo” in Zagreb. And the goal in the 3:2 victory against ”Zvezda”. And the goal against Italy in Torino in 1972, at his debut for the Yugoslav national team... Picture by picture, he reaches his childhood in Rakovica, when they played without pressure, just for the sake of the game... Today, of course, everything is different. Football is not a game anymore, but a part of entertainment industry and large scope business. Money extinguished its charm and brought calculation. However, Moca still plays football once a week with his mates and takes his grandson to trainings

By: Dejan Bulajić

Connections
WINNERS OF THE SEVENTH MTS APP COMPETITION ANNOUNCED
Knowledge Is Always Awarded
There were 22 applications in the competition, from 14 high schools in Serbia that implement to the program for talents in mathematics, informatics and computer science. The awards went to Niš, Senta, Belgrade and Šabac. The winners will participate at the ”Regional app Challenge” in late February in Belgrade, when they will compete with the best teams from BiH and Montenegro

Studies
BELGRADE BUSINESS SCHOOL AND ITS MODELS OF CONNECTION
Your Road to Success
This college takes care of its students even after they graduate. Employment of students through professional internship programs is one of its fundamental commitments. Therefore, it builds quality cooperation with successful companies, and therefore it is one of the leaders in applied education. One of its new projects is the establishment of the Alumni Association, the association of alumni of Belgrade Business School, many of whom are in influential positions in the state and economy. The objective: their business networking, exchange of experience and mutual assistance, further professional development and keeping the ties with the School

Health
SPECIAL ATTRACTION OF ”MERKUR’S” SEASONAL OFFER
The Magic of Winter Holiday
If you need peace and the renewing power of nature, the benefits of medicinal water and advanced medical programs, treatment or preventive action, an old-fashioned or modern concept of accommodation, Vrnjačka Banja is the right place for you at this time of year. ”Merkur’s” packages were carefully designed to meet the needs of even the most demanding guests