SERBIA - National review, No 90

Prologue

GALLERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS 

 

Introduction
Wondering

Vitrage
NUMBERS, EVENTS, INTERESTING THINGS

Album
ARE THERE US IN OUR CITIES
The Spirit of Old Neighborhoods

Destinations
IN VALJEVO’S PETNICA, A VILLAGE WHERE THERE IS SOMETHING TO LEARN
Reading of Deep Signs
This beautiful suburban village is one of the few in Serbia where the number of inhabitants on each census is growing slightly. It has a research station and a sports center, a water factory and a lake, four archeological sites. It also has miraculous relics of an unknown saint, which the people believe belong to the holy apostle Luke. This village also remembers the teacher who led the construction of the barn from old stone monuments, as well as the communists Sinđelić who gauged eyes on icons, and became extinct. Hopefully it learned to beware of such madness

Text and Photo: Bojana Nikolić

Guide
SLANO KOPOVO NEAR NOVI BEČEJ, UNIQUE PANNONIAN ECO-SYSTEM
A Natural Rarity in the Plains
This marshy area, stagnant tributary of the Tisa River, is rich in flora and fauna, especially birds. The presence of more than 210 species of birds is recorded, among which 73 species of nesting birds. During the autumn and spring migrations, flocks with more than 20,000 cranes, 10,000 geese, over 30,000 shorebirds and ducks gather here. When those flocks fly... In summer, Kopovo can be seen from afar as a large shining surface, covered with skim of salt. By heating the air above such water, many ”our correct apparitions” appear

Text and Photo: Josip Šarić

Pilgrimages
RAJINOVAC MONASTERY IN BEGALJICA, IN THE VICINITY OF BELGRADE
Under the Shroud of the Theotokos
Perhaps it was really named after Raja, an honorable worker who tragically died there. Perhaps the legend stating that the shrine was the endowment of Despot Lazar Branković, son of Đurđe, is true. What is certain is that this monastery, dedicated to the Nativity of the Theotokos, originates from the XVI century. It was destroyed and renewed several times, suffering just like Serbia has. People say that the miracle of faith and hope is restored through numerous miracles which take place on the spring of the Theotokos near the church and before Her icon, created in Russia three and a half centuries ago

By: Vladimir Janković

Chronicle
DOORS OF THE BALKANS, GATE OF EUROPE, CORD IN THE SHOE OF SERBIA
Prince Miloš’ Street
A bit more than a kilometer and a half long, from Mostar to the Parliament, passing through three municipalities. Many Serbian ministries are in it, even the Government, foreign embassies, important companies, famous buildings. It was the first promenade in Belgrade, one of the first tram lines, Uncle Jova Zmaj and Isidora Sekulić lived there, Miloš the Great built his first real palace there, but never moved in. The ”Monumental Heritage of Prince Miloš’ Street” exhibition in the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Belgrade in the Fortress reminds us of this long history

By: Miloš Lazić

Pro memoria
BAJINA BAŠTA REMEMBERS ITS UNUSUAL SCOTTISH WOMAN
Our Evelina
A fighter for female rights of aristocratic origin, she came to Serbia on foot in 1915 as volunteer nurse. She treated the wounded, fought the planted typhus epidemic, organized the celebration of St. Vid’s Day in Great Britain in 1916 and collected contributions for the hungry people in occupied Serbia. After the war, she returned to Serbia, to Bajina Bašta, and gave her entire, considerable property, for Serbian war orphans. She burned out, treated the weak and ill in remote mountain villages. Evelina Haverfield (1868–1920) died of pneumonia. She is resting in the yard of the Church of St. Elijah in Bajina Bašta

By: Gordana Simeunović

Holy Men
PATRIARCH PAVLE (1914–2009), A CHURCH HEAD WHOSE IMAGE WE CARRY WITHIN OURSELVES AND REFLECT IN IT
Righteous and Godly
In difficult times of disintegration and all kinds of divisions, he was the only one who everyone trusted, without exception. Even those who did not have faith in God. They considered him a living saint, affectionately called him Paja. His national and ethical imperative was ”Let us be people!” His words were quiet yet precise, evangelic and witty at the same time. We had probably never had a more mild-tempered and humbler head of our church. They say that his funeral, with a million people attending, was the biggest that ever took place in Belgrade. We lived in the time of Patriarch Pavle and Metropolitan Amfilohije, which is not a small gift from God

By: Dragan Lakićević

Palette
MLADEN SRBINOVIĆ (1925–2009), PROFESSOR AND ACADEMICIAN, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT FIGURATIVE PAINTERS IN OUR LANDS
Sound in Visual Arts
Regular professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, member of SANU, one of the most successful mosaic artists in second Yugoslavia. He was the favorite professor of students, so some grudged that his students began resembling him after a while. It is, however, without doubt that they had a significant influence on him as well. As an already formed painter with a unique poetics, he found the strength for a great turn towards national subjects, Serbian ethos and ethnos, national mythology and esthetics

By: Dejan Đorić

Connections
BABKEN SIMONYAN, ARMENIAN POET AND HONORARY CONSUL OF SERBIA IN EREVAN
Where You Must Sing
He has been in Serbian history and language ever since his high school days, studying it since the early seventies. He has visited Kosovo and Metohija for the first time in 1993 and was permanently touched by the beauty of Serbian shrines. Since then, it has become the inevitable subject of his poetry. He still remembers the old house from his childhood, the yard, fountain, because they are the unmovable melancholic strongholds of his world. He was most influenced by Armenian medieval poet-monk Gregory of Narek and Serbian poet-bishop Njegoš. He dreams about the reuniting of the torn apart Armenian homeland. In order for the dream to come true, every Armenian must keep the dream within themselves as long as it takes

By: Mišo Vujović

Winner
SVETISLAV PEŠIĆ, CELEBRATED BASKETBALL EXPERT AND SERBIAN NATIONAL TEAM COACH
The Life of a Coach Is No Fairytale
That is how he wanted to entitle his autobiography. Not only to explain what success is, but also how to achieve it. How victories could become illusions, and how defeats could be a cure. We still did not really understand what has changed in the essence of the epoch, we are still searching for ourselves and important elements of our identity, our real measures. At this moment, optimism is not sufficient, decisions are important. The courage to perceive and confront, to call things by their real name. The final outcome does not depend only on him and his team, he says, but also on many other circumstances. He guarantees about himself and his maximum in everything else: ”A battle of life and death!”

By: Dejan Bulajić

Development
ALEKSANDRA ĆIRIĆ, NEW PRESIDENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF RUMA
Ecology in Focus
Extensive economic activity is the basis for the most ambitious municipal budget in the last twenty years. The focus remains on infrastructure, environment, population policy, social and health care, child safety, culture and sports. There is a clear desire to justify the trust of the people and make Ruma an even better place to live

Health
WIDE RANGE OF SPA AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS IN VRNJAČKA BANJA
Restoring Balance
Consequences of the pandemic, the stress too long and too deep, ”terrible speed of time”, harmful lifestyle, dangerous pretentiousness and recklessness of modern people ... Body and mind remember everything, negativities accumulate. There are no ”sudden system breakdowns”. One has to think about it in time. Vrnjačka Banja has solutions for that, and we have Vrnjačka Banja

Bridges
”MERKUR” AT THE ”EXPO” WORLD EXHIBITION IN DUBAI
Market Expansion
Serbia is presented as an attractive destination, with modern spa centers. Tourist brand ”Experience! SERBIA.” – as part of the new marketing strategy in Serbian tourism – was the central element of the appearance. It was a nice opportunity to study good world tourist practices first hand