SERBIA - National review, No 93

Prologue

GALLERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS 

Introduction
Newspaper for Kindling

Vitrage
NUMBERS, EVENTS, INTERESTING THINGS

Album
SIXTEEN LAKES OF SREM
The Eyes of the Plain

Guide
UŽICE GREEN LANE, FROM THE OLD BRIDGE TO STAPARSKA BANJA, SECOND IN EUROPE
Down the Lane of Vanished Trains
In the past, the slow–moving ”Ćira” and ”Ludi Sarajlija” used to clatter there, on a narrow track, and after Šargan, they descended towards Mokra Gora and Višegrad in a miraculous eight. In 2016, the ”Užice Green Trail” was built on that path and the following year it was declared the second in Europe (after the Belgian ”Vennbahn” and ahead of the Portuguese ”Rio Minho”). You may see a lot along those six kilometers. The first European hydroelectric power plant built according to Tesla’s principle (1900), a medieval fortress with an exciting history (14th century), a dam and a waterfall, a mountain lake, a spa, the reconstruction of a Neolithic settlement. You can ride a boat, bike, minibus, fly on a zipline over the canyon, hike. You can also give up, if you are not sorry

Text and Photo: Dragan Bosnić

Bells
ON A TOUR OF LOG CHURCHES IN THE NEGOTIN VALLEY
Orphaned and Wounded Shrines
Such a tradition of construction, different from hose over the Drina, was brought here by Serbian settlers from Kosovo and Metohija, most likely those from the Prizren area. And over there across the Great Morava, there are only three more of these churches and they are all on the slopes of Deli Jovan. They were of great importance to the people, especially in difficult times. They guarded the faith and hope and the dream of freedom in centuries of darkness. Although of weak construction, they have survived for over two centuries. The people once took care of them and constantly repaired them. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case today

Text: Stanko Kostić and NR Pres

Notebook
IN AEGINA, IN THE SARONIC SEA, WITH ST. NECTARIOS AND ANCIENT GUARDIANS
Paper Notes for the Otherworldly
From this island, the youngest among manifested Greek saints departed ”into the distance and silence”. He, Nectarios, the heavenly beverage. Behind him, up to the very day, remain miracles and this most popular place of pilgrimage in Greek Orthodox Christianity. Here is the first ancient Greek altar and the oldest preserved temple. Great sanctities from the fallen Constantinople were hidden here in refuges. Aristophanes, comediographer, was born here, this is where Kazantzakis translated Nietzsche’s Zarathustra and created Zorba the Greek. This is where we left one of our wandering late summers and took with us an entire future book

By: Branislav Matić

Anchoring Points
ARCHIVE OF THE SERBIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS IN SREMSKI KARLOVCI
Modern Age Memorabilia
Just as Dubrovnik, Chilandar and Constantinople archives are for Middle Ages, this Archive in Sremski Karlovci is one of the pillars of Serbian modern age history. Managed by exquisite historian and writer Žarko Dimić, PhD, it keeps the archive of patriarch Arsenije Čarnojević, archives of the Metropolitanate of Karlovci, Magistrate, Gymnasium, most part of documents of the Diocese of Dalmatia… as well as many private legacies. It is defending us from our own oblivion. The great endeavor of organizing and digitalization of this voluminous material, consisting of more than three million documents, 48 funds and numerous smaller collections, is currently in progress

By: Zorica Todorović Mirković

Lyre
VASKO POPA (1922–1991), METAPHYSICIST, LYRICAL ASTRONOMER, MYTHOSOPHER
A Long-Lasting Poet
On the vertical from ”Bark” to ”Secondary Heaven”, from the depths of ”Wolf’s Salt” to Belgrade – ”white bone among clouds” – stands ”Earth Erect”. Its sign is a sword with its peak in a cloud. Engravings are seen on that sign: pilgrimages to Serbian monasteries, hagiography of St. Sava, a small lyrical epic about the Battle of Kosovo, uprising rosary of Crni Đorđe (Black George), and finally Belgrade with its births and postcards in the foundations of existence. (…) Poetry is both a small magical box and the poplar cut down to widen a street. ”Don’t give up my dear!”

By: Dragan Lakićević

Wreath
HOMAGE TO BOŽANA JOVANOVIĆ (1932–2020), PAINTER OF COSTUMES, IN THE NATIONAL THEATER IN BELGRADE
Her Third Hand
Somewhere between unreal reality and real unreality blossomed her twenty-thousand-day-long magic. A hand of a master, they say, cannot be described, it has to be interpreted. With her costumes she resolved characters, dressed actors into roles. Even in great scarcity, she managed to surprise everyone. She didn’t dress bodies, she uncovered souls. She tailored rags into a patchwork of her masterpieces. She sewed broken pieces of human characters into a mosaic of their fate. Stevo Žigon, her brother-in-law and associate, claimed that all great writers were in love with her. And director Franco Zeffirelli waited for her until his death

By: Radomir Milić

Horizons
POET VEROLJUB VUKAŠINOVIĆ ABOUT POETRY AND THE WORLD, ABOUT SERBIA AND LASTING
There Is no Lyrics without Faith
It’s not easy to say whether this world is a ”drunken ship” or Noah’s Arch, but too much is taking an apocalyptic tone. Man must be confused, frightened and indignant. In this pink vulgarism, full of tricks for dumbing down people, genuine culture is pushed to the bottom of the ladder. Poisonous media are surrounding, crisscrossing and distracting us. People, villages, words, are disappearing. However, living lyrics is possible, lyrics of nature and language. We know what we have to do so as not to become people drowning in colonial globalism. We have the golden thread that holds and keeps us together

By: Bane Velimirović

Sound
”FISH IN OIL”, A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BAND FROM BELGRADE, PERSISTENTLY DEFENDING AN IDEA
Instinctive Musicians
They say that their art history smells like the street; that they are on the margins, that Modigliani, Soutine, Basquiat, are their friends. They read various books, they are engaged in other arts, but the basis of their music is not theoretical. Defending themselves from the epochal invasions of mediocrities, from harmful politicians and critics, they are attempting to create their own little world, their fortress of meaning and sound and dedication. Like John Zorn, like Jack Smith. They are dealing with instrumental music only, under a strong influence of missing lyrics

By: Zorica Babić

Winner
ANGELINA TOPIĆ, SERBIAN HIGH JUMPER AND BEST EUROPEAN YOUNG ATHLETE FOR 2022
Highflyer
At the age of only seventeen, she broke the senior record from 1988 and became the best Serbian woman’s high jumper. She evened the best world result in young junior category. In Jerusalem, in her category, she won European gold. And she won bronze medal at the senior European Championship in Munich, as the youngest contestant. All that in three turbulent months last summer. European Olympic Committees elected her in September as best young female athlete of the old continent. She is daughter of Dragutin Topić, record holder in high jump, and Biljana Topić, record holder in triple jump. She will be in junior category for another two years, and her ascension is actually just beginning

By: Dejan Bulajić

Examples
”DR MILAN BUDIMIR” LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND IN BELGRADE
The Power of Book in the Darkness
Many have been taught to believe ”only what they see with their eyes”. But it is a great thing to understand those who cannot see anything. To see those who cannot see. Help them to endure, to overcome the obstacle. The employees of this library do just that. More than 12,000 blind and visually impaired people in Serbia thus get the opportunity to acquire knowledge, preserve meaning, be part of their culture and society, express their talents, and overcome the problems that life has imposed on them

By: Slađana Novaković

Encounters
”CULTURAL SUMMER” IN RUMA BRINGS JOY WITH ABUNDANCE
Two Months of Good Sound
It was not necessary to go anywhere from Ruma last summer. Thanks to the great efforts of the Municipality and cultural institutions, the City Square, the swimming pool and other places were bursting with quality programs. There were classics, rock, pop, newly composed music, heritage folk dances and songs... A great crowd poured in from different sides. Truly, everyone could find something for themselves. And all that at a level of which they can be proud

Recommendation
VRNJAČKA BANJA OFFERS YOU A SPECIAL FAMILY VACATION
Vacation with Children
Playgrounds, amusement parks, trails, aqua park, swimming pools, zoo, labyrinth, mountain adventures, soon a Ferris wheel... The children will not be bored, you will not have a hard time, and you will spend a lot of quality time together. Vrnjačka Banja has designed spaces and facilities for that. If you are planning your next family adventure, then you know what to do

Health
PHYSIOTHERAPISTS, AN IMPORTANT LINK IN OUR ENFEAVOR TO STAY HEALTHY
Active All Life Long
”Merkur’s” exercise class in the central park of Vrnjci gathered hundreds of people this September. The goal was more than just marking the International Day of Physiotherapists