Category: Serbia

Posts about the culture, events, language, etc. of Serbia.

Što Te Nema? (Why Aren’t You Here?)

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Sto Te Nema Memorial Monument, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

On my first evening in Burlington, Vermont, I decided go for a walk on Church Street. This is the “walking street” of the city and has many shops, restaurants, etc. and besides the waterfront, it is the most popular tourist area. While ambling down the street, I swore I heard people speaking Serbian. It turned out to be a group of Bosnians and University of Vermont students and employees who were putting together the monument you see above.

The coffee cups are filled with Bosnian coffee and are placed on the ground. Each cup represents one of the victims of the Srebenica, Bosnia, massacre which took place on July 11, 1994. The cups are collected by Bosnian women organizations as well as the artist herself who originally conceived the project.

I arrived while they were just starting to pick up. They didn’t notice my Red Star t-shirt in Cyrillic script. Monday marked the 17th anniversary of the sad event. I snapped a few photos and continued my walk. The massacre has been in the news a lot recently with the arrest of General Mladic.

Vestiges of Communism in Belgrade

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"The Messenger" - A Sculpture by Stevan Bodnarov

There are reminders of the 50 years of communism all throughout Belgrade. Above is a sculpture by Badnarov, who has several statues around the city including the one in the center of Slavija Circle. The one above is of a Partisan soldier in WW II and it is entitled “The Messenger” but I am not sure what he is referring to. Is there a Paul Revere in Yugoslavia? The work is located outside the Center for Culture and Sport “Šumice” here in Belgrade. Our ISB boys’ basketball team played an exhibition tourney there on Friday. The German School invited us and Public High School #13 to play and they rented the facilities. It was a beautiful basketball arena and there seemed to be some other sport venues in the complex. The Serbians love their sport and it is nice to have such a facility like this owned by the city and open to the public. It had that communist architecture feel to the place. Below is a photo of the gym. I wonder how long it will take to eliminate all signs of the communist era. There are so many cement apartment buildings, parks, and monuments that will remind future generations of that period in Serbia’s history. I like it because it is so different than anything I see in Michigan.

Book Review of “The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car In History”

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early Zastava Yugo 45, originally uploaded by Yugo Driver.

I just finished reading the book by Jason Vuic, who is a history professor in Virginia. With his last name, he probably has Serbia or Croatia in his ethnic background. The book was okay but not fantastic. It might be that I am not a car fanatic and most of the book dealt with the US side of Yugo. The writing was also a bit dry with lots of stats, but not many interviews with the characters brought up in the book. Vuic could have brought them to life a bit more and I wish he would have had more access to them. It was important however, that the story of Yugo America be published. In the 1980’s, I was in the market for a cheap, entry-level car when the Yugo came out, and I remember the time well. My parents ended up buying me a Ford EXP and then a Ford Escort instead of a Yugo.

I did enjoy parts of the book, especially the sections that dealt with the Zastava plant in Serbia. The plant is located in Kragujevac, which is the “Detroit” of Serbia. When the Americans came over and wanted to import the car, they were shocked at the conditions at the factory. It really gave me insight into the Communist Era of Yugoslavia. The car was basically a cheaply made Fiat car produced by a socialist industrial complex. Of course it was going to fail in the US. It was also interesting to read about the Croatian immigrants in the USA and their protests against the car. They viewed it as a symbol of Serbian and Communist dominance of Croatia. I didn’t know that they actually hijacked a plane in the US to protest the lack of Croatian independence before the break up of communism. It was also interesting to read about Lawrence Eagleburger, the former US Ambassador to Yugoslavia. I was also interested in reading a bit more about the Mackinac Bridge accident. A woman drove off the bridge that separates the two peninsulas of Michigan in 1987 while driving a Yugo.

It would be cool for the school to buy a Yugo. I would paint it blue and gold and attach a dragon’s head and tail to it. We could use it for sporting events, picnic days, etc.

Mladic Finally Caught

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This is a photo of the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo, Bosnia. In April of 1992, snipers from the top floors of the Holiday Inn started shooting upon marchers in a peace rally. This marked the escalation of violence and the start of the three year siege of Sarajevo. The siege and much of the war in Bosnia was led by the Bosnian Serb General, Ratko Mladic. He was caught this week by police after a long spell as a fugitive from the United Nations sponsored, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia I took the photo of Holiday Inn while visiting the city in October of 2009.
He had a sort of Bin Laden status here in Serbia. I’ve seen his Most Wanted poster in the airport and other government buildings often. The Tribunal indicted him back in 1995 for his role in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the conflict from 1992 – 1995. Authorities captured him on a raid on his cousin’s home in the village of Lazarevo, a small farming community close to Belgrade. The arrest was huge news in Serbia, and made headlines around the world.
He is most infamous for his role in the massacre at Srebenica.  Around 8,000 civilians were executed in this Bosnian border city, when his troops entered the UN “safe haven.” The PBS/BBC documentary that I linked to above, is an excellent introduction to the event. He was eventually asked to step down from his post, as the war moved into a stalemate. The Bosnian Serbs had overwhelming military force and took up to 70% of Bosnia, but it was reduced to 49% with the Dayton Accords of 1995. Shortly thereafter, the UN Tribunal indicted him, but he lived freely under military protection until Milosevic was ousted in1999. The 16-year time span that he was a “fugitive” is actually only 11, because he went into hiding not until 2000.
I am glad that he will have to go through the trial and the facts of the case will be documented by the court. I would prefer it to occur in Serbia or Bosnia instead of the Hague. It would be better for the Yugoslavians to deal with it, rather than foreigners. I feel it would help in the acknowledgment and speed the reconciliation process.
Why did it take authorities 11 years to finally capture him? I am not sure and I would like to hear from some expert readers. I think one of the big reasons was his failing health and he wanted the free health care that the Hague would provide. At age 69, he looks much different than he did 11 years ago when he went into “retirement.” Reports indicate he may have suffered a stroke and lost mobility in one of his arms. I wish I could read Serbian to get more of the details because it is of course receiving full coverage in the papers.
The reaction here in Belgrade is muted. Most of the Serbs I talk to are either happy that justice will be served and they do not feel sorry for him, or they are tired of hearing about for the past 11 years and are glad that the country can move on. Of course, most of the Belgraders I am acquainted with cosmopolitan and well educated. Mladic’s support comes from the military and poor, rural Serbia where he has been hiding. There was a small group of soccer hooligans downtown this week protesting the arrest. They were chanting “knives, barbed wire, Srebenica” which is a soccer slogan. I need to get some more information on this and I’ll ask around. The mood in Belgrade is much different than when former Bosnian Serb President, Radovan Karadzic was caught in July of 2008. I also think he wanted to spend some time with his family before he dies. He has not been in contact with his wife and son and grandchildren since he went into hiding. They have suffered much. Mladic’s daughter committed suicide in 1994, and it is speculated she could not come to grips with his acts as the “Butcher of Bosnia,” one of his nicknames.
I’ll try to follow some of the trial, but it is so drawn out that it probably won’t start for another year or so. I predict he’ll die before a verdict is reached due to failing health. I am not sure what the implications will be of his capture. Serbia has lots of reform to do before it gets into the European Union. The arrest will help, but they need to clean up the economy, justice system, infrastructure, etc. And with the current state of the EU and it’s currency and immigration issues, I don’t see them expanding in the near future. I feel strongly that Serbia should first try to join “Yugoslavia” before going towards the EU. The Balkans make a natural economic and cultural block that would help the lives of its citizens even more than entry into the EU.

“The Yugo” An Icon of Yugoslavia

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Yugo, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Above is a photo I snapped last weekend while waiting in traffic. The main bridge between New Belgrade and the old city is under repair and has been causing traffic back ups. The “Yugo” or Zastava Koral 55 is an icon of the Former Yugoslavia. They are the source of many jokes both in the US, where they were sold in the 1980’s and here in Serbia.

I love them and hate them. I love them because they are so derided in the media and by people, that it almost makes it cool to drive one. I would love to buy one just to tool around the city in. I would even paint it in our school colors and have it as a “mascot” of the school.

They are an annoyance on the highway however. I wish I had a laser beam in the front of my car that would lift a Yugo in the air so I could ride underneath and then safely place it back down. I think their max speed must be around 60-80 km per hour and I’ve spent many an hour behind them, looking for an opportunity to pass.

The Yugo has a personal connection to me. In my home state of Michigan, the following tragedy occurred:

In 1989, 31-year-old Leslie Ann Pluhar, driving a 1987 Yugo over the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan, died when her Yugo was blown over the bridge’s 36-inch (910 mm) railing by a 50 mph (80 km/h) gust of wind. The incident was widely publicized, with the make of car prominently identified. While Mackinac Bridge Authority’s chief engineer initially thought the car was exceeding the 45 mph (72 km/h) speed limit enforced on the bridge, it was later discovered that Pluhar had panicked when the high winds made driving too difficult and stopped the Yugo on the bridge. The act of stopping the car denied it the downforce generated by forward motion, and along with the car’s light weight, blew the Yugo off the bridge.

I want to read a recent book about the Yugo in America, so expect to see more posts about these cool old cars around Serbia. I asked the guy if he was having car problems or out of gas and he said no. As we got closer to the intersection, he hopped back in and started the car right away. He might have been trying to conserve gasoline, which yesterday was $7.12 per gallon! (ouch!)

Hike in Fruska Gora National Park

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Last Sunday the ISB Hiking club went on our first hike of the spring season. We left from the village of Bukovac in the Fruska Gora National Park. This is an area of small hills outside of Novi Sad. Owen is pictured with his friend Ognjen at a cross at Vilina Voda (Nymph’s Spring) where we stopped to fill our water bottles. We were walking through the rolling hill woodlands of the park. They are not huge mountains or anything super impressive, but just really pleasant on a beautiful spring day.You can see my Serbian nature blog for some of the wild flowers and animals we photographed.

I was surprised on how much the boys remember from our previous hikes and camping experiences. The fresh air, tall trees, and green life really refreshes my soul. It reinforced my goal of developing an appreciation and longing for wilderness in my children. Below the I showed the boys “wigglers” or larval mosquitos. There were thousands of them in a small pool on the base of a tree. It led to a discussion of DDT and poisons in the environment. They are catching my enthusiasm for identifying plants and animals.

Great Night Out!

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We had a rare evening out this past Monday in Belgrade. We had tickets to the Shakira concert at the Belgrade Arena, so we decided to go out to dinner first after work.

I finally got to enjoy one of the “splavs” in Zemun. These are the floating restaurants, bars, and cafes that are moored along the banks of the Danube in the suburb of Zemun. It was quite peaceful and elegant to be having a dinner and drinks with the Danube slowly flowing by. We ate at Žabar’s, which is a nickname for Italians here in Serbia as well as žaba which means frog. My buddy Claudiu and I had the fish while Nadia and Vesna had the turkey. Excellent meal and cool atmosphere – I highly recommend it. We are pictured out front of the restaurant and you can see the river in the background. You can go to my flickr.com account for more photos. I definitely be back to the splavs again, as there are many in Belgrade.

Shakira Performs at the Belgrade Arena

The concert was pretty good. I am surprised at the appeal to a wide range of ages Shakira has. Her costumes and dancing were quite racy. I have a special bond with Shakira because I lived in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia when I first started teaching overseas. She didn’t play any of her old stuff, but she did sing the words, “Barranquilla” during one of her songs, but I don’t think many in the audience caught it. I was pumped to here the World Cup song, “Waka waka hey hey – This time it is for Africa” and I’ll post the video a bit later. I wouldn’t go see her again. I think she was lip-synching some of the songs and I got bored of watching her belly dance. Maybe I’m getting old…

My Neighborhood: The Presidential Residence in Dedinje

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Presidential Motorcade, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Our little street in Dedinje serves as one of the entry/exits for the President of Serbia. The official residence is just down the block from our apartment and has several entrance routes. One of them is also our street and as you can see from above, secret service guys in black Mercedes occasionally come through with the President.
The residence is not like the White House in the US, where it is also an office and tourist attraction. The President works downtown near Parliament. The home is set back from the street quite away and with the high walls and trees it is difficult to see from the road. It is not the same Presidential residence that was used in the 90’s by Milosevic, which I blogged about earlier.
It is not like having Barak Obama living down the street. Serbia is a much smaller country than the US and people are generally not awed by the celebrity of the office. It is a bit annoying because of my children use the street for riding their bikes and skateboards. The motorcade sometimes comes out of there quite quickly, like they are on an emergency escape.

Visit to the Karadjordjevic Family Mausoleum

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St. George’s Church, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

In the spirit of Britian’s Royal wedding this week, we visited the Serbian royal family’s Mausoleum and museum complex in the small town of Topola, Serbia. Topola means “poplar tree” in Serbian and is located in the heart of Šumadija, the forested center of Serbia. This is the place where the founder of the Serbian Royal Family,  (Karadjordjevic), the famous “Black George,” started the first uprising against the Ottoman Turks in 1804.

A later descendent of Black George, King Petar I, began construction of a church in 1910.  The project was interrupted by World War I, and he died before it could be finished. His heir, King Alexander II, oversaw its completion. The church was dedicated to St. George in 1930. The church is on the peak of a small hill called Openlac near the original homestead of Black George. Masses were held there until 1947, when the Yugoslav government declared it a cultural landmark. Underneath the church is the Karadjordjevic family mausoleum. There are 19 members of the royal family buried there, including Black George himself.

It is an amazing building! There are 725 mosaics on the walls with a surface area of 3,500 square meters. The 40 million pieces provide the whole continuum of color, and the scenes depict either Bible stories or Serbian history. We were in awe walking through the place, with light striking at different angles. I highly recommend visiting the church.

The area surrounding the church is also beautiful and a perfect place for a picnic. Openlac in Serbian means the wooden pieces of carts. The wooded hill was used for centuries for wood collection by the locals. It is all preserved, including the vineyards of the royal family. It makes an ideal day trip from Belgrade. We also made the obligatory stop at the Aleksandrovic Winery, located 5 kilometers south of Topola. We tasted and purchased some of their wines, although we were a bit disappointed in the higher costs of the bottles. They used to be half the price of what you could buy in the supermarket in Belgrade. They are now 2-3 Euros cheaper and not worth the drive.

Gasoline Prices In Serbia

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Filling Up This Winter at the local gas station

I’ve been hearing many complaints from Americans about the high price of gasoline in the US. Gasoline averages $3,84 per gallon in April in the US. Experts suspect it will go even higher this summer when the “driving season” comes. President Obama even commissioned a task force to investigate the oil markets to see if there is any price manipulation.

Well, here in Serbia, I would love to pay $4.00 per gallon! The other day I filled up my car and for unleaded, 95 octane, gasoline, the cost was 123 RSD (Republic of Serbia Dinara). 123 RSD is the equivalent of $1.78 US which works out to a whopping $6.74 per gallon!!! Experts in the US are reporting how people are curbing their travel plans or not traveling at all because of the high prices. I wonder what will happen when it reaches Serbian levels.

Europe for a long time has had more expensive gasoline than the US. Public transport here is more accessible and things are closer. Most Serbs I know have only one car, and it usually not the big S.U.V. that Americans drive. I am not that bothered by gasoline prices here because we do not drive much. We live 1 mile from school and seldom venture downtown or across the river for shopping or entertainment. I do feel bad for those people on fixed incomes with long commutes.

I am not sure why gasoline prices are so high in Europe, especially Serbia. I miss those days of living in Venezuela. We lived there from 2002 – 2007 and the government subsidies (photo below of the Venezuelan National Petroleum Company Compound) and exchange rates, made Venezuela to have the cheapest gasoline in the world at 12 US cents per gallon.

PDVSA Natural Gas Headquarters - Anaco, Venezuela