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Issue No. 258 Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 Even when the Democrats longas continue to likely is This also are negotiations Drawn-out Surely the situation is urgent Many of us who have experi - We feel in-the-know because bia has shown us that (a.) no single no (a.) that us shown has bia party or coalition will ever gain the governa - form to required majority negotiations political (b.) and ment, will never be quickly concluded. achieved their surprising result at last month’s general election, quickly it became clear that the - re sult was actually more-or-less the result election other every as same in Serbia, i.e. inconclusive. as Serbia’s politicians form new political parties every time disagree with they their current party - reg 342 currently are (there leader political parties in Serbia). istered the norm. One Ambassador Belgrade-based recently told me he was also alarmed by the distinct lack of urgency among politicians. Serbian “The country is standstill at and a I don’t understand their logic. If they are so eager to progress towards the EU and en - theycome how investors, courage go home at 5pm sharp and don’t work weekends?” overtime. little a warrant to enough EDITOR’S WORD Predictability Political By Mark R. Pullen elections Serbian numerous enced rate ourselves as pundits when it comes to predicting election - re sults and post-election moves. our experience of elections in Ser - - - NEWS NEWS “The situation in the party seems “Dacic will eventually side with Nikolic agreed: “The question is Fearing they might not cross the Pensioners leader, Jovan Krkoba - The reported price is the post of In addition, the Socialists are bar Tadic has denied talk of horse- At the same time, Dacic seems re - reach an agreement “If we don’t Source: Balkan Insight (www.balkaninsight.com) Balkan Insight (www.balkaninsight.com) Source: party over which way to turn. extremely complicated, as we try to convince the few remaining lag - gards that we need to move out of one Socialist shadow,” Milosevic’s Party official complained. in a bid to guide his party into Tadic the European mainstream, but much of the membership and many offi - cials may oppose that move.” will the party split or ‘old- back down,” he noted. timers’ threshold to enter parlia - 5-per-cent ment, the Socialists teamed up with Association of Pensioners and the the led by business - United Serbia Party, man Dragan Markovic “Palma”. bic, Palma and Dacic are all pushing for a deal with the Democrats. of deputy PM, with a brief in charge security for the Socialist leader. gaining for other ministries, includ - ing capital investments, Kosovo and education, Belgrade media reported. trading with the Socialists, maintain - ing that ministries would go only to those committed to working for the “strategic goal”. government’s negotiations with luctant to call off the nationalists. with the DSS and Radicals, par ty leadership will decide on future steps”, Dacic announced, following par new country’s of session first the liament on Wednesday. page 10 hile the football world watch - es events unfold at the Euro - However, a strong current also However, Mihajlo Markovic, a founder of Markovic, a prominent supporter Some younger Socialist officials Neighbourhood Matters faces extinction unless it changes. flows in the opposite direction, led by party veterans enraged the Tadic. prospect of a deal with recently warned of a crisis the party, if Dacic opts for the pro-European “nat - bloc, abandoning the Socialists’ ural” ideological partners. of Milosevic during the 1990s, is seen as representative of the “old- timers” in the party who want to stay policies, true to the former regime’s even though these almost ruined the Socialists for good. have voiced frustration over the con - tinuing impasse within their own Football Rebellion Football pean Championships in Austria and pean Championships in Switzerland, Bosnia is experiencing led by fans, play - a soccer rebellion, enraged ers and former stars who are by what they see as corrupt leaders football association of the country’s leaders. W Issue No. 1 / Friday, June 13, 2008 Issue No. 1 / Friday, page 5 conomists are warning that pro - over Serbia’s uncertainty longed “This year has been lost, from the After eight years of stagnation, the pro-European and nation - With Nikolic believes the Socialists, led “The group of younger Socialists Business Insight Costs Mounting future could scare off investors, lead investors, lead future could scare off to higher inflation and jeopardise prosperity for years to come. says standpoint of economic policy,” Econom - the of Stamenkovic Stojan ics Institute in Belgrade. to Serbia’s late president, Slobodan to Serbia’s Milosevic, and reformists who want the party to become a modern Euro - pean social democrat organisation. the Socialists returned to centre stage after winning 20 of the 250 seats in elections. parliament in the May 11 alist blocs almost evenly matched, the Socialists now have the final say on the fate of country. by Ivica Dacic, will come over to if only out of a pragmatic de - Tadic, sire to ensure their political survival. gathered around Dacic seems to be adding said, Nikolic majority”, the in that these reformists believe the party KOSOVO-SERBIA E DEAL STILL DISTANT AFTER VUCIC VISIT Friday • June 13 2008

Having promised to reveal the outlines THIS ISSUE OF Belgrade Insight IS SUPPORTED BY: IS SUPPORTED ense negotiations on a new gov - ense negotiations ernment have divided the ranks of a final solution to the dispute, Serbia’s “It looks as if the Socialists will Simultaneous negotiations held This divides “old-timers” loyal Socialist leader Ivica Dacic remains the Serbian kingmaker Socialist leader Ivica Dacic remains Lure of Tadic Alliance Splits Socialists Tadic Lure of government, old pro-EU While younger Socialists support joining a new, over the prospect. revolt Milosevic loyalists threaten in Belgrade By Rade Maroevic of the Socialist Party, which holds of the Socialist Party, of the balance power between the blocs and has yet to announce main which side they will support. move towards a government led by the Democrats,” political analyst Mi - lan Nikolic, of the independent Cen - tre of Policy Studies, said. “But such a move might provoke deeper divi - sions and even split the party.” with the pro-European and national - ist blocs have drawn attention to a deep rift inside the Socialists. President left Kosovo with nothing more T than empty phrases to mull.

Maja ZIVANOVIC

fter promising to present and directions of state policy towards his proposal for a solu- Kosovo” to local Serbs. tion to the decade-long But this did not occur. Instead, during dispute between Serbia his speech in Mitrovica, Vucic merely and Kosovo during his stressed that he wished to keep the visitA to Kosovo, Serbia’s President, Alek- peace and “build bridges toward [Ko- sandar Vucic, in the end was clear only sovo] Albanians”. that a deal was not even close. He added that the Serbs should “Do we have any draft solutions in “strive for an agreement” with Kosovo Brussels? We do not, we are not even Albanians “even when we know it is close,” Vucic said in a speech on Sep- almost impossible, because everything tember 9 to thousands of Serbs in the else leads us into an abyss and a catas- Serb-run northern half of the divided trophe”. Kosovo town of Mitrovica. Vucic had announced in August that he would visit Kosovo in early Septem- ber to present Belgrade’s “guidelines Continued on page 2 During his visit to Kosovo on September 9, Aleksandar Vucic failed to present Photo: Beta / Sasa Djordjevic any solutions to the long-standing dispute.

+381 11 4030 306 [email protected] 2 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 3 SERBIA SERBIA Continued from page 1 Serbian Students Kosovo-Serbia Deal Still Doubtful About Distant After Vucic Visit Deal on Kosovo While some support a solution to the Kosovo dispute as a way for Serbia to move forward, others are hostile to concessions – and indifferent to the prospect of European Union membership.

Mitjo VAULASVIRTA Most students who spoke to Belgrade Insight were unconvinced that the benefits of EU war- hile the European Union’s ranted recognising Kosovo. High Representative, Federica “I wouldn’t vote for EU membership if it means Mogherini says, she still ex- giving up Kosovo,” declared Milica, 19, from the pects Serbia and Kosovo to Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy. reach an agreement , tensions Most young Serbs seem to share her view. inW the region remain acute some 20 years after A 2016 survey by the European Movement in NATO intervention forced Serbia to withdraw Serbia found that 74 per cent of young people from its former province. opposed Serbia’s EU membership if it entails giv- The long-term stakes in the negotiations are ing up the claim to Kosovo. “I think EU accession high for both parties, as a mutually agreeable set- wouldn’t bring us anything positive,” Milica ex- tlement on Kosovo would unlock both countries’ plained. paths towards EU membership. Opinion polls show that while economic and Among youngsters in the Serbian capital, views job concerns prevail among young and old, the range from staunch opposition to recognition of economic and trade benefits of EU membership Kosovo’s independence to interest in an agree- are largely lost on Serbia’s youth. ment – provided that Serbia gains full control over In 2016, only a third of young Serbs said they be- Serb-majority parts of northern Kosovo. lieved Serbia’s European integration would have a Some, but not many, are ready to reach any deal positive impact on the economy. with Kosovo in order for Serbia to build a more “Regardless of Kosovo, I would not vote to join prosperous future. the EU,” asserted Vojislav, 23, a veterinary student. “Serbia should recognise Kosovo’s independ- “Serbia is a sentient enough country to function ence because our economy is failing,” reasoned on its own,” he continued, insisting that Serbia has Marija, a 21-year-old student at the Belgrade Fac- no need to join the Union. ulty of Technology and Metallurgy. Youth attitudes towards the EU also boil down “All the attention is on Kosovo, so other parts of to a sense of injustice about how they feel Serbia Among youngsters in the Serbian capital, views range from staunch opposition to Photo: Beta Serbia have been forgotten,” she added. is treated by Europe. recognition of Kosovo’s independence to interest in an agreement. She maintained that a failure to reach an agree- “It feels unjust that Serbia is being given this ul- ment between Belgrade and Pristina would be a timatum [to recognise Kosovo],” said Anja, aged noting that Serbia was not about to join the union When asked about a border change between lost opportunity for Serbia to build a better life in 20, a law student, when asked whether she would soon anyway. Serbia and Kosovo, Aleksandar objected. its rural areas and small towns, which, according support EU integration if it entailed recognition of Belgrade students are also divided about the He hinted that Serbia should instead claim the to the World Bank, have high poverty rates. Kosovo’s independence. border changes mulled by the presidents of Serbia northern Albanian city of Shkoder that once be- Not all Serbian students share Marija’s feeling Youth support for EU membership in Serbia re- and Kosovo, Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci, longed to the medieval Serbian state. of urgency about resolving Kosovo’s final status, mains low when compared to other countries in who have raised the idea of swapping territories About a quarter of the students, who had less Hashim Thaci met representatives of the Albanian-majority municipalities from southern Serbia on September 10 in Pristina. Photo: Beta however. the region. to secure an agreement. confidence in reclaiming the whole of Kosovo, “A ‘frozen conflict’ is the solution,” suggested Da- A 2018 survey by the Institute of European Af- “I think it would be a very bad and ill-informed preferred a land swap as a compromise, how- ut Vucic infuriated Kosovo “We had odds on the bookmakers the region on several occasions into claims from people wanting to also mush Haradinaj denounced the idea vid, also 21, from the Faculty of Political Science. fairs found that 45.5 per cent of 18-29 year-olds in decision,” said Milos, concurring with those ana- ever. Albanians by praising the about what the concrete proposal bloody conflicts,” one letter said. change borders,” Johnson noted. as likely to bring “new tragedies to the “Right now we can only lose,” he added, insist- Serbia opposed EU membership, the highest per- lysts who argue that a territorial swap would “It’s certain that we won’t get all of Kosovo back, memory of former Serbian would be: border demarcation, cor- On August 31, more than 50 organisa- He added that the US would only Balkans”. ing that Serbia should never recognise Kosovo’s centage of all age groups. embolden secessionist movements all over the so this would be the best choice,” contended law leader Slobodan Milosevic, rections, the north of Kosovo [joining tions and experts on the Balkans signed make its position known once the par- “The continued public discussion on independence. Milos, aged 24, a history student who spoke to region. student Jovana, aged 25, while noting that recog- Bwhom most Kosovars re- Serbia], the municipalities in south- an open letter, urging Europe and the ties had reached an agreement. redesigning the border and an exchange “We should wait for Kosovo to lose the support Belgrade Insight at the Faculty of Philosophy, said “If we begin to change borders in peacetime, nising Kosovo’s independence would still pose a call as a mass murderer for his bloody ern Serbia [joining Kosovo], but there US not to agree to any territorial swaps “Our key message is that the solution of territories is an invitation for new of the international community,” agreed politics the EU had lost much of its credibility, which may Bulgaria could then claim Bosilegrad,” he warned, moral predicament for her. suppression of Kosovo independence is obviously nothing from that,” an- between Kosovo and Serbia. needs to be found by both sides. We tragedies in the Balkans that will lead to student, Aleksandar, 21, who spoke of Kosovo not further explain the decline in popular support for referring to the Bulgarian-majority border town in “Better something than nothing,” summa- movements in the 1990s. other analyst, Zoran Panovic, under- “We implore the EU, its member are here to support and encourage but destabilisation and risks long-term polit- in terms of years but of centuries. European integration. southeast Serbia. rised Marija, adding that any deal is preferable “Milosevic was a great Serbian leader lined. states, and the United States to recon- the two sides, Serbia and Kosovo, need ical and security investments for stabil- “The Battle of Kosovo [with the Ottomans] took “The European Union is now undergoing the Four students who most fervently opposed to the existing tensions between Serbia and whose intentions were certainly for the A former adviser to Kosovo Presi- sider – including through their legisla- to reach a solution, which is not easy. ity and peace in Kosovo and the region,” place in 1389 but we only reclaimed Kosovo [from deepest crisis in its history,” he asserted. Kosovo’s independence said a land swap would Kosovo. “It is the 21st century but we live in pre- best, but our results were very poor,” dent Hashim Thaci, Daniel Serwer, said tive bodies – their position on such a Once they do so, we will look at it to see Haradinaj wrote on Facebook. the Ottoman Empire] in 1912. So we know how to “I don’t have anything against the EU, but it mean giving up on Serbia’s historic rights and des- history. We struggle, fight and argue,” she com- Vucic said. earlier that Thaci’s apparent agreement return to ethnification of polities and if we have any concerns and convey The Thaci-Haradinaj disagreement wait for a long time,” he asserted. needs a new and young leadership”, he added, tiny. plained. “Our wishes were unrealistic, while to the idea of border changes, as part of frontiers,” the letter read. them,” Johnson said. is seen by some as an attempt by both we neglected and underestimated the a deal with Serbia, had come as an un- Among the signatories were schol- German Chancellor Angela Merkel leaders to benefit politically from the interests and aspirations of other na- welcome surprise. ars and former diplomats, including has, however, said that Berlin firmly op- dispute, however. tions,” Vucic told the Serbs. “Because “These are bad ideas whose time Florian Bieber, Wolfgang Ischinger, poses any border changes. “Their disagreements are reflections of that, we paid the largest and most se- should not come. I also think it’s not Erwan Fouere, Adriatik Kelmendi, “The territorial integrity of the states of the evaluations of the personal ben- vere price. We haven’t become bigger,” really about territory, it’s really about Marko Attila Hoare, Jasmin Mu- of the Western Balkans has been estab- efits, and do not have to do with proper he noted. people, that are being swapped or peo- janovic, Veton Surroi, Toby Vogel and lished and is inviolable,” Merkel said on policy or with problem-solving,” a for- “My job isn’t myths or dreams or ple who are thought to be on the wrong Bodo Weber. August 13 in Berlin, alongside Bosnian mer adviser to Thaci, Behlul Beqaj, told hallucinations or twisted visions of side of the line,” Serwer told BIRN on Organisations that signed the appeal Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic, Politico BIRN. Kosovo without Albanians, or Kosovo September 7. included the Humanitarian Law Cen- reported. Beqaj added that both the Kosovo without Serbs,” he continued. Vucic is facing similar criticism in tre of Kosovo, the election watchdog “This has to be said again and again President and the Prime Minister had “My job is reality. What it is today, Serbia, where some fear ethnic delimi- GONG from Croatia, the Foreign Policy because again and again there are at- “identical” motives and were equally here and now, in today’s Kosovo, in to- tation will only incite new wars in the Initiative BH from Bosnia and the Pristi- tempts to perhaps talk about borders “manipulative”. day’s Serbia, not some heavenly Serbia. Balkans. na-based youth organisation TOKA. and we can’t do that,” Merkel added. The EU is now planning a new meet- We fell from that heaven. We fell and In recent months, NGOs from both Territorial swaps between Kosovo Meanwhile, the Kosovo parliament ing between the two leaders, despite a seriously injured ourselves. Our heads Kosovo and Serbia have sent open let- and Serbia have not been raised offi- failed to hold a session where the op- worsening of relations between the two are covered in blood, our arms are bro- ters to the EU foreign policy chief, Fed- cially in the EU-led talks but would po- position hoped to push through a reso- countries and various incidents that ken,” Vucic said. erica Mogherini, urging her to make a tentially concern the northern, mainly lution preventing President Thaci from marred Vucic’s visit to Kosovo – which A political analyst, Dordje Vukadi- clear stand against Kosovo’s partition, Serbian part of Kosovo and some ma- negotiating on Kosovo’s borders in the included him being unable to visit a novic, told the regional media outlet N1 or an exchange of territories with Ser- jority-Albanian districts of southern EU-led dialogue. mainly Serbian village. that Vucic had said nothing new in his bia along ethnic lines. Serbia. Parties struggled in their attempts EU foreign policy chief Mogherini an- speech but had merely said it “in more “More frequent mentions of the pos- In an interview with Voice of Amer- to secure a quorum for a resolution nounced that she would convene the political way”. sibility of redrawing the borders send a ica, VOA, ahead of his visit to Pristina against Thaci leading the dialogue. next high-level session of the dialogue “This is a bit better, rhetorically and very dangerous message to the citizens and Belgrade, the US Senator Ron John- After Thaci stated that a proposal for in the last week of September. more attractive packaged,” he noted. of Serbia and Kosovo, as well as to the son said on September 10 that talk of ethnic Albanians in southern Serbia to The idea was “to bring the two Other analysts said that after Vucic’s entire region, that there is a real pos- border changes had caused legitimate join Kosovo would be among the top- sides together to advance the work failure to spell out the long-awaited pro- sibility of legitimising the dangerous concern. ics at his planned meeting with Vucic on the content of the agreement”. posals for a solution, Kosovo was likely propaganda of ethnic ownership over “If you start to change borders in one on September 7 – which Vucic then However, “difficulties remain”, Mogh- to remain a “frozen conflict” in the region. territory – a principle that has pushed part of the Balkans, there will be other cancelled – Kosovo Prime Minister Ra- erini noted. 4 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 5 BELGRADE BELGRADE

Tuck Into a Slice of Traditional Cuisine City Urged to If you love Serbian food – or haven’t had a chance to taste it before – it’s Belgrade time to head to the Serbian Cuisine Festival, which takes place for the Save Heritage from first time ever on September 22 at the Sava Terrace (Savska Terasa) at ‘Predatory’ Investors Kalemegdan. From 11am to 9pm, Pride Week visitors can sample Serbian medieval cuisine, monastic cuisine, Serbian in brief Belgrade After developers tore Topolska citizens association was fasts through the centuries as well formed in early April, when people in as a presentation of “slava” cakes down yet another the area learned that many investors and more. Entrance is free. For more pre-war villa in the have expressed interested in the pre-war information, visit: www.festivalsrp- Continues sketrpeze.com. heart of Belgrade, a mansions located in their neighborhood. It comprises residents of Topolska, Early New Year citizens’ association Petrogradska, Vojvode Dragomira and Decorations Derided is demanding clearer several others streets located around Kalenic Market, which are together Fight for After Belgrade city workers started guidelines on inner-city known as Krunski Venac. putting up New Year decorations on the capital’s streets on September construction. Locals fear that the investors plan to tear 3, an annoyed reaction has followed down the area’s surviving prewar houses from Twitter users. “New Year’s to build high-risers “that don’t belong there decoration of Belgrade kicks off. Ivana NIKOLIC either by their size or their aesthetics”. Visibility So it means New Year is coming in In the letter, which was published on October,” one said. “Belgraders, I wish you a merry New Year’s decora- citizens’ association in Bel- their Facebook Page, Let’s Save Topols- September’s Ipsos in partnership with Civil Rights tion in September,” another added. grade established to protect ka –Let’s Save Belgrade, the association Defenders, Victory, the National Dem- a low-rise area known for urged the Mayor and Deputy Mayor “to Topolska and the surrounding area have a large Photo: Srdjan Garcevic ocratic Institute, NDI, and USAID, in Last year, decorations were also put concentration of pre-WWII mansions. Belgrade Pride at the end of September, triggering elegant old townhouses has investigate the circumstances in which 2015, revealed that one third of those an avalanche of criticism. Comment- A sent an open letter to the city authori- the construction permit [for Topolska other things would lay out specific Responding to criticism, Deputy Week boasts interviewed said they would stop com- ing on sharp reactions, the then city ties, asking them to stop investors from 15] was issued”. conditions for construction styles and Mayor Vesic on September 4 said that munication with friends, colleagues or Mayor Sinisa Mali has said he sees nothing wrong in making an early “destroying” Belgrade’s old architecture. They claim that the permit was given architectural designs of new buildings he supported Topolska, and that the more events neighbours if they found out they were start, however. He maintains that, as The letter was sent to Mayor Zoran to the investors when the Belgrade in order to preserve the area’s existing city assembly would adopt a changed LGBT+. a European metropolis, Belgrade has Radojicic and Deputy Mayor Goran Institute for the Protection of Cultural cultural and historical character. city detailed regulation plan by the end than ever, as its The research indicated a low level to be competitive and start early. Vesic on September 13, a day after a Monuments was considering adding Besides Topolska, many other con- of September. of tolerance in Serbia and in the Bal- villa built in 1927 in Topolska 15 was the building to its list of protected sites. cerned citizens have complained that “This will ensure that investors who organisers work kans. In Serbia, only 14 per cent of the Street Festival Gathers Mural Enthusiasts knocked down for a new development. Apart from sending the letter, Topol- at a time when the city authorities are want to build in historic parts of Bel- respondents said they would support “We are begging you to urgently stop ska association organised a number of boasting about the ongoing exhibition, grade, which we want to preserve … will towards more an LGBT+ person completely, and only Runaway International Street Art the scourge of investor urbanism as it protests. It also launched a petition in called “Modern Belgrade – architectural have to follow the rules”, Vesic said, add- legal reforms and 7 per cent indicated the same in Mac- Festival has returned to the Belgrade threatens to destroy everything that May, calling on the city authorities to heritage of the capital,” investors are ing in that way the spirit of Topolska and edonia – and only 3 per cent in Albania. neighbourhood of Bezanija for the has value and is historically important,” adopt a new, detailed regulation plan tearing down the oldest examples of Petrogradska streets, as well as many greater inclusion When asked if they would support third time, lasting until Sunday, Sep- the letter said. for their neighborhood, which among that exact movement. parts of Dorcol, would be preserved.§ children who were homosexual, 22 per tember 17. Over one week, eight art- ists will be working on two facades, of the LGBT+ cent of the respondents in Serbia said decorating them with motifs from they would – but 48 would try to find George Orwell’s novels. The core idea community in a “cure” for them and 7 per cent would is to make Bezanija a sort of outdoor Belgrade Celebrates European Heritage Days stop all communication. gallery/museum. Festival organizer mainstream Research carried out with NDI fur- and muralist Andrej Josifovski, better known by the pseudonym Pijanista, Throughout The exhibition showcases Bel- is facing today,” Vuckovic added at the Apart from the aforementioned society. ther indicated that few people in Serbia says that after the third festival is grade’s imposing architecture built opening. exhibition, there will be lots more going see LGBT+ citizens as a discriminated- over, a total of 850 square metres September, a number between the two World Wars. Apart Another interesting part of the on across Belgrade untill the end of the against minority group. of walls will have been covered in of cultural events from displaying numerous models of ongoing exhibition is a map, “Modern month. Nina PANTELIC A 2014 poll showed that only 6 per murals. For more information, visit are taking place in buildings, there are also photographs Architecture of Belgrade,” designed by The Museum of African Art, on Andre cent of adults in Serbia identified sexu- the festival’s Facebook page: www. accompanied by short stories about Parobrod Cultural Centre, which marks Nikolica 14, has joined the initiative and elgrade Pride Week 2018 al minorities as the most discriminated- facebook.com/runawayinternational- streetartfestival/. Belgrade as part of the buildings’ history. both public buildings and important from September 14 to 29 will be showcas- will take place from Sep- against group in society. However, the an annual heritage Olivera Vuckovic, from the Institute residential buildings “that brought ing exhibitions and organising lectures, tember 10 to 16 under the Ipsos poll showed that among mem- Run for your life for the Protection of Cultural Monu- a new quality of life to inter-war Bel- walks and workshops aimed at children. slogan, “Reci da!”, or “Say bers of the LGBT+ community itself, 41 in September festival marked all ments of the City of Belgrade, said the grade,” Parobrod's spokesperson said. Another set of cultural activities Yes!” in English. The title per cent believed sexual minorities suf- exhibition was made possible thanks European Heritage Days is a joint is taking place in the municipality of Bwas selected to highlight the list of fered worse discrimination than Roma, Sports enthusiasts, both those willing over Europe. to participate and those who prefer to a number of copyright holders, action of the Council of Europe and Zemun, starting on Friday, September key demands put forward by Serbia’s women or people with disabilities. Mi- watching, should look out for two Ivana NIKOLIC foundations, the civil sector, private the European Commission, involving 14, until October 2. LGBT+ community, including recogni- letic highlights this gap as a major chal- big sporting events in Belgrade on collectors as well as other cultural all 50 signatory states of the European Visitors there can learn more about tion of their civil rights and protection lenge, stating: “The first step is visibility.” September 23 and 30. For the second nder the slogan “The Art of institutions. Cultural Convention under the motto, the old Zemun through photographs, from hate crimes, according to Goran Numerous reports highlight that les- year in a row, 11TRI Belgrade, a Sharing”, European Heritage “The concept of the exhibition is “Europe: a common heritage”. maps and postcards, as well as about Miletic of Civil Rights Defenders, who bian, gay, bisexual and trans people in triathlon competition, takes place Days 2018 takes place until intended to represent the important The annual programme offers op- Serbia itself. has also been a leading member of the the Western Balkans encounter routine on September 23. This will also be the official Serbia Triathlon Open. Uthe end of the month, offer- achievements of Belgrade modernism, portunities to visit buildings, monu- An especially interesting walk is Pride organisation since 2011. abuse due to their sexual orientation Registration and more information ing a number of guided tours, talks and with 44 buildings, 38 of which have ments and sites, many of which are not planned for September 22, when the The week will feature films, gallery and gender expression, ranging from are available on www.triathlon. exhibitions completely free of charge. been declared cultural monuments normally open to the public. The event organisers will be taking visitors to exhibitions, conferences, debates and verbal and physical harassment to dis- rs. Another important event is the Events officially kicked off on -Sun and six others nominated for this also aims to widen access and foster Zemun cemetery where they will many other events, culminating in the crimination in the workplace. second Belgrade Half-Marathon, day, September 10, with the exhibition status,” Vuckovic said. care for architectural and environmen- hear stories about Zemun’s Orthodox, Pride march on Sunday, September 16, The organisers of Pride week be- which take places on September 30 on the intersection of Bulevar Kralja “Modernist Belgrade: Architectural “The staff of the institute … wanted to tal heritage. Catholic and Jewish families. starting at 2pm at Slavija. lieve that visibility is one of the great- Heritage of the Capital”, which is going point out the richness of the varieties, In 1991, events were united as Euro- The community’s request list includes est factors in changing peoples’ minds A Pew Research Center opinion poll from 2017 showed that most Serbs, 69 per cent, still view same-sex Photo: Beta Aleksandra and Resavska St. Apart relationships as morally wrong and only 12 per cent favour same-sex marriage. from a half-marathon, there will also on for free at the Gallery of the National demonstrate examples of good prac- pean Heritage Days on the initiative of For more information about Europe- the adoption of laws on gender identity and that personal contact between be a 10-km race. For more informa- Bank of Serbia in Nemanjina until tice and point to the challenges that the Council of Europe, supported by an Heritage Days in Belgrade, visit www. and registered partnerships and educa- LGBT+ and non-LGBT+ people will help The fight for LGBT+ equality has had by now committed to guaranteeing the teer at the centre, said it had become tion, visit: www.bgdmarathon.org. October 1. the protection of immovable heritage the EU. danubeogradu.rs. tional reform, removing discriminatory change attitudes and challenge preju- a turbulent history in Serbia. Back in safety of attendees, who were protect- a useful resource for the LGBT+ com- content from school textbooks. dice and stereotypes. 2001, a group of LGBT+ activists first at- ed within the park and along the walk. munity, and that visitors included both Miletic says the community origi- tempted to hold a small gathering on Re- However, conflicts still took place else- locals and foreigners. She believes an nally hoped that these goals could be LONG MARCH TOWARDS public Square in Belgrade, but they were where in the city centre between an es- important issue for her community Find your copy of ORDER DELIVERY TO YOUR DOOR achieved in the short term, but they ACCEPTABILITY attacked by members of right wing or- timated 6,000 policemen and the same is recognition of same-sex registered +381 11 4030 303, [email protected] now realised that changing mindsets ganisations and sports club fans, which number of hooligans out in the streets. partnerships, noting for example that Belgrade Insight here: www.balkaninsight.com/en/page/subscribe-to-belgrade-insight took years of activism and action. Parada ponosa Beograda, or Bel- led to over 40 people being injured. The clashes led to 132 policemen and 25 when lesbian couples start a family, the “The government doesn’t recognise grade Pride Parade, was founded in There was no government reaction citizens being injured, and 250 arrests. government only recognises only one same-sex unions, there is no right of in- 2010, when a community of citizens and it would be nearly a decade before Over the next three years, organisers of them as the legal parent. heritance, to health care, joint property came together to organise a week of the next Pride walk was held. Mean- attempted to hold annual Pride walks, When asked about her expectations HOTEL MOSKVA HOTEL HYATT BISTRO BAR NATIONAL FOUNDATION RADISSON BLU ownership… practical things that mean events that culminated in a Pride walk while activists pushed to improve the but they were all cancelled at the last for the future of the community, she Address: Balkanska 1 Address: Milentija Popovica 5 Address: Vojvode Stepe 198 FOR DANCE OLD MILL HOTEL a lot to people,” Miletic says. in the city. environment. The following years saw minute on the grounds of security con- hopes that, one day, same-sex couples Address: Kolarceva 3 Address: Bulevar Vojvode Misica 15 Throughout Pride week, dozens of the passage of various pieces of legis- cerns. It was only in 2014 that the organ- can walk hand in hand with their part- HOTEL SQUARE NINE HOTEL CROWNE PLAZA SKVER 44 www.radissonblu.com/hotel-belgrade STILL VIEWED WITH events, some 65 this year, are organ- lation. For example, the Law on Broad- isers held the first Belgrade Pride with- ners in the street without fear of vio- Address: Studentski trg 9 Address: Vladimira Popovica 10 Address: Pozeska 44a RESTAURANT BIZU DISFAVOUR IN SOCIETY ised with the goal of promoting LGBT+ casting obliged public TV and radio out any major incidents of violence. lence or harassment. Address: Andre Nikolica 1-3 RESTAURANT DVA JELENA values and questioning the limits of broadcast service carriers to prevent For the last four years, Belgrade Pride “More psychological support servic- CAFE SNEZANA HOTEL LE PETIT PIAFF INTERGALACTIC DINER Address: Skadarska 32 A Pew Research Center opinion poll gender and sexuality through art, edu- intolerance and hatred on the grounds events have been held successfully, es should be made available to mem- Address: Internacionalnih brigada 22 Address: Knez Mihailova 50 Restaurant Mali vrabac INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF from 2017 showed that most Serbs, 69 cation and activism. of sexual orientation, while the Law with about 2,000 people attending the bers of the LGBT+ community, and Address: Hotel Jugoslavija, Bulevar Address: Skadarska 34 BELGRADE per cent, still view same-sex relation- The organisers of this year’s event on Public Information sanctioned hate most recent march, among them Ser- especially trans members, given that Mihajla Pupina 85A KOLARAC Address: Temisvarska 19 ships as morally wrong and only 12 per are Civil Rights Defenders, GAYTEN- speech, including that based on sexual bia’s Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, an their suicide rate is higher than the av- Address: Studentski trg 5 HOTEL COURTYARD BY TOURIST cent favour same-sex marriage. LBGT, Beograd Prajd, Heartefact, Izadji, orientation. The Labour Law banned openly gay woman. erage,” she concludes. MARRIOTT THE BRITISH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF SERBIA Miletic highlights that, for meaning- Da se zna!, and the Youth Initiative for workplace discrimination based on A Pride Information Centre was opened HOTEL EXCELSIOR Address: Vase Carapica 2-4 SCHOOL OF BELGRADE Address: Trg Republike 5 ful change to happen, a major shift in Human Rights. In addition to Belgrade sexual orientation. that same year. It welcomed 3,000 visitors The Belgrade Pride Center, located in Address: Kneza Milosa 5 Address: Smetanina 12 Address: Kolarceva 7 Address: Cika Ljubina 8 the mindset in the country and the re- Pride Parade, other events organised In 2010, an estimated 500 partici- during the month it was open. Kralja Milana 20, is open every day from HILTON BELGRADE gion generally is needed. by other LGBT+ activist groups include pants gathered in Manjez park in Bel- This year, the centre reopened on 10am to 8pm. For a full list of Belgrade Address: Kralja Milana 35 A comprehensive poll of adults in a separate march, which was held in grade for a day of Pride events, followed August 16, and will remain open until Pride Week 2018’s events, check out the Western Balkans carried out by June this year. by a public walk. The government was March 2019. Teodora Savic, a volun- www.parada.rs. 6 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 7 SERBIA BUSINESS COMMENT Serbia’s Greens Mobilise Against Serbia’s Liberal ‘Charm Threat to Mountain Rivers

Environmental system for few privileged contractors – Offensive’ Remains Skin Deep and wrecking the natural pearls of this activists say country in the process. Nevertheless, cosmetic as this mini "The result is several individuals that Serbia’s "charm offensive" aimed at the liberals that schemes are well off on one side, and on the oth- is, it does have some value. obliging Serbia er we have mountain rivers directed new found Most obviously, for a country like into giant black pipes, dry river beds, Serbia whose reputation is still bur- to renew more destroyed natural habitats and land- progressive dened with the recent past, it is good to slides in protected areas. We want to be known for something different from electricity from prevent this from happening." image may not war, destruction and decline. Even now, renewable sources almost 20 years since the last shot was GREEN ENERGY go that deep – fired in the Balkans, most foreigners I have benefited AND BLACK PIPES meet still associate Serbia more with but it makes a genocide and dysfunction than with a few privileged Serbia has undertaken an obligation Djokovic and a good party scene, let contractors – and to the European Energy Community to change from alone, trailblazing brutalist architecture make its energy sources greener, and and an important place in anti-imperi- are wrecking the obtain some 27 per cent of its electric- being associated alist history. ity from renewable sources by 2020, as Furthermore, the view of Serbia, at natural habitat. part of a global effort to reduce the car- with nationalism least from the 1990s onwards, shared bon imprint. both by the nationalists who support it Milan RADONJIC The interest of private contractors and war. and the liberals who oppose it, was the in this project is clear. By investing in essentially same: that of a socially con- housands of people from small hydropower plants they secure servative, nationalist country with an all over Serbia gathered in higher prices for energy they deliver to oversized interest in own victimhood the first days of September the national energy network. But things Srdjan GARCEVIC and geopolitics and scepticism about in the small southern town have not worked out so well for the lo- the wider world. of Pirot to protest against cal communities. his September, Belgrade is Trying to sell Serbia at home and Tthe construction of hydropower plants In August, Panic and his co-workers hosting three events that abroad as a contemporary society with in the Stara Planina area, making this a were involved in the action of returning would make flat-white interests in cool new buzzy things like biggest public protest in Serbia in years. the Rudinska river in Stara Planina to its drinking progressives start-ups and performance may be in- It was generated by a grassroots cam- old river bed and setting it free from the around the world purr accurate, but at least it is a more pleas- paign of local activists to defend the riv- pipes. Thousands of protesters in Pirot want to halt construction of small hydroelectric plants, which they Photo: Beta think are destroying the environment of Stara Planina. Twith joy. ant alternative. After all, for all the local ers of Stara Planina in southeast Serbia. "Some 50 activists were present and First off, there is LBGT Pride week, and foreign media representations, They were alerted by the devastat- we did it with our own hands, with "It was a good decision, as it gener- Karamarkovic, who is also a former However, a document issued by the crowned with a pride parade, then a even in the darkest days of the 1990s, ing effects that the small hydropower hacks and shovels. Police were also ated public attention around this issue Assistant Minister of Energy from 2005 Ministry of Construction, obtained by globally relevant avant-garde theatre there was always much more to Serbia plant construction had in the protect- there, securing the area, but many of on a larger scale, as it is a question of na- to 2010 and a university professor, ex- BIRN, said the Ministry had no over- festival, BITEF, which sets its sights on than nationalism and war: from the cre- ed nearby national park of Kopaonik, them told us privately that they sup- tional interest not just of the local com- presses respect for people fighting for sight over the so-called location condi- the rise of the far-right and decline of ative street protests against Slobodan Aleksandar Panic, a founder of the ac- port our cause," he recalled. munity." environmental protection but insists tions for spots chosen by town halls for liberal societies. Finally, there is an in- Milosevic's regime in 1996 and 1997, to tivist group Protect the Rivers of Stara "On the other side, the local govern- However, investors in these plants also that too much pressure is put on future hydropower plants in southern ternational art biennale, Oktobarski Sa- Belgrade's rave scene and successful Planina, said. ment in Pirot acts like an offended seen matters from a very different per- investors. Serbia. lon, which will host huge names from multi-ethnic communities around Vo- "In Kopaonik and Vlasina today, we bride, as if we are spoiling their busi- spective. "An even bigger problem is that many BIRN has not received an answer to the art world, such as Yoko Ono, tack- jvodina. have dry river beds and destroyed na- ness. In reality, we are doing their job, as Vladan Karamarkovic, owner of En- of our rivers look like waste dumps, and questions sent to the Ministry of Con- ling major topics, ranging from sexual PM Ana Brnabic focuses her messaging on the ‘sunnier’ aspects of Serbian politics, such as supporting the Photo: Beta However, in the current media land- ture, and this is what we want to pre- they are here to work for the benefit of ergo Ras, which has two small hydro- that is the sad fact," he says. struction about who oversees the issue arts, innovation and entrepreneurship. harassment to war. scape, where politicians and countries vent here by all possible means," he all the citizens of Pirot not just several power plants nearby town of Kraljevo, "Investors are required to obtain of location permits given by local town Add to that Belgrade's increasing Serbia's current government, to present climate as well as supporting creative frequently tolerates not only corrup- are arguably more evaluated for their said. individuals. And we will continue to do in southern Serbia, say the idea that some 80 different permits before halls. love of entrepreneurship, evidenced a more progressive face, internally and industries and culture. tion but also gross infractions on prop- meme-ability than for their policies, it is Panic and his co-activists were in- so." they make big profits is a myth. they can go into business. So the main "In Kopaonik national park, this insti- by the mushrooming of IT hubs and externally. Her progressive credibility is boosted erty rights, the constant squeeze on the often easy to forget the core problems, volved in a grassroots campaign in- "The subsidised price is provided by question is to pick the adequate loca- tutional gap has resulted in a massacre co-working spaces, a renaissance of the This novel approach can roughly be by the fact that she is not only the first fe- critical media or the reduction of labour if the veneer is shiny enough. It is good forming people in the villages and MINISTRY SEEN AS the state in a limited time frame until the tions and measure and control the of nature of enormous proportions," arts scene with the recent re-opening traced back to last year, when Ana Brn- male Prime Minister in Serbia since the rights. This is not to mention frequent to be hopeful about Serbia's fledgling towns around Pirot and all over Serbia FRIENDLY BUT TOOTHLESS credit line given to the investor by the implementation of ecological im- Aleksandar Draskovic, an activist from of two major art museums and a hand- abic assumed the post of Prime Minis- Socialist times but also the first openly jingoistic, nationalist statements that taste for progressive aesthetics – but it is about the irreversible damage that banks to build the facility is finished; the pacts, such as water minimum levels. nearby town of Josanicka Banja, said. ful of cool galleries, not to mention an ter in June. out LGBT+ Prime Minister in the Balkans Serbian officials lob once in a while to important also to understand that true some small hydropower plant projects A month earlier, in June, the activist profit margins are not that great," he said. No one is for sending the waters into "Our rivers are already in pipelines efflorescence of places serving artisa- While Brnabic's predecessor in the – which are all tough sells in this tradi- their admittedly similarly minded coun- progressivism is more than just skin have done to nature. organisation drew national attention "The whole initiative was introduced pipes," he said. some 10 kilometres long, and huge nal coffee and hoppy craft beer, and (formally) top job in the country, and tional and patriarchal part of the world. terparts in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. deep. "People believed that these projects when one of its founders, Aleksandar to Serbia with the acceleration of ne- parts of forest are disappearing in the the city looks like a poster-child for a still the main political player in Serbia, However, as many of the Govern- Despite appearances, systemic initia- were about small, romantic-looking Jovanovic Cuta, declined a public ac- gotiations to enter the EU, but in my A QUESTION OF OVERSIGHT heart of National Park," he added. hip, progressive country, riding all the President Aleksandar Vucic, is still pro- ment's critics note, within and outside tives to improve LGBT+ equality, such Srdjan Garcevic is a writer and a power plants, producing energy for knowledgement presented to him per- opinion Serbian institutions had no "When you get into the details and trends of the moment. jecting the image of a dour traditional Serbia, there is a long way to go in terms as allowing civil partnerships, are ab- founder of The Nutshell Times blog. the local community. They had no idea sonally by Goran Trivan, the Minister adequate experience in handling such According to the procedure, the local see the contracts signed with those While many of these, admittedly national father-figure, with occasional of creating a fair and truly democratic sent, and many of the initiatives in the what this is all really about," Panic told for Environmental Protection. projects. This is why some obvious administration is in charge of providing investors, you realise that these struc- great, developments have been the appeals to nationalist sentiments, Brn- system, let alone a progressive paradise. arts and even entrepreneurship, in- The opinions expressed in the Com- BIRN, explaining how they motivated "We did this on purpose because mistakes were made in defining some locations for construction of the plants, tures of privileged individuals have result of grass roots efforts by local ac- abic has focused on the sunnier as- There are daily reminders of funda- novation space still seem like one-offs, ment section are those of the authors local people to join them in the struggle. even though the Ministry supports our of the locations for the construction of but they have to be confirmed by the their own state. They are just untouch- tivists and creatives, they are at least to pects of national politics, such as boost- mental issues in the country, whether rather than committed efforts to estab- only and do not necessarily re ect the "Instead, it is a well-organised scheme cause, it seems powerless to prevent small hydro plants, especially in pro- both the Ministries of Energy and Con- able and do what they want," he con- an extent part of a charm offensive by ing innovation, improving investment it is the sclerotic legal system, which lish solid sustainable structures. views of BIRN. for pumping the money out of energy damage. tected areas," he added. struction. cluded.

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OTHER BIRN SERVICES: 8 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 9 REGION FACES Balkan About town with… BITEF Boss Fights Right With ‘Elite Theatre for Everybody’ MARION DAUTRY Nationalists Ivan Medenica, Marion is a Belgrade-based BITEF’s creative di- Use T-Shirts French freelance jour- nalist covering the rector, wants to fight Western Balkans the rise in right-wing who is pas- as Political sionate about populism’ by taking feminism and avant-garde theatre human rights. Fashion Some of her to wider audiences. recent arti- cles have been Statement published by La Srdjan GARCEVIC Croix, Balkano- scope, and Slate.fr van Medenica is one of the most ac- several Balkan countries. In Croatia, pa- complished and visible people on the Political T-shirts triots can choose from medieval motifs arts scene in Serbia, and, of course, a such as Glagolitic script or the Croatian MORNING busy man. The creative director of the promoting interlace design, or buy shirts featuring Belgrade International Theatre Festi- the Croatian coat of arms, the symbolic I’m not a morning person, though I Ival, BITEF, and professor at Belgrade's Faculty nationalist ideas, war-damaged water tower in the town of wish I were, because mornings in Bel- of Dramatic Arts, FDU, is also a noted theatre Vukovar, the images of 1990s ‘Homeland grade are really beautiful. Often when critic and member of the committee of the glorifying war War’ generals or the crossed-out face of I return home from an overnight bus International Association of Theatre Critics. Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. He is also one of the rare figures in Serbian ride, I arrive at the early hours of the criminals and Symbols of the Croatian Defence Forc- art circles whose professional rather than day so I catch the sunrise and it seems es, a 1990s wartime paramilitary unit and political or personal pursuits stir up lively celebrating right- the militia of the far-right Croatian Party like the city never truly fell asleep, that debates that reach outside Serbia's art bubble. of Rights, which were inspired by the it’s still groggy. After working out at In 2016, when he failed to win a permanent wing leaders from fascist Ustasa, are also often printed on home, I take a quick walk and sit down post at the FDU after running and creating shirts. at PaperGirl Galerija (Kralja Milana one of the most critically acclaimed editions World War II are Young Croatians can be seen wearing 15a). It’s the best place to work for me of BITEF in 2015, the media was aflame with such T-shirts at the annual party in the because the atmosphere is relaxed, debates about the workings of Serbian aca- widely available town of Knin to mark the anniversary of demia and its frequent displays of profession- like a café, but with other people work- Croatian Army’s Operation Storm, which al pettiness and jealousy. in Croatia, Serbia led to an exodus of Serbs from Croatia in ing around me, so I get inspired and Medenica stirred passions last year as well, feed off the vibes of others. PaperGirl 1995, as well as at Thompson’s concerts. Shirts emblazoned with “Za dom spremni”, a banned Ustasa salute, can be seen at Photo: AP / Beta when BITEF staged and Serbia's state televi- and Bosnia and In May this year, some pupils from a nationalist rallies such as the one in Bleiburg in Austra. also hosts workshops, conferences, sion, RTS, broadcast a 24-hour performance Zagreb high school wore T-shirts with and art exhibits frequently. of "Mount Olympus", a celebrated, but avant- Herzegovina. the slogan “Za dΩ [the symbol for ‘ohm’] [and is not necessarily a fascist slogan], “This law, passed in 2009... is good and between monarchist Chetniks and Tito’s garde take on Greek mythology by Jan Fabre, spremni” during a graduation celebra- when this salute is part of a [Croatian De- should finally begin to be implemented,“ Communist Partisans. an acclaimed Belgian theatre director. Ivan Medenica wants to use contemporary theatre to incite Photo: Jelena Jankovic a wider social debate. tion. fence Forces] memorial plaque near the Antonijevic told BIRN. Nationalist T-shirts are sometimes AFTERNOON While part of the Serbian public applauded Anja VLADISAVLJEVIC, Unlike German law, which bans the use former [WWII] Jasenovac [concentration] Meanwhile, it’s not unusual to see na- used as a tool to reinforce divisions based the idea of staging such an ambitious project BITEF's dramaturg, and I were seeing perfor- of "Requiem" that the crisis we are facing may Filip RUDIC, Mladen LAKIC of specific Nazi symbols and slogans, Cro- camp, and when President Grabar Ki- tionalist T-shirts featuring the image of on ethnicity in the country, Popov Mom- in Belgrade, the tabloids were shocked by the mances to choose for this year, we realised be "only" the crisis of the West. "Maybe our atian legislation does not say precisely tarovic manipulates and mystifies what Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mlad- cinovic added. On those days that I do wake up early nudity and transgressive sexuality displayed that many of the performances around the civilisation deserves to be eulogised by those hen a nationalist what is not allowed. happened in that Ustasa camp,” Puharic ic or WWII Chetnik movement leader “We had protests when they [Karadzic enough, I like to visit the Bajloni green in parts of the performance, which one critic world, and especially in Europe, deal with who we oppressed," he sighs. T-shirt shop and Article 325 of the Croatian criminal told BIRN. Dragoljub ‘Draza’ Mihailovic, who was ex- and Mladic] were arrested, in 2008 and market and buy fresh produce to from the UK Guardian described as "a theatri- some of the current major topics of the world: Similarly, when discussing other difficult online store in the code specifies that people who “call for ecuted for Nazi collaboration and treason 2011 and those T-shirts were part of the prepare lunch. Otherwise, I often end cal orgy that outdoes Dionysus". rise of the far-right, right-wing populism and topics that BITEF is tackling this year, Meden- Croatian city of Split hatred or violence to be directed against SERBIA: RADOVAN by the Yugoslav Communists but reha- decor, so to speak,” she said. up going to Jazzayoga (Bulevar Kralja Rather than shrink from the conservative autocracy, even in countries which are nomi- ica isn't brooding. He insists that BITEF isn't wanted to celebrate groups… because of their racial, religious, KARADZIC, THE ‘FANS’ bilitated by a Belgrade court three years There were similar scenes during or Aleksandra 48) – they have a daily outcry, Medenica saw it as a way to engage nally democratic. catastrophizing and believes that contempo- Wthe World War II fascist Ustasa movement national or ethnic affiliation” can be pun- FAVOURITE’ ago, openly displayed on street stalls in after Karadzic and Mladic’s verdicts were the public beyond BITEF's traditional intel- "We felt that things have gone haywire, and rary theatre has a role to play by providing a lunch option with soup and mostly without getting into trouble with the au- ished with a three-year prison sentence, city centres in Serbia. handed down by the Hague Tribunal. lectual, upper-middle class audience. that we need to directly point at that," Meden- pointed critique of the current situation and thorities, it came up with a novel idea. while organisers of hate-mongering In Serbia, clothes featuring images of “I like to call these periods of intensive vegetarian options, which I find quite "Everybody spoke about the performance. ica concludes. by countering the far-right. It created a T-shirt with a stylised letter groups can receive up to six years in WWII Nazi collaborators and controver- BOSNIA: NO LAW AGAINST hate, and then we go deeper into the past, so affordable, tasty, and healthy. If I’m Suddenly, a topic from the arts became a key He goes on to didactically list how each of This is a timely topic, especially as Ger- U, inserted into a Smiley-face emoticon - prison. sial figures from the 1990s wars are read- FASCIST SYMBOLS Draza [Mihajlovic] or whoever joins this pa- meeting with friends, we tend to sit at political and social issue, and that is very im- the performances fits the carefully assem- many's state-subsidised avant-garde theatre ‘Uncle Smiley’, it called the garment. Article 325 also says that people who ily available. rade of symbols showing us how deep the the terrace of Aviator Coffee Explorer portant for the arts," he says. bled narrative structure of the programme. scene has come under attack from the far- The shop, Patriot Hrvatska, sells a “publicly approve of, deny or significantly For example, the Delije (Heroes) online Among the souvenirs on sale in a small problem is,” Popov Momicnovic suggested. in Terazije 28, where I usually order the "Maybe I would have preferred the focus The first, Slovenian "Odilo.Obscuration.Or- right for its alleged left-wing elitism as well as wide collection of shirts with nationalist belittle criminal acts of genocide, acts of shop, named after the Red Star Belgrade shop in the town of Pale, some 20 kilome- Bosnian law has no definition of what spinach bruschetta. Because I hang to be on other issues [raised in the perfor- atorio", tries to exorcise the spirit of Slovenia's for its hermetic culture. and more or less subtle fascist motifs, in- aggression, crimes against humanity or football club fan group, sells T-shirts tres from Sarajevo in Bosnia’s Serb-dom- a fascist organisation is, and fascist sym- mance], not just nudity… I was honestly sur- most famous Nazi-collaborator. Medenica concedes that contemporary out in Dorcol a lot, sometimes I’ll go cluding ‘Za dom spremni’ (‘Ready for the war crimes” can face up to three years in printed with the image of Bosnian Serb inated entity of Republika Srpska, are bols are not banned. There were several prised by how much our society has gone The festival plunges then into perfor- theatre may sometimes be difficult to inter- to lunch at Red Bread (Dositejeva 22), Home(land)’), a slogan used by the Ustasa prison. political leader Radovan Karadzic, who black T-shirts depicting Radovan Karad- initiatives to introduce such legislation backwards in terms of values and liberties," mances that analyse Europe's currently most pret, but is adamant that populism can be movement. However, hardly anyone chanting ‘Za is in detention awaiting his appeal against zic alongside others emblazoned with in the Bosnian state parliament but they or get cevapi from Walter, (Strahinjica he adds. pressing problems. fought by creating what he calls "elite thea- The slogan – whose use is banned in dom spremni’ or displaying Ustasa insig- his 40-year prison sentences for genocide the words ‘Serbian Honour’, the name of a did not get the support of political parties Bana 57), and hit up Dolce Principessa "I thought nudity was a done deal and that "Suite No.3 Europe" is a form of musical tre for everybody", borrowing a phrase from certain circumstances in Croatia – is again nia is prosecuted according to Article 325. and other wartime crimes. Serb right-wing organisation that is active from Republika Srpska. (Strahinjica Bana 64) for a slice of it no longer shocks – but if you think some guide through the issues of all of EU's 27 Antoine Vitez. slightly concealed in Patriot Hrvatska’s T- Instead they are usually charged under “Although it’s not our custom to talk in Bosnia. Controversy centred around the fact cheesecake. freedoms have been won, it may not be so," member states, while the Serbian absurdist This philosophy underlines Medenica's shirt print, which omits the word ‘home’ misdemeanour legislation and fined. about politics, it is a fact that Radovan A man who identified himself as the that the proposed legislation would pro- Medenica muses. trash musical "Bollywood" addresses the lo- efforts to make BITEF an event for larger and replaces it with a picture of a house to Croatia’s government-appointed Coun- Karadzic is the favourite Serbian politi- shop’s owner declined to allow BIRN to hibit Chetnik and Ustasa groups as well as Medenica saw the publicity as a vindica- cal interplay between the arts, capital and audiences. Beside promising another live avoid any potential legal consequences. cil for Dealing with Consequences of the cian in stadiums all over Serbia,” says the take pictures of the T-shirts. “As a cus- organisations based on the Handschar di- tion of BITEF's often disruptive vision: "We xenophobia. broadcast of one of the plays on RTS and on Meanwhile the shop’s catalogue features Rule of Non-Democratic Regimes said in shirt’s description on the Delije store’s tomer, you are more than welcome, but I vision of the Nazi Waffen-SS, whose mem- EVENING decided to provide something maximally This is followed by two performances a square in Belgrade, BITEF is organising free controversial Croatian right-wing pop February this year that the authorities website. do not have anything to say to reporters,” bers were Bosnian Muslims and Croats. unsettling to the audience and we got sup- by the well-known Croatian director Oliver tickets and transport for some disadvantaged star Marko ‘Thompson’ Perkovic, who should allow the ‘Za dom spremni’ salute Another online store, the Small Serbian he said. In Republika Srpska, politicians argued I don’t do it as often as I used to, but port from the founders and the sponsors… the Frljic, which focus on a current concern in the groups from all over Serbia and also trying to has sung for war crimes defendants, as a to be used “in exceptional situations” un- Shop, sells a wide variety of T-shirts com- T-shirts with the images of Karadzic, that the Chetniks should be excluded from when I first arrived and I didn’t know interest is huge." West, the rise of right-wing extremism in Ger- grow a new audience. model. der strict conditions, such as by Croatian memorating the WWII Chetnik movement Ratko Mladic, Chetnik leader Draza Mi- the legislation because they were a libera- a lot of people, I would often grab a Medenica's so far successful leadership of many and Croatia. "In Berlin or Amsterdam it would be an A staff member called Filip declined Defence Forces veterans. and various designs declaring that ‘Kosovo hailovic and Croat Ustasa fighters can of- tion movement that stood against fascism. fresh juice or frozen yogurt, walk to BITEF, whose 52nd edition started on Septem- Estonian performance "No43 Filth" is seen issue to attract the old, not the young for ar- to talk to BIRN about Patriot Hrvatska’s Nikola Puharic from the Youth Initia- is Serbia’, including one that imitates the ten be found in shops or on street stalls in Popov Momcinovic argued that poor ed- Kalemegdan, and read a book there. ber 13, is predicated on using the festival and by Medenica as the climax of the festival, as tistically radical and different stage poetics. wares, explaining that “since the Republic tive for Human Rights Croatia told BIRN Coca-Cola logo, as well as ones celebrating Bosnia’s bigger towns. ucation about the country’s wartime past its stellar reputation as a platform to show- it sees actors acting and wrestling on a stage The young generations [in Serbia] are quite Something that stands out about of Croatia is not in the Balkans and thus that major responsibility for the popular- ‘Orthodox brotherhood’ with Russia. The Ravna Gora Chetnik movement, contributes to a situation in which some case new trends in the often self-contained filled with mud, symbolising the total descent conservative. As a lecturer at university I can automatically does not belong to any ity of such symbols lies with politicians, Milan Antonijevic, director of the Law- the name by which Mihailovic’s Chetniks young people feel it acceptable to wear T- Belgrade and Serbia in general is how contemporary theatre scene – and also start a into chaos. vouch for that," he says. kind of imaginary region, I consider eve- state institutions and the country’s edu- yer’s Committee for Human Rights, YU- were known, also holds an annual meet- shirts with the faces of war criminals. the people here truly take advantage popular debate around pressing, if occasion- "After the cataclysm, there is a world with- "Younger audiences are afraid, and espe- ry conversation on the subject pointless cational curriculum, in which World War COM, pointed out that Serbian law bans ing in Visegrad at which members wear “I do not believe that a law in itself of their green and public spaces. I also ally unpalatable, issues. out people – and plays without people," Me- cially afraid of not understanding perfor- as well as futile”. II history is poorly covered. not just neo-Nazi and fascist symbols, but shirts decorated with Mihailovic’s name would regulate this, although it is neces- enjoy meeting with friends at Hotel This willingness to engage with difficult denica chirpily notes, explaining the decision mances… many think they will not under- But after the ‘Uncle Smiley’ story was He cited research conducted by Croa- also ones that “propagate or justify the or face and other Chetnik symbols. sary to define what fascist symbols are in Jugoslavija, where we’ll go for walks topics continues with this year's harrowing to stage three plays without actors, which deal stand them. The thing is to let go and open reported by some local media, Patriot tian NGOs in 2015 which suggested that ideas or actions of individuals that were Meanwhile the Ustasa ‘U’ can be seen Bosnia. It must come as a result of educa- along the quayside, maybe have a theme: "World Without Us". with history and personal brushes with death. ourselves to the new experience." Hrvatska released a statement on its Fa- nearly three-quarters of senior second- convicted of war crimes”. on shirts at football matches and other tion and the willingness of all to accept The ten performances chosen for the The narrative arc ends with "Requiem for To attract Serbia's young, BITEF has or- Valjevsko beer at the Savana splav. I cebook page saying that everyone sees ary-school students did not consider the The law envisages fines between events at which ethnic tensions surface. that,” she suggested. festival tackle increasing, potentially cata- L.", a performance of Mozart's requiem blend- ganised parties at Belgrade's hip venues and also love seeing movies at the Fon- the things that he or she want to see, de- Ustasa-led WWII-era Independent State 100,000 and one million dinars (around Zlatiborka Popov Momcinovic, a pro- The phenomenon of nationalist sym- strophic, rifts in Western societies, as well as ed with African traditional songs, while in the made many offers, so that students can afford scribing the T-shirt as “something like a of Croatia to be a fascist creation. 830 to 8,300 euros) for any legal en- fessor of sociology from East Sarajevo, bols being openly displayed on T-shirts tana or Zvezda cinemas, while for a individual mortality – a topic that Medenica background footage shows the last hours of BITEF tickets. Rorschach test, just with political conno- “It is not surprising that such political tity that “distributes, reproduces, stores, said this shows that Bosnian society is again illustrates how “the process of delicious glass of blueberry wine, I’ll thinks is still transgressive in our speed and an elderly, white lady. Asked what his benchmark for success for tations”. ideas are appreciated by young people spreads, or in any other way uses” such still struggling with the legacy of its re- reconciliation is fragile, especially when head out to Poslasticarnica Suma youth-obsessed culture. While insisting that the play is actually this year's BITEF is, Medenica is clear. "I want T-shirts that celebrate nationalist ideas when Prime Minister Plenkovic says that symbols – but the legislation is not en- cent past, but also with unresolved is- the focus is on facing or dealing with the (Simina 22a). "We came to the idea gradually… it was hopeful despite the grim subject matter, Me- it to be more than theatre: a platform for so- or right-wing personalities are on sale in ‘Za dom spremni’ has dual connotations forced by the authorities. sues from World War II and the conflict past”, she said. not an ideological given. As Filip Vujosevic, denica gleefully toys with an interpretation cial debate," he concludes. 10 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 11 OUT AND ABOUT OUT AND ABOUT

Where Else?

Taste Serbia’s top wines at Aleksandrovac Fair play in Sabac Pumpkin-it up in Kikinda Drink and Run at Palic

According to archeological sources, Aleksandrovac, located in the Rasina District of central Serbia, can Sabac’s fair (or “vasar”), one of Serbia’s most famous, has become synonymous The 33rd Pumpkin Festival (Dani Ludaje), takes place in Kikinda from September 20 to 23, The second Wine Marathon takes place on September 22 in Palic, a spa town in the very north of trace its winemaking history back 3,000 years. The traditional “Zupska berba”, or Grape-Picking Festival, with this northwestern town in Serbia, where it has been celebrated for over a when pumpkins will overrun the streets of this town in northeast Serbia. The festival events, Serbia. Last year’s inaugural edition witnessed the participation of over 1,000 runners from all parts from September 20 to September 23, will return for the 55th year. Thousands of visitors from all over century. Coinciding with the Orthodox Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, tens which take place all over town, include a masked ball for children in which they dress up in of Serbia but also Turkey, the US, and Singapore. The event combines running, wine, music, food, and Serbia and beyond will scramble for the opportunity to taste wines from Zupa. One of the festival’s great- of thousands of people from all around Serbia will gather by the river Sava in sacks and corn husks, parades, educational seminars, recitals, various exhibitions, several family-friendly fun, all available in the pristine, natural setting of Palic. The two races-which pass by est draws is the Wine Street, where the best regional wineries will display their wines, rakija, and other Mihajlovac between September 18 and September 22. The main draws are the concerts, games involving pumpkins, sports tournaments, and - naturally-pumpkin carving. gorgeous lakes, vineyards and typical local farms, salasi, are available for a sign-up: Wine Run (21.2 products. Another attraction is a visit to the Viticulture and Wine Museum, located in the wine cellar of the local foods and traditional music inside many tents, although standard fairground Farmers from all the former Yugoslav republics, as well as from Hungary and Romania will km, 2,100 dinars for Serbian citizens, 20 euros for foreigners), and Fun Run (10 km, 800 dinars for Aleksandrovac Agricultural School. A definite must-see is the fountain in the town centre, which will be attractions, such as Ferris wheels and cotton candy, will also be on hand. You can have their eyes on the 100,000-dinar prize for the heaviest, largest, and most unusual gourds Serbian citizens, 8 euros for foreigners). Registration for the races closes on September 15. If you pouring unlimited red wine from the tap instead of its usual water. For further details on the exhibitions, stock up on traditional wares made by artisans and craftsmen, from carpenters to [the current record s 507 kg in weight and 294.5 cm in length]. Head to www.kikinda-turizam. don’t want to run, access to the tasting area costs 1,700 dinars and includes unlimited tasting of folklore, concerts, games, parades and other events related to the festival, go to: www.zupskaberba.rs. blacksmiths. Find out more at: www.sabackiturizam.org. rs for a full programme. wines from the participating wineries. For additional information, click on: www.vinskimaraton.rs.

German and Bulgarian armies in the the Yugoslav army, JNA, took it away winter of 1915/16. Therefore, it has a when they retreated in 1991, when Smederevo, Vineyard of Serbia’s Wartime significant place in Serbian history. Macedonia became an independent The mountain became a symbol country. It is unknown until this day for the Serbs of Serbia's resurrection what happened with Reiss's heart. from its ashes. It gave hope for the Serbia Since Ancient Times History Lies Buried further liberation of the country, al- RARE FLOWER though this took another two years. HONOURS THE FALLEN Today, Kajmakcalan is still well Wine-lovers should For more information on visits, on- "The first years were thin, but now on Mountain known among Serbs and commem- On the slopes of Kajmakcalan, you line purchase, selling points and res- I produce around 6,000 litres an- orations are held here each year. can find the Ramonda Nathaliae make use of the taurants that have Jeremic wine, visit nually," he adds, noting that he sells An organisation from Belgrade, the flower, also known as Natalie's Ra- www.vinarijajeremic.rs. almost everything that he produces. Udruzenje Kajmakcalan, preserves monda. This flower can be seen on last sunny days of Jeremic sells his wines in the Wine its memory and maintains the WWI Kajmakcalan, but also in Macedonia GITARIC WINERY City and at home. He explains that he graves in the wider area around the and eastern Serbia. It is protected, summer to head for also used to provide some restaurants mountain (more information: www. and is famous for its ability to survive Located in the village of Dobri Do, with Rhine Riesling, Pinot Chardon- facebook.com/udruzenje.kajmakca- a harsh climate with only a few drops Smederevo – where some 25 km from Smederevo, Gitaric – nay, Vranac, Prokupac and Merlot, but lan.2015 ) of water. local families have or Dionis Winery – was founded in 1989. stopped doing so a while ago, as it de- While Britain adopted the red pop- The owners, the Gitaric family, have 18 manded extra conditions and much THE MYSTERY OF THE py as its national symbol for WWI, been cultivating ha of land, seven of which are devoted more money. HEARTLESS CHURCH Serbia adopted Natalie's Ramonda as to vines. its own symbol. A pin with the flower grapes since time Zorica Gitaric, who sells family's wine VODNJANKA A church was built on the top of has been worn since 2012 and rep- every day in the town centre, explains the mountain in 1917. There is some resents a combination of the flower immemorial. that the family uses its own grapes and Wine cellar Vodnjanka is located in confusion about its name because and the Albanian Retreat medal. only buys in rare situations. the village of Vodanj, some 10 km from most sources call it St Elias (Sveti Ilija Ivana NIKOLIC "We produce around 30,000 litres of the town, and is owned by the Ilic fam- in Serbian) while others call it St Pe- VISITING THE MOUNTAIN wine annually and sell it here and at ily. Production has been going on since ter's. egend has it that when the home. You can also find our wines at 1986. Like many small wineries in the When the church was built, it was, As interest in Serbia's WWI history late Yugoslav president, Jo- some restaurants outside Smederevo," Smederevo area, this one also started in fact, dedicated to St Peter, but the revives, the mountain is visited by sip Broz Tito, was visiting Gitaric told BIRN. as a hobby, when Milosav Ilic planted confusion arose after the Second more and more people. Trenches Smederevo, he asked the In Dobri Do's winery you can find his first vineyard in 1983. World War, when Serbia's World War can still be seen in the landscape and locals what worked best in Smederevka, Riesling Italico and Sau- Today, 25 years on, the family pro- I history was neglected by the new it is even possible to find some WWI Ltown, and got the response "grozdje" vignon Blanc among the white wines, duces 10,000 to 15,000 litres of wine a communist authorities. They simply relics. – grapes. He allegedly mistook this for as well as Cabaret Sauvignon, Merlot, year from their own vineyards. called it a memorial chapel. Besides its importance for Serbian "gvozdje" – iron – and said: "Well, let's Hamburg and Prokupac among the "In some extreme years, when the The peak is named after St Elias, history, Kajmakcalan is also seen as build a steel plant here then!'" reds. "We are especially happy with the weather is really bad and when we are which is the reason why the name worth visiting for its natural beauty. This is the anecdote you will most white and red Sauvignons," Gitaric says. hit by hail, we buy additional grapes to "St Elias" for the church became fa- You can combine a trip to Kajmak- probably hear when you come to Sme- Gitaric says the beginnings were make wine," Ilic told BIRN. miliar later. The church was restored calan with a trip to Thessaloniki in derevo, a town some 50 km from the hard, and the family worked its fingers While back in the day, each and eve- in 2016, before the 100th anniversary Greece or to Bitola and Ohrid in Mac- capital, Belgrade, to visit its vineyards to the bone to make a name and find ry village house in the Smederevo area of the commemoration of the battle. edonia. and taste its wine. While the story is their way into the market. While today had their own vineyard, he says that is Above the entry, it is written in Ser- The distance from Belgrade is not necessarily true, it is true that the they breathe somewhat more easily, no longer the case. "Today, four or five bian: "To my fearless and faithful gi- around 715 kilometres, about eight ground here is especially suitable for they are still not entirely satisfied with households still have vineyards, not ant-heroes, who opened the doors to hours by car, and the mountain is growing grapes. Vineyards have been planted around Smederevo since the Photo: Nenad Tepavcevic their sales. just in my village but in the other vil- freedom with their chest, and stayed best climbed from the Greek side. Roman times and are well known for their quality wines. The first ones to realize that were the "Sometimes we sell more, some- lages here as well," he says. here as guards at the threshold of the The climb from the Macedonian side Romans: it was the Roman emperor the first vineyards, it is still full of winer- same wine received another award in times less, but it is important that, all He says the family has no intention fatherland." Inside, you can light a takes more time and is more difficult. Marcus Aurelius Probus, who ruled ies that you can visit. December 2014, for Serbia's best red in all, people buy it. Whenever there of expanding the business. The family candle for the fallen soldiers. Some organisations, like the Udru- from 276 to 282 AD, who brought vines The two most famous, which have wine of 2014. A year later, in Sofia, Bul- are payments in town [salaries or pen- believes the most important thing is to Under the church is a mausoleum zenje Kajmakcalan, organise trips, to the area in the 3rd century AD, believ- acquired international recognition, are garia, its wine Vrtlog (2013) was named sions], the sales go up," Zorica says with ensure high quality and oversee the en- with the remains of the fallen sol- mostly in September, when the com- ing Smederevo had ideal conditions for the Janko Cellar and Jeremic wineries the Balkans' best white wine. a smile, adding that the family is not tire process. diers, but entry is now forbidden, memorations of the battle take place. growing grapes. whose wines you can find almost all Janko wine can be purchased in the afraid of competition, as their wines are "Bigger production requires a lot of since people took selfies with the The best season to climb the Later rulers of what became Serbia over Serbia. winery itself as well as online, while lots top quality. things and I am not interested in that. skulls, and some bones were also mountain is in late summer, starting also endorsed this idea, such as the But apart from these, Smederevo has of restaurants in Serbia stock it on their Neither are my sons-in-law," says Ilic stolen. as early as possible, as the weather medieval Serbian ruler Despot Djur- many other, smaller wineries, which menus. It is also exported to Estonia, DOBRAVA GALE with a smile, adding that he has two Trenches and memorials dotted around Kajmakcalan are reminders of Photo: State Archives of FYROM There is an interesting tale about can get unstable during the day. You important battles fought there. adj Brankovic, the Ottoman Turks, mostly focus on the local market. If you The Netherlands, Bosnia, Montenegro daughters but no son who would – as the heart of Rudolphe Archibald can reach the top in two hours from when they occupied Serbia, and finally visit Smederevo, you will find its vint- and Albania. (For more information This 40-year-old winery is also lo- tradition goes – take over from his fa- Reiss (1875 to 1929), the German- the Voras ski station from the Greek Prince Milos Obrenovic, founder of the ners in the town centre, in the so-called visit www.podrumjanko.com.) cated in the village of Dobri Do. Its ther. Turning point in Serbia's WW1 his- Swiss criminology-pioneer, forensic side. Obrenovic dynasty, who also built a Wine City (Vinski Grad), selling their proud owner, Radisa Jeremic, explains Vodnjanka wines can be purchased Many Serbs still guard the memory of tory scientist, professor and writer, who No guide is needed; the way to the summerhouse close to Smederevo. products from wooden huts, or you can JEREMIC to BIRN that he started making wine as either at the Ilic family home in Vodanj, the Battle of Kajmakcalan, in September The Battle of Dobro Polje is less investigated Austro-Hungarian war top is pretty straightforward. You fol- None of the above-mentioned rul- contact them and arrange a visit (See: a hobby after graduating from the Ag- or in the town centre, while some res- remembered in Serbia and abroad crimes committed in Serbia in 1914 low the dirt path, following the ski lift, ers chose Smederevo to grow grapes www.visitsmederevo.com). This was established in 2010, al- ricultural Faculty in the 1970s, but the taurants in the area stock their wines 1916, which marked a turning point in the these day, because generally people and 1915 together with a Dutch doc- more or less. Keep in mind that the and make wine by accident: lying in a though the Jeremic family already winery only officially opened in 1997. on the menu as well. in Serbia know more about the Bat- tor, Arius van Tienhoven. mountain is high, so the weather can moderate-continental belt, between JANKO had a long history of making wine. The Soon, the hobby grew into a business, While many local vintners have con- country’s history, on a peak which is well tle of Kajmakcalan, which took place After Serbia's defeat, he joined the change fast. Bring warm clothes and the Danube and the Velika Morava riv- family has 3.5 ha of vineyards today which Jeremic hopes his sons will take centrated on such well known inter- two years earlier, between Septem- retreat through Albania towards Cor- enough water and food. ers, on fertile soil, experts say this is ex- Established in 2006, Janko first pre- and plans to expand them. Their basic over when he retires. national brands such as Chardonnay, worth visiting even today. ber 12 and 30, 1916, between the Ser- fu, together with the Serbian army, Down the mountain, on the Greek cellent terrain for cultivating vineyards. sented its products in 2007. The winery sorts are Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. "Once I am not able to work anymore, Cabernet and Sauvignon, Ilic says he After a two-year standstill on the Salon- bian and Bulgarian armies. and followed them back towards the side, you can stay in the village of To honour its vineyards, vintners started with 3.5 hectares of vineyards Jeremic also received international I will say – goodbye," Jeremic says. always wanted to stay loyal to the tra- Fabian VENDRIG ika front, the Entente forces finally broke On this 2,524 metre-high mountain liberation of Serbia. Arnissa or Agios Athanasios, within and its fine wines, Smederevo organ- and today has around 14 ha. It is plan- recognition soon after starting the busi- His father and grandfather were also ditional varieties planted here – Sme- through the front lines. The central pow- on the Macedonian-Greek border, After his death, he was buried a 30-minute drive by car from the ises an annual event, Smederevska ning to expand further. Recognition ness: in 2015, its Kanon wine won a gold vintners, but Jeremic was the one who derevka, Prokupac and Franka. "This xactly a hundred years ago, ers, led by Germany, were fatally weak- the Serbs liberated the first square in Topcider cemetery in Belgrade, starting point of the climb, the ski Jesen (Smederevo Autumn) each Sep- came quite soon. Already in 2014, the medal at AWC Vienna, one of the largest took the family's love for wine to a high- is a nice but demanding job. You can't between September 15 and ened and Bulgaria withdrew from the meters of their occupied country; while, on his own request, his heart station. Accommodation can be tember. Stari Zavet wine won the gold and a tro- wine competitions in the world. At the er level. postpone things and say 'I will do it to- 29, 1918, a fierce battle took war on September 30, 1918. Forty days this was the Greek-Serbian border on was buried on Kajmakcalan. booked via Internet sites. Bitola in Even if you missed this year's Sme- phy for best red wine of East and Cen- same competition, in 2016, its Sonata "I expanded father's and grandfa- morrow,'" Ilic says. place near Dobro Polje, a later, under the supervision of French the outbreak of WWI and thus Ser- The legend is that the urn contain- Macedonia is 90 minutes away by derevska Jesen, you can still enjoy tral Europe in the category over wines wine (2015) also won a gold. The winery ther's job little by little, so, at some point, "And you can't get rich from such a village in the south of what General Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, Bel- bian territory. Serbia celebrated its ing his heart was later demolished, car, which can be a good option af- Smederevo's rich wine culture. Some costing 15 pounds sterling organised by also won several medals at domestic I managed to produce more – and to small winery, either – but you can have Eis now Macedonia, not far from Bitola grade was liberated. A street in Belgrade first victory here following defeat at as revenge, by the Bulgarians in ter the climb, on the way back to 1,800 years after the Romans planted Decanter Wine Awards in London. The wine competitions. produce a quality wine," he says. a decent life," he concludes. and the border with Greece. is named in his honour. the hands of the Austro-Hungarian, World War II. Another story is that Serbia. 12 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 13 DINING OUT ARTS

Belgrade the chef, would be to serve it with a Caricatures at CZKD slice of fresh lime on the side. Insight: On Friday, September 14, CZKD Sommelier’s Pasta a-la-chef with duck, carrot, (Bircaninova 21) will host an corner pumpkin seeds and fresh blueberries Belgrade’s Visual Arts exhibition of caricatures by fell far below the excellent risotto. The Muhamed Djerlek Max, entitled JAM (JUST pasta (Fussili by Martelli, a premium From My Point of View. The

brand from Italy) was cooked perfectly exhibition, which will remain Arts in brief

A MAESTRO) Corner Wine al dente, but the dish tasted too mild, Biennale Dreams Big open through September 21, almost as if we had chosen it from the will be opened by famous Ser- A sip of wine is best bian caricaturist and illustrator savoured amid lush children’s menu. The carrots were un- Dusan Petricic. greenery. dercooked, adding no flavour, while increasingly dominated by the foreign fresh blueberries really had nothing to The Oktobarski artists who have been invited to exhibit Gordana Pavle GOLICIN do with the rest of the dish. since 2005. Vrencoska’s Real Maestro’s take on Paillard – thin veal Salon, Belgrade’s “Some local artists saw it as some- Utopias at Grad f you’re after lunch in a pleas- escallops in lemon sauce – was excel- body taking their place – but I think it’s ant atmosphere, surrounded lent. The meat was tender and the deli- biennial exhibi- the opposite. A considerable number KC Grad (Brace Krsmanovic 4) will host an exhibition by greenery and far from cate sauce complemented the meat of local artists are represented. It is a the city rush, JAM delivers tion of visual arts, of multimedia works by the I perfectly. Our waiter explained in ad- good way for them to be exhibited on exactly that. Macedonian artist and designer The wine list has fresh breadth, vance that this dish comes with noth- promises to be the the same footing as global artists, and it Gordana Vrencoska, entitled and is somewhat different from ing on the side, so we ordered some allows them to measure up with foreign Real Utopias, comprised of the rest of the restaurants in oven-baked carrots. They were done biggest yet – with artists,” Goncic maintains. five different projects with Belgrade, exploiting some of the just right; the delicately sweet large car- Besides showcasing global art trends, an interdisciplinary, research lesser-known labels. rot chunks were a perfect companion a high-powered Goncic thinks the salon can help the and conceptual approach. The Despite that, it is easy even for exhibition opens on Monday, to the veal. fledgling contemporary art market in a guest without profound grape roster of artists like September 17, and will remain knowledge to grasp, as the neces- Following our waiter’s recommen- Serbia itself. open until September 30. sary information for each wine is dation, we ordered the lamb, from the Yoko Ono, Anselm As part of the programme, on Sun- provided. “Chef’s choices” addition to the main day September 16, there will be a panel, RTS Symphonic The depth of the list might be menu. It was served with couscous Kiefer and Olafur “Art is Our Business,” where interna- Orchestra Opens enhanced, however. It includes salad dotted with pomegranate seeds, tional artists, gallerists, curators, col- Season at Kolarac just 35 labels. Only a few Serbian thin slices of fennel and green olives, lectors as well as Jennifer Raiser, the wines are present. The rest come Eliasson. The new season is underway at mostly from Italy and to a less and mint leaves. This one fell below founding treasurer of “Burning Man”, the Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment extent from Slovenia and Monte- expectations – the lamb was a little dry will discuss the business aspects of (Studentski Trg 5), starting with negro. and chewy, while the ingredients in the David GALIC, Srdjan GARCEVIC contemporary art – something alien a concert by the RTS Sym- It contains some nice examples couscous salad felt disconnected. to Serbia’s art scene, which is still run phonic Orchestra, which will be from both those countries, but the A beautifully presented pistachio he most significant visual The Salon seeks to establish Belgrade as a regional Photo: Srdjan Garcevic according to models established in So- playing pieces by I. Zebeljan, N. lack of other established wine- centre of contemporary art. Campogrande, M.Mihajlovic and producing countries – either from tart – a flat round “basket” of cacao-fla- arts event in Serbia, the cialist times. voured biscuit base, filled with smooth, Oktobarski Salon (October spaces of the Museum of Belgrade in about the new format and sees it as a “We are coming from a completely M. Nisula, lead by the conductor the “old” or “new” world – limits Bojan Sudjic. The concert on the possibilities for wine lovers. rich pistachio cream and decorated Salon), is returning on Sep- Resavska and the Gallery of the Serbian great opportunity for the city and its art different background and really don’t Tuesday, September 18, starts In total, 22 wines are available by with a single raspberry – put a smile tember 15 for its 57th edi- Academy of Sciences and Arts Gallery scene. know how it’s done. But new galleries at 8pm. the glass. back on our faces. The raspberry red tionT – and is aiming high. in Knez Mihailova to smaller alterna- “Belgrade is the only city in the region are popping up that are supporting con- This time, I decided to take the provided a great visually contrast- The roster of international and local tive galleries like Remont (Marsala that has an international exhibition of temporary art like Novembar, Eugster National Theatre Piedmont path, as I don’t often Celebrates Birthday have a chance to try some of my ing detail to the greenish cake, and it artists who will exhibit in the exhibition Birjuzova 7) and U10 (Kralja Milana 10). the visual arts in this format. Belgrade and X Vitamin. It is starting – so maybe favourite wines from that north- had the same effect on the taste – the spaces, under the slogan “Marvellous Besides installations, paintings and has the potential to be a centre of visual we may even get an art fair,” explains with Opera by the ern Italian region. crisp, fresh acidity contrasted with the Cacophony”, for its six-week run, is im- sculptures, the salon will offer partici- arts for the whole of Eastern Europe or Goncic. Water I started with a Blangé Roero creamy, nutty taste of the cake beauti- pressive. patory performances. the region, because there are no [regu- Finally, Goncic is certain that the Sa- The National Theatre in Arneis by Ceretto, as a perfect ape- fully. We wished there were more rasp- Artists range from veterans like Yoko Yoko Ono’s work for the salon has lar] biennales between Venice and Is- lon will not only draw in local audienc- ritif that goes well with seafood, Belgrade is celebrating its berries around. Ono, Anselm Kiefer, Tom Sachs, Cindy already drawn attention due to its par- tanbul,” she says. es but also increase Belgrade’s standing th which we mostly ordered for the 150 birthday, as well as the starters. Just the way it should be, we ended Sherman, Vladimir Velickovic and Erro ticipatory nature. She aims to discuss In its last edition, in 2016, the curator in the art world. beginning of the new season, The term Blange identifies the our visit with a perfect bite – a single to some of the biggest names of the gender violence and has sent an open was David Elliott, who headed Stock- “Belgrade is interesting, as it is still with an open-air opera evening white side of Piedmontese wines, chocolate truffle, smooth and rich in -fla moment, such as Olafur Eliasson and letter, inviting women in Serbia who holm’s Modrena Museet and the Istan- undiscovered. It has huge potential in by the water, on the newly in a territory almost exclusively One of JaM’s main attractions is its stylish and highly instagrammable design. Photo: Courtesy of ‘Just a Maestro’ vour, obviously fresh and home-made, Takashi Murakami, as well as young have suffered such violence, to send bul Modern and has curated art bien- cultural tourism. It can be a gateway reconstructed Sava Promenade, dedicated to the exploitation of each served in its own small piece of artists like Maja Djordjevic and Cao Fei. photographs of their eyes and an anon- nales in Sydney and Moscow. to Eastern Europe and a place where on Saturday, September 15. The red varieties. pottery, (a sort of a Japanese saké cup) The salon theme aims to reflect the ymous account of their trauma. This year’s curatorial duo, Gunnar the art world can see yet undiscovered concert is free for all and will Roero Arneis is perfect for – a treat to all the senses. richness of the world in its countless The material will be used in her pro- and Danielle Kvaran, have had simi- artists. There is a huge potential in the feature the popular opera arias, summer, fruity and minerally, with duets and choirs. a balanced dry freshness, which The service was good but not memo- facets but also to contextualize Serbia ject, “Arising”, which will be presented larly distinguished careers. Gunnar is visual arts here,” she concludes. always invites the second sip. rable and did not make our overall ex- and Southeast Europe within a broader at the salon, offering a chance for ca- director of Oslo’s Astrup Fearnley Mu- mentalKLINIK’s We had to skip to the reds. So, I Just a Maestro: Perfect perience in JaM any better or worse. international socio-cultural scene. tharsis and healing. seum, exhibiting contemporary art, October Salon will take place from Sat- Catastrophically continued with Langhe Nebbiolo With its concept, and even with the The participants and their respective Tom Sachs will launch five missiles and has curated and co-curated bien- urday, September 15 to Sunday, October Gorgeous Now Open by Rizzi. A grape variety used for name chosen for the business, JaM works, therefore, have been selected from the Academy of Sciences and nales in Lyon and Moscow. 28 in the Belgrade Cultural Centre Art Barolo and Barbaresco, it is usually Bites in Picture-Perfect The relatively new Belgrade softer and more accessible, with sets expectations sky-high. While the to represent this particular richness Arts, asking the audience to engage in- “Thanks to [the curators], their con- Gallery at (Knez Mihailova 6), the Artget the grapes coming from outside ambience and the offer on the menu and diversity and the positive creative teractively in this work by tracking the cept and contacts, we will have the op- Gallery and Podroom Gallery (Trg Re- gallery, Eugster II Belgrade the limits of those more exalted meet these super-high standards, there explosion that is created when diverse missiles and marking them on a map. portunity to see extraordinary artists in publike 5), the Serbian Academy of Sci- (Viline Vode BB), is organizing Setting an exhibition by Istanbul-based appellations and at entry level in is still room for improvement when it and even opposing ideas are brought The launch will be streamed live from Belgrade,” Goncic predicts. ences and Arts Gallery (Knez Mihailova art duo mentalKLINIK (Yasemin terms of price. comes to the execution of the dishes together. all available communication channels. The decision in 2014 to move to a bi- 35), the Belgrade City Museum (Resavs- The name Nebbiolo derives Baydar and Birol Demir), cu- The design includes everything that cream. It came beautifully served, re- and the service. Knowing that artisanal The cacophonous theme is also re- This is the second time that the salon ennale format was criticised in Serbian ka 40a), U10 (Kralja Milana 10) and the from nebbia, the Italian for “fog”. It rated by Yasmina Reggard. The looks very light and as pale as a Pi- An ambitious is “hot” in the world of interiors right sembling a round, layered dessert. The cuisine in Belgrade is a small, young flected in the diverse exhibition spaces. has taken the form of a biennale, head- art circles as detracting from the ability Remont Gallery (Marsala Birjuzova 7). show, which explores the future not Noir, with red fruits, roses and now: terrazzo flooring, a glass prism tartar itself was very nice – delicately niche, in which it is difficult to survive, Beside the traditional home of the sa- ed by a prominent international curato- of the local artists to exhibit their works in a world “triggered by hyper- liquorice on the nose. However, and highly wall, 1970s revival furniture, velvet up- marinated, with a good structure. It we admire the courage and respect lon in the three galleries of the Belgrade rial team. annually. Entrance is free for all exhibitions. For consumption and governed that all changes the second it goes holstery, natural marble, brass details failed only on the lower layer of finely the attitude that JaM has shown. They Cultural Centre, KCB, at Trg Republike, Gordana Goncic, acting director of Others voiced unease that the salon, more information about the venues and by hyperobjects,” opened on into your mouth. instagrammable … all down to the menu and wine list chopped avocado, which, unripe and certainly are on the right track in that the exhibits will be spread around the Belgrade Cultural Centre, KCB, which conceived as a showcase of local Yugo- exhibition, see the official website: September 12 and will remain Mercilessly tannic, it’s full and design and the tableware – featuring solid, combined with the eel sauce, tast- “quest for the perfect meal”, and we will city in various places, from the grand organises the salon, is enthusiastic slav contemporary art in the 1960s, is www.oktobarskisalon.org. on display through December 1. mellow, very well balanced and elegant. Most importantly, it has a restaurant in handmade pottery and retro “crystal” ed like a wax crayon. be happy to follow their progress. After very long finish. glasses. This place is a true Instagram Prawn risotto with saffron caught our all, we are on the same quest ourselves, The service in JAM is friendly. Lower Dorcol wonderland. attention for its use of Acquerello rice well aware that we are standing on the The wines are presented in sound Although this approach to design (aged rice of the carnaroli kind from easier side of it… conditions with the appropriate makes a worthy inevitably brought to mind the topic Piedmont, praised as the best risotto glassware, above the usual stand- of the role of design/designers in to- rice among star chefs worldwide) and JUST A MAESTRO, ard that you can find in Belgrade. But, again, the wine we ordered by addition to day’s hospitality world, we must ad- edamame (fresh, immature soybeans). Address: Knez Miletina 25, the glass was not poured in front mit that this picture-perfect setting It was perfectly executed – at the same Phone: +381 63 338471, of us. Mark-up is at the average Belgrade’s felt very good. We found the interior time creamy and al dente. The nicely Price Guide: 2,800 to 3,500 dinars level. itself pleasant and liked the fact that sized prawns and the fresh edamame per person for three courses without All in all, JAM is a nice corner artisanal food the design concept is taken seriously added to the richness of this dish. Our drinks where you can take a break from and followed through to the smallest small suggestion, with full respect to an everyday fuss. You can surely find a glass of wine that will ac- scene. detail. The way they have transformed company your meal. However, a small, barren triangular corner into for wine lovers, a slightly more a lush Mediterranean oasis, featur- ONCE KOVAČ, ALWAYS KOVAČ developed wine list would be Duda ing lavender bushes and small lemon ONCE ”KAFANA”, ALWAYS ”KAFANA” appreciated. trees, is impressive. We were visiting RESTAURANT KOVAČ Basic Info Rating pened around a year on a warm summer day during lunch- modern ethno restaurant ago in the lower Dorcol time, so the garden was our obvious neighbourhood, Just a choice. Overall GOOD Maestro or JaM, occu- JaM promotes artisan cuisine and we Wine selection GOOD pies an irregular trian- were eager to see what their menu had Wine service AVERAGE Ogular corner between Budimska, Knez to offer. They serve breakfast, lunch Wine pricing €18 - €95 Miletina and Santiceva streets. and dinner, and different menus are In the interior, as well as in the adja- presented depending on the time of the cent garden, a popular combination of day. Wine and GOOD deep emerald green and blush (or, if We started with a sea bass tartar with Bulevar Oslobođenja 221, Tel: 011 2462 343 www.restorankovac.com food pairing you like it, “millennial pink”) prevail. avocado, eel sauce, and cucumber ice 14 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 15 GOING OUT WHAT'S ON Secret Concerts Redefine Belgrade’s Music Scene

In choosing performers, the CLUBBING Sofar Sounds, a organisers look at the quality of novel way to enjoy the music and the performance, professionalism, fresh talent, and up-and-coming how they believe it may translate to a AND LIVE MUSIC stripped-down show. acts in unusual The aim also is to have diverse acts at each event, and the acts themselves do FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14 • Nexie & Teo Trunk, Leto, Savski • Ben Hur, Fest Club, Gradski park spaces, has come not necessarily need to be focused on kej bb, 11pm music alone; spoken word, poetry, and 2, 10pm to Serbia, adding other forms of performance art are also • Covek Bez Sluha, Dom • Pink Champagne, Shake & • Zemlja Gruva, Zappa barka, a whole new welcome. Omladine, Makedonska 22, 9pm Shake, usce bb, 11pm Usce bb, 10pm The atmosphere at the events is • Voivod, Maggot Heart, • Beyond 2000 Summer Jam, dimension to the intimate and respectful; all guests are Elektropionir, Cetinjska 15, 8pm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15 Club Slep, Savski kej bb, 10pm seated, quiet, and are expected to listen • Fuse, Fest Club, Gradski park 2, • DJ Marchez & DJ Cholack, to the entire performance, to give each current music 10pm • Jazz for Free, Dom Omladine, performance the same respect and Shake & Shake, Usce bb, 11pm • Gluva Soba, Muha Bar, Kralja Makedonska 22, 1pm scene. opportunity. , Fest Club, Gradski park Secrecy and surprise are key to the Petra 18, 9pm • Boozter FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21 Sofar concept: as a potential member • Garage, Paris, Grad Cultural 2, 10pm • Remake Band, Muha Bar, Kralja of the audience, you fill out a quick and Center, Brace Krsmanovica 4, • Nemanja Popovic, Fest Club, Nina PANTELIC simple registration form online and 11pm Petra 18, 9pm Gradski park 2, 10pm receive an email notification just once • ACID ARAB / Banda Panda, • Perpetuum Mobile, Bitef • Daphni All Night Long, ne of the global music a month. Grad Cultural Center, Brace Art Cafe Summer Stage, scene's greatest listening You can then apply directly through Drugstore, Bulevar Despota Krsmanovica 4, 11pm Kalemegdan, 11pm experiences has finally the email to attend one or several Sofar Stefana 115, 11pm • Girls, Boys and Toys, Bitef Art • DJ Bko x bege Fank, Zappa reached Belgrade in the gigs in whatever corner of the world • HAZZE Limited Garden, Café Summer Stage, Kalemegdan, barka, Usce bb, 10pm form of Sofar Sounds, you're in at the time. Grad Cultural Center, Brace currentlyO a monthly occasion to hear a About a week before the show, 11pm • Damjan & Dju Dju, Ljubimac, Krsmanovica 4, 11pm variety of acts in unique, intimate spaces. invites get sent out. A number of things • Millie, Zappa Barka, Usce bb, Cetinjska 15, 8pm • Super Summer Soul, Zappa In Sofar Sounds, the audience never are taken into consideration for the 10pm • Zglavkar, Ljubimac, Cetinjska barka, Usce bb, 10pm knows which performers await them audience selection. The aim is to have • Nikita Zabelin All Night Long, 15, 10pm until the start of the show itself. a good mix of people. • John Digweed / Guy J / Bokee, Drugstore, Bulevar Despota • Lakker Live A/V & Arad Live, The idea, advertised as "songs from If you are extended an online Stefana 115, 11pm Drugstore, Bulevar Despota Barutana, Kalemegdan, 11pm a room", came to the original London invitation, it is not a guarantee because, Stefana 115, 11pm founders in 2009, when they realised since its foundation, Sofar events have • Eddie C / Red Motorbike Berlin KOLARAC SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22 they were fed up with the way live limited the number of guests to ensure / Petko / Akioki, Club 20/44, • Stivie Whisper, Club 20/44, entertainment was being experienced an intimate atmosphere. Usce bb, 11pm Usce bb, 11pm PROGRAMME – in noisy, overcrowded spaces where You will receive the address of the • Bucalo, Ljubimac, Cetinjska 15, • Ibiza Sonica showcase, Boho • Jazz for Free, Dom Omladine, simply enjoying the music was previously undisclosed location the 7pm Bar, Kalemegdanska terasa, 6pm Makedonska 22, 1pm becoming impossible. day before the event itself. • Sonja Sajzor, Secer Club, • House Night, Freestyler, Usce • BandX, Fest Club, Gradski park They decided to start hosting small Sofar gig at Belgrade’s ‘Dve Reke’ splav. Photo: Jakov Simovic Svetogorska 17, 11pm bb, 11pm 2, 10pm shows from various friends' living • RNB After Mike Ride, Lasta, • Millos Kaiser (Selvagem/Sao rooms, where the public could have a videographers and, of course, the as underground cafés, co-working and Marko Benini, are a South-African/ If you are interested in discovering • Something Lucid by Warte:Mal Bulevar Vojvode Misica bb, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 front-row seat, interact with the artists artists and performers themselves. spaces, riverboats, rehearsal spaces Serbian couple, who are themselves more, send an email to belgrade@ & Arteriam, Pristan, Dunavski Paulo) Vemic & Ali Guney, and meet new people in small and Since March this year, the local Sofar and alternative theatres, so also raising talented and successful artists. sofarsounds.com, follow kej bb, 12am 11.55pm Club 20/44, Usce bb, 11pm Concert Hall, 8pm Concert Hall, 11am friendly spaces. Sounds Belgrade team has worked to awareness and exposure of smaller, Their goal is to provide a platform for @SofarSoundsBelgrade on both • HiddenBG x FAM, Barutana, • RNB Dancehall, Freestyler, Usce • Alex.Do, Drugstore, Bulevar RTS Symphony Orchestra Kolarac Podium of Chamber The teams that run local Sofar produce a monthly event in a different, independent spaces that promote the people in Belgrade to share fresh new Facebook and Instagram; to attend a Kalemegdan, 11pm bb, 11pm Despota Stefana 115, 11pm Conductor: Bojan Sudjic Music events consist entirely of volunteers. unique space each time. local alternative, cultural scene. music, both local and international, that show, register through the main site, • Get Low Party, Tag Club, Usce • Divolly & Markward and • Sonja Moonear, Barutana, Programme: J. Fontyn, M. Youth Philharmonic Orchestra This includes the venues, the sound The locations of Sofar Sounds The Sofar Sounds Belgrade you won't usually hear at big concert www.sofarsounds.com. The next event bb, 11pm Goran Starcevic, Lasta, Bulevar Kalemegdan, 11pm Mihailovic, U. Krigul, I. Zebeljan, N. Borislav Pascan technicians, the photographers and Belgrade shows have been as diverse organisers, Mandy September-Benini venues or on the radio. in Belgrade is on September 26. • Mancha & John Belk, Leto, Campogrande Conductor: Djordje Pavlovic Vojvode Misica bb, 11.55pm • DJ Paypal, feloneezy, Jackie Savski kej bb, 11pm Production: ESCA /The European Production: Music Centre Dagger & Flip, Grad Cultural • VUK, Shake & Shake, Usce bb, Composer and Songwriter Alliance Admission free Center, Brace Krsmanovica 4, 11pm Canadian Thrash Innovators Lovefest Fire Weekend with Josh 11pm WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Concert Hall, 8pm ArtLink festival/Opening Voivod Back in Belgrade Wink and Green Velvet SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23 Music Gallery, 6pm Night of Piano fter a sell-out concert last year in Dom Omladine, ver the few short years of its existence, Lovefest has become Cycle: МMusic Workshop Michel Dalberto, piano , Canada’s greatest and most interesting thrash one of the most popular electronic music festivals in the • Russian Gypsy Music Night Artium Trio Jean-Paul Gasparian, piano • DJ Vuk Vukosavljevic, Tranzit metal band, Voivod, are coming back to region. In addition to the four-day main event that Polet, Cetinjska 15, 8pm Mariana Radosavljevic, soprano Production: ArtLink Serbia. Last year was the first time the takes place every August in Vrnjacka Banja, Lovef- • DJ Vuk Vukosavljevic, Tranzit Bar, Brace Krsmanovica 8, 11pm Milan Rakic, clarinet Ticket prices: RSD 1000, 1500 band ever played Serbia but it seems as est also regularly throws standalone parties in other Bar, Brace Krsmanovica 8, 11pm Anita Zdravkovic, piano and 2000 ifA the reception they received at Dom Omladine con- Ocities as well. This September, the organizers are bringing two MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24 Production: Music Centre • Elena Pavla, Leto, Sajamski kej vinced them to come back as soon as possible. heavyweights of US house music: Chicago legend Green Velvet FREE COPY Admission free WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 bb, 6pm One of the most innovative and unique metal and techno pioneer Josh Wink. • Kid Kimi, Nemax & SOMII, Lasta, • Balkan RnB Night, Tag Club, bands of all time, Voivod will be playing Elektropionir The “Lovefest Fire” parties will take place on Friday, September 14 Publisher: BIRN d.o.o. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Music Gallery, 6pm this time on Friday, September 14. Tickets will cost (Josh Wink, Levon Vincent, Marko Milosavljevic) and Saturday, Sep- Bulevar Vojvode Misica bb, 6pm Usce bb, 11pm Cycle: Encounter with Artist Kolarceva 7/5, 11 000 Belgrade 3,000 dinars (25 euros) at the door. The support band tember 15 (Green Velvet, Dejan Milicevic, Nikola Vemic) at Belexpo Concert Hall, 8pm Giuseppe Francese, viola on this tour is Maggot Heart, an up-and-coming Swedish Centar (Spanskih Boraca 74a). Regular tickets for both parties cost 1,600 Phone/Fax: +381 11 4030 300 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25 Belgrade Philharmonic Production: Music Centre dark rock band. Expect this show to be sold out as well, so dinars (13 euros) and VIP ones are 2,400 dinars (19 euros). Individual tick- Editor in Chief: Marija Ristic Darkness 1 Admission free get to the club early. ets range from 500 dinars (4 euros) regular and 1000 dinars (8 euros) for VIP. Conductor: Gabriel Feltz • Balkan RnB Night, Tag Club, • DJ Marchez, Tag Club, Usce bb, BIRN editorial team: Soloists: Adriana Bastidas Gamboa, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Marcus Tanner Usce bb, 11pm 11pm mezzosoprano belgradeinsighteditor@birn. • We are the 90s, Freestyler, Usce Balint Szabo, bass Concert Hall, 8pm TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 bb, 11pm Programme: L. van Beethoven, B. Cycle: Editor & Artist visit eu.com Bartok Aleksandar Serdar, piano Sales & Marketing: Marija Production: Belgrade Philharmonic Production: Music Centre • DJ Marchez, Tag Club, Usce bb, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 Petrovic 11pm More information on 011 2630744 Ticket price: RSD 500 • We are the 90s, Freestyler, Usce Phone: +381 11 4030 302 • DJ Philips Blue, Tag Club, Usce bb, 11pm [email protected] bb, 11pm Subscription & Distribution: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Goran Knezevic THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27 Festival of Blues Caribou Alter-Ego Bands at Studentski Grad Zemlja Gruva at Zappa Barka All-Nighter at Drugstore +381 63 562 265 • Blues Bend Festival, Studentski • Dusko Gojkovic and Big Acid Arab at KC Grad John Digweed [email protected] Grad Cultural Center, Bulevar On September 19-20, the Studentski One of the most popular Serbian pop Canadian composer and electronic and Guy J at Barutana Bend RTS, Dom Omladine, Grad Cultural Centre (Bulevar Zorana bands, known for their impressive brass Combining Western electronic music musician Dan Snaith is mostly known as Printing: POLITIKA stamparija Zorana Djindjica 179, 8pm Makedonska 22, 8pm Djindjica 179) will organize the fifth Blues section and three incredible vocalists, with traditional sounds from the Near Caribou, but has been putting out some One of the most popular DJs in the world d.o.o. • DJ Philips Blue, Tag Club, Usce Band Festival, an event showcasing local Zemlja Gruva is going to play a live and Far East is hardly a new thing, quite amazing records as Daphni since and a relentless promoter of progressive bb, 11pm • Minsk /US/ & Zlatokrev /CH/, ISSN 1820-8339 = Belgrade and regional blues bands. Travellin’ Cats concert at Zappa Barka (Usce bb) on but only a few acts do it as well as the 2012 as well. It is under this moniker trance and house, John Digweed will Elektropionir, Cetinjska 15, 8pm and BluesTone Band will perform on Thursday, September 20, starting at celebrated Parisian group Acid Arab. that Snaith will throw an allnighter at perform at Barutana (Kalemegdan Donji Insight the first night of the festival, while The 10pm. The tickets for the show cost 400 They will be playing a KC Grad (Brace Drugstore (Bulevar Despota Stefana 115) Grad) on Friday, September 21. He will THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20 • Smoke Mardeljano / Dj Mrki, Cockblockers and The Petting Blues dinars [3 euros] in presale and are avail- Krsmanovic 4) on Saturday, September on Friday, September 21. Early bird tick- be joined by Guy J from Israel and the COBISS.SR-ID: 149132556 Zappa barka, Usce bb, 10pm Band will grace the stage on the second able at Zappa Barka. The ticket price at 15, starting from 10pm. Presale tickets ets for this exclusive performance are Serbian “prog king” DJ Bokee. Tickets for Circulation: 2,000 • Eyot, Dom Omladine, • DJ Marchez & DJ Cholack, night. Both festival nights start at 8pm. the door the night of the concert will be cost 1,000 dinars (8.5 euros) and will be already sold out. Tickets are currently the party are currently available at a pro- Entrance is free. 600 dinars (5 euros). 1,200 (10 euros) at the door. available for 1,000 dinars (8.5 euros). motional price of 890 dinars (7.5 euros). Makedonska 22, 8pm Shake & Shake, usce bb, 11p 16 BELGRADE INSIGHT, Friday, September 14 - Thursday, September 27, 2018 ARTS AND CULTURE

• Pa’am, 52nd BITEF, Bitef Thetare, • Pride Week b2018, different • Exhibition: Face – Once Mine, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21 Theatre Skver Mire Trailović 1, 7pm, 9pm locations, 10am Natalija Simeonovic, Belgrade • Exhibition: Scars, Ivan Grubanov, Design District, 1st Floor, local 96, • Exhibition: Sculptures, Nevena FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21 November Gallery, Kursulina 22, 7pm Vuksanovic, Ilija M. Kolarac 12pm nd • Popcorn Therapy, Dom Omladine, Endowment, Studentski trg 5, 7pm • Suite No.3, 52 BITEF, Yugoslav • Eternal Russia, 52nd BITEF, • Exhibition: The Love Stories, Drama Theatre, Kralja Milana 50, Makedonska 22, 7pm National Theatre in Belgrade, Snezana Vujovic Nikolic, Kvaka SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22 8pm 22, Ruzveltova 39, 4pm • Characters in Documentary Francuska 3, 1pm, 5pm, 9pm Films Lecture, Studentski Grad nd • Exhibition: Epic, Nikola Kolja • Pa’am, 52 BITEF, Bitef Thetare, Cultural Center, Bulevar Zorana • Exhibition: MetalKLINIK – SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15 Skver Mire Trailović 1, 7pm, 9pm Bozovic, Residence of the Djindjica 179, 8pm Catastrophically Gorgeus, Eugster • Nachlass, Pieces sans Personnes, Ambassador of Switzerland, Andre • Bollywood, 52nd BITEF, National • Serbian science fiction until II Gallery, Viline vode bb, 6pm 52nd BITEF, Terazije Theatre, Nikolica 30, 6pm Theatre in Belgrade, Francuska 3, Terazije 29, 5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm • Book presentation, Petru World War II, Dom Omladine, 8pm Kurdu, Belgrade City Library, Knez Makedonska 22, 7pm SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23 • Philosophical theatre, 52nd BITEF, Mihailova 56, 7pm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22 • Delicatessen Monday, Grad National Theatre in Belgrade, • Exhibition: Muhamed Djerlek Cultural Center, Brace Krsmanovica • Mrnjao Weekend, Dom Omladine, Francuska 3, 12pm Max, CZKD, Bircaninova 22, 7pm 4, 7pm Makedonska 22, 11am • How come you are Alive?, 52nd • Nachlass, Pieces sans Personnes, • Exhibition: Milija Nesic, Zepter 52nd BITEF, Terazije Theatre, BITEF, Bitef Theatre, Skver Mire Museum, Knez Mihailova 42, 8pm MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24 Trailović 1, 4pm Terazije 29, 3.30pm, 5pm, 6.30pm th TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 nd • 57 October Salon, different • Requiem for L., 52 BITEF, Sava locations Centre, Milentija Popovica 9, 8pm st • The best Music Albums of SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16 • 1 Festival of New Creation, Dom th • King of Betajnova (Cankar), Omladine, Makedonska 22, 6pm 20 Century, Dom Omladine, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15 Makedonska 22, 6pm • Death to Fascim: On the Ribars Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Kralja • Participatory Democracy Cycle, • Society of Fantasy Fans "Lazar and Freedom, 52nd BITEF, Bitef Milana 50, 8pm • 4th Festival of an Independent Dom Omladine, Makedonska 22, Komarcic", Dom Omladine, Theatre, Skver Mire Trailović 1, 4pm American Film, Dom Omladine, 7pm nd Makedonska 22, 7pm • Regime of Love, 52 BITEF, Atelier TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25 Makedonska 22, 7pm • Aretha Franklin, Studentski Grad 212, Svetogorska 21, 6.30pm • 57th October Salon, different Cultural Center, Bulevar Zorana TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25 • Gorki – Alternative for Germany, • Accidental Death of an Anarchist locations Djindjica 179, 8pm Belgrade Drama Theatre, , Yugoslav Drama Theatre, (Fo) • Exhibition: Past Now, Braca • Mental Health in Capitalism, Dom Milesevska 64a, 8pm Kralja Milana 50, 8pm , Pro3or Gallery, Koce • The Voice of SANU History Nadezdic Omladine, Makedonska 22, 7pm Popovica 9, 5pm Department, Serbian Academy , Grad MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27 • Comic Book Roundtable, Polet, • Language Cage Belgrade of Sciences and Arts (SANU), Knez Cetinjska 15, 4pm Cultural Center, Brace Krsmanovica Mihailova 35, 1pm • Six Characters in Search of the • Accidental Death of an Anarchist • Dorcol’s Market #16, Dorcol Platz, 4, 8pm • Exhibition: Natasa Galecic, nd Author, 52 BITEF, Atelier 212, (Fo), Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Dobracina 59b, 11am Nemanja Nikolic, Dom Omladine, Svetogorska 21, 8pm Kralja Milana 50, 8pm WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Makedonska 22, 7pm • Rhythm of Rebellion: Who are SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16 • Exhibition: Sejma Fare, Ilija M. You and to Whose Drum Do You • Psychology of Aggression, Dom Kolarac Endowment, Studentski trg March? Parobrod Cultural Center, th • 57 October Salon, different Omladine, Makedonska 22, 7pm 5, 7pm Kapetan Misina 6a, 12pm locations Exhibitions • Exhibition: Milivoje Misa • POSTHUMANO - According to • Science Fiction Literature Fair, Rupic, Cukarica Cultural Center, TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 and Events Critical Resistance and Creative Studentski Grad Cultural Center, Turgenjevljeva 5, 7pm Bulevar Zorana Djindjica 179, 10am Alternatives, Dom Omladine, • No43 Filth, 52nd BITEF, Terazije • 4th Festival of an Independent • Exhibition: To Be Decided, Makedonska 22, pm Theatre, Terazije 29, 8pm FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14 American Film, Dom Omladine, Milan Djordjevic, Sanja Copic, • A Month in the Country Makedonska 22, 7pm Studentski Grad Cultural Center, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 (Turgenev), Yugoslav Drama • Exhibition: Neon Jungle, • September Vinyl Market, Dom Bulevar Zorana Djindjica 179, 7pm Theatre, Kralja Milana 50, 8pm Natalija Dabic, Djordje Petrovic, Omladine, Makedonska 22, 10am • Discussion forum: European • 57th October Salon, different Studentski Grad Cultural Center, • Hand Made Festival vol.18, Dorcol Union, Political and Identical locations WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Bulevar Zorana Djindjica 179, 10am Platz, Dobracina 59b, 12pm Change, Dom Omladine, • Art Market, House of King Petar I Makedonska 22, 7pm THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27 nd Karadjordjevic, Vase Pelagica 40, • Eternal Russia, 52 BITEF, MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17 • Exhibition: For Milan and Megi, National Theatre in Belgrade, 12pm Polet, Cetinjska 15, 6pm • Lecture Cycle: Guest Lecturer, Francuska 3, 1pm, 5pm, 9pm • Challenges of the Modern • Society of Fantasy Fans "Lazar Democracy, 52nd BITEF Theatre, EU Serbian Academy of Sciences and Komarcic", Dom Omladine, Arts (SANU), Knez Mihailova 35, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20 Info Center, Kralja Milana 7, 12pm Makedonska 22, 7pm THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20 12pm • European year of Cultural • Exhibition: Real Utopias, • Eternal Russia, 52nd BITEF, Heritage – Regards from Serbia, Gordana Vrenconska, Grad • Exhibition: Jovan Steljic, Gallery • International Comic Book Salon, National Theatre in Belgrade, Yugoslav drama Theatre, Kralja Cultural Center, Brace Krsmanovica of Science and Technology SANU, Studenstki Kulturni Centar, Kralja Francuska 3, 1pm, 5pm, 9pm Milana 50, 7pm 4, 7pm Djure Jaksica 2, 6pm Milana 48, 3pm