Sticky post
Karafindl: The Nutshell Times Good Kafana Guide
Given that the culinary scene in Serbia not only expanded, but changed sufficiently to attract the interest of Michelin guides, a few friends and I lamented the receding prominence of good Serbian kafanas on the culinary landscape. Yes, this is probably overly nostalgic and curmudgeonly, however once one hits a certain age, has had the chance to taste enough varied dishes and has been overcharged … Continue reading Karafindl: The Nutshell Times Good Kafana Guide
Eurocrem: the taste of Serbian Boomer Europeanism
My obsession with Eurocrem, Serbia’s favorite cocoa and hazelnut spread, started when I was a kid in Belgrade in the 1990s. I still remember the joy whenever my mom treated me with a small Eurocrem blok, the version of the spread made into a chocolate bar, usually whenever we went into the cavernous Centroprom supermarket by our flat in Zvezdara. The appeal of Eurocrem went … Continue reading Eurocrem: the taste of Serbian Boomer Europeanism
Hidden Belgrade: Opening Belgrade’s Chakras
Researching the occult practices in Socialist Yugoslavia, I came across a fantastic PhD dissertation (and book) by Nikola Pešić on the “Occult in the art of Marina Abramović” (I was happy to find out that his mentor was the great Professor Nemanja Radulović who I interviewed for my Pokretači podcast). Apart from Pešić’s analysis of Abramović’s work, he also includes a brief history of occult … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade: Opening Belgrade’s Chakras
Which Belgrade neighbourhood do you identify with the most and what does that say about you?
I decided to do a very scientific analysis using The Belgradist proprietary data. Dorćol: You were always liked and respected because you worked hard to be. However when you are best when you let cracks show a bit in your façade Belgrade waterfront: You love provoking others as you like to think you see a bit further than them and are a lot more ambitious. You do … Continue reading Which Belgrade neighbourhood do you identify with the most and what does that say about you?
Tell Them You Love Me (2023): The Victims of Sentimentalism
Desperate for an enemy But too afraid to kill Use the pain of someone else And triumph for their will And spill the blood Of the arrogant mosquitoes – Ezra Koenig, Sympathy A few weeks ago, I watched a uniquely American – that is, riveting and bizarrely larger than life – story of an intellectually disabled person being abused by people around him, who all … Continue reading Tell Them You Love Me (2023): The Victims of Sentimentalism
Cognac (1988) and Born to be a warrior (1994): Yugoslavia through a “for export” lens
I often criticise Serbian and regional movie production for being excessively focused on “for export” films, which do not seek to portray any real stories, but just fit into the cottage industries of war-time trauma, Eastern European miserabilism or “political commentary”. Still I found myself greatly enjoying two very explicitly Yugoslav/Serbian “for export” films, which, however did not seek any prestige on festival circuits but … Continue reading Cognac (1988) and Born to be a warrior (1994): Yugoslavia through a “for export” lens
Treće Oko, eclipses, pandemics and years of magical thinking
My first memory of Treće Oko (Third Eye) magazine was with my grandma at Hotel Palisad in Zlatibor. It was just after my grandad passed away, and I begged her to buy it, as I was intrigued by various mysteries it claimed to uncover. I remember being very unimpressed with that issue, though. The only article I remember from it claimed we would all be … Continue reading Treće Oko, eclipses, pandemics and years of magical thinking
Hidden Belgrade (69): Streamline Modern at Craftsmen’s Hall and PRIZAD
Bogdan Nestorović was the son of the one of the most prolific Serbian arhcitects, Nikola Nestorović. He prusued his architectural education in Paris in 1920s where he developed a penchant for Art Deco (more precisely Streamline Modern) which characterised his two most monumental buildings: the Craftsmen’s Hall (aka Radio Beograd) and PRIZAD (aka Tanjug). Both buildings have a very intriguing history worth dedicating separate articles … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade (69): Streamline Modern at Craftsmen’s Hall and PRIZAD
Beginnings of skiing in Yugoslavia
After writing my article about Kopaonik (or rather its architecture), a friend of mine and a Kopaonik aficionado (he also rents out his apartment), reached out with photos of his family’s collection of ski-related memorabilia (pins, posters and skis) which reached to the era before WWII. While the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics are obviously the pinnacle of Winter Sports in the Yugoslavia and attract the most … Continue reading Beginnings of skiing in Yugoslavia
Hidden Belgrade (68): Automobile museum, Sablja Dimiskija and my disappearing neighbourhood
Through life, one develops but then has to abandon a nostalgic, protective attitude towards things in one’s life, especially places. Any living city is constantly changing, and cherished nooks and crannies, those that remind you of the best of times and people, have to make way.While it is normal to try to protect what is deemed valuable, one has to realize that it is, after … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade (68): Automobile museum, Sablja Dimiskija and my disappearing neighbourhood
Yugohotels: Kopaonik’s alpine vernacular spectacular
The history of Alpine tourism in Serbia starts in the 1930s on the slopes of Kopaonik. The mountain hosted Serbia’s alpine sports competitions from 1936 until the start of WWII in Serbia. Back then, the only structure on the slopes of Kopaonik was a mountain hut, destroyed during the war. The development of Kopaonik re-started in 1948 with the construction of Olga Dedijer mountain hut … Continue reading Yugohotels: Kopaonik’s alpine vernacular spectacular
Exploring Džej Ramadanovski’s Dorćol on film and in reality
When I saw that there is a film in the works about Džej Ramadanovski, a Serbian-Roma pop star who passed tragically during at the age of 56 in 2020, I feared it would be another slapdash cash-grab riding on the wave of “Toma”, a hit 2021 film about Serbian folk singer Toma Zdravković. My scepticism was even greater as I did not like “Toma”. … Continue reading Exploring Džej Ramadanovski’s Dorćol on film and in reality
Yugoslav Musical Calendar
Given that most of former Yugoslavia is still agricultural or tied to the weather through tourism it is no wonder that seasons still play a large part in its music. I decided to make a little playlist with the best songs which can be tied to specific seasons, months and hoildays so that you can see how the Yugomind conceptualises time. Whether it is Ana … Continue reading Yugoslav Musical Calendar
Lost Country: In search of Tomasi di Lampedusa and Proust in Serbia
In November 1996, my mother, grandma and I were excitedly chanting „Bando crevna“ (Red gangsters!) during the mass anti-Milošević protests in Belgrade. I was 8 at the time and was mesmerised by the thrill, energy and fun that were on the street of Belgrade for those few months after the contested election. There was a mini-renaissance or music and art happening on the streets, a … Continue reading Lost Country: In search of Tomasi di Lampedusa and Proust in Serbia
Srđan rešava Beograd 2023: Muzeji, Sajam, Železnica i liftovi
Učestali izbori na kojima ne učestvujem sve više jačaju moju veru u vrednost neizabrane večne, ali sposobne vlasti koja bi mogla da na dugi rok sprovodi dugoročna i kreativna rešenja, a kojom bih rukovodio ja. Šalu na stranu, evo par ideja vezanih za neke problemčiće u Beogradu, pa ako me se neko seti… Muzeji i Sajam Što se tiče pitanja muzeja i Sajma rešenje … Continue reading Srđan rešava Beograd 2023: Muzeji, Sajam, Železnica i liftovi
“Doček”: a Triumph, Serbian-style
An elderly man and a pre-teen girl are standing on a branch. A few meters from them, a well dressed man in his late seventies is trying to climb a 6 foot tall wall and refusing help from a young guy watching him struggle in disbelief. In the back a group of people with disabilities are waving flags, while thousands of children perched on their … Continue reading “Doček”: a Triumph, Serbian-style
Slankamen dreamin’
I often get obsessed with some places I would like to visit. These obsessions can last for decades and can be affect places near or far. The place I want to see starts appearing everywhere: every mention gives it more of a mysterious aura and in turn makes everything related to it magical and significant, much like Balbec for the protagonist of Proust’s Remembrance of … Continue reading Slankamen dreamin’
Italians build it better: Vittoriale degli Italiani and Brescia
I arrived to Vittoriale degli Italiani on 13 August, exactly 111 years after Gabriele D’Annunzio was (in)famously defenestrated from his villa. This – yet unresolved – act of violence in Gardone della Garda is one that arguably led to Mussolini’s rise to power -as his much more charismatic and accomplished rival was left incapacitated during key political events – and certainly led to creation of … Continue reading Italians build it better: Vittoriale degli Italiani and Brescia
Refugee cities: Tel Aviv/Beograd
Walking around Tel Aviv last month I was struck with how similar parts of it looked to Belgrade. Ironically it was not just the sleek Modernist parts, built by Bauhaus architects, but also parts of the city that were haphazardly forced to house Jewish refugees and settlers, much like parts of Belgrade (Altina, Borča, Batajnica, Banjica) were forced to take in people who came to … Continue reading Refugee cities: Tel Aviv/Beograd
“Barbie, the Movie”: Different kind of plastic, not fantastic
Whenever I think about the heap of my toys in the basement or even going to a toy store, I feel an intense pang of sadness. Toys promise a simple happy life and sheer joy one can feel by touching something as simple as a piece of industrially-crafted plastic. Like that promise and joy, they also are forgotten and left behind as soon as one … Continue reading “Barbie, the Movie”: Different kind of plastic, not fantastic
Best Belgrade Runs 2: Do you even run, bro?
As a keen long distance runner preparing for the Athens Marathon, I had to venture outside of my favoured easy routes and up my game. Belgrade’s hilly profile in addition to flat runs by its rivers is great for training, although our very hot and humid summers are not exactly helping the aspiring athletes. Anyhow here are some of the nicer runs I did in … Continue reading Best Belgrade Runs 2: Do you even run, bro?