I often passed through Nova Varoš and Prijepolje on my way to the Montenegrin coast as a kid. While it is from Užice (or some would say Ovčar Kablar gorge) that the landscapes in Serbia turns truly majestic, I never stayed much, rushing towards the coast around Budva or towards Nikšić, where my family hails from. This year, of course, there was no trip to … Continue reading Serbian South by South-West: Exploring Uvac and Prijepolje
Being an ambitious and accomplished sailor in 16th century Spanish Empire could only get you so far. Despite being a hero of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 against the Ottomans, saving two ships in the failed attack of the Invincible Armada on the English in 1588 and sailing the world over, Petar Grgurić might have been an admiral but he faced a glass ceiling: … Continue reading Inventing Illyria for Gain and Glory
“Does such a thing as ‘the fatal flaw,’ that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn’t. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs – Donna Tartt, Secret History As a person who is largely swayed by aesthetics, it is … Continue reading Picturesque: Hiking through Zagajička Hills in Banat and taking a ferry to Ram
Novi podkast o Beogradu. Prva epizoda o Dorćolu, Dorćol Menhetnu, o tome kako se grad promenio od vremena kada su njim žarili i palili Gru i Isidora Bjelica… i zašto ne treba da budemo nostalgični Za slične sadržaje, lajkujte The Nutshell Times na Facebooku! Postanite mecena The Nutshell Times-a preko Patreona. Continue reading Beosvet Podkast #1 Dorćol Menhetn
August used to be the best month for me. As everything would grind to a halt and most people would escape to the coast, I would enjoy wandering around scorchingly hot but blissfully empty Belgrade (and before that London and for one summer each Ljubljana and Athens). If I were to travel somewhere, I would feel pangs of regret as I would be missing out … Continue reading Med Times
Ever since their modern re-incarnation, the Olympics are an opportunity for countries to show off their wealth, might and cultural sophistication, all under a pleasant guise of global unity, fair play and athletic achievement. They are certainly the most enduring and spectacular pinnacle of Belle Époque intellectual trends from increased importance of sports in individual and social development (e.g. the Sokol movement), globalism, international competition, … Continue reading All The Belgrade Olympics That Didn’t Happen
As a city which went through significant turmoils in its modern, post-Ottoman history – from brutal occupations in WWI and WWII to major political changes in 1903, after WWII and in 2000 – Belgrade has had its fair share of monument destructions, however mostly at the hands of its occupiers. Unsurprisingly, removal of monuments to the recent past happened most immediately after the Partizans took … Continue reading Belgrade’s Lost Monuments
As my podcast, Pokretači, is taking a summer break, I decided to give a little list of the best podcasts that I followed in the past few years. Although my tastes vary from more normie uplifting self-enhancement (or whatever is the current euphemism for self-help) to relatively dour discussions of current politics, one thing that ties these shows is that they did open my imagination … Continue reading The Summer of Pod 2020: My Favourite Podcasts
Given that this summer it will be more difficult and stressful for Belgraders to leave the city for their preferred coastlines of Greece, Croatia and Montenegro, we will be forced to be creative during our staycations. Thankfully, thanks to its geography, in Belgrade you are never too far away from places to escape the heat, have a nice hike and even see some of its … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade (55): Easy Urban Hikes
Sonja Radaković o umetnosti i životu, “Kurvanju” i prijemnom ispitu za srednju baletsku, i još mnogo toga Beleške Oktobarski Salon 2020 Ako vas interesuje umetnost poslušajte moj razgovore sa Anderom Dramićanin, Igorom Simićem, Nemanjom Kneževićem, Dejanom Vučetićem (o Olgi Jevrić) i Anom Russel Omaljev iz Balkan Contemporary Art . Pratite Pokretače i na iTunesu, TuneIn, Stitcheru i YouTubeu,a i slušajte nove epizode na Radioaparatu svakog ponedeljka od 16h. Za Pokretače i slične sadržaje, lajkujte The Nutshell Times na Facebooku! Postanite … Continue reading Pokretači #87 Sonja Radaković o “Kurvanju”, baletu i performansu / Beograd, Novi Sad
Balša Garčević je dizajner i vlasnik agencije DesignBuro. Pričali smo o njegovom vrlo širokom iskustvu u dizajnu (koje sada uključuje i dizajn brodova) kao i o odnosu prema brendovima i lepoti. Beleške Art of Kinetik Volite dizajn? Poslušajte i prethodne epizode za sjajnim dizajnerima iz Oblikusa, Braće Burazera, Autora i Metaklinike, kao i Slavimira Stojanovića Futra. Postanite mecena Pokretača i The Nutshell Times-a preko Patreona ili pomozite jednokratnom donacijom preko PayPala! Continue reading Pokretači #86 Balša Garčević o brodovima, brendovima i dizajnu / Beograd
Built in 1978. based on the design of Miroslav Krstonošić, a Ljubljana-educated architect from Novi Sad, Omorika is named after an autochthonous spruce which grows on the slopes of Tara. Its tent-shaped design was awarded Borba prize for architecture, and its interior still looks very much in vein of other Yugohotels. Thanks to the fact that it still owned by the Serbian Military (although accessible … Continue reading Yugohotel: Omorika, Tara
Miloš Vojinović je doktorand na Humbolt univerzitetu u Berlinu i autor knjige “Političke ideje Mlade Bosne”. Razgovarali smo o istoriji: kako je baviti se njome ali i o tome da li ima smisla pričati o njenom kraju, početku, cilju… Continue reading #85 Miloš Vojinović o istoriji ideja i idejama istorije / Beograd, Berlin
In April 1929, Josephine Baker was the first African-American star to visit Belgrade, while she was on her tour around Central Europe on the Orient Express. The visit came during her peak popularity in Paris, just before she made her hit „J’ai deux Amours”, and while she was still shunned in her native US, despite entrancing everyone with her dance and skimpy exotic outfits. She … Continue reading An African-American Star in 1920s Yugoslavia
Back in 1862, Zerek, was a warren of streets and gardens in still very much Ottoman Belgrade. Hugging the fortress which still held an Ottoman garrison lorded over an Ottoman Pasha, it was the home of the remnants of the Muslim Ottoman population, nestled within the crumbling city walls above one of the main cross roads at Dorćol and the Jewish quarter of Jalija and … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade (54): A death and a riot which changed Belgrade’s history
Church of the Ascension (Vaznesenjska crkva) lacks the glitz of Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Saborna crkva), the grandeur of St. Mark’s and St. Sava’s, or romance of Ružica and Topčider church, but there are few churches, in the city who witnessed as many dramatic and glorious events in the city’s history. That was maybe its fate from the beginning given that it … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade (53): Belgrade’s Most Storied Church
Andrej Josifovski, aka Pijanista, je jedan od najkreativnijih domaćih uličnih umetnika, koji je pre par dana uzbudio javnost svojim novim radom, privremenom instalacijom raspetog Hrista na stubu sa kamerama za nadzor. Pričali smo o smislu ulične umetnosti u vremenu kada se ona sve više komodifikuje, o njegovim pokušajima da od Bežanijske kose napravi muzej na otvorenom kao, i „grass-roots“ inicijativama za unapređivanje krajeva po Beogradu. … Continue reading Pokretači #84 Andrej Josifovski Pijanista o uličnoj umetnosti / Beograd
Belgrade Zoo was opened in July 1936, by its modernising mayor and wealthy industrialist Vladmiri Ilić, who donated the animals. Nestled in Belgrade fortress, it brought a whiff of exoticism to the city and attracted its elite, as well as the Royal Family, then officially headed by teenage King Peter II. It was part of the grand plans of beautification of Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan … Continue reading Hidden Belgrade (52): Rise, Fall and Rise Again of Belgrade Zoo
Gost je Tomislav Ivanović, jedan od najvećih poznavalaca domaćih vina i istorije domaćeg vinarstva. Tomislavov blog Vinopedia.rs je osvojio Millesima Blog Award 2016 za najbolji evropski blog o vinu i gastronomiji, dok je njegov projekat “Svetski Dan Prokupca”, koji se obeležava 14. oktobra svake godine privukao pažnju što domaćih poznavalaca i proizvođača, što svetskih vinskih ekeprata kao što je Jancis Robinson. Pričali smo o tajni … Continue reading Pokretači #83 Tomislav Ivanović (Vinopedia.rs) o domaćem vinarstvu nekada i sada / Beograd
On May 12, 2016 I left the UK to return to Serbia. I spent amazing time in the UK studying, working and getting to know this lovely country and its great people, taking the time to do thinks like hiking around the dramatic coast of Cornwall, roadtripping around the Cotswalds and checking out its elegant gothic village churches (and a pub or two). Anyhow, here … Continue reading The Green and Pleasant Land
