Nikola Denić, Niksa, just Denić or “brate” to me, was a highly ambitious young man, perhaps too ambitious. A fault I happen to like in an ally. He was well-read, well-mannered, well-spoken in a couple of languages, well-presented and usually well-dressed. But underneath it all, he was just a small-town guy who liked a good cold beer, homemade soul food while we sat in the living room at my place or his watching a game on the tube.

Whenever we had the chance to get together, our conversations on mundane subjects like sports, nightlife and chicks would somehow turn into hours of exchanging thoughts on economy, technology, Silicone Valley IPOs, society, history, health, exercise, heroes of all walks, wars, life in general and the point of it all. Niksa was a smart cookie. He had you all figured out. He knew the ways of your world and he knew how to sell. Which is why he often projected an image of himself quite different from what he was in essence. And it worked. While at times you couldn’t figure out if he was a somber grown man pretending to be a child or a naive child pretending to be a grown man… he was in fact just a simple guy on his way to amazing things.

Our last conversation was on Saturday evening, walking along Bulevar kralja Aleksandra through the fog in the direction of both our homes… I was in a hurry to get home, freezing my ass off and wanted to grab a cab. Denić made me walk. “Screw a cab. Walking will warm you up. Walk faster. You want to stay in shape and keep looking good like you do.” Son-of-a-bitch knew how to work me and that sentence was the essence of him… We parted ways a corner away from his apartment and a couple of blocks from mine. As I finally got into a cab, we both spoke our common farewell – “Be good.”

Nikola Denić, September 6, 1984 - November 23, 2011

Deniću… thanks for having my back when I was down and out in the mess of it all. Thanks for throwing a “just say fuck it” my way in the moments of weakness when I would pay a moment’s attention to the badmouthing and murmurs behind our backs. Thanks, brate, for the good times.

Budi dobar. Ljubim te.

P.S. I know you weren’t a huge fan of Hendrix, but this is a pretty cool song to see you off with, ain’t it, brother?

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – Belgrade is at least 16 cities in one. Whether you’re a rave-loving, party ’til you drop, club-hopping college student, a middle aged, intellectual history buff or a stay-at-home mom of three – Belgrade has a corner (several in fact) that you can call your own. Unlike most other cities that have all the urban amenities one could desire, Belgrade won’t make you conform to it. It leaves room for you to work out a signature quilt of your own from its many patches.

We’ve recently had the pleasure of having Adam Daniel Mezei in Belgrade, a fascinating character I added a while ago to my on-line third tribe list (a.k.a. members of my personal Non-Aligned Movement), and he is now back for a second visit. Before getting here on Sunday, he conducted a little poll among a few locals he had met before – he asked for a list of 3 favorite things about Belgrade. I haven’t gotten into the results of that poll with him, but he did share answers from a few people. The answers I saw were vague and bland, if anything. It’s high time I made a list of my own here. I’ll begin with my favorite things and then go on to list 3 things I strongly dislike about Belgrade, just to be fair.

[youtube width="212" height="172"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw4Hy6MtBLE[/youtube]

Absolute favorite things about Belgrade:

1. The diversity -

I think it has to do with the fact that Belgrade is not only set on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, but also has numerous underground streams flowing below the city. All that water seems to give the city a whole “go with the flow” attitude and the diversity of activities and venues is just amazing. I don’t think Belgraders appreciate the fact that they could take a short hike, jog or ride on their mountain bikes in the morning in Košutnjak, drop by Ada Ciganlija for an afternoon drink and swim after work, and still make it to that business dinner downtown on time. Sure, we don’t have fancy aqua-parks or huge NYC-like spas set smack dab in the downtown area – oh, but the things we do got are amazingly diverse.  On weekends you might feel like another walk in the park with the fam, or bowling, paintball, a game of golf, horseback riding, pamper yourself one of the spa centers in the vicinity of the city (the links are all just examples) or hanging out at Ada all day before hitting the clubs at night.  Anything goes and each of the municipalities of the city is a world unto itself.

2.)   The history / The future -

Obviously, I’m a huge history buff. I believe lessons from the past are what lead us to a successful future. And Belgrade personifies that belief. I’m not saying there aren’t other cities with that same quality, I’m just saying Belgrade does that contemporary-meets -the-old-continent thing  less pretentiously than say Berlin or Paris. If Berlin were the Yul Brynner of cities and Paris the Alain Delon, then Belgrade would most definitely be the Steve McQueen. The history of the world, with pieces of both the Occident and the Orient, are embodied in one way or another in this one city. It’s not a Serbian thing either. The city itself didn’t actually come under full Serbian rule until just a couple of centuries ago. I tend to say this is a place where you can stroll the streets with the ghosts of heroes and fools and look into the future. If you take a good look into its past, Belgrade will give you a glimpse of what isn’t there. Yet.

3. The freedom -

Again, this may have something to do with all that water running throughout the city. This is one of the few landlocked cities I’ve ever seen where you can actually stop to enjoy the wind blowing through your hair and body, walk barefoot in the grass in a downtown park, run wild with your kid or friends down a busy pedestrian street and seldom get a judgemental look. Matter of fact, you’re bound to get a smile from someone. And the city literally never sleeps. Like never ever. Ever ever. And I don’t mean you can stay out and party all night at the clubs. That’s a given. But you can also go out at 3 or 4 am to buy milk and smokes at a local all-night store. Or say you just feel like having a quiet cup of coffee with a buddy in the middle of the night – there are several cafes around the city open all night. The simple freedom of doing whatever you feel like doing, whenever you feel like doing it is priceless, a source of sheer joy. Yet, again, most Belgraders don’t realize how much freedom they have. I do my best to demonstrate every once in a while though and they seem to be quick studies.

Now that I’ve pumped you up, allow me to hit you with a dose of reality – what I strongly dislike about Belgrade. Of course, the city is far from perfect, but these three things would be nearly unbearable were it not for the above mentioned attributes of the city.

1. The Sea of Garbage

I’ve written about this before, so I won’t get into another rant on the subject now. But, honestly, the trash in Belgrade is just ridiculous. I don’t even blame city officials and services. Not that they’re doing an awesome job, but they ain’t doin’ too bad either. It’s the citizens of Belgrade and their attitude that’s the problem. Many locals will even complain about the trash in their neighborhood, but have no problem throwing out a tissue, a plastic bottle or putting out their cigarette on the sidewalk in other neighborhoods or downtown Belgrade. Fucking appalling. There are trash bins and waste containers on every street and corner, but most people just don’t have the decency to walk over to one and dispose of the trash. When I first came to Belgrade and commented on this problem, I was given the “hard times” and “economic situation” excuses by many locals. Bullshit. If you can afford to buy it, you can afford to dispose of its packaging properly. Plain bad manners. Since the city has (yet another) budget deficit, I suggest enforcing fines for such behavior. The ol’ two birds with one stone deal and everyone’s happy.

2. Strays

This subtitle should read “Strays and Behavior Toward Animals In General”.  Serbia has passed a few laws on this and needs to pass a few new ones, or at least enforce the existing laws. Belgrade is chock full of strays, the vast majority of them friendly and many of them pure breeds. Meaning, somebody saw an adorable puppy, bought it and then realized this thing was going to continue growing and eating. Serbs aren’t too good with long-term projects or self-discipline and owning an animal requires both. And, folks, if you’re not part of the solution – you’re part of the problem. If you run into a lost dog (they usually have a tag, seem healthy and were probably thrown out by an irresponsible owner) give ORCA’s Belgrade office a shout for help or advice.  If you notice a female stray or an injured animal in your neighborhood, call the City Veterinary Station and tell them specifically about the stray. If it’s a female, they will probably come out to pick it up, neuter, vaccinate the dog and release it into the streets again in a few days. (Not the Emergency Room of the Veterinary School of Belgrade University – this is where you take your own pet in emergencies) . If you’re an animal lover, you should know this will not only prevent a stray dog from having more stray puppies, but will keep her healthy and safe.  The last thing this dogs need is to have puppies unsupervised in Belgrade’s winter weather and watch their puppies die off one by one from cold and malnutrition. Do the humane thing. I keep ORCA’s and the Veterinary Center’s numbers in my cell phone, have called them several times from several locations in Belgrade and have always gotten a good response from them.

3. Traffic

Note that this list is in no particular order. All three problems are on the same, virtually intolerable level. The traffic in Belgrade just plain sucks. I wouldn’t know where to begin – the lack of bridges over to the New Belgrade side, the lack of garages and parking space in downtown Belgrade, the narrow streets where traffic is allowed both ways, the clogged city squares… ugh. It takes me about two hours to get to parents’ place some 125 km from Belgrade. A full hour of that is just covering the 25 km to get out of the city. Ridiculous. City officials have been saying for decades that, while there are solutions, it would take a couple of huge undertakings and a couple of years of construction to begin solving this problem. How about keeping it simple? Trucks and large vehicles have already been banned from entering downtown Belgrade during regular work hours on week days, yet you’ll see a ton of them at any given time. Another set of laws not being enforced. And how about banning entrance to all private vehicles on weekdays? If anyone wants in they can pay a yearly, monthly or daily fee for their vehicle. It’s green, it’s fair, it’s viable – just do it.

That about covers it on my part. I’d like to hear your thoughts if you’re a local or have been to Belgrade. What are your favorite venues or characteristics of the city? What bothers you about the city? And, more importantly, any suggestions?

Seldom am I at a loss for words. Anyone who’s ever spent over 15 minutes with me will confirm this. Anyone who really knows me will tell you there only one thing that can wow me enough to get me to the speechless state I find myself in now – unpretentious originality. Coca Cola’s Expedition 206 team did that for me in the past 24 hours. I now find myself in a lovely state of utter combobulation.

When I was invited to be one of the “Happiness Hosts” for the Expedition’s visit to Serbia, my initial reaction was along the lines of “Meh, why not? Could be fun”. And I felt slightly duty bound, as I always do, to represnt the city I love. I don’t know exactly how The Coca Cola Company did it. They not only found three infinitely interesting young people, but three people who contribute to each other’s personalities and genuine nature.

Around 7 pm on July 1st, exactly 6 months from the day the Expedition 206 team began their journey to 206 countries in 365 days, Eniac, Belgraded,  NeshaSr, two of the Happiness Ambassadors and I sat down to have dinner at Supermarket restaurant in downtown Belgrade. The dinner was everything but business and solemn. Five minutes into the dinner, or rather before we even ordered anything, we were already exchanging raw thoughts, vivid opinions and giggles.

Kelly is all natural, all the way. She is extremely well articulated and carries that exquisite streak of childish curiosity in an entirely adult mind and body. Remember the type of kid that would come up to you on the first day of school and say, “Hi, I’m Kelly. Wanna play?” That’s her in a nutshell. Tony has a touch of that attitude too. If he wasn’t already a kindergarten teacher, you’d tell him he should be a kindergarten teacher. He’s a natural communicator. He soaks in the people around him, notices the little things and opens himself up for others to soak him in. He’s open, blatantly honest, yet there’s so much more to read between his lines. Antonio, who joined us the next day, is a similar yet different story. There’s a tad of the Latin American mystery there (well, for those who don’t know too many Latin Americans at least) and an almost tangible, yet quiet wonder at everything and everyone around him. When he looks – he really looks. When he has a question – he asks. When he’s interested – he really listens. Among them, they speak English, Spanish, French, German, Flemish and a couple of more languages. They can all express themselves very eloquently, whether in slang, literary language, in spoken on written form. After spending a total of some seven or eight hours with them in under a day, all I can say is – I’m glad I was there.

On July 2nd, the unique Coca Cola bottle particularly designed to represent Serbia was presented to the Happiness Ambassadors at a press conference in Belgrade. Tony and Antonio shared their thoughts and experiences on traveling the world in search of happiness in the same genuine manner they did with us. “We’re very happy to be able, through social networks, to share this Expedition with so many people… they’ve become our virtual travel agents in a way, that help us decide which landmarks to visit and what we shouldn’t miss on our search for happiness. It’s a really ambitious project, but I couldn’t  imagine a better way to spend a year than researching what makes people happy.” (Tony Martin for Expedition 206)

Expedition 206 at Kalemgdan Fortress in Belgrade

But this blog post is about their visit to Belgrade and what defines happiness in Serbia. I don’t really need to do much explaining here. Tony put it best in his tweet on Expedition 206′s Twitter account as they were leaving for the airport – “Happiness here is togetherness”. Well put. Enough said. In a city that is over 2000 years old, that has seen thousands of battles, hundreds of wars, a city where we roam the streets with the ghosts of heroes and fools alike – seven people connected to create an unforgettable memory. For just a few hours, possibly over an entire lifetime, the seven of us experienced a form of distilled togetherness in Belgrade. The stuff that builds nations. The stuff that creates memories we tell our kids about. And this is why I am speechless. I’ve given you the facts above an my quick observations of the Expedition 206 team, but the experience will need some time to settle before I write about the several subjects that we covered over just a few hours.

We’ve got a ton of video material and are preparing to post it on Eniac’s Ground, Belgraded and this here blog. Among the questions we asked was “What cause for happiness have you found common to all the countries you’ve visited thus far?” Kelly and Tony answered right off the bat, “Friends and family. Being with those you love. Every country we’ve been to, that’s what people say.” Friends and family. Connections. Bonds. Togetherness. I think Belgrade’s got this happiness thing down.

Several of us, this guy’s on-line friends, were faced with this dilemma on the morning of June 7th, the day before the friend’s birthday. Zoran Knezevic, now living stateside, and I were chatting that morning and throwing around several ideas, most of them original and spiced up with a tad of humor. But nothing was wowing us. Then Zoran came up with a simple, old-school, killer suggestion – “How much would it cost to print up and hang a billboard in Belgrade?” We figured out it was chump change and a great idea – but probably way to late to get it up in time, like in the next 24 hours. Impossible. Well… I’m not comfortable with that word – “impossible”. Never did much like the sound of it. So I did me some multitasking – phone in one hand, keyboard with Google at my fingertips in the other, while Zoran did a mock up of the billboard.

Operation BB Mock Up

Now the great thing about the on-line world and why we’re all taken by it is that we can do things immediately. Got an idea for a new site – search, enter credit card info and you just got yourself a domain name. Remembered something you need to tell someone or need to catch up on work? Just flip the switch and type away.  But it’s not really palpable, is it? Sometimes it just doesn’t do it for us. Almost like it’s not there. And this is the reason that we will always have real world stores. This is why some print media, if they learn that their future is in the long process of investigative journalism, originality and meaningful editorials, will survive.

So, we went through at least 4 levels of Dante’s Inferno over the next 24 hours. I was on the phone half the day and sent out an SOS on Twitter saying I needed a graphic designer to do a quick print prep job of the mock up. The birthday boy is active on Twitter, of course, so we called it Operation BB and went about our business. After several calls, I finally found a print shop that agreed to do the overnight print job for us, but they needed the file in the next couple of hours. @chenka2000 was the first to respond on Twitter and did a great job with transforming the low resolution mock up,c onsisting of photos Zoran had swiped from the birthday boy’s Facebook profile, into something that would look more than decent in a 4 x 3 meter format.

I had no luck finding an available billboard location or a company that could get this thing up in time. Thankfully, Nebojša Radović, another close friend of the birthday boy’s, was soon in on it and it was now a full on conspiracy. Nebojša used his contacts to find the appropriate billboard. The contact there was awesome and they went out of their way to get this done in time. Masel, busy as they are, finished the print job by 11 am the next day. The print was picked up picked up and posted on the billboard at the end of Kneza Miloša street, near Colonial Sun, by midnight. The actual birthday was over, but close enough. We’d surprise him tomorrow.

In the meantime, a few more firends and the birthday boy’s wife got on board. Ivan Dimitrijević, Mile Kostić and several others kept tabs on his schedule and his every move. He was crazy busy those two days – turns out it was going to be harder to drag this guy out to the billboard so he can see it than it was to arrange for the damn thing! As Zoran put it, “This is why old-school advertising space sucks for targetted audiences.” Agreed. A PPC campaign would have been so much easier…

The birthday boy, Miloje Sekulić, is in fact Serbia’s pioneering Internet PR and marketing wizard. He’s been in the business some 10 years now and he’s had what may be his most successful professional year yet. Suffice it to say his only competition for the Most Successful Internet Campaign Award at this year’s PRijem PR Association of Serbia awards was – himself. Yeah, the guy had two of his projects nominated for the award. The only two. Along the way, throughout what we hope is just the begining of his career, he’s met a ton of people on-line. Yet, Miloje is old-school in as many ways as he is new media. If he connects with you on-line, he’s bound to set aside sometime and ask to meet you for coffee and a chat. He likes meeting people, he’s good at recognizing new talent and nurturing it and when he’s working with or heading any team – he’s just another member of the team. He pulls up his sleeves and he really does the work. Others can’t help but follow.

To answer the question from the beginning of this post – What do you get the guy who pioneered on-line PR in Serbia? You get him an old-school, honest-to-goodness billboard with his face on it and a message saying “Happy Birthday From the Folks On the Internet”. Why? Because it takes more effort than buying a domain name and putting up a one page website. Because it’s palpable. Because he’ll know what you had to go through to do it and he’ll appreciate the meaning of it. Because it is so worth the look on his face.

Thanks to @chenka2000 for being willing, fast and able! A huge thanks to Milena at Masel and Katarina at MediaMax, we literally could not have done it without you! Thanks to individuals at Miloje’s office who shall remain nameless and Mile Kostić for keeping tabs on the elusive Mr. Sekulić! Thanks to @Fotomanijak and Mišo Krtić for pitching in!

To my co-conspirators – Zoran Knežević and Nebojša Radović:

I would work with you again, any time, any where, any how. But right now I’d rather take you both out for a beer! :*

"A Calm Winter in Belgrade" from www.panoramio.com

First and foremost, we have the literally inevitable slavas. A slava is the celebration of the family saint, a tradition that isn’t necesarilly religious but rather of a more ethnic character among Serbs and a few other ethnic denominations in the world. You can read up on the particulars in the Wikipedia link I provided up there but that ain’t gonna tell you half the story about what actually goes on at a typical Serbian slava. It’s all about eat, drink and be merry -  to the power of ten. Honestly, you have never seen more true friends, heard more genuine laughter, or witnessed people of all ages consuming more food or drink in one place at one time. Ever. Roman emperors got nothin’ on us Serbs when the slava season rolls around. And if you haven’t been to one, you don’t know the true definition of a party. If you are ever invited to a slava, showing up is a must and the invitation is an honor. It means you’ve been invited into someone’s inner circle. When you arrive at a slava, as soon as you’re in the door and after you have wished the host a happy slava, you will be offered a spoon of the ‘slavsko žito’, boiled and minced whole wheat grain with sugar and nutmeg, and a sip of red wine to wash it down with. The wheat represents the body of Christ but also our gratitude for a good year and a good ‘crop’, the sugar and nutmeg represent the promise of a sweet and pleasant afterlife for all Christian souls. The wine, of course, represents the blood of Christ. Again, if you’re not religious, keep in mind that it’s more an ethnic ritual than a religious one and roll with it.  Eating and drinking plenty once you’re in the door is also a must. You’ll see a large, simple candle (traditionally, it should be of pure bee’s wax but they’re tough to find these days) in the middle of the table, burning in celebration of the family saint, and a ‘slavski kolač’ or ‘slava cake’. It’s nothing like a cake. In fact, it’s very bland whole wheat bread but there’s a lovely little ceremonial breaking of the bread before you sit down to eat and everyone gets a piece of it. If you get invited to someone’s slava once, your presence is expected every year. You’re in for the long haul now.  Good luck with that!

A 'slavski kolač' (click image to see more exapmles)

The other great thing going on this time of year is the concert season, which I already mentioned before. It starts sometime in October and lasts until late Spring. Lots of great less known international and local bands playing regular and featured gigs all over the city and more big international names each year. My personal favorite venues to keep an eye on are the Students’ Cultural Centre’s Livingroom (SKC has multiple venues, by the way), jazz & blues club Plek (regular gigs every night of the week) Bitef Art Cafe (regular gigs and the occasional gem, e.g Victor Bailey), and the Sava Centre and the Belgrade Arena (bigger ‘names’ and concerts). I’m a simple Blues girl myself, so I highly recommend checking out Texas Flood at Livingroom on the 12th of this month. Texas flood are, the name says it, a raunchy blues/rock band from Belgrade who opened for ZZ Top when they played Belgrade recently. Their music is obviously influenced by the likes of SRV, ZZ Top, and traditional Delta Blues with a touch of Led Zeppelin finesse here and there. So I hear. I suggest you be there on December 12th and judge for yourself. Billy Gibbons was also a guest, along with Raphael Wressnig and Little G, on their higly acclaimed album released in early 2009. Tickets are still available, at the ridiculous price of 300 RSD (a little over 3€) and I hear it’s going to be a packed house. Loverly.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FgZ96e-bpk[/youtube]

All in all, be prepared to put on a few extra pounds and be sleep deprived but happy this Winter season in Belgrade. I hope the links on this page help for now. There will be a post up soon for those of you who prefer to call it an early night, with recommendations for theatres and more classical concerts in the city. If you hear of anything worth paying attention to around the city, do let us all know. Keep the music blasting, the beer on ice, the party going, and have a great Belgrade week!

Belgrade is not, as the photographs indicate, a miserable city inhabited by miserable people. The citizens of Belgrade are not barbarians as we have been presented in the Western media for more than a decade. On the contrary, the city is vibrant, open-minded, and hospitable with a positive attitude and its people are eager to speak English. Not long ago, it was the capital of the most advanced country in the Southeast Europe. A meeting place of the two rivers, the Danube and Sava, have shaped Belgrade into a proud and beautiful city, where the locals have a refreshingly relaxed approach to life. It’s also a place that takes pleasure seriously, offering one of the best clubbing scenes in Europe and a diverse cultural life, which, I am positive, Mr. Anderson has witnessed himself.

Notice I didn’t even bother to ask exactly who was protesting or why. Prostests are so common in Belgrade that most of us tend to just try to ignore them unless they have something to do with the issues affecting our individual lives. Nevertheless, the information junkie that I am, I got home and ended up finding out that the students of the University of Belgrade were protesting new terms for fullfillment of requierments for certain financial aid for tuitions and so on. I wish them all the best in their efforts but I was a student a decade ago and my son is still in elementary school so I’m not really all that interested. Sorry. It did however remind me of a blog post I wrote and tucked away on my hard disk for future use. I thought I’d release it on the exact day that will mark 70 years since the first massive student protest in Belgrade but, with the current students planning on continuing their protest come Monday, this weekend seems like more appropriate timing. We’re taking that step back again now. The one I call retrograde. In fact, take a few steps back ’cause this picture isn’t just big. It’s huge. And you’re going to want to see it.

The year 1939 had been a tough one on all of Europe. In Serbia it was better known as the Bloody Year of 1939. It remained known as such even after World War II, which was just around the corner. What some don’t know and many fail to recall is that, before World War II came about, a vast portion of the Serbian high society, polititians and bourgeoise in Serbia and much of the region, actually liked the ideologies of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Yes, you read that right. Don’t forget that Hitler was Time magazine’s Man of the Year in 1938. This vehement little creature with the funny moustache had an ideology that very much appealed to the higher classes and a killer rhetoric. Bluecollar workers and students saw it differently, of course. The Bloody Year of 1939 saw more than 800 protests throughout the Kingdom of  Yugoslavia.

Allow me to introduce you to a few of the characters in this particular story – the story of the first massive organized student and proleterian protests in Serbia. Miloš Matijević, better known as ‘Slim’ (Mrša) was a tall and lanky bluecollar type that had been born and raised on a small, impoverished farm. A hard worker, after years of unsuccessful farming, physical odd jobs and such, he ended up landing a decent gig in the textile industry in Belgrade. In the late 1920′s he became a member of the Communist Party and set his sights on creating better conditions for the working class. True, most of us still cringe at the word ‘communist’ now that we all know what happened post WW II. But all that ‘Slim’ Matijević and those similar to him knew was that it was time for a change and this ‘communism’ thing, equal shares and opportunity for all, seemd like a great idea.

Our next character became a member of the Communist Party in the mid 1930′s and was a Montenegrin born Serb, Radoje Dakić. He was an electro-mechanic working in one of the larger factories of the time in Belgrade and was often arrested for his revolutionary activities and served a sentence or two in prison. A third working class character in the story, but far from the average woman of her time, was Vukica Mitrović. Born in Budva Montenegro, she had attended elementary and secondary schools there before her family’s finacial troubles and move to Belgrade. She was unable to continue her education but soon found an administrative job in  the Belgrade textile industry and joined the Communist Party in 1933. Vukica was arrested in a huge police raid of the offices of the Communist Party in April of 1935 and tortured by the authorities in prison so she would give up certain information and colleagues. Vukica kept quiet and, although a trial was held, she was finally released due to lack of evidence. Her friends called her ‘Sneak’ (Šunja) for her ability to carry out underground revolutionary tasks quietly and efficiently.

Rifat Burdžević

Rifat Burdžević was a baby faced and strong voiced young man. He was born in a small town in Serbia where, after having been orphaned at the age of two, he was raised by family members and enrolled at the Law School of the University of Belgrade in 1933. Last, but certainly not least, there was Aleksandar ‘Leka’ Ranković. ‘Leka’ Ranković was born in Obrenovac and raised mostly by his mother as he had lost his father at a young age. Ranković is a story all on his own so suffice it to say he would later become one of the most significant characters in the Communist Party of the former SFR of Yugoslavia.

These are the five main characters that, though they would have been nothing without the thousands they had following them at the time, organized and carried out an unlikely but successful mass protest. It was early December of 1939 and the workers, the students, the people – were fed up with low wage hard work, lack of bread, milk, other essentials and the lack of interest from the government in all these matters. A protest was organized, mostly by the five young people you have just been introduced to in the above paragraphs. The protest was scheduled for December 5th, 1939 and a permit for such a gathering was requested from the authorities. The permit was denied and warnings issued to the organizers, students and several trade unions. The next day, the organizers rescheduled the protest for December 10th and applied for a permit again. The second permit was also denied and warnings once again issued. The organizers, students and workers had no other choice but to use guerilla tactics. The protest went undergound for the next couple of days. The organizers made sure that the word got out to the authorities that the protest was planned for December 15th, each time giving them a different location. The students and workers had leaders among them that knew that the protest would in fact take place on the evening of December 14th and their task was to gather as many protesters as possible in the sidestreets around the one designated area – Slavija Square.

I imagine it was a cold and gray afternoon. It must have already been dark as the protest leaders and group leaders went from house to house gathering their fellow protesters. Police and guard had heard a rumor that the protest would happen a day early, but units were now hopelessly scattered around several locations in the city and any other information was scarce. The day had been pretty much like any other but as 7 pm approached, it was an empty and eerie sight. Those who were present say that the usually busy Slavija Square was deadly quiet and without a soul in sight except for a few policemen.  Slavija was. The streets around Slavija weren’t. They were absolutely packed with protesters.

Slavija Square, Belgrade, early 20th century.

At 7 pm, Leka, Vukica, Rifat, Radoje and Miloš came out to the center of Slavija Square. Rifat, the young and fiery law student was usually their spokesman and a great one at that. As he yelled out “Down with bloody war! Down with high prices! Down with terror!…” the protesters began to flood the Square. By God, it must have been an awesome sight. Police began regrouping, beating and arresting protesters. Many were injured and many killed. But it was too late. This began days of the most massive protests this region had ever seen. Protests began in other cities of the region and they changed the future and marked history. Mission accomplished.  When will the world learn that the fate of a nation lies on the shoulders of its children, its workers and its intellectuals?

The above is another amazing part of history that has simply been forgotten by most. So much so that as soon as the new democratic government came to power, a few years ago, the street where it all began was renamed from 14th December street to Cara Nikolaja II street. Not that anyone really noticed because most didn’t know why it carried the previous name in the first place. I wonder if the current government remembers how they themselves came to power in October of 2000. I wonder if they realize that, communist or democratic, they had a common goal. I wonder if they realize that they did the exact same thing 60 years later. December 14th marks the 70 year anniversary of the first massive democratic protests in Belgrade. I’ll be having myself a glass of wine around 7 pm and toasting anyone and everyone who took part in it. I hope you’ll join me.

Somewhere around Gornji Milanovac and Pranjani during WWII

It’s late August of 1944 in Nazi occupied Serbia and the peasants have already sacrificed much of their already meager crop, setting time aside to build a hidden, improvised airstrip near the village of Pranjani on a mountain with an elevation of almost 500 meters. It was a heavy, humid summer with temperatures ranging from the low twenties to the mid thirties (Celsius) and the regular onset of thunderstorms didn’t help in their efforts. In other parts of the world, the Allies were preparing the biggest rescue mission ever. Yes, ever. Why haven’t you heard of it? Because it was planned and executed that well.

Over the years of the Nazi occupation throughout Europe, many airmen were downed during bombing, Intelligence and even rescue missions. Over 500 of them fell somewhere over central Serbia and survived. They practiced escape and evasion techniques until they reached either members of the courageous and friendly village populations or any of the resisting local troops. In cooperation with Allied forces, those same locals and troops organized an amazing feat: Operation Halyard. Operation Halyard was a massive Allied airlift operation behind enemy lines, the largest in history in fact. It was lead by General Draža Mihajlović and members of the American Office of Strategic Services and carried out by the General’s Chetnik guerillas and the Allied forces.

Statue of General Mihajlović in Illinois

General Mihajlović kept his headquarters in the Gornji Milanovac and Pranjani region because, while he knew his men had good knowledge of and could conquer the rough mountain terrain, the Nazi troops couldn’t begin to fathom survival in this sort of foreign terrain. Both his troops and the downed airmen, mostly US Air Force, would be as safe as they could be here. This didn’t make Operation Halyard any easier however. The plan was to fly huge C-47 cargo planes and land them smack-dab in the middle of enemy territory during the most massive war the world had ever seen. They would then need time to load the airmen on board and fly out safely again, all from an improvised airstrip on the peak of a rugged mountain. The odds they too would be shot down were huge and the results – simply amazing. The cargo planes and those following came in and got out without any major glitches. The Operation was carried out between the months of August and December of 1944 and over 500 souls were home, safe and sound, for the new year that would bring so much change.

The real deal: Chetnik guerillas and Allied officers on the Pranjani airstrip, 1944.

Today, testimonials of some of these survivors tell us of the warm hospitality they were afforded by those who didn’t even speak their language. A common goal against repression, occupation and worldwide mass murder made all barriers disappear – they were welcomed and cared for as one welcomes and cares for family.

In an Open Letter to US troops in the former Yugoslavia from over 500 MlAs saved by the Serbian people during World War II, Richard L. Felman, Major USAF (Ret) recalls: “While we were there, those of us who were wounded were given whatever medical supplies they had even at the deprivation of their own troops. If there was one piece of bread in the house, or one egg, it went to the American airmen while the Serb went hungry. If there was one bed or one blanket, it went to us while the Serb slept on the bare ground. No risk of sacrifice was too great to insure our safety and well being. One experience which is forever seared in my memory is the time a village with 200 women and children was burned to the ground by the Germans because the Serbs would not tell them where they were hiding us. To this day, I can smell the terrible stench of their burning flesh. One does not forget such things.”

Major Richard L. Felman on the Pranjani airstrip upon his return to Serbia in 1995

Major Felman, who passed away in 1999, shortly after writing the above quoted letter, dedicated much of his life to tell the world of his lifesaving experience. Due to his great efforts, perhaps above and beyond the call of personal and moral duty, US President Harry S. Truman posthumously awarded General Draža Mihajlović with the US Legion of Merit award for his contribution to the Allied victory during World War II. This too was kept under wraps for political reasons, so as not to offend the then communist government of the former SFR of Yugoslavia, and General Mihajlović’s daughter, Gordana, finally accepted the award on her father’s behalf in 2005.

In 2007, Gregory A. Freeman wrote a very descriptive and compelling account of what is arguably still the greatest airlift rescue mission in history in his book  The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II. On August 15th of this year, Air Force Attache’ for the U.S. embassy in Serbia Lt. Col. John Cappello, soldiers of the U.S. military’s 1194th Engineer Company, and U.S. Marine Corps Security Guards from the U.S. Embassy attended the 65th anniversary of the Halyard Mission in Pranjani to pay tribute to the Serbs “who saved the lives of over 500 U.S. Airmen and Allies during World War II”. Daniel Sunter, the executive director of the Euro-Atlantic Initiative said, “We’re trying to build bridges between Serbia and the United States using history.” Yet, Operation Halyard was an event that bridged and forever intertwined several nations and hundreds of lives.

Review of "The Forgotten 500" by Aleksandra Rebić

My question is: Are we willing to wait another 65 years to learn of the great feats that are happening today? My answer is, plain and simple, loud and clear – NO. Please, remember to read the fineprint on the pages of History. It will make all the difference when you sign your contract with Time. To all those involved in the success of Operation Halyard – I personally salute you all for a mission well executed and a lesson learned. Thank you.

So, what exactly do I mean by the above statement? Just what it says. As the break up of what was the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia began in the early 90′s, one of the best public relations campaigns ever was being launched. As a matter of fact, it is considered the most successful campaign in the history of any U.S. PR firm by most PR and advertising experts. Diana Johnstone summarizes the feat well in her 2002 book Fool’s Crusade (Creating a Public Opinion): “On 7 July 1991… a major unilateral step was taken in the most decisive of all wars in Yugoslavia: the public relations war. On 12 August 1991, the Croatian government hired the American public relations firm Ruder Finn Global Public Affairs to ‘develop and carry out strategies and tactics for communication with members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate as well as with officials of the U.S. government including the State Department, the National Security Council and other relevant agencies and departments of the U.S. government as well as with American and international news media’.”

Smart cookies, if you ask me. Given the opportunity, I would’ve done no less. The politicians on all sides of this particular Balkan conflict had all been educated, in one way or another, in Tito’s Yugoslavia – a country that relied on public relations and propaganda like no other in the world. Tito’s Yugoslavia had not only managed to keep decent relations with both sides of the Iron Curtain, but was the only socialist country in the world to receive financial aid from both the U.S. and British governments, while holding on to the U.S.S.R.’s cooperation and promise of military and other aid. That took some quick thinking and smooth talking. In other words, it took some expert public relations know-how. Which is exactly why I find it so surprising that the Serbian leaders of the 90′s failed so greatly in the media war of their time. True, it was the first media war of this magnitude and perhaps importance but they had the expertise on hand and the funds to react immediately. They didn’t. Modern telecommunications and media were growing and developing like never before in the 1990′s. Anyone who had anything invested in the public opinion needed to move and learn fast. As has been the case with Serbia throughout history, a delayed and blazé reaction was the problem.  Too little, too late.

Once again, we are entering an era in which media and communication tools are developing at light speed. Yes, folks, this is just the tip of the iceberg and we are only beginning to find ways to use the technology we already have while new technology is being developed as we speak. We can’t even begin to imagine how the next generation will be using what we develop today. Will they even have to leave their home to go to work, or study or shop? What will their needs and wants as consumers be? How will they receive their daily dose of information? Will there be any need for print newspaper or physical retail spaces?

I don’t know the answers to any of these questions, but living in Serbia, a country that has always been dedicated to being in step with the latest fashion, technology and trends (but not always able to afford it), I can tell you that we are moving into a completely new world. I can see the trends developing right here, especially in Serbia’s rural areas where modern tools of communication are all that the younger generations have to rely on for new trends, information or ordering and purchasing what they otherwise would not have available to them. From my layman’s perspective, I see the world a decade from now in a modern state of feudalism. I see consumers here and worldwide being divided and identified by their interests, by the websites they visit, socialize on, and do business with instead of by nationality, age groups or professional circumstances. Word-of-mouth was always and continues to be the most successful road to the formation of public opinion. Now there are just new, faster, perhaps better ways of using that.

I’m glad to see Serbia taking that step forward these days. Today I passed by a bus belonging to Belgrade’s public transportation system that was adorned from head to tyre in a well designed advertisement for one of Serbia’s most successful websites. This particular website doesn’t even sell anything other than a huge amount of advertising space and paid content and still they’re investing in one of the simplest and most efficient forms of advertising to “get the word out”. Many businesses in Serbia still don’t understand that one must invest money in order to make money. As a typical Serbian consumer and citizen, I’m hoping good PR will help in that area as well.  Screw the military. The questions on my mind, as a single working mother who plans on a future in this country for herself and her child, are:  will we be able to handle another major media war and will we be able to have a sustainable economy with viable modern businesses in the future?
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Yesterday, in opening the first International Conference of the Public Relations Association of Serbia, aptly named Creating Image and Managing Reputation, Serbia’s Minister for Environment and Spatial Planning, Oliver Dulić said: “Serbia has lost its good image and the key problem is how to fix it.” Needless to say, the 90′s are over so no need to put a spin on those days anymore and I believe we have plenty to work with in a more positive light today. But there is work to be done. Glad to see the boys and girls of Serbia’s PR world are on board and working on current and future trends. I’m just hoping we can get the local consumers and the world on board too.

Brice Taton

Such is life in Belgrade. We learn to take the bad, find what good we can in it, and go about our daily business. The year has been pretty good to us so far, taking into consideration the state of the global economy, and the weather is still holding up. Another one of those mild Indian summers is just barely hanging on and I feel we’re just days away from a full fledged Belgrade Autumn. Although a typical Belgrade autumn can be tempermental and unpredictable, with rain, sunshine and even a bit of snow here and there, most Belgraders will tell you this is their favorite time of the year. Perhaps because this is when Belgrade shows its true colors, in all shades, light and dark.

October is the begining of the theatrical, concert and party seasons in Belgrade. Sure, we have the summer festivals and concerts all year round but, to be honest, we wait for all the tourists to leave to get the really good stuff out.  Within the next month and a half, Belgrade will play host to ZZ Top, Cesária Évora, Diana Krall, Tom Jones, Eros Ramazzoti, Simple Minds, Josipa Lisac, its very own Riblja Čorba, and that’s not counting those due to perform at the 24th Belgrade Jazz Festival beginning October 24th. That’s still not even the half of it. If your musical tastes are a tad more eclectic, don’t forget to check out what’s in store at the several venues of Belgrade’s SKC (Students’ Cultural Center). If you lean more toward the classical, then it’s the Kolarac Foundation Hall (home to the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra) you’ll be looking for.

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Theatres in Belgrade are a whole story that deserve a post of their own and I promise to get around to that soon. Also, this is when many Belgrade nightclubs reopen after a long summer’s rest. My personal favorite is Bitef Art Cafe where I’ll, once again, be a regular on Tuesdays and the occassional Saturday. In the meantime, I’m hoping we can put some of the recent bad news and vibes behind us, while remembering the people and lessons involved. Welcome to an incomparable and unparalleled Belgrade Autumn. Enjoy!