The next day we visited a Serbian Orthodox priest. He spoke about the relations between religion and state. He claimed that the Orthodox Church, the predominant religion in Serbia, has no great influence in politics. The priest also spoke about interfaith dialogue with his counterparts in Bosnia and Croatia. On Kosovo, he stated that Kosovo is the cradle of the Serbian nation and that the most significant monasteries are located in Kosovo. He reinforced that without NATO military protection, many of these monasteries could be destroyed. I asked him about the church's role in the war. He spoke about how there were elements of a religious war, but the war was not motivated by religion. A main point he made was that during the war only churches maintained dialogue between each other. All in all, I thought that this visit was mediocre. While the priest seemed very kind and intelligent, he also did not fully answer many questions or sought to give very simplified responses. However, I did appreciate that this particular priest was quite humble (lived in a small cottage despite being a TV personality) and welcoming (presented us with a Serbian plum liquor and Turkish coffee).
That night, we went with Professor Sullivan on a boat on the Danube and Save rivers. It was an interesting experience as they played extremely loud 80's Serbian music while the 60 year old Captain of the ship sang over the lyrics, performing a sort of one-man karaoke. Nevertheless, the views of Kalemagden (Belgrade Fortress) lighten up, and the Danube and Save were beautiful. Later that night, a group of us ventured to Freestyler, one of Belgrade's poshest and most famous night clubs. The techno music, lights, and atmosphere were incredible. Despite the elevated price, I recommend this club to anyone who casually visits Belgrade and wants to enjoy a great night out.
The next day we visited one NGO, Veritas, which is dedicated to research on war crimes committed in the Former Yugoslavia. They have collaborated extensively with The Hague tribunals. For example, they cooperated with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in the conviction of two top Croatian generals who committed ethnic cleansing of Serbs and which saw former Croat President Franjo Tudjman connected to war crimes committed on the military frontier between Croatia and Bosnian Serbs. Of course though, Tudjman was not convicted because he died before this trial. The leader of the NGO, a former judge, spoke also about the momentous ICJ dispute between Croatia and Serbia based on genocide and aggression. How the trial (or possible out of court settlement) will be fascinating to follow.
That same afternoon, we had a discussion with a member of the Democratic Party of Serbia, a center-right political group. Mainly it was a pro-EU, anti-NATO, and pro-Serbian Kosovo (as are most parties in Serbia) party. I found the speaker to be remarkably intelligent, fair, and academic. Although I did not agree with many of his party's policies, such as slow (or "evolutive" as he called it) reform or the strong anti-NATO stance, I respected his point of view for he presented very valid arguments. Regarding his party's priorities, he stated that keeping Kosovo as part of Serbia is the number one goal that cannot be compromised upon. EU membership is their second goal, yet they will choose to opt out of Europe if they have to give up Kosovo. He stated that negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia, as has been done by the current administration of the rival Democratic Party, on issues such as custom laws, etc. are acts of "national betrayal". This is mainly due to the fact that negotiating on such issues gives a certain legitimacy and evolving status of independence to the separatist Kosovars. Currently, Kosovo is recognized by 76 states (most prominently the US). I have recently wondered why the US has such a vested interest in Kosovo. He believed that it was due to establishing a military presence in a geo-strategic region. I still have not reached any conclusion of my own, but I will speak more about the issue later this week when I actually go to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.
On Saturday, we went to Tito's grave. Josip Broz Tito was the leader of the Yugoslav Partisans during WWII who later came to lead the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until his death in 1980. As I have stated in a previous blog post, his rule has been extremely controversial. He never visited the largest concentration camp of Serb victims, he weakened the Serbs institutionally by making Vojvodina and Kosovo autonomous provinces, and he often crushed any signs of ethnic tension. However, he managed to keep six republics and different ethnic groups together for around 40 years. Also he was bold in that he broke away from Stalin's USSR early on (1948 - first Soviet satellite to do so) and he led the non-aligned movement along with Nasser and Nehru.
After he died, the entire system he had created disintegrated, leading the region into a devastating decade of brutal conflict. His grave was a large marble casing with his name inscribed. The museum was less impressive, as only one room regarding his fashion choices was open. Nevertheless the exhibit was rather nice, as it showed a connection and contradiction between his choice of clothes and the economic realities of the state. Mainly, he had very expensive taste, yet led a communist state. Once it is fully reformed and developed it has a chance of being a very impressive historical museum.
Yesterday, I was able to see the sunset at Kalemagden with a few friends. It was a very beautiful site, as the sun drew down over the Sava and Danube rivers.
After, we went to a great dinner in the Bohemian district of Belgrade. This area is known for its traditional food, its cobblestone streets, and the traditional Serbian music that is played. It was a very adequate way of bidding farewell to Belgrade.
Today I simply worked on a history paper and I visited three cemeteries with a group of students and Mladen. We saw many Yugoslav, Partisan, and Serbian leaders buried in these grounds. One of the most significant tombs was that of the late Serb President, Zoran Djindjic, who was assassinated in 2003.
The experience in Belgrade has been exceptional. I enjoyed learning about the rich history of the city. However, now I am looking forward to the next few weeks on the road. Tomorrow we head off to Nis, the third largest city in Serbia after Belgrade and Novi Sad. Following that one day visit we will depart towards Pristina, Kosovo.
Till the next time!
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