Interesting facts about Serbia. People famous for their beauty

Serbia is a unique country that is famous not only for its unique places, resorts and history. This country has given the world famous people, various figures, politicians, scientists and artists. The great Serbs, whom you know for sure, made a fairly significant contribution to the development of civilization and culture.

Most famous Serb – Nikola Tesla. This famous scientist was born in 1857. In 1880, Nikola Tesla graduated from the engineering school in Gats. In 1884, Tesla left for New York, where, on the recommendation, he got a job as an engineer in the Edison company. However, he did not find understanding, and in 1887 he opened his own company, the Tesla Light Company. Tesla's life was not easy, he, like all geniuses, was not understood by many. The inventor died in 1943. Tesla left many scientific developments related to electricity, the creation of new devices. Tesla invented electromechanical generators, laser and X-ray, patented radio frequencies, studied the properties of magnets. It was he who first used the term "field theory". Many of his inventions have not been fully studied so far.

Emir Kusturica – famous director and writer, born in 1954. Since childhood, he dreamed of cinema, and his first, trial work, received Grand Prize student cinema. Kusturica makes a significant contribution to the development of cinema, touching on the problems of war that are very important for humanity, showing all its tragedy, both for individual person, and for different peoples. Several of his films are dedicated to gypsies. Kusturica has many well-deserved awards.

Novak Djokovic- a famous 27-year-old tennis player from Serbia. A talented athlete, the first racket in singles tennis. His career began in 2003 and continues to this day. awarded the highest awards Serbia, is a member of Champions for Peace, a group of athletes who want to serve peace in the world.

- one of famous actresses Hollywood, Serbian-Russian origin. Born in 1975 in Kyiv. This actress and model starred in dozens of films, and the most famous of them is The Fifth Element, created in 1997. To date, the actress continues to act in films, is actively involved in charity work.

Nick Vujicic was born in 1982 with a rare genetic anomaly - tetraamelia, when a person has no limbs. With only part of one foot and only two fingers, this courageous, optimistic and tenacious man learned not only to walk, but also to surf, skate, write and play computer games. He is a role model and an inspiration to many as a preacher and motivational speaker. He inspires young people and teaches them to find purpose in life.

Slobodan Milosevic- a famous and at the same time tragic figure in the history of Serbia. Many believe that this figure simply turned out to be at the wrong time, in the wrong place. Slobodan was born in 1941, and since 1984 he has headed the Communist Party of Belgrade. In 1989, he became president of Serbia, and in 1999 he was accused of war crimes and crimes against the people, which did not prevent NATO from bombing Serbia, including with radioactive shells. Milosevic died in prison in 2006 from a heart attack. According to one version, he was poisoned.

Ratko Mladic, Serbian general, one of the leading figures involved in the collapse of Yugoslavia. Born in 1942, he was dismissed from service in 2002. Following Milosevic, he was accused of genocide, war crimes and corruption. Until now, he is under investigation, in a prison in The Hague. His arrest led to numerous rallies and protests among people in many cities in Serbia.

Born in 1923, she was the world's most famous linguist, doctor of science, and academician. She has taught in many countries, her scientific works are still considered among the best. Milka Ivic devoted her whole life to studying and systematizing knowledge about the Slavic languages. Milka Ivic died old age, in 2010 year.

Dusan Ivkovic, born in 1943, is one of the most famous coaches in Serbia. Thanks to him, many basketball teams in Serbia were able to achieve international awards. Now Ivkovic coaches the Serbian men's team. He developed several techniques - "Ivovich's defense". His team is the strongest in Europe.

Goran Bregovic- Musician and composer. Born in Serbia in 1950. Thanks to him, the world became acquainted with folk music Serbia. His music is in famous films, he actively gives concerts and does charity work.

These Serbs, whom you know for sure, were able to prove to the world that hard work, perseverance and faith in people help to gain not only fame, but also make the world brighter, more interesting and richer.

Serbs are the people of the South Slavic tribe, most related to, with whom many South Slavic, Western European and some Russian (for example, Florinsky) Slavists unite them under one common name Serbo-Croats, Serbo-Croatian tribe or people. The common origin of Serbs and Croats is not in doubt, but historical life both peoples drew a border between them: the Serbs with their Orthodox faith, with Cyrillic writing and old Slavic-Serbian writing belong to the Eastern European, Greek Orthodox world, while the Croats with Catholicism, Latin, Old Dalmatian poetry should be attributed to the Western European, Roman Catholic world.

The mutual relations of both peoples in history represent more examples enmity than friendship. Only in the 19th century did the Croats adopt the Shtokavian dialect spoken by the Serbs as a literary language. This dialect is almost the only connection between the two peoples, who do not cease to be at enmity where they live "under the same roof." Expressions such as the Serbo-Croatian language, etc., are a compromise, a mutual concession, but only on the part of a relatively small handful of intellectuals and scientists.

At the same time, it was almost impossible to draw an exact border between the settlements of Serbs and Croats even in the last century, because the Serbs during the Turkish rule, especially in the 17th and XVIII centuries, moved in large numbers from their original places to the territory of the Croats. In general, it can still be said that Serbs live in compact masses in the Kingdom of Serbia and the Principality of Montenegro and the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish regions adjacent to them: in the Kosovo Vilayet, in, in Dalmatia (in the Kotor District), where they were transferred as military colonists during the time of the Venetians (in the 17th century), in, in the former Military Frontier, where they moved in the 16th and 17th centuries. from Turkish possessions, in the South, where they moved from the Old to late XVII V. In addition, Serbs live in some places in the Danube, in Western and in Russia.

The typical Serb is rather tall than short, broad-shouldered and stately; he has a well-proportioned, beautifully set head with a thin, straight, often aquiline nose and somewhat protruding cheekbones; rather long neck with a large Adam's apple; the hair on the head is dark, sometimes ashen or light blond, rarely black. The whole figure of the Serb, with his proudly raised head and impressive posture, is distinguished by a warlike appearance. Serbian woman has regular features, slim figure and noble posture, while Montenegrin women do not differ in regular features, their figure is less representative, but they are much stronger, more graceful and more elastic in their movements
The main feature of the Serbian character is boundless, almost exalted love for independence. All Serbs consider themselves equal and equal. They became equal under Turkish rule, when all their nobility disappeared, partly dying in battles, partly converting to Islam and merging with the Turks, partly moving to other lands. In the subjugated lands, only the disenfranchised "raya" remained, in which all the remnants of the surviving noble families disappeared without a trace. The love of independence forced many to leave home and family, and go to the mountains, to the Haidut's “commemoration”, in order to take revenge on the oppressors of their people with an armed hand; at times all the people rose to their feet.

The energy of the Serbs does not flare up immediately; often he seems indifferent, even in important cases without revealing outwardly mental movement. In general, the Serbs are characterized by moderation and endurance, courage and fearlessness. He sleeps both in winter and in summer on the bare ground or the adobe floor of his hut, covered only with a straw mat or, at best, with a carpet. A thrifty, economical Serb always has his own benefit in mind; nevertheless, like all the inhabitants of the East, he is hospitable.

Serb family ties are strong; kinship is valued even remotely. In addition to consanguinity, there is also a relationship named - twinning and sisterhood, nepotism or nepotism, etc.

Religion in the life of the Serbs is of great importance, but his religious beliefs are mixed with various superstitions and beliefs, which he stubbornly adheres to. There are many customs and rituals that accompany highlights in human life, as well as famous holidays and days of the year. Serbs love music, singing and dancing. Songs accompany all rituals, both wedding and funeral.

The national clothes of the Serbs of both sexes consist of a wide canvas shirt with folds, belted with a wide belt, for which men can plug weapons - a dagger and pistols. On top of this shirt, a jacket or semi-kaftan is also worn, sleeveless or with sleeves, of different lengths - short to the waist and long to the knees and even below the knees. There is a red fez on the head, which in Montenegrins is replaced by a black cap with a red middle of the bottom. In bad weather, a cloak of coarse cloth is worn. In addition, sheepskin coats and sheepskin coats, fur hats, woolen shirts are used. This outfit is only in villages, remote from cities and roads.

The national dwelling of the Serbs consists of a adobe mud hut. To arrange it, roughly finished pillars or beams are driven into the ground, between which crossbars of poles or brushwood are stretched, and then all the empty space is filled with raw clay bricks or a mixture of clay and chopped straw; the roof is made of wood or straw. The floor is adobe; there is usually no stove or fireplace, only a hearth is arranged, the smoke from which escapes through a hole in the roof.

National dishes maize, milk, cheese, dried fish, pork fat, beans, garlic, red pepper (paprika), lamb, goat meat, pork.

The Serbian Republic was formed after the collapse of Yugoslavia. Until recently, this territory was engulfed in war, but now life in Serbia is getting better: the economy is going up, new jobs are being created. Since 2012, the state has been claiming membership in the European Union. Many CIS citizens would like to live in this Balkan country. Let's see why.

Pros and cons of living in Serbia

Living in Serbia, like in any other country, cannot be called cloudless: there are obvious advantages and disadvantages. However, this is almost the only European state in which:

• more than loyal to migrants from the CIS, especially Russians;
• easy enough to get.

The story of how life is in Serbia, let's start with the advantages:

1. Quality and affordable life. This applies to services, products, things and real estate. People with an average income can easily afford to eat a varied diet, visit beauty salons and fitness centers, and go on vacation to neighboring European countries.
2. It is easy to get a residence permit. This has already been discussed. To live in Serbia legally, it is enough to buy real estate. In this case, you will not need to pay taxes or open your own business. Of course, the procedure is not devoid of formalities, but it is absolutely transparent and legal.
3. Good geographical location. It is often said about the Serbian Republic: "The whole of Europe is two steps away." Austria, Croatia, Hungary - everything is nearby, and getting to these countries is quite simple.
4. Excellent climate. There is a lot of sun here (about 315 days a year), it rarely rains, and about severe frosts in Serbia they know almost nothing.
5. Various recreational opportunities. Serbia has thermal and mountain resorts, beaches on the Danube River, rich infrastructure: aqua and zoos, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers. There is no sea of ​​its own, but if you wish, you can ride to neighboring Greece, Montenegro or Italy.

Of course, not everything is so smooth in Serbia. Of the minuses can be called:

1. Unemployment. Its level is from 17 to 25%. A lot of Serbs go to work in neighboring countries - Austria, Croatia, Italy.
2. High prices for utilities.
3. Foreigners need to obtain a Schengen visa to visit European countries.
4. Slow life. Locals call this phenomenon "polako". Nobody is in a hurry here. Shop assistants work slowly, as do taxi drivers, paramedics or hairdressers. Because of this, there are queues everywhere. Buying water in the supermarket can take up to half an hour.
5. Echoes of war. The issue with Kosovo has not yet been resolved; relations with neighboring Croatia cannot be called warm. In this sense, the situation is still tense.

The cost of living in Serbia for 2017 is 280 euros. The country has not yet fully emerged from the crisis after the collapse of Yugoslavia. The economic situation is worse than in neighboring Slovenia or Montenegro. Heavy industry and engineering is in decline. Nevertheless, GDP, albeit slowly, is growing. For example, in 2017, growth of 2% is predicted.

Experts believe that the standard of living in Serbia in 2017 will rise.

Health protection

Serbia has a system of compulsory health insurance, which includes:

• insurance in case of injury (illness) at work;
• insurance in case of injury (illness) outside of work.

Foreigners must take out insurance upon arrival. Urgent Care It turns out free of charge, as well as calling an ambulance. A polyclinic operates in each district, but appointments with narrow specialists are made a month in advance.

Ecology

The level of ecology in Serbia is monitored by two structures: the Protection Agency environment and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. NATO bombings caused great harm, after which large releases of toxins were observed. Air, rivers and lakes, soil were contaminated. The issue of waste recycling remains unresolved, but every year the situation is changing for the better.

Children go to primary school at 7 years old. There they undergo compulsory training for eight years. After that, you can stay at school and study for another four years or enter a specialized educational institution for 2-4 years, or go to a vocational school for two years. Only after passing through all these stages can we talk about admission to a higher educational institution.

There are six large universities in Serbia, where they give really good knowledge.

Transport

Serbia has a well-developed public transport network: trams, minibuses, buses and trolleybuses. Roads by European standards of average quality are definitely better than in Russia, but worse than in Germany.

It is realistic to buy a used foreign car in good condition for 3500-4000 euros.

This can be done directly from a private trader, in the automotive market, or through a specialized company, of which there are dozens in the country. The procedure itself will not take much time.

By the way, the 92nd gasoline in the country costs about 1.4 euros, the 95th is a little more expensive - 1.6 euros.

Railways are one of the main modes of transport in Serbia. IN last years began their active modernization. There is a direct rail connection with a number of countries:

• Macedonia;
• Hungary;
• Romania;
• Montenegro.

Indirect communication has been established with Albania, Russia, Turkey and other countries.

Major highways are being actively built in the state. The government has repeatedly stated that the improvement of transport links within the country, as well as with neighboring states, is one of the priorities.

The main air traffic is concentrated in the central part of the country. The international airport is located in the capital - Belgrade. In addition, there are airports in the cities of Novi Sad, Nis, Uzhice.

Active transportation is carried out by water. There are ports on the Danube and Sava rivers.

Work and salary

Serbia has large reserves of coal, oil and gas, but many industrial enterprises require modernization and foreign investment. There are also wage arrears to employees.

The country does not have much income from tourism because there is no access to the sea. But the service sector is quite well developed: in 2016 alone, a dozen hotels and shopping centers countrywide.

Serbia is an agricultural state. Most of the population is engaged agriculture: grows vegetables and fruits, breeds livestock, is engaged in beekeeping.

This is primarily facilitated by a warm climate. Foreigners are most often offered jobs in the service sector and agriculture.

The average salary across the country is not uniform. For example, they receive the most in Belgrade - about 450 euros. In the west and east it is smaller - 330 euros.

Real estate in Serbia

Since the start of the global economic crisis, housing prices have fallen by 40%. But, since owning an apartment or house in Serbia gives the right to a residence permit, the sale of apartments and houses in the country is quite active. For example, Russians are actively buying up real estate in Serbia.

There is a visa-free regime between Serbia and Russia, which greatly simplifies the search for the desired residential property. There is also an interstate agreement that states that the procedure for buying and registering housing will be simplified as much as possible.

Retirement in Serbia

The average pension in the country is 220 euros. Academicians, miners and order bearers have the highest pensions. Total number pensioners increases by about 100 thousand a year. They make up more than 60% of the total population of the Republika Srpska.

Criminal environment

Serbia's crime rate is below the European average. Here, children are often allowed to go to school alone, they freely walk around the city all night, they don’t even lock the doors in the apartments. Everywhere there is video surveillance and alarm.

Many foreigners who frequent Serbia say that a bar fight, for example, is an extraordinary event that locals will then retell for years, each time adding new details.

To compare the level of crime in Serbia and in other countries, we will give just one example: the number of intentional murders in Germany is 0.8% per 100,000 population, in Serbia - 1.2, in Croatia - 1.4, in Russia - 10, 6.

Cost of living in Serbia

Serbia is a state where you can start life from scratch. This is not a place where you get massive career growth and luxury, but to have a comfortable life in the environment. beautiful nature away from the hustle and bustle of Europe is quite real.

The cost of living in Serbia in 2017 for a foreigner will be higher than for local residents. You will need to spend money on health insurance, applying for the right to stay in the country, a long-term stay fee. There are no discounts for pensioners, disabled people or children.

The cost of services and products is lower than in Russian capital. Gasoline and alcohol are expensive, but cigarettes are inexpensive. By the way, in Serbia they drink little alcohol, but they really smoke a lot, and everywhere: at bus stops, in cafes and in parks. Prices in Belgrade in 2017 are the highest in the country, as is the level of wages.

Now for the cost of food. Let's compare some goods in the Russian and Serbian capital (translated into Russian rubles).

As you can see, the price in Serbia for products in 2017 is lower than in Moscow. Not all but most of. At the same time, the average income of the population is higher than in Russia.

The history of Serbia is the history of the struggle for freedom and independence. During its history, Belgrade was conquered by 40 armies and rebuilt 38 times. The Serbs have never hoped for anyone except Russia. No wonder they say that Russians and Serbs are brothers forever.

Why "Serbs"?

There is still no unequivocal opinion on the origin of the ethnonym "Serbs", but there are many versions. Slavist Pavel Shafarik raised the word "Serbs" to the Proto-Slavic forms *srb and * srb, which, in turn, came from an Indo-European word meaning "sow, give birth, produce."

Max Vasmer interpreted the word "Serbs" as "belonging to the same genus, the same tribe." A similar meaning was also supported by philologists Ilyinsky and Kovalev. In their opinion, "Serb" is "a person, a member of a tribal union."

Also interesting, but unproven, is the version of the Slavist Moshchinsky, who connected the origin of the word "Serb" with the Indo-European root *ser-v-, which means "guard, protect livestock".

In 1985, the researcher Shuster-Shevts suggested that the word "Serbs" is related to the Russian dialectal verb "Serbat" (slurp). This version is interesting, because in all Slavic languages ​​there are words with the root stem "s-r", the meaning of which is "to separate, highlight, squeeze out."

This root stem is a metathesis of the Indo-European *res>*ser, which means "cut, cut, separate". In the Old Slavic language, the predominant meaning of the root stem *ser became "separate, highlight, squeeze out." This meaning is preserved, for example, in the Russian glavgol "scoop", which comes from the same verb "Serbat". The word "sulphur" is of the same origin. This is nothing more than the resinous secretions of a tree.

Thus, we can say that the word "Serbs" most likely means "separated, separated on some basis." If we take into account that the Wends were considered the ancestors of the Slavs in European historiography, then, most likely, the Serbs were named that way during the separation, separation from the Wends.

There is also a version that those who dislike Serbs adhere to. Harvatian nationalists, following Ante Starcevic, believe that the ethnonym "Serbs" came from Latin word servus - slave. Within the framework of this version, it is believed that the Croats are the heirs of the Germans who switched to Slavic in order to better deal with Serbian slaves. As they say, comments are superfluous.

Fight for freedom

Serbs were first mentioned by Herodotus and Ptolemy as early as the 2nd century AD, Serbia as a territorial entity dates back to the 6th century, in the 8th century Serbian proto-state formations already arose. In the XIII century, the Nemanjić dynasty came to power in the Serbian state, at the same time the country was freed from the power of Byzantium.

Serbia has reached high altitudes and developed into large state, which began to occupy almost the entire south-west of the Balkan Peninsula. The Serbian state reached its greatest dawn during the reign of Stefan Dusan (1331-1355), but after the death of the monarch, the history of Serbia changed dramatically. The Ottoman Empire in the middle of the 14th century was rapidly conquering territories. The Serbian prince Lazar Khrebelyanovich sought to unite the Serbian lands in order to more successfully resist Turkish aggression, but he did not have enough time for this.

In 1382, Murad took the fortress of Tsatelitsa. The Serbs did not have the strength to resist the powerful Osana army, and Lazar made a difficult decision to conclude a truce on onerous terms. Under the terms of the agreement, he undertook to give the Sultan 1000 of his soldiers in case of war.
This state of affairs did not suit either side: the Turks sought to develop expansion, and the Serbs were unhappy with the dubious terms of the truce.

The military aggression of the Turks continued, and in 1386 Murad I took the city of Nis, after which the Serbs announced the beginning of a popular uprising. Powerful army Ottoman Empire On June 15, 1389, she defeated the army of Serbian princes in the Battle of Kosovo. This led to Serbia's recognition of the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. Serbia was finally conquered by the Turks in 1459.

Since that time, Serbia has been under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for almost 400 years. However, throughout the Ottoman rule in Serbia, the liberation movement did not stop. Every now and then, uprisings broke out, which were supervised by the Patriarchate of Pec, who managed to establish ties with Spain, Hungary and Spain. The greatest success was achieved by the uprisings in the 19th century (the first and second Serbian uprisings). However, it was not until 1878 that Serbia gained its long-awaited independence.

Brothers forever

The Serbs themselves admit that nowhere do they like Russians so much as in Serbia. The history of relations between our peoples has deep roots and begins at least from the time of the baptism of Rus'. Until now, it is Orthodoxy that is one of the "spiritual bonds" connecting Russians and Serbs.

During the Mongol-Tatar yoke, the Serbs supported the monastery of St. Panteleimon on Athos, since the time of Ivan III, Serbian monasteries have been actively supported. In 1550, Ivan the Terrible, after communicating with the Serbian hierarchs, sent a letter Turkish sultan Suleiman II, urging him to honor the shrines of Hilandar and other Serbian monasteries.

Six years later, the Russian tsar even gave the monks of the Hilandar monastery a room for a monastery courtyard in the center of Moscow, which immediately became a Serbian diplomatic center, where funds were collected for sending to Serbia. During the years of Boris Godunov's rule, Serbian migrants were already receiving serious support from Russia.

Russian-Serbian relations received special development under Peter the Great. During the reign of the emperor, Serbs were accepted into the Russian army, close ties were established in the cultural environment. Separately, it must be said about Savva Vladislavlich-Raguzinsky, a Russian diplomat of Serbian origin. It was he who signed the Treaty of Kyakhta, served as the Russian ambassador to Constantinople and Rome, and also translated the book by Mavro Orbini "The Slavic Kingdom".

In 1723, Peter the Great allowed Ivan Albanez, a Montenegrin by birth, to create a settlement near the city of Sumy, where more than a hundred Serbian families moved. From here two Serbian territorial entities that existed in Russian Empire- Slavic Serbia and New Serbia.

Ice Golgotha

To the first world war(which actually began in Serbia) Nicholas II sided with the fraternal state. Not being able to help the Serbian army with Russian troops, Russian emperor organized the delivery of ammunition, military equipment and provisions to Serbia. Several sanitary detachments were also sent to Serbia. At the very beginning of the war, the Serbian army was able to withstand several frontal offensives of the Austrian army, and twice cleared its territory of the invaders.

However, in October 1915, Bulgaria stabbed the Serbs in the back. Serbia found itself in a difficult situation. Belgrade fell on October 9, the very next day the Bulgarians joined the Austrians in Nis.

Winter battles with superior enemy forces did not bode well, therefore, in order to avoid capture, the Serbian military decided to retreat the 300,000th army south to the Adriatic Sea. However, in order to get there, the Serbs had to go through the Albanian mountains. Together with soldiers and ordinary people, who were forced to leave their lands so as not to fall under the draft (recruits were sent to the Galician front, where it was necessary to fight the Russians), the elderly Serbian king Petar also went to the mountains.

This retreat of the Serbs went down in history under the name of "icy Golgotha". One in three died. Later, the Serbs began to say: "They ask us why we call children non-Christmas names? Every third boy froze on Ice Golgotha, so since then we have all the names of saints."

Chetniks

The Serbs are characterized by a high degree of people's self-organization, especially on the basis of the national liberation movement. Such a phenomenon in the history of Serbia as "Chetnism" deserves special mention.

Its creation can be attributed to 1903, when the so-called Serbian Committee was created in Belgrade, which, in addition to external activities, was engaged in the creation of armed Chetnik formations to further fight the Turkish government in the Balkans.

Detachments were convened as needed and took part in both the Balkan and the First World Wars. In the interwar period, after Serbia gained independence, Chetnism "educated" youth - it was a veteran organization that carried out ideological propaganda, and also supported the invalids of military operations and the families of the dead.

The negative connotation of the term "Chetnik" has its roots in the events of the Second World War. On the territory of Yugoslavia, it developed into an internal armed confrontation. Part of the Yugoslav army, led by Colonel Dragoljub Mikhailovich (a veteran of the Balkan and World War I), refused to recognize the surrender of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Mihailović himself did not rely directly on previous Chetnik organizations, considering himself still integral part Army of the Kingdom, and called the forces under his control the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland. The people have already called them Chetniks. The nationalist monarchists initially tried to fight the Axis together with the partisans of Joseph Broz-Tito, but after a few months, the alliance between the nationalists and the communists fell apart.

Separate Chetnik groups began to openly cooperate with the occupying authorities against the Red partisans. Mikhailovich to the last maneuvered between the rejection of the communist ideology (despite the respectful attitude towards the armed forces Soviet Union), and unwillingness to cooperate with the occupation authorities.

In the end, who was already in the rank of General Mikhailovich, was removed by the émigré government from all commanding posts. Despite this, he continued the armed struggle until March 1946, when his detachment was defeated by the forces of Broz-Tito after the occupation of Yugoslavia by the Red Army. Dragoljub Mihailović was executed on July 15, 1946 after a trial that did not take into account the testimony of American Air Force pilots rescued by the Chetniks (there were about 500 people in total).

Birthplace of the Roman Emperors

Serbia is the birthplace of many Roman emperors. The city of Sremska Mitrovica, in ancient times was called Sirmium and was part of the Roman Empire. This city is considered the birthplace of sixteen Roman emperors. Serbia was also the birthplace of Constantine the Great.

In Serbia, olivier is called Russian salad, sweet kvass is called Russian kvass, and for some reason, black sweet bread, which can be with marmalade, is called Russian.

Serbia is a real "raspberry country". A third of the world's raspberries are grown here.

What do you know about Serbia? This is a country somewhere in the east of Europe, a former part of Yugoslavia. It is unlikely that any of you remembered something more ... The article contains the most interesting and curious facts about this state.

Let's talk about Serbs

Firstly, in Serbia, the Russians are treated very warmly - and quite sincerely. However, in Lately the promotion of integration with Europe intensified, and the Russian language was no longer taught in schools. So the number of people who speak or at least understand Russian has become less and less lately.
Serbs in general are very good-looking. Having got acquainted with them, you will dramatically change your idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe classic Slavic appearance. And the icing on the cake: tall men. All Serbs, like other southerners, are very expressive. Their speech is built on shades of intonation, and their gestures are much richer than ours (although poorer than Italian).
And unlike many other southerners, they are very open and friendly. Serbs disinterestedly and willingly help you in small things. However, providing a serious service, they will expect some compensation from you.
If you come to visit, even in slush, it is not customary to take off your shoes in Serbia. For almost any occasion, a bottle of wine can be quite a sufficient gift. Serbs smoke a lot: both women and men. If it is not indicated anywhere, they perceive any place as smoking. At home, of course, you can ask them not to smoke. In shops and trains, people were actively smoking until quite recently.
They drink much less in Serbia than in Russia. Although everyone loves rakija, local inexpensive and at the same time high-quality wines are widely represented in stores. If the Serbs do get drunk, they are never aggressive. They are surprised by such a trait in Russian people.
Rare cars are not exotic in Serbia. Local men not only drive cars well, but also have an excellent understanding of their device. Accidents are often idiotic, due to rudeness or recklessness on the road. For example, no Serb would ever want to miss a beer or wine while driving.
It is generally accepted that the most Serbian alcoholic drink is šlivovica, or brandy on plums. However, purely Serbian chips are the wormwood liqueur "pelinkovac" and bermet, a sweet strong wine produced in Vojvodina. The most traditional Serbian dish is rostil, meat cooked right on the fire. In principle, it was borrowed from the Turks, but brought to perfection.
In Serbia, two alphabets are used: both Latin and Cyrillic. Both are taught in school. At the same time, in government bodies the Cyrillic alphabet is used, and society is gradually moving towards the Cyrillic alphabet. Since the nineteenth century, the basic rule in the Serbian language has been: "as we hear, so we write." By regional standards, Serbs are very cultured people. After the collapse of Yugoslavia and the elimination of socialism, it turned out that there were too many people with humanitarian specialties.
Serbs marry and have children for about 30 years, until that time they live with their parents. Locals prefer dogs to cats. A characteristic picture for a Serbian street: a girl, dressed in martial arts, enthusiastically strokes a pooch. Or: a mother with a couple of small children squeeze and shake a rather serious and, most importantly, someone else's bull terrier. At the same time, the dogs themselves are not at all aggressive towards people, and they do not pay any attention to bicycles.

Cultural lovers of sports and recreation

It is very difficult to estimate the age of a lady from the back: she can literally be from fifteen to fifty years old. Neither the clothes nor the figure will give it away. Sports are very popular in Serbia, and in all manifestations: from fans at the TV screens to those who are actively involved in the sports grounds packed to capacity. There are a lot of places, but this is not enough. The popularity of football is simply over the top. The fan movement is too strong.
It is very difficult for Serbs to swing for any cause. However, they know how to relax and enjoy life just fine.
No less well-honed is their skill in building, especially houses. An ordinary village in Serbia looks no worse elite village in Russia, and often much better.
Serbs are not accustomed to drinking tea. In their opinion, this is any warm herbal drink that is used as a medicine. Here they prefer Turkish coffee, which is customary to drink everywhere and everywhere. It is curious that, despite the unemployment prevailing in the country and more than modest earnings, all the cafes are simply packed with people drinking coffee. And - regardless of the time of day.

Language features

Russians can read the Serbian text and understand a significant part of it. However, it is much more difficult to perceive it out of habit by ear. The fact is that accents and sounds are pronounced differently here. But a couple of years ago, Russian was the Church-Serbian language. For about five centuries Serbia was under Turkish rule, but its cultural sources were in Russia. Interestingly, Google translator understands many Serbian words as English words written in Cyrillic.
But the Turks also left a significant mark on Serbian life and culture. Costumes, cuisine and music turned out to be “turkified”. Many words have Turkish roots. It is worth noting that the Serbs generally like to borrow foreign phrases and words, although they blame their neighbors, the Croats, for this.
In general, national identification is due to the specifics historical development and goes not through the environment and language, but through religion. The majority of Bosniaks are Muslims, Croats are Catholics, and Serbs are Orthodox. The languages ​​of all peoples living in this region are close. If you know Serbian, you will also understand perfectly:
Macedonian;
Croatian;
Slovenian;
Bosnian;
Montenegrin.
It is curious that the common word "nonsense" uttered by the hero of the comedy "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession" means "beauty" in Serbian. Serbs are not able to pronounce the sound "Y". It is characteristic that in the Russian and Serbian languages ​​there are many words that are similar or identical in sound, but different in meaning. For example:
chair (rus) - capital (Srb);
flag (rus) - outpost (Srb);
attention (rus) - shame (srb);
straight (rus) - right (srb);
usefulness (rus) - harmfulness (cb).
If possible, do not pronounce the words “chicken” and “smoke” in front of the Serbs. In them, this people will definitely hear their analogue of the famous Russian “three letters”. The other Serbian mate is very similar to ours. Here are some more curious analogies: the letter in Serbian is “word”, the word in Serbian is “speech”.
In Serbia, frogs say "kre-kre" and ducks say "kva-kva". The hair color of blondes is called "plava kosa", which means "blue hair". The Russian slang word has a Serbian counterpart: "riba" (really, a fish). "Silicon Valley" locals call the most rave metropolitan area.
The language reflects advanced culture strong institution of the family. Each member of each family branch has its own naming convention. There are two different designations for maternal aunt and paternal aunt. The same goes for uncles. They replaced the prefixes "pra" to grandchildren, grandfathers and grandmothers with completely independent words. And so - up to the tenth knee.

A bit of history

The name of the Serbian capital Belgrade has always meant "White City" - regardless of the leaders, conquerors and masters. It is curious that about a dozen Roman emperors were born in Serbia. The most famous among them is Constantine the Great. Belgrade for all the time of its existence has conquered forty armies. Thirty-eight times it was rebuilt.
According to the official version, the impetus for the First World War was the assassination of Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian revolutionary, Franz Ferdinand, the Austrian Archduke. Nazi Germany at one time signed an allied pact with the royal regent. This event led to massive protest demonstrations in Belgrade, and then to palace coup. However, Serbia at one time even had its own SS corps.
Serbia is the only country in Europe that was subjected to foreign bombing, including radioactive supplies. She was also the only one to suffer at the end of the Second World War from foreign armed intervention. Today, the suit of an American military pilot shot down earlier was exhibited in the Belgrade military museum.
Today, Belgrade consists of three parts that are very different from each other. The historic city is separated from other areas by the Savoy River. Novi Belgrade consists of high-rise buildings preserved from socialism. Zemun was previously an Austro-Hungarian border town. During the First World War, the Serbian capital was shelled by the Austrians directly from Zemun.
When Serbian statehood was restored, its flag acquired three colors: red, white and blue. At the same time, their positions relative to each other change from time to time.
There is a monument to the Defender in the capital. This is a statue of a muscular naked guy with an eagle on his arm and a sword. First, it was placed on one of the central city squares. But the female community was confused by the detail of the anatomy of the statue. The ladies achieved the transfer of the handsome man to the park. Now he stands at the cliff, with his back to the audience.
The country's currency is the dinar. In the 90s of the last century, due to superinflation, banknotes of 500 billion dinars were put into circulation. One dinar is one hundred pairs. True "couple" is not in circulation.

About food, music, gays, names and local celebrities

In Serbia, red wine is called Crno vino (black). Products that have the word "Russian" attached to their names will surprise us:
Russian kvass - sweet;
Russian salad - Olivier;
Russian bread is sweet and black, often with marmalade.
Interestingly, there are many more different dairy products here. Serbs are very fond of eating the freshest pastries with yogurt for breakfast - neither fruity nor sweet.
Recently appeared in Serbia dance music with an ethno-component - turboflok. This genre is both the most popular and the most hated by the Serbs themselves. One of the leading holidays is Slava (family saint's day). Serbs treat it like a birthday.
Trains in Serbia are the slowest transport. They run outside of any timetable. In the summer in the country you can live on "pasture". There is a real abundance of berry bushes, nuts and fruit trees available to everyone. This is actively used by the poor.
Local riblya chorba - fish soup, essentially dark red with pepper, thick and extremely spicy stew. For example, in Macedonia, a similar chorba is already closer to the Russian ear. Note: if the water source does not have a sign “not to drink”, then the water is usable without treatment. You definitely won't get sick of her.
The whole country is predominantly mountainous and hilly. The roads here are extremely narrow. So driving a car outside the city faster than hundreds of kilometers per hour will not work (without risk to life).
Serbs greatly honor and respect their historical hero, physicist Nikola Tesla. At the same time, Joseph Broz Tito, who founded and single-handedly ruled socialist Yugoslavia, is also revered. Despite the fact that he was a dictator.
Foreign films are not dubbed here, the translation can only be found in the form of subtitles. Only cartoons accompany the voice. Serbs dislike Kusturica, like Russians dislike Mikhalkov. However, this does not prevent the authorities of both countries from exploiting these personalities as a national brand.
The traditional headdress of the Serbs is the shaikacha, a variant of the military cap. It is still worn on a daily basis by many older people. Young people often wear it in honor of the holidays. Interestingly, winter in Serbia often comes unexpectedly - right in January.
Women are often named after certain fruits:
Dunya (quince);
Cherry;
Lubenitsa (watermelon) and so on.
In Serbia, all nationalists, even those who are oriented towards Europe, often unconsciously. Despite the significant integration into Europe, a sort of small-town patriotism is very strong in the Serbs. Serbs also like to whine for life, although they do not recognize this quality in themselves. If you point it out to them, they may even be offended.
Gay parades they invariably beat - right into the blood. At the same time, gays in the country live without hiding. They are often much more demonstrative here than in other countries.
An interesting detail: Patriarch Pavle, recently deceased, became famous, among other things, for the fact that he traveled “to work” exclusively by public transport. The fact is famous when he picked up the boots thrown out by an unknown person right on the street, and then wore them. Argument: the thing is quite suitable and suitable for use.
Sveti Sava, the foundational temple of the country, has been built for more than a century. Interior finishing work is currently underway.
Completely natural and natural fruits and vegetables in Serbia look like they have been waxed, shot with nitrates and inflated with special products a couple of times. This country is the world's largest exporter of raspberries. However, in the markets of the country, this berry is expensive by local standards. Serbs do not like to swim in their rivers. The fact is that the bottom of their rivers is a mule, such a mixture of sand and silt, sucking in quite strongly.

And more interesting facts

In Lipensky Vir in the parking lot primitive people recently found sculptures - the oldest known on this moment. They are about nine thousand years old.
Today, the Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serbia are two different states. Putin is very much loved in Serbia, even more than at home: here he is an honorary citizen of six cities.
Serbs use not only the phrase “kako si”, which literally means “how are you” and is an analogue of our “how are you”. The phrase “where si”, meaning “where are you”, is also widely applicable among them. Our person can fall into a stupor from such a question - especially if the questioner is standing face to face. One single word "what?" can replace for the Serbs all our “how so, why, why and why”.
The most pleasant detail for Russians is that Serbia does not require us to have a visa for entry, a passport is enough.