At three o’clock sharp, the enemy must be crushed by your mighty charge, torn to pieces by your grenades and bayonets. The honor of Belgrade must be spotless. Soldiers, heroes, the Supreme Command has erased our names from its roll. Our regiment is sacrificed for our King and Fatherland. You don’t have to worry anymore about your lives that no longer exist. So forward, to glory! Long live the King! Long live Belgrade!
Oh Sweet Maiden, Please Don’t Leave!
Have You Seen The Boxes? Oh Sweet Maiden, Please Don’t Leave! Nathaniel Grann
The roots of a Serbian run deep. It’s an
in Prizren (Prizren), Kosovo. The city of Prizren
analogy that has been commonly used within
(Prizren), although facing little damage during
the Serbian community and while cryptic in
the war, sustains one of the largest targeted
nature, explains a fair amount about this ethnic
Kosovar Serb populations in revenge-related
identity. Sava Nemanja, the third son of Stefan
attacks. The Gadzic’s witnessed the anti-
Nemanja, could be seen as the deepest root.
Serbian events of Prizren (Prizren) as they were
Finishing the Zakonopravilo (The Nomocanon
forced from their home following the return
of Saint Sava) in 1219, the very foundation of
of the Albanian majority. Not able to actually
the Serbian empire and identity was created by
flee Kosovo, the couple found shelter in a
Sava Menaja, more commonly known as Saint
local church where they hid before traveling
Sava. An importance around the Patriarchate of
to home’s of relatives. The couple returned
Peć, located right outside of Peć, Kosovo was
in 2003 to find that their house had been
established, forming a Serbian claim to Kosovo
completely destroyed and that the majority
as the birthplace of the Serbian Orthodox
of their neighbors and friends had suffered
church.
similar fates. It would take eight years for the Gadzic’s to finally move back into their home
“This place [Kosovo] is very important to us
in Prizren (Prizren). During that time they lived
Serbs.” said Radmila Gadzic “Our roots are
with seven other internally displaced Serbs in a
based within that land, it is our birthplace
common house in downtown Prizren (Prizren),
because it is where Saint Sava gave birth to our
with 24-7 protection and a razor wired fence
church. That is why we fight for it.”
leftover from the war. All of the Serbs living there shared similar stories, as the Gadzic’s but
Radmila Gadzic and her husband, Tomislav
not all have been as lucky in having a known
Gadzic, experienced that fighting first hand
moving out date back to their home.
during and after the Kosovo war while living
I pray everyday that nothing like this happens again, if it was possible I would ask that the last twelve years be erased. The momentum that led to the events in ‘99 should never have been allowed to happen, just like our humiliation. Radmila Gadzic - 2011
“I want my house, that’s all.” said Radmila
thinking that these terms were worse then what
“I have no hatred towards the Albanians or
the Austrian-Hungarian negations brought.”
anyone at all. I just want to get back to my life
Milomir Ognjanovic is the economic advisor to
with my husband. We want to go home. We
the Serbian consulate office in Chicago, Illinois.
want to be Serbian again.”
Ognjanovic while he grew up in Serbia, has always related more to American and western
Although eleven years have now passed since
culture, even since his youth. That relation
the Kosovo war, Albanian and Serbian relations
and trust within American culture though
remain tense as political, economic and
was brought on edge when the Kosovo war
social issues continue to bind the two ethnic
broke out. While studying at the University of
groups together. The Kosovar civic identity is
Hawaii, Ognjanovic, admitting it might have
something that again has been proposed as a
been just within his head, recounted feeling as if
tool to bring these conflicting groups together,
a sudden villain persona had been placed upon
but acceptance has been limited. While it may
him.
be easy to write off these hostilities as the product of Serbian nationalism, there are many
“It was like I was a member of [Slobodan]
layers to this uneasiness.
Milošević’s youth brigade rather then a student.” said Ognjanovic “It was a strange
“I remember watching the peace negotiations
feeling but again, it mostly only happened
taking place in ’98.” said Milomir Ognjanovic
when I was around other Yugoslavs, not just
“It was a bit like a joke to be honest, I remember
typical Americans.”
Our Lord, our savior, the one true voice came and told us, “Rise up and see. Rise up and live. Rise up.” The mountains parted through the destruction and as we ran back to our homes, the vengeance became clear…the vengeance came swiftly. Vojska Srbije i Crna Gore literature - 1998
Prince Lazar led the battle but lost which led to the disruption and fall of Greater Serbia. But this wasn’t a typical battle, it was either conform or die and they chose death. It’s a symbol and gesture that is still remembered today by us Serbs.
Milomir Ognjanovic - 2012
This discomfort felt by Ognjanovic has
A Serbian acceptance to the Kosovar civic
transgressed into feelings of betrayal and
identity would be a major victory for those
distrust within some Serbians. While many
advocating it but likely it would be a hallow
do not refute the atrocities that Milošević
one. This is where the roots of a Serbian run
prompted, it’s also important for the Serbs that
deep, and as history has shown, Serbians have
the West realizes the vicious act of aggression
adapted to other names in the past but have
that NATO and the KLA committed during
always retained the Serb ethnic identity. While
the Kosovo War. These feelings of betrayal
a Kosovar Serb may be willing to accept local
and general distrust create great amounts of
regulations and tolerate the current status of
difficulties towards the creation of the Kosovar
sovereignty, integration into the community is
civic identity and may be a larger issue then the
unlikely.
sovereignty of Kosovo. This goes beyond stubbornness to adapt Centrist Serbians towards the issue have
though and thrives more in the foundation of
seemed to start coming to terms with the
the Serbian ethnic identity. The Kosovar civic
issue of Kosovo sovereignty and have shifted
identity can be seen as a tool to remove the
activism towards the awareness to the wrongs
Serbian roots, to remove the foundation of
that were committed by the West. “We really
who these people are. While it may be extreme,
can’t expect the land [Kosovo] to return to
many cannot help but recall the decision Prince
Serbia anymore.” said Radmila Gadzic “We
Lazar had to make back in 1389 before the Battle
have lost that battle for now and I can live that
of Kosovo; conform to the Ottomans or die.
as long as I can continue to live my life. We are
While death is clearly not what is being asked
Serbs and we may live in Kosovo but to us, it is
of them, an identity crisis is at the very least
still Serbia.”
starting to form. A crisis that if not addressed will likely ensure the Serbians continued rejection of the Kosovar.
This isn’t a thing you can wear on your sleeve. It’s about being true to your self and your identity. I’m only half Serbian but it makes all the difference of who I truly am. I am proud to call myself a Serb and because of that community, we can get through anything. Things may have been or may not have been taken from us but we’ll come out stronger in the end. Chicago Serbian - 2012
Ha ve Yo u Se e n Th e B oxe s? Oh S weet Mai den, P l e a se D on’t L e a ve ! Na t ha n i e l Gr a n n Empty S tre tc h P re s s fi rst e di t i on co ve r q u ot e : Majo r D r a g u t i n Ga v r i l o v i ć nat ha n i e l g r a n n .com asto ldby n a t e @g ma i l .com e mp t y st re t c h.com ©Em p ty S tre tc h, 2 0 1 2