Heritage

LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE MAGAZINE BRATSTVO

Бојана Ласица — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 20:22:03 +0100

The magazine Bratstvo was published in Sarajevo from 1925 to 1941, as a spiritual magazine for religious and popular education. Although it primarily dealt with religion, it also followed the cultural life of the Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and fostered beautiful literature. Therefore, it represents a significant treasury of quality literary texts written in the spirit of the Serbian Orthodox faith and folk tradition. They celebrate the greatest Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter, and the customs that go with them.

Prose contributions are written in various forms, so we have: hagiographies, biographies, letters, short stories, contributions on literature in general and notes on writers and books. The most valuable prose literary works in the magazine Bratstvo from Serbian medieval literature are biographies. In terms of the number of published prose contributions, biographies of church and secular figures are at the forefront, and biographies of heroes and dukes who became famous for their heroism in the First and Second Serbian Uprisings, and who were at the same time spiritual representatives of the Serbian people, are also represented. Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović (1881−1956) published seven prose contributions in the form of letters that were reprinted from the work Missionary Letters. A large number of prose contributions consist of moral-instructive and religious stories in which Christian virtues are emphasized and envy and anger are condemned. In choosing such content, the editor seriously thought about the education of children and youth in the spirit of the Christian faith and folk tradition. By selecting high-quality literary texts, reviews and recommendations of certain books by prominent Serbian writers and theologians, the editor influenced the formation of the audience's reading taste. By paying attention only to texts in the field of literature, one should not ignore the fact that the magazine Bratstvo, given its long existence, was a treasure trove of information from the spiritual and cultural life of its time and that it significantly influenced the raising of the level of knowledge and education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ROLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY AND THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND IN CURRENT CRISIS IN AP KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Хатиџа Бериша, Далибор Седлар — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:17:46 +0100

Observed through a historical prism, the crisis in the Kosovo and Metohija region of Serbia is determined by geopolitical interests of regional and global powers, historic processes and ethnographic changes, in which constantly, but with varying intensity, Albanian and Serbian people confront and defend each other’s right over the territory. The NATO aggression in 1999 on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the ensuing proclamation of “Kosovo“ independence in 2008, incited and encouraged the Albanian political elites to act in accordance with the Prizren League Declaration from 1878 so as to undertake intensified measures for the establishment of Great Albania, which in line with the Albanian strategic culture would foster the principles of fascist ideology “One state, one language, one nation, one religion“. To prove that such an ideology is conducted in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, we mention several facts reflected in the violence committed daily towards Serbian and other, non-Albanian population, along with their properties, cultural and religious bulidings, which has led to a shift in national structure and systematic destruction of Serbian cultural heritage.

The subject matter of this paper covers the wider context of the expressed interests of Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter: Great Britain) in contemporary security circumstances, characterised by the presence of hybrid threats with focus on the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (hereinafter: AP KiM) within the security agenda of these powers.

BETWEEN LAW AND LINGUISTICS – CHARACTERISTICS OF LEGAL LANGUAGE

Јелена Павловић Јовановић — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:39:43 +0100

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the key features of legal language, both in legal studies and in linguistics, especially within functional stylistics, where legal language is studied as a specific subtype of the administrative-legal style. Building upon our 2021 research on the study of legal language in Serbia, we approach law as a phenomenon that is primarily linguistic and realized through language. For linguists, particularly relevant are the distinctions between legal provisions and legal norms, the deep structure of legal norms, law as a semiotic system, the ideologization of legal language, as well as the ways in which language and legal norms shape society. The paper highlights the most important characteristics of the administrative-legal style, especially the legislative-legal substyle, within which legal language is predominantly realized. Emphasis is placed on the simultaneous precision and vagueness of legal language, its redundancy, intertextuality, and other relevant features. In the conclusion, the paper outlines potential directions for further research, advocating for cooperation between legal scholars and linguists, while taking into account the inherent features of legal language.

IDEOLOGICAL STIGMATIZATION OF SCIENCE. THE CASE OF KNJIGA O KOSOVU BY DIMITRIJE BOGDANOVIĆ

Драгољуб Мандић — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:09:49 +0100

Ideological bias was one of the greatest shortcomings of historiography from the time of socialist Yugoslavia. The strict control of the ruling communist party was the main reason why many important topics were inadequately covered or even completely avoided. Therefore, during the 1980s, after the death of Josip Broz, a large number of diverse books appeared, that caused controversy in both party and scholarly circles. Among them is Knjiga o Kosovu by academician Dimitrije Bogdanović, which later, like its author, experienced a large number of politically motivated attacks. In addition to analyzing the book, the paper will reconstruct the context in which it was written, the author's motives for addressing the topic, and the reactions provoked by its publication. The paper is based on sources in the form of press and testimonies of contemporaries, as well as relevant scientific literature.

METROPOLITAN ĐORĐE NIKOLAJEVIĆ AND THE PROBLEM OF PRESERVING SERBIAN ECCLESIASTICAL-NATIONAL INTERESTS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Далибор Петровић — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:08:00 +0100

The socio-political, national-identity and church conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the first decades of the Austro-Hungarian occupation were extremely complex. In these intricate relations, the only organization that had a national character and that had the responsibility to protect and preserve the Serbian identity-religious uniqueness was the Orthodox Church. However, in a situation where the Orthodox dioceses in Bosnia and Herzegovina had a semi-autonomous status within the Patriarchate of Constantinople with special rights of the Viennese court towards them, the position and circumstances in which that church could operate become clearer to us. In this regard, the question of a specific person who would uphold the throne of the Dabro-Bosnian metropolitans as the most respected see in Bosnia and Herzegovina was of exceptional importance.

CULTURAL HISTORY OF KOSOVSKA MITROVICA

Милица Марјановић — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:38:21 +0100

The cultural history of a city is best evidenced by its symbols, traditions and cultural elements that point to the richness of the diversity of cultural symbols that contribute to the uniqueness and originality of an area, in this case the city of Kosovska Mitrovica. The paper examines the cultural life of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica and the main cultural elements that reflect the spirit of the times in the city on the Ibar River. The aim of the paper is to present the rich cultural history of the aforementioned city, imbued with deep social messages that reflect it. In the case of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica, the intertwining of rich tradition and history is explicitly shown, as well as, on the other hand, reflections of the far-reaching consequences of war events during the NATO aggression. The specificity of the city is particularly reflected in the bridge over the Ibar River, which divides the city into southern and northern parts, and all this would not be unique if the bridge in this case did not symbolize the division into two diametrically different social lives, life in a divided city between Serbs and Albanians. Sociologically, the city on the Ibar River represents a unique phenomenon in the world, imbued with a rich cultural and historical heritage, and despite all the challenges it endures and resists time.

ARTICLES ABOUT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN SERBIA FROM THE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES IN THE WORKS OF TRAVEL WRITERS AND ETHNOGRAPHERS: THE BEGINNING OF THE THEMATIC AND METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLE OF SHAPING ETHNOORGANOLOGY

Борисав Миљковић — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:07:16 +0100

This paper presents ethnographic material, focusing on data documented by researchers from the 19th and first half of the 20th centurie regarding instrumental practice in Serbia. A comprehensive systematic review of the results, along with a comparative interpretation of the terminological, morphological, functional and sound characteristics of musical instruments, highlights the significant importance of the research of travel writers, ethnographers, ethnologists and geographers, within the contemporary ethnomusicological system framework. This comparative approach provides a basis for a more reliable consideration of the social role of certain sound props in the daily life of the individual and the community, with special reference to the importance that certain instruments have in a wider geographical area. The confirmed continuity of individual cultural phenomena justifies the formal legitimacy of the status of musical instrumental practices inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Serbia. In addition to the assumption of authentic forms of orally transmitted musical folklore material, especially based on the perception of ideas for national liberation, this paper also sheds light on the relations between Eastern and Western influences observed in the set of musical instruments of this period. In parallel with mapping potential ethnic differentiations, articles on musical instruments also draw attention to the subjective experience evoked by situationally determined sound impulses. In an attempt to understand the perception of the effect, this approach is characteristic for works that suggest overcoming cultural differences. Pioneering attempts to point to interethnic socio-political encounters create the basis for the further development of scientific thought focused on the dynamism of social processes. Ethnographic identification of types and forms represent basis of the initial interest in musical instruments, which resonates with the inceptive development of ethnoorganology as a scientific discipline in general. The list of instruments is supplemented by selective documentation of non-musical indicators in whose constellation additional cultural analogies are observed. Despite heterogeneous structural and thematic concepts and methodological settings, the descriptive paradigm can be considered a relevant starting point for contemporary research endeavors. The ethnoorganographic approach is also a reference for the further development of ethnoorganology, which complements these tendencies with the analysis of musical aspects as key relations in the consideration of musical instruments.

DOSITEJ OBRADOVIĆ AS AN INTELLECTUAL NOMAD

Miroslava — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:10:46 +0100

The initial knowledge that Dositej acquired in the library of the Hopovo Monastery, supported by his curiosity, led him on a fabulous journey of knowledge – into the “kingdom of ideas”, where he absorbed a variety of ideas, from the ideas of ancient and classical thought to European Enlightenment thinkers and rationalists. In his works, Dositej tells about his epistemologically motivated “wandering”, or intellectual nomadism, in the first person, which represents the authentic narrative of his philosophical, and later also Enlightenment opus.

The aim of the paper is to gain a deeper insight into the intellectual nomadism of Dositej Obradović and to assess his achievements, as well as his impact on Serbian society. For the purposes of the paper, the historical-comparative, as well as the analytical-synthetic method was used, which is especially visible in the part that relates to Dositej's travels and the knowledge he acquired in the countries in which he stayed.

The conclusion of the paper is that Dositej Obradović, thanks to his intellectual nomadism, brings to his writing style a radiant spirit of reason, research and humanism, which are distinguished by clarity and rationality, as well as universalism and tolerance, and that his works transcend national themes and borders. As a sincere advocate of universal human values, he emphasizes the importance of tolerance in his writings, thus calling on readers to accept diversity and reject prejudice. His discussions lead to critical thinking, encouraging readers to question dogmas and seek new knowledge.

Dositej Obradović's intellectual nomadism transcends the usual boundaries, known languages, and disciplines of the traveling students and teachers of that time. His intellectual legacy, which endures and is meaningful to us today, is a beacon that guides us through the labyrinth of ideas, and continues to inspire future generations, reminding us that the pursuit of knowledge knows no boundaries.

EXTENDED EDITION OF THE MONOGRAPH BY PROF. MITRA RELJIĆ ON SERBIAN CEMETERIES IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA (Mitra Reljić, Serbian Cemeteries in Kosovo and Metohija: Destroyed Monumental and Linguistic Heritage, Novi Sad: Matica Srpska; Pristina: Archives of Ko

Невена Петковић — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:13:49 +0100