Aleksandar Diklić has praised in songs, explored, described, filmed – he has experienced Belgrade. That sentimental journey through the history of one city has its musical, film and literary record. The instrumental album “My Alexandria”, TV series “Belgrade, Eternal City” and the book of the same title, are witnesses of a great effort, devotion, distinctive contemplation…
“As an author I can say that I am in a subordinate position in relation to the topic, as I am not certain whether the fact that I wrote a book about Belgrade is more important than ‘this’ what it has made of me” – this is one of your thoughts. In which way the work on the book has changed you?
I thought that I knew something about Belgrade, but now I can say that that was, expressed in mathematical terms, a statistical error comparing to an avalanche of cognitions that I had acquired and shared with spectators and readers. I learned a long time ago to surrender to new acknowledgements and not to protect myself from new understandings. It appears to me that strong argumentation easily alters something I used to “believe in”. From my current point of view, Belgrade is bigger and more significant than I had ever assumed. It is not possible to move around Belgrade and not to get into some absurd event that happened nobody knows when. You are not able to evade history here even if you want to. Belgrade produced more history than a man can stand. For example, if you stop by the Café Majestic for a coffee, a kind waiter will point to a spot on the floor made by a 250 kilogrammes heavy bomb, if you walk your kid around the Tašmajdan Park, somebody will inform you that a cemetery is beneath, if you drive along Kralja Aleksandra Boulevard, with slight imagination you will “fall through” time and realize that you are driving by the Roman tram “Via Militaris”…
Belgrade itself is the main protagonist of your book. How would you describe it after entire experience and all those years of study?
As an old charmer in new shoes but an old coat, with a perfect shirt but a wrong tie, with a smile of a seducer and eyes of a warrior. As a man who does not allow not to be loved regardless of strange temper and even stranger past.
On the album “My Alexandria” there is a theme called “In times of great sorrow”. You say that misfortune is the only constant in the history of Belgrade, that only poverty was hereditary, but in spite of all that suffering, death has nothing to do in Belgrade… What has made Belgrade eternal?
The spirit of its citizens. We are and should be sorry that Belgrade has not kept Oriental or European visage to a satisfying extent or balance, but this very fact describes the spirit of the city and its citizens. It is hard to be a stranger here, and any hesitation in this regard lasts only until the entrance to the first tavern or theatre, or any other place where the manifestation of spirit is desirable and acceptable. Citizens of Belgrade have mainly come from somewhere, and the city of a wide spirit yielded to them entirely. There was too much suffering, but I guess, for that reason the life has always hurried to return to the city.
You asked yourself the following question when you started dealing with Belgrade: Why has Belgrade been the most attractive point on all the military maps of Europe for centuries? What is your answer?
In one word, that is Danube! Danube brought all the changes. We, who are accustomed to this calm river, are not aware of the importance of great water. According to some ancient legends, Danube springs from the Heaven and “washes” the town on a reef, whereas Sava ingratiates itself with and flows into it – here, beneath splendid and famous Belgrade. Bearing in mind such a rare scene and their courses towards the north and south, it is clear to every lieutenant what “must” be conquered in the region. The higher the rank, the greatest the hunger, so I suppose that generals perceived Belgrade as an immense dinner that is hard to resist. Furthermore, since the ancient times surroundings of Belgrade represented for its citizens an exquisite and sufficient source of both food and vine. Due to its pretty moderate climate, the city served as a residence for retired legionnaires in Roman times. If we look at maps from any period of time, we can see that our capital often used to be a border of different countries. Somebody has noticed for a good reason a metaphysical effect of the place, saying that “Belgrade is a key, and whoever owns it must take care of it studiously”…
Your sentimental journey along the Belgrade bloodstream is marked by the discovery of secrets. The history is determined by people, events and their mutual intertwining. Who are the persons and what are the events, big and small secrets – that were most interesting to you during that journey?
There is no century in which Belgrade was bored. Completely different conquerors were bringing entirely different influences. A huge number of notable persons are related to the Serbian capital, and that is something that I am currently working on in the series ‘100 shadows of Belgrade’. It is not possible to opt for one or several persons. A kind of filter, focus is needed… According to some criteria, Celtic leader Viriatus who led his tribe Scordisci to conquer Greece from here might be important. Even more interesting might be Titus Dugović, whose heroic deeds saved Christian Belgrade, or Nikola Doksat, both a builder and a victim of baroque Belgrade. Or our Despot Stefan, who was the most influential, the prettiest and the richest European ruler. It is impossible to make a choice, and I leave that to readers of the book ‘Eternal City of Belgrade’.
In the situation when many young people are leaving this city, you are intensively dealing with it for years. “The book was written in hard times when numerous fellow citizens, crushed by the issue of existence, surrendered to the lack of taste and oblivion” – you recorded. In the end, it appears that Belgrade returns that sympathy to you. We cannot remember any book that has recently provoked such interest … What is the relation between Belgrade and you now?
At the moment a new issue of your reputable magazine is ‘coming out’, the fifth edition of the book is in stock… The sixth one is being printed, what can I say? The young are leaving … In the nature of young people is to search, try, seek, rush… It worries me when it is different. As soon as the situation here gets better, believe me, a majority of them will return and contribute to culture of their city and their country, as it has always been the case. Therefore, the problem is not the fact that they are leaving but whether they will return on time so that their children develop the feeling of what is and where is their homeland. In the meantime, we, who remain here, have the task to make every effort that our city and state be worthy of ourselves and our children, as well as of our girls and boys who are leaving. Therefore, it is not bad to leave but not to return … I hope that in that regard my book on immortal Belgrade is an important contribution, particularly as I have an impression that a majority of copies is currently travelling to our people who are scattered all over the word. It is necessary to patiently build up everything we destroyed and we are destroyed and there will be no problem concerning the return. I am certain and I often repeat that: Belgrade is the city which will become a wonderful place for living even for our generation.
I believe that after a long journey, Belgrade is finally on the way back home and on the way to take up its respectable place: of the Knight of Europe and the Eternal Prince of Asia.
By Dragana Marković
Related Articles
Skadarlija: A Guide Through Belgrade’s Bohemian Heartbeat
October 9, 2024
The Construction of Expo 2027 in Serbia: A Landmark Event
September 23, 2024