Welcome to the presentation of
Serbian cultural heritage in
Kosovo and Metohija,
titled 'RETURN TO THE ORIGINS,'
by the Cultural Artistic Society (KUD) Kopaonik from Leposavić.
The project of digitization and presentation of the Serbian cultural heritage represents a synthesis of scientific and research fieldwork in the area of Old Serbia (Kosovo and Metohija) over the past twenty-five years.
The Cultural Artistic Society (KUD) 'Kopaonik' from Leposavić published two volumes of the book 'Return to the Origins' in 2015 and 2018, in which they presented and documented ethnomusicological research on the cultural heritage of Serbs from the Old Serbia region.
The region of Southern Serbia has been the center of spiritual and cultural heritage of our people for centuries. The richness of folk and traditional songs and dances, both rural and urban, rituals, rhythmic movements and steps, folk costumes, and clothing styles represent an undeniable identity and historical heritage of the Serbian people, preserving it from oblivion.
In the age of mass media, where information or misinformation is easily accessible with a click, the Serbian people must responsibly and conscientiously provide information and trace the traces of their existence for future generations and show respect to their ancestors for everything we have inherited from them.
This modern application offers us a quick and easy access to specific locations, allowing us to geographically explore certain sites. The provided information takes us back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, showing the living conditions of the population under all circumstances, presented with details and elements of culture and tradition.
By digitizing material works through these books, we showcase the folklore charm of our national costumes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, choreographic dances, and songs.
The goal of the application is, in addition to educational and informative content about traditional games and songs, to present ethnographic details of the clothing of the population from the researched area and spatially bring to life the feeling of the living conditions of that time. The material is presented in a simple, informative manner through folkloric choreographies that identity-wise belong to the researched area.
The practical utility of the application is such that, in a simple way, it acquaints the user with 16 locations through an active map and an active menu with markers of positions and corresponding researched points, allowing access to all information such as the historiography of the place, presentation of national costumes of that region, notated songs that identity-wise belong to that region, and the application of songs through choreography, which is an integral part of the presentation.
The purpose and meaning of the existence of such an application are to provide a simple and direct way of presenting the values of intangible cultural identity and show younger and future generations the heritage left to us by our ancestors.
'Return to the Origins' directs us to preserve our tradition and traditional values to safeguard our identity. By respecting tradition and traditional values, we preserve our identity, get acquainted with the tradition of our people, develop strong national sentiments, and build a proper relationship and respect for our own cultural heritage.
The application is based on the results of ethnomusicological and music-pedagogical research in the field, presenting scientifically researched facts.
INTRODUCTORY SPEECH
Dear visitors,
Welcome to the presentation of the cultural heritage of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, titled "Return to the Origins." This unique presentation is a synthesis of scientific and field research covering a period of twenty-five years, contributing to the digitization and promotion of our cultural heritage.
How we created the folk costume fund of the Cultural Artistic Society (KUD) Kopaonik from Leposavić
Kosovo and Metohija are the the land of Saint Sava and spiritual capital; I have heard this countless times. It is the heart and soul of the entire Serbian people—something I have come to believe through travels with the Cultural and Artistic Society 'Kopaonik' across Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. Kosovo and Metohija symbolize the struggle and sacred thoughts that strengthen and uplift, evident and felt in Serbian enclaves today, providing perseverance and leading to success.
This is what motivated me to persist in the effort to revive the completely forgotten space concerning traditional clothing, where the Nemanjić dynasty laid the foundations of the Serbian state, culture, and identity of a respected people. Specifically, by joining the Cultural and Artistic Society 'Branko Medenica' in Kosovo Polje in 1974, where I largely grew up, I wanted to learn traditional songs and dances, as well as customs of my own, but also of other peoples in the region of Kosovo and Metohija. Nothing was unfamiliar to me because I was raised in that spirit. My family strongly adhered to tradition because we are descended from the Nemanjićs (my ancestors moved from Prizren to Lijeva Rijeka, then came to Podujevo in 1904, where I was born in 1955, and from 1964, we lived in Pristina, later in Kosovo Polje, and since 1986, I have been living in Leposavić).
In exploring the tradition and culture of the Serbs, I noticed that the fundamental values and characteristics of each region in Kosovo and Metohija simply vanish due to some unwritten rules. There were even warnings from the political scene of that time about how Serbs should present their tradition and culture. This prompted me to contemplate how this was not in line with what I could see in my family, among relatives, family friends, neighbors, and godparents. We used simple costumes, and only Serbian games from Prizren, Gjilan, and Old Kosovo were played. Everything else related to the tradition of Serbs did not exist. Games from other ethnic communities, such as Albanians and Turks, were performed. This had been a long-standing practice. In contrast, my generation persisted in preserving its original creativity despite the imposition of foreign games.
In Leposavić in 1998, we established the Cultural and Artistic Society "Kopaonik" with great understanding and support from the local self-government and my family. We began working on the realization of the set tasks. Collaboration with the Museum in Priština and its director Branko Jokić, as well as with the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade and curator Mirjana Menković, yielded the desired results. We focused on the identification of costumes from specific regions across Kosovo and Metohija. The complexity and demands of the costumes told us that we had to do this ourselves. This was not difficult for us considering the skill and ability of Dušica Radosavljević, who formed a team for work in the workshop. Noteworthy were the weavers Radojka Tiosavljević, Olga Radosavljević, Biserka Radosavljević, Milena Šarković, and others, as well as Mirko Premović. In the field, with my team (Dušica Radosavljević, Janko Radosavljević, Dražen Jevtić, Marina Ristić, Milovan Zarković), I visited all parts of Kosovo and Metohija and confirmed how right we were, even though our visit took place during the most difficult and worst times for the remaining Serbs, with whom we sometimes sang, played, cried, danced, and planned how to make the folk costumes. It was like that in Sirinićka župa when tearful Uncle Mita Repanović told us about the suffering of his family from Albanian criminals. Vesna Staletović, the Veljković family, Goran, Mita, mother Nada, and grandmother Leposava made a special contribution to the reconstruction of folk costumes. In Sredska župa, we were welcomed by Uncle Toma Tomić, a retired teacher, a great patriot, and a lifelong guardian of the Serbian centuries-old space. He shielded the school in his Drajići from Albanian vandals with his body and preserved it.
It was challenging in other areas in Metohija, such as Osojane and Peć. In Đakovica, Mother Tohtista and Joanikije in the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God told us about the suffering Serbian people and the tradition of dressing. Vaska and Nada, who fled from their homes and now live in the church's guesthouse, also joined the conversation. In Velika Hoča, there was wonderful cooperation with Father Milenko, Zlatko Nakalamić, Đorđe Stolić, the Brkić family, and Grandma Anica with her son Miloš. In Orahovac, there was excellent cooperation with my local friend Dasha, all the way to Ibarski Kolašin. On one hand, there was sadness for our people, and on the other hand, there was so much joy due to the richness of costumes, beauty, and the fact that Serbs from these areas were at the forefront of world civilization.
Equally interesting experiences were in Central Kosovo (Vučitrn and Priština). Leposavić was intriguing due to the division along the Ibar River, separating speakers of Ekavian and Ijekavian dialects. The well-known Gnjilane Pomoravlje, with Uncle Tomislav Dinić from Koretište, who jealously guarded his "ćustek" (decorative ornament made of pearls), was equally fascinating.
All that we found, discovered, and learned has been invested in the workshop of the Cultural and Artistic Society "Kopaonik," with financial support from the Municipality of Leposavić, the Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija in the past, and now the Ministry and the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.
Today, we possess a collection of Serbian national costumes that is truly impressive, with eighteen locations from the territories of Kosovo and Metohija. We take pride in our existence, in our creation, restoration, and preservation efforts. Through our performances throughout Serbia, Europe, and the world, we remind everyone that we are the bearers of Serbian heritage from the sacred land of Serbs. We endure and will continue to endure for a long time, following the example of Stefan Nemanja. Only through this can eternal life be guaranteed, and only in this way can we preserve our Kosovo and Metohija.
Without Kosovo and Metohija, there is no Serbian identity. The longer the occupation persists, the stronger the desire for liberation becomes.
Đorđe Lakušić, artistic director of the
Cultural Artistic Society (KUD) Kopaonik from Leposavić