This post chronicles the second half (so far) of my trip to Belgrade. I've been here two full weeks now with one week left to go before departing to Lisbon on the second leg of my summer European adventure. This post will be a little shorter but still full of pictures and stories.
Belgrade as a city
There's a rich history to this Eastern European capital that has spanned generation after generation. I learned about this and the history of Yugoslavia through another Remote Year track event - a tour of the Museum of Yugoslavia. Our tour guide is a curator at the museum who specializes in historical knowledge and insight of the Serbian past. She also explained it is her and the museum's ongoing mission to find relics of the past and house them at the museum. A lot of the items currently there are in fact gifts from other countries. The museum is working on adding even more first-hand Yugoslavia history to its collection.
Seen above: The front mural of the museum. I should've taken a pano in retrospect. Oh well.
The benevolent dictator Josip Broz Tito had a nearly 40-year rule in Yugoslavia and was a popular among his constituents. He led the Yugoslavia Federation in WWII. He is well decorated with foreign decorations, receiving over 98 of them. Below is one of three official statues of Tito. In this statue, he is wearing a solemn and reflective pose, as he ponders how to best deal with the war with the federation in mind.
The gardens outside the museum buildings are beautiful if breathtaking. My understanding was that Tito used this as his residence during his time as President of Yugoslavia. It's easy to see why. The panoramic, tree-lined view from atop the hill over Belgrade is magnificent. The trees and flora that line the museum are lush and colorful, immersing you in a calming nature retreat. Maybe Tito wanted it that way, as the museum was his residence during his lifetime and rule.
The story of Yugoslavia is one enshrouded with border changes and wars. Over a relatively short period of time cities were renamed while other countries came into existence. The relative air of stability however was led by Tito himself, largely a popular and important figure to the Yugoslav people.
Tito's tomb is seen above - his final resting place inside the indoor garden lush with green year round.
The Blue Train was Tito's luxury locomotive that moved him around Yugoslavia in style. First running in 1959, it is very much like a time capsule into the past today. It was the epitome of cool back in the day, with enough space so that Tito could work, bathe, and sleep all while crossing the landscape saluting his citizens. The pictures here show a small replica model of the train housed in the museum. More on The Blue Train.
Depictions of war and average everyday life for the citizens enduring that war are present throughout the museum, as seen above. Although Yugoslavia did not have a space program at the time, there was a gift from the Apollo 11 mission of moon rock to the people of Yugoslavia housed in the museum. Pretty cool!
Below, we see some maps of the history of Yugoslavia's political borders from its inception until its last existence in 2006.
Although Yugoslavia no longer exists as a state, fond memories remain in the citizens who were alive then and today. Unfortunately, the unification that was present in the Yugoslavia era is no longer. Even today, tensions remain among those in neighboring republics. Some countries have fared better than others post-Yugoslavia.
Rooftop party
Shifting gears, that weekend a large portion of the group made their way to Budapest for the weekend to celebrate the program leader's birthday. I remained behind with a subset of other "Kubs". In the spirit of a Belgrade summer, we attend a rooftop party that our Remote Year city manager Milan invited us to check out.
The view of the sunset here was awesome! Just like The Belgrade Fortress a few kilometers away, the top of this building offered a specular view of the horizon over the rivers. There was a lot of booze, bass, dancing, and cigarettes late into the night.
I have a week left in Belgrade. There are various events coming up this week with Remote Year programming. I also want to try to make my way to Ada Ciganlija a river island near the city. There is a zip line that is begging for me to ride it as well as beaches and outdoor activities. When in Serbia, do as the Serbs!
Ciao!