From Russia, Serbia seems to be a country constantly shaken by some kind of crisis. The question of Kosovo, the recent shooting at a school in Belgrade, the mass protests that followed… But this only seems to be the case from the outside for those who are used to seeing this country as the an ally of Russia in all its undertakings, just like her, who constantly fights with the world around her. What does Serbia look like from the inside, says the head of the “Opinions” section of Russian media Mikhail Karpov.
Two Misha
We are traveling with Misha from Nikola Tesla airport. We spend the night in Belgrade and leave the city. Misha is short for Milan, and his relatives really call him that. So it turns out that we are two Misha. One is a little over 40 years old, the other over 60 years old.
He lives in one of the villages surrounding Belgrade with his wife Snezha, several sweet and cute bichon dogs and a motley group of expats, travelers and migrants who come to Serbia from all over the world. Once, Misha and Snezha lived on the first floor of a three-story private house, but now they live in a small building in the courtyard. They rent a three-storey building, because you can’t leave with a pension of around 300 euros. Especially when you are no longer young, and free medicine is not something that does not work, but while waiting for your turn, you can already stretch your legs.
Misha’s daughters once lived on the second and third floors. But now one lives in America, and the other married a Frenchman and went to France. Milan’s grandchildren also live there. And it’s not just in his family. Young people are leaving Serbia to work, for a better life.
In the light of the headlights of a car, a pedestrian bridge appears, on which a huge inscription is displayed: “Kosovo je Srbija” – that is, “Kosovo is Serbia”. Misha frowns – he doesn’t really like all this talk about his country’s territorial integrity. “Bosnians, Croats, Albanians – ah!” – and waves his hand in annoyance, indicating that relations between the “brotherly” peoples of the former Yugoslavia are definitely not the best.
But this irritation is calm and does not translate into a long conversation about who is to blame for the Balkan wars. It’s just like that – it’s a given. We don’t love each other, we exchange, we live and we don’t touch anyone. Yes, and this is Kosovo – so it just fails, disappears somewhere. Without our people living there, of course, but in general the mood is exactly this: let them live as they want.
The Strongest
A few times a month, patriotic rallies take place near the Assembly, the Serbian parliament. In addition to Serbian flags, you can also see here Russian and sometimes serious comrades with Z symbols.
If you look at how their activities are covered on Russian television and in the Russian media, it may seem that Serbian society sincerely supports all Russian actions, and Russia, in turn, of course, supports the struggle of the Serbs for those territories they consider their own.
Andrej Cukic/EPA/TASS
But it’s not. Yes, such gatherings have been held quite regularly in Belgrade for many years, but each time fewer people come to them, and the contingent of such gatherings is getting older and older. The influx of young people to them is ensured only by radical groups of football fans.
Sometimes they end in small local riots and the arrest of a few particularly zealous individuals who decide to threaten the country’s president Aleksandar Vucic with death for having signed a possible treaty on the independence of Kosovo. But that’s all.
“Misfortune” and “share”
Misha is glad that the Russians have finally come to him. “They are not English, not French! These are ours! he says to the woman at the kiosk window as he helps me buy a local sim card.
The butcher of the Melt Dunav (i.e. Blue Danube) shop is also delighted that the “brothers of Rus” came to see him. Everything is clear here – the bombing of Belgrade is not forgotten, and the fact that at that time Russia sided with Serbia is still very much appreciated by locals.
However, one should not expect ardent support of the Russian leadership on the world stage from such people. Friendship of peoples – yes, but what is happening between Russia and Ukraine is perceived by almost everyone as something completely unnatural, although, of course, only a few will tell you about it directly. Unless a security guard at the Poštanska Stedionica bank warmly shakes hands and happily begins to rub that Russia and Serbia are “woe” (i.e. above), and that the US and the EU are “split” (i.e. below, below them).
When it comes to serious issues, a real estate agent, who happily brushed shoulders with two bathrooms and a new renovation in a rented apartment, immediately becomes gloomy. “There will never be… There will never be war again,” he said. And you realize it’s true. The Balkans have ceased to be the “powder keg of Europe”, and those who still repeat this expression simply do not know anything about the modern aspirations of the Balkan Peninsula.
Pavel Golovkin / AP
And even more, how can you believe that NATO, or even more so the EU, today represents some kind of threat to Serbia, when one of your daughters has a family in France, and the other lives in the States -United ? So, after all, not just with Misha, literally in every other family. It is completely incomprehensible that there is enmity when a large part of the Serbian economy is developing thanks to EU subsidies.
Where is Serbia going?
Perhaps the Serbian mentality is how we want the “Russian soul” to be seen in the world. Serbs are hospitable, sincere, friendly. They like to drink, if they smile – then for real, if they hate – then seriously and for a long time. And after all, if you put your hand to your heart, it is worth recognizing that there is nothing like it behind our kokoshniks, balalaikas and bears.
Therefore, for Serbs, the shooting at the school of Vladislav Ribnikar, which was organized by 13-year-old Kosta Ketsmanovich on May 3, is indeed a national tragedy, and for the whole big family that the Serbian people are became at that time. It is not something that hides behind the television screen and does not concern anyone except the parents of deceased children. I remember very well the faces of the parents who were expecting their children that day from the school where my youngest daughter goes.
This is why the thousands of demonstrations that still shake Belgrade have become the main challenge to the power of President Aleksandar Vucic, who has held it very skillfully in his hands for many years. Their slogan – “Against violence” – quickly turned into a demand for greater justice. During these speeches, Vučić remembers all his sins, all the problems that society reluctantly encountered, but endured until now.
In this situation, the Prime Minister of partially recognized Kosovo gave the President of Serbia a great gift. Seemingly deciding that the recognition of his republic’s independence, including by the Serbian government, was a done deal, and that no one would notice anything behind Belgrade’s great mess, Albin Kurti quietly attempted to place Albanian proteges in the administration of the administration traditionally Kosovo Serb municipalities.
Darko Vojinovic/AP
The local population and the Serbian list parties refused to participate in the recent elections in the republic, and they were held without them. As a result, just over 3% of the citizens turned out to vote in these territories and, of course, the ethnic Serbs here were not going to accept the power of the new Albanian heads of the northern municipalities. Massive riots broke out, mainly at the initiative of the Kosovo police. Which, in principle, also only carried out the order of the management.
The actions of the Kurti government frustrated European leaders, who were already practically celebrating the solution of the Kosovo problem. They started to show Kosovo in every possible way that it was time to stop this shame (on the part of the Kosovo authorities). Vučić, on the other hand, behaved as correctly as possible, both denying the NATO peacekeepers’ accusations of starting the conflict and not letting anyone think he was letting the Kosovo Serbs in trouble.
Somehow, the municipalities of northern Kosovo are gradually calming down, and the demonstrations “against violence”, although quite sincere and not “paid”, as some pseudo-experts say of Serbia, are unlikely to lead to regime change. After all, 20% of Serbs still believe that territorial integrity is the main bond of the Serbian state, and 50% that there is no need to cover their tracks and indulge in all kinds of nonsense. Stability, whatever it is, is our everything.
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As for Russia… Russia should understand that Serbs are still particularly hospitable to Russians. The fact that in almost every kafan you will be treated at your own expense if your card turns out to be inoperable and you have no money.
The main thing here is not to indulge in nonsense and not to hope that it is worth pushing firewood in the Kosovo issue, and Russia will receive a full ally in all its endeavors. It would be nice whenever there is a desire to do so, remember the phrase “live yourself and let live”. In fact, the most famous Serbian toast sounds like this – “live!”.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the opinion of the editors
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