Serbian History 101

 From the Kosovo Choir's brochure:

"The Serbian Men's Choir 'Kosovo' of Northeastern Ohio is under the direction of Dr. Rick Zivic, DDS and Mr. Sam Rusnov of Youngstown, Ohio is president.  The choir was organized in February, 1994; with eleven men from several cities in the Greater Cleveland-Akron area.  They took the name "Kosovo" in honor, and to preserve the memory of Kosovo, a region in South Serbia, the heart and cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy since before the battle of Kosovo, June 15 (28th), 1389.

"The Kosovo Choir has evolved into a regional choir with over 30 members whose repertoire consists of Orthodox liturgical music as well as serbian and Slavic folk melodies.  Not being musical professionals, and not all of Serbian national heritage, but all with a love of Serbian music and desire to sing and preserve Serbian cultural identity has kept them together for more than 14 years, boasting of thrid and fourth generations of mostly american-born singers.  To their credit, they have recorded 4 CD's including liturgical and Serbian secular music and American National Hymns.  They have been the recipients of numerous citations for fostering, performing and preserving ethnographic songs perpetuating the cultural wealth.

"They have performed across the USA and Canada.  Among the dignitaries for whom they performed are Patriarch Pavle, Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg, Russia, HRH Crown Prince Alexander and HRH Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, as well as Senator George Voinovich, the Ohio National Guard and the visiting Serbian Military Attache and others."

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Kosovo Men's Choir Trip to "Stari Kraj" - August 13-27 2008 

Thanks to the Kosovo Serbian Men's Choir of Ohio, the efforts of organizers Mary Paich and Dr. Rick Zivic, and our hosts, MATICA ISELJNICA from Belgrade, I was able to accompany the Kosovo Men's choir ambassadors on a 2.5 week tour of Serbia and five new countries (all once formerly a part of Yugoslavia, that was then only a little larger than our state of Pennsylvania to begin with!).  Every time our bus crossed newly constructed borders, we needed our passports!  Such annoyances paled in comparison to the rich trip prepared for us that proved an emotional and uplifting spiritual journey with some of the most dedicated American Serbs (and Russian Orthodox friends!) from throughout the Eastern Ohio areas and more.  I will write more and share more photos later, but for now, here are some interesting places to visit that highlight some of our experiences.  It is important for all readers to know that the choir worked so hard to prepare for this trip spiritually, mentally and financially, and as Director Rick says, "All of our hard work paid off, as we represented the Serbian people in America well, preserving our "Srpstvo," and showing our Serbs in the Otadzbina that they are not alone in this world!"

A visit with their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Princess Katherine is the way EVERYONE should start a tour!  They were so very hospitable!  Far left is the Director of Matica Iseljnica, from France, who VOLUNTEERS his time for free!

Here's a stop at the Embassy of the USA in Belgrade, August 20, 2008 with Charge d'Affaires, Jennifer Brush.

Click here:  US Embassy in Belgrade 

The Choir signing "Mnogaja Ljeta" to Ms. Brush of the U.S. Embassy for her generous hospitality. 

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 We all loved being in Trebinje, Hercegovina, Republic of Serbia!

http://www.serborth.org/08192008.html

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The Municipality of Valjevo welcomed us well! 

The camera men in Valjevo were out in full force to cover the exciting event! 

That's Milan, our TV cameraman, 4th from left. 

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Performance at Emir Kosturica's Drvengrad

with 2 folklore groups, one of them made up of orphans from the war.  The Choir & their tour group guests left $1,500.00 with the young performers! 

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Milan Zec, now of Phoenix, Arizona, overlooking Trebinje from the famous "Mala Gracanica" Monastery built by Chicago's  famous  Serb, Branko Tupanjac for the cost of $2.5 million dollars!

How about THIS for a venue?  It was Awesome!

Ampitheater  at the Mala Gracanica Church.

"We are one!" said a happy visitor to the site. 

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I found new friends who promised to visit our website, they were cousins from London & Kosovo meeting in Trebinje!

Outside the "Mala Gracanica" church on the top of the hill overlooking all of Trebinje! The men showed their appreciation to Mary Paich for arranging the tour by asking her to be a part of this official photo!

Spectacular scenery along our train ride route!

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100th Anniversary of Church in Downtown Trebinje

Beautiful children of Trebinje! Hello from America!

The San Rocco Festival in Aliquippa, PA has nothing on the Serbian celebrations in Trebinje!  The Kosovo Men's choir followed the dozens of priests to the river, following all the church banners and flags.  Many of the men were moved to tears to hear the many nuns singing alongside the boats by the river.

In Belgrade, we were guests of the First Serbian Choral Society of Belgrade, who provided us with food galore, but especially music and song from this extremely talented orchestra.

Look at this great honor for the Kosovo Men's Choir!

 Salute! Toasting BOTH choirs under tribute to Stevan Mokranjac!

Both choirs gathered at end to sing "Mnogaja Ljeta!" This concert was held in Belgrade's Ethnographic Museum.

Best part-Meeting up with your relatives!

SERBIA Welcomes you with Open Arms!

At the end of our trip-Belgrade Airport! Beautiful country, beautiful people! Dr. Nenad, Peggy, Fr. Zivojin.  Ziveli, Srbija! 

You can buy some of the Kosovo Men's Choirs Tapes from here:

http://www.socaonline.com/Sale.htm 

The Choir practicing right before their Concert at Kent State's Stark Campus, Sept. 20, 2008. Their singing was augmented with a slide show by Kent State music professor, Ken Kramer, of beautiful churches and other scenes of their recent trip.

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Kosovo Men's Choir Trip to Serbia, August 2008

Crest on a jacket pocket.

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St. Sava's Cathedral-Vracar

St. Sava's Hram in Belgrade

Susan & Lt. Col John Cappelo, Community Liaison Officer, and Air Attache at the Vice Counsel's House (Ms. Jennifer Brush) of the Embassy of the USA speaking with Mim about "Operation Halyard" & the rescue of the 512 U.S. Airmen from behind German-occupied lines in Yugoslavia.

(See bottom of Draza Mihailovich page on this website to read more!)

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Mayor of Valjevo in white shirt

 Fr. Zivojin & Rick Zivic with famous poet Desanka Maksimovich and other notables from Valjevo!

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Special ladies who made things happen in Valjevo!

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Explaining the return of St. Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich's remains to his beloved Lelic Monastery.



Bishop Nikolai's Museum with many of my Dad's photos in Lelic Monastery

Here's Milan, taking movies of my father Milan Karlo's photos of Bishop Nikolai's funeral in Libertyville, IL, USA, on display at the Lelic Museum, near Valjevo.

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Dr. Nenad Janicijevich in front of the fresco  to show size.

Grave of Jovan Duchich  is right below the huge fresco above. Duchich died 4/22/43, but was buried in America as Yugoslavia was still communist. 57 years after his death, he was reburied in his beloved Trebinje 10/14/00.

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The photo caption above says: "Branko Tupanjac, great benefactor (from the USA) of the new church in Trebinje, and Dr. Predrag Ristic, architect of the church."

From the article about Jovan Ducic in the American SRBOBRAN, by Dr. Aleksander Petrov.

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New friends!  Everyone was so nice and we really enjoyed the evening concert in Trebinje. These young mothers, one of them originally from Kosovo, promised to look up babamim.com!

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Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration built in 1908.  We were there for this 100th Anniversary Celebration that spilled out onto the streets. It's located in the very CENTER of Trebinje, and is surrounded by a beautiful park.  Our Kosovo Men's Choir sang  in church and also at the outdoor concert where there were more than 20,000 people gathered!  What an impressive show!

Altar of Orthodox Church of the  St. Transfiguration in downtown  Trebinje.  Next to the church there is the eparchy's home with the library.

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Drvengrad:

Our homes for 2 nights.

We felt like Heidi and friends, ready to yodel in the beautiful mountains surrounding us!

Chapel dedicated to St. Sava. The choir sang "Oce Nas" here before leaving Drvengrad.

++++++++++++++++++We We took the  Sargen train to ride around the "8" loop in Mokra Gora.

George M., the Choir's secretary, on a rare occasion without his notebook in hand! George took extensive notes of the trip to help us ALL remember!

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Border guards.

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Dubrovnik Harbor

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Lunch Time!

 Singing  "Oce Nas" in the St. Nicholas  Serbian Orthodox Church right in the heart of Dubrovnik's walled city.  It was one of the main buildings damaged during the war.

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Lovers' Bridge in Vrnjacka Banja loaded with locks! You're supposed to stay in love and married forever!

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Alex & Connie Ristich add their own lock to the Bridge!

This waiter in Vrnjacka Banja hotel knew how to please the ladies.  You'd spot several of them with freshly picked roses!

Farewell dinner on the River, right across from the magnificently lit-up Patriarchate, and not far from Kalemegdan Park. We were entertained royally with an orchestra, female singer, and the famous Bajich Brothers of Belgrade!

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Boris Solomko, Project Manager of St. Sava's HRAM Construction Site, and his son.  Great job, Boris!

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Eugene Zemlansky, one of the Americans of Russian descent singing with the Kosovo Men's Choir, handed out these lovely 4" wooded icons to Serbian kids everywhere he went.  He said they were blessed by his priest at the Russian Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio beforehand..  What a wonderful, thoughtful gift!

Our Itinerary

August 13-Arrive Belgrade

Aug. 14-Royal Palace, Vracar Cathedral, "Ima Dana" in Skardalija, USA Embassy

Aug. 15-Valjevo, Lelic, Celije, Sirogojno, arrive Drvengrad.

Aug. 16-Mokra Gora, Train Ride on Sargan Eight, Zlatibor, Concert in Drvengrad with folklore group orphans.

Aug. 17-Trebinje, Mala Gracanica Monastery Concert.

Aug. 18-St. Basil of Ostrog Monastery, "Glava Zeta" Restaurant in Montenegro

Aug. 19-Dubrovnik Serbian Orthodox Church; Evening: Trebinje Church Centennial Celebration in Town Square, Concert with 20,000 participants!

Aug. 20-Vrnjacka Banja

Aug. 21-Zica Monastery-800 yrs. Concert, Lunch in Vrnjci Restaurant.

Aug. 22-Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo-Decani and Pec Monasteries.

Aug. 23-Oplenac, lunch at Alkesandar Restaurant in Arandjelovac.

Aug. 24-Holy Divine Liturgy in Saborna Crkva-reception by Belgrade First Choral Society, Concert-Ethnographic Museum.

Aug. 25-Matica Iseljnica-Ministry for Diaspora, City Assembly & National Assembly at Parliament Building, lunch in Parliament building.

Aug. 26-Free day (I met with relatives, which was the BEST part for me! and lunch at the "Knez" Restaurant in Belgrade near the Patriarchate), then group farewell supper on the "Victoria" river boat.

Aug. 27-Belgrade to Frankfort to Chicago to Cleveland to HOME! 

Thank you to EVERYONE who worked so hard to make this dream vacation a reality!

I appreciated it so much!

M.K. Bizic