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Hi I'm Laura Alexandra and welcome to Serbia.
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I'm exploring this beautiful European country and discovering its rich history, unique culture
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and of course its modern-day offerings.
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Last time I started my journey in Serbia's capital Belgrade, where a visited a Roman fortress,
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one of the largest church buildings in the world, and the memorial site for beloved leader Joseph Broz Tito.
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I also enjoyed some fun outdoor activities, some of which I wasn't very good at.
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But I'm not done with Belgrade just yet.
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So excited to be coming here, it's the royal palace in Serbia.
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First time I've ever met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I'm going to go in and see what it's like.
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So I'm going to hit the red carpet right now, amazing,
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Wow
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This is absolutely stunning.
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This is the first time I've ever been in a palace before and
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quite frankly
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I'd love to live here.
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Well I've got to be honest I can't imagine the amount of time it would take to clean somewhere like here.
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As the flags just here,
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stunning paintings as well, understand these are actually quite famous.
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Just going to explore in here and what I understand to be His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince's actual office
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and you can see actually there's, there's tons of pictures
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and one thing that really strikes me about this as well, is the fact that on one of the pictures here this is the
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most recent royal wedding is actually, they look sort of really, really cool and really relevant
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of the actual royal family here.
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Stunning red dress there as well but there's just so much history that it steeped around this palace
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and quite frankly I'm just excited to find out more.
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Wow there's just so many beautiful pieces of art just down here.
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I'm coming down, actually right now, to the Royal basement and I'm told once again there's some
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really exciting things here including Tito's sort of entertainment lounge I guess you could say
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and somebody's actually said to me that I might be able to even sit in Tito's chair.
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I'm just gonna see if I'm actually allowed to.
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This is the Royal Basment and I've made it down here and it is everything it's promised to be, it's stunning.
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It's representative to sort of this massive red ornate ceiling walls,
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just absolutely stunning obviously, representing the time communist period as well.
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There's various dates reference around here, 1929 is on one of the walls, which is quite interesting
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obviously that was when the palace was actually finished
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you've also got all of story telling around the ceilings and it's just amazing.
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A lot of it representing some of the National Serbian poems which apparently
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are really long but quite interesting as well.
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What I'm very interested in over here is the CD player. Now the reason I say that,
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we've got a pool table over here, CD player here, this is why they're so relevant right now because
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the family apparently still come here to relax
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and recently I think they've even had a party because there is tons of CDs here.
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Perhaps my favourite has to be Ice Cube I mean you can't have a party without him
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but it's just really interesting that you know they're still very relevant to this day.
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So I'm gonna be even nosier and go down to what is the entertainment room.
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Now this is quite an interesting one because apparently this is where Tito used to bring his guests.
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Now imagine being back in that period of time and having guests such as you know
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Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor's husband of course she would have been here as well,
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just sat down here watching a movie up there.
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Just incredible.
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Over here you've got the chessboard as well and perhaps my most favourite thing,
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that I'm just gonna go up to now is Tito's chair.
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Now this is a bit that really intrigues me and I'm very, very excited about so follow me up here.
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So Tito himself would have actually been sat in this chair at one point
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and I've got the pleasure of sitting down here myself and I'm just gonna see how comfy it is this is.
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This is a fully worn chair, I like this, he obviously sat here a lot but the interesting thing he would have kept
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an eye on all his guests in front of him watching the movie.
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More interesting than not is the fact that Queen Elizabeth herself apparently sat down there,
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which is just unheard of for the Queen but that just shows you what kind of a person Tito
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was and the authority that he actually carried as well.
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Now I'm too short, way too short, to see over here but I'm sure if you could you know it would be so, so
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interesting and also the fact that the technology at the time,
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screen projector you know, would have been absolutely amazing at that day.
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But you know what I want to get up and explore another room actually, so follow me through here.
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Now the interesting thing again about this room it's obviously still fully functional.
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People, I'm sure, still use it and up on the ceiling you've actually got the the, the symbols that would have
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represented the monarchy scratched out in favour of communist symbols
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again something that Tito enforced and something that he wanted to just,
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he didn't care if it wasn't still in keeping with the rest of the decoration he just wanted to make it really
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shiningly obvious that the monarchy weren't welcome anymore and there you all the communist arts.
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Fascinating,
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I don't think I've ever seen a basement with so much luxury or history before.
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If you come to Belgrade you must see this for yourself.
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After many years of being in exile, the Crown Prince Alexander, the last heir to the throne of the kingdom
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of Yugoslavia, now resides in the royal palace. And it just so happens that he's home today.
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I couldn't come here without meeting his Royal Highness the Crown Prince Alexander
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thank you so much for welcoming us to your beautiful home.
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Thank you for coming.
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What was it like to come back to Serbia in 1991, when you eventually came back?
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That was the first trip, it was not really a legal trip, I was still somewhat an enemy,
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Yeah.
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So first of all, I should say this was like a Forbidden City.
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It's a compound of 330 acres, that's about 130 hectares, and it was closed to the world
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up until the time we came back in 2001, Nobody could come in here, I did try and get access in, in 1992,
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when I came here to join the opposition in protest and I was met by, at gunpoint they weren't very nice.
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Wow!
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So now it's open and there's a lot to see. First of all there are two palaces and they're two different styles.
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This is sort of Byzantine, oriental, Serbian style with an incredible basement
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but the other one, the other palace is known as the White Palace is classic, typically classic,
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all square things like that and they serve different purposes.
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This is where the head of state lived and operated and people would come and visit him here.
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The other palace, it was built for my father and his two brothers as a sort of spill over to leave my grandfather
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in peace. But then it was used by Tito as an office and if you were a foreign minister you would pay a visit
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there you would, if you're an ambassador, you present your credentials and it was a constant use
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so not much was done to repair it
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This one was used as a guest house and you wouldn't believe who came here.
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The Queen came here, Nixon came here I think, a lot of thieves came here,
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dictators and so on. It was, it was active, it was active.
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And what was it like the first time you sort of took a look around and went and saw the views outside?
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The place needed some help as one might say but,
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I've sit in an armchair and said do you think my father sat here? or my grandfather sat here? Things like that.
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Yeah.
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My father told me a lot about the place, he said there were two palaces, which I understood
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and he said if you ever go back you must live in the Royal Palace, which was built between 1924 and 1929.
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So we really knew where to come but we didn't know really what to expect and there's some funny things.
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We were looking around for a kitchen because we saw a little kitchen up here, we said too small for a big place
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and we found a kitchen at the end of a tunnel.
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Oh wow
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So let's skate down, skateboard down the tunnel, they're dangerous, but it's a big kitchen.
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Yeah, why should people come to Serbia? You know, what are the main really amazing points to come here?
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This is the last frontier if you think about it. We're very glad that the Serbia is open for tourism,
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tourism is very important for us and our people are very welcoming people there are warm hospitable people.
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There's a lot to do in Serbia, there's a lot of museums in Belgrade, it's the convergence of two big rivers,
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two big European rivers that is the Danube and the Sava.
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There's also monasteries, there's also a skiing resort which has become very popular, Kopaonik,
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and a lot of tourists from United Kingdom go there and skiing.
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We also have, I think there's so much, we have a big music festival called Exit,
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I think it's one of the biggest music.
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Yeah it is.
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It's extremely popular and I'd say hundreds of thousands come there and they enjoy it very much.
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And then you've got all the other usual activities Belgrade is a town with a lot of
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interests for young people nightclubs, many restaurants of different flavours,
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cafes, we have a good climate it's really quite interesting.
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There's loads to do by the sound of it
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There is quite a lot to do and there's good communications and flights from London.
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Yep
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Every day, two flights a day, which is not bad
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Amazing so no excuses to not come out here.
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No there is really no excuse yes
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Cruise ships regularly stop at the Palace so that visitors can hop off and take a look around the grounds.
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They also get a special presentation from the Crown Prince and Princess themselves,
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if they happen to be at home.
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A duty that they not only take seriously, but also thoroughly enjoy.
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I was granted the opportunity of a quick chat with the Princess Catherine.
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So I couldn't come to Serbia without talking to the beautiful Crowned Princess Catherine welcome.
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Thank you very, very much so kind of you we're happy you're here.
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It's absolutely stunning, we're sort of in one of your gardens at the moment aren't we?
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It is lovely we are very proud of it, it's wonderful, it's a hunt for the characters here the Forbidden City like
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they used to call it. 50 years ago nobody could come in so now, when my husband came home he says,
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we will open the doors and we have our people here and the people of the world. This is a little Versailles.
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And you're so welcoming I mean we've just had a group behind us, which we need to get back to you very soon
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as well, but you know for tourists coming here as well they can sort of come in and meet you.
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Absolutely you know one of the, the best things that could ever happen is for people to come here,
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and to find out for themselves what their beautiful country is.
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It's not the same as you if you look through magazines or they hear it from friends who have been here,
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I think they have to come to see it for themselves.
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There is something magic about Serbia when you come here, you see smiley faces if,
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you see young people full of energy you see kindness, love, everything.
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I mean above all we've got good people who have a lot of life within them,
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they have put the past behind and they live for the present, in the future and that's what I love about
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people who turn a page and get on with life and the past is gone.
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All we have is the present and the future. Thank you for being with us, come back please, and bring us a world.
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Thank you
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I want the whole world to see Serbia.
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Excellent thank you so much.
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Thank you very much, all the best
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Pulling myself away from the Royal lifestyle I'm back on the road again, this time to discover some Serbian art.
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Belgrade has a rich and diverse art legacy. A must-visit is the Museum of Contemporary Art,
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where you can discover more about Serbia's contribution to modern art.
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And right now, I'm with curator Una to find out more.
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Welcome to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade.
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Thank you can you tell me a little bit more about it?
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The Museum is established 1958, a long time ago in ex-Yugoslavia, but this building that we are here now
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is erected from the 1960s to the 65 so it's really modern.
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It is the masterpiece of the modern architecture in ex-Yugoslavia.
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Then we have the collection which is very rich, the Museum of Contemporary Art has 8,000 artworks,
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art pieces and artefacts and it's divided sub-collections, different kind of the sub collections but it's also
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internationally orientated so we have the collection from the beginning of the 20th century
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but also the contemporary international art.
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Brilliant it sounds great can we go and have a look around?
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Yes, of course, okay let's go.
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Laura this is Šumanović one of our famous painting this painting is called the drunken boat
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and it's from 1927, actually it's depicts that actually, the some fantasy of the artist that you can see.
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Maybe is over there and this naked ladies that actually shows some bonvivant,
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or some kind of the bacchanal is, but it's actually the muse that that is around the artist.
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Sava Šumanović very interesting artist actually this painting doesn't look that any of other paintings,
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that's how he did it.
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He's much more in the Picasso style, and this is our maybe the most famous painting that we have in the
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collection, from the beginning of 20th century and there is one trivia that artist Sava Šumanović
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did it for the seven nights and seven days without sleeping.
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Wow yeah just all in one go?
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Yeah, yeah
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This is Dušan Otašević, the assemblage actually is called Comrade Tito, White flower you see here maybe
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the kind of the criticism it belongs to the pop art in Serbia, actually this assemblage or this painting.
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You will see the Comrade Tito in the centre of the, of the composition but this whole how to say the heart
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and these two curtains that refers in two ideologies that Yugoslavia was described.
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Refers maybe on these slides the big parades that was devoted in the Comrade Tito
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so it's kind of the criticism a bit about the two ideologies but also this kind of big how to say ideology
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over one image or one face or one comrade or one person.
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Well thank you so much for telling me about this, and thank you also for showing me around as well Una.
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You're welcome
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As evening descends I'm about to experience some art of a different form,
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this time at Belgrade National Theatre.
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I'm so excited I've just arrived at the National Theatre. You can hear below me, orchestra tuning up getting
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ready to go and there's a real buzz actually with everyone here.
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It's about to start in two minutes, so better go but I’ll let you know what it's like.
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Opera singing
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I've come to the National Theatre today in Belgrade and I've had a little watch of the Opera already,
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and right now I’m in the office of Dejan Savić, thank you so much for having me here.
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It's a pleasure, always
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and tell us a little brief history if you can of the National Theatre?
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Of course the National Theatre is consisted of the three divisions drama, opera and ballet.
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We are approximately around 700 people working here, a big technique, big administration, the most famous
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and the most popular theatre not only in Serbia, in the region,
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we are one of the last theatres of this size that has performances every day.
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One on the main stage, one on a small stage, so this is in general the highest artistic level possible.
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Many guests from abroad, we also go to visit many countries also inland of Serbia.
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This could be in short the history and the presence of our theatre.
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That was very concise I like that, and you've got the three different things that you do here, so give us an
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example of, you know ,what's going on tonight opera wise? And what plays can be expected as well?
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So what we, since at least I am a general manager, there must be something for everybody.
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As I always say, so on main stage mostly big dramas, opera and ballet.
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However in the small stage some of the opera and ballet, shorter and smaller pieces but mainly drama
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What would you say to somebody watching, who's thinking about coming across to national theatre here,
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and watching a show what would you say to them?
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Well, what I would say for those who are not sure would they come or should they come or not,
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I always say like, I always say everybody knows that the theatre is always full.
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The theatre is always crowded with the audiences always that performance is sold out,
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but I always say whoever comes to the main gate of the national here,
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to be sure that he will enter we are always open for every hour.
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Visitor’s, is it somebody from my side, is it somebody from abroad, is it for somebody from Belgrade,
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whatever, we are always open and whoever comes to our gate to our main door will enter the Theatre.
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The National Theatre also houses a museum, and eager to see it Dejan offers to give me a quick tour.
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One of the biggest collections we had some original guns
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Wow
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and ammo from the period of Turkish arrays against their accents.
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Does it actually work?
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah and everything really yeah.
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Now we have famous actors, famous ballet dancers, famous opera singers,
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this was the poster from the opening of the National Theatre, this is the poster from.
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What's the date? 1869?
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Exactly when it opened this was a concept for a variation of a New Dutch, New Guinea's,
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how would you translate this?
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This was the poster from the opening of the Opera, so February 1920, Madame Butterfly Puccini.
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And how much is this now?
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No it says the beginning is 7 1/2 like today's 7 1/2
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Ah okay yeah
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If you ask me about the prices it's even cheaper than today two to five Dinars it's really nothing
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That's like a couple of pence
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It's an according yeah, is according to the standard weekend.
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This is the opening with a Swan Lake of the ballet, National Ballet Company,
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it was before me even before 1927.
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They actually, they actually opened in 1922/23 the National Ballet,
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then we have some historical photos from the performances of the National Theatre
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our famous bass singing Don Quichotte.
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He's very serious isn't he?
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Yes, yes he is
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Is this is jewellery? His costume jewellery?
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This is, this is from, yes exactly Bravo, from the same in his when he was studying his scores and everything.
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And if this is was a real Ruby you need security haha
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I know, I know this is one of the oldest photos of the National Theatre inside 1914,
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and it's still so busy there
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of course at the time, all the time, this is one famous choreographer.
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And here all the all the superintendent's or the general manager of the National Theatre
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this is also me, from my first period.
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I like your headshot very nice pose there.
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What can I tell you? Famous history personalities and among them only this lady who is the woman
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as a general manager and I'm the only musician as a general manager.
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Having experienced so much of Belgrade's cultural heritage,
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I thought I should come back to the 21st century, and my next stop couldn't be any more relevant.
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Medical tourism is a huge growth area in Serbia.
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It offers great value dentistry, cosmetic and also medical treatments in the country.
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The majority of people head to Belgrade to get their treatments done,
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and right now that's exactly where I am, at St Medica and I'm going to be speaking to
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professor Miroslav Georgiavitch to find out more.
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I'm with one of the world leading doctors in genital reconstruction right now,
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Professor Miroslav Georgiavitch, thank you so much for joining me.
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Thank you for your coming, and welcoming in our centre and our country.
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Now tell us how many people you will see per year? How many people are interested in coming to you?
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Our wellness centre for genital reconstructive surgery started to work twenty years ago here,
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and now we are in this facility and we have approximately three to four hundred
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persons, who are coming here for different types of surgery.
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Aesthetical, reconstructive, functional, transgender surgery.
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All other surgeries related to a reconstruction of male and female genitalia.
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So tell me a little bit more about dentistry in Serbia?
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Yeah this very interesting field, we have a plenty and plenty of persons coming from abroad
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for dentistry because we are really a very good place because we have a very nice doctors for this,
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very skilled doctors, who perform for example 5200 cases per year.
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This is very fast, patient comes here for one day finished for example surgery or dentistry work here
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in our Centre, and very much a small amount of money comparing to more developed countries.
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And talking about a cosmetic surgery as well you know what people coming here for?
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What's the most popular operation for example?
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If you discuss about cosmetic surgery, it’s tactical surgery. The majority of nice women come here
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for breast augmentation, for facial correction and facial surgery, like face lifting, then lips correction.
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So it is very, very often here to have patients for this type of surgery.
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Thank you very much professor.
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Thank you
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Leaving him to his work I move on to something a little different.
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Belgrade, it is in the heart of the Balkans and one of the main events in the fashion calendar
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is Belgrade Fashion Week.
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Unlike London and Europe, it's actually quite easy to get the tickets for this
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and I'm off to meet the director of Belgrade Fashion Week, Nenad, to find out more.
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Nenad we're in Belgrade Design District can you tell me a little bit about this place?
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Actually Belgrade Design District is the centre of a very authentic Belgrade fashion scene,
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with independent designers and actually it is one of the biggest results of the work of Belgrade Fashion Week,
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which we start 1996. Like a first Fashion Week in East Europe and we are very proud of it,
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and after a couple of years we start with the, with our design, young designers and then they have opportunity
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to open their shops here.
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And that's it you know, now after ten years we have really beautiful little shops here with a
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really unique, unique clothes.
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Have you got big designers that are involved with you in Fashion Week?
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Yes the most important Serbian designs are involved in Fashion Week and actually we grow together all these
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years, and that is very important because you know they have opportunity to show their works.
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You know it's not easy to present fashion collections, you know and in last couple of years,
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we also try to open the doors for them internationally and we collaborate especially with London
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Fashion Scouts during London Fashion Week in region,
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because about it Fashion Week, week is a capital of fashion for our region for Balkan region.
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And most importantly, how much are the tickets and are they easy to get hold of?
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Oh it's very easy you know, because we like to treat our international guests you know and easily if you,
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if you go to BelgradeFashionWeek.com, our website, or to our
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Facebook or Instagram pages you can easily find us and you can ask for the tickets and you will get it.
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So now finally when does Fashion Week happen?
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Twice a year, end of March and the end of October, and you can easily come to us through our Facebook,
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or website and we will like to host a lot of your viewers
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or your international guests during Belgrade Fashion Week.
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I would love to come back on Fashion Week.
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Please, please I will find something for you for sure
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Excellent this sounds good, well thank you so much Nanad and hopefully I'll see you soon.
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Yes.
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Zemun is close to New Belgrade, yet it's actually one of the oldest parts of the city.
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In fact the first inhabitants date back to many centuries ago, but today it's the perfect escape from the city
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offering a promenade along the Danube, restaurants and a stunning view as well.
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Right now Serge is here tell me a little bit about why tourists love coming here?
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Oh well you see it is like a West End of Belgrade, and it offers different atmosphere from big hustling
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and bustling capital of Serbia, and Zemun that was so many centuries influenced by Austro-Hungarian culture,
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today has a very nice fishing village just next to the river and a number of restaurants,
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which are offering live music, perfect food and in the evening, very, very cheerful atmosphere.
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Sounds amazing can we go and explore?
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Of course please
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Serge, tell me a little bit about where we're stood?
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This we are on, the so-called Millennium Tower, which was built in 1896 by Hungarian people who at that time
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celebrated 1,000 years of the existence of Hungarian state.
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You see we are at the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers
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and what you are looking at right now is this meeting spot of East and West.
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Let's travel back through time 2000 years ago, it was the world of the Roman Empire. Over there on the other
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side of these rivers, while this area was reserved for the unknown lands of the barbaric tribes
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and then, when the Roman Empire divided it was East Roman Empire over there, West Roman Empire here.
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Then the Serbs came so that became the Serbian state over there, while the Hungarian state was here.
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More borders it was the world of the Ottoman Empire beginning on the other side of the rivers and the world
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of the Habsburgs, Austria, Christianity Europe was beginning here.
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So Belgrade human settlement on this beautiful spot of the confluence of two rivers became a meeting spot of
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east and west, witnessing titanic clash between Christianity and Islam for many centuries
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and that's what makes Serbian culture, Serbian heritage rich.
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One of the best sentences I have ever found about Belgrade is that the city is an unusual mosaic
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built up by centuries of overlapping civilizations, where everyone can find something to remind him of home.
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A beautiful sentiment indeed and it absolutely describes what I've experienced here so far.
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Being so close to the river, it was time to get into the water
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and it just so happens it's the only way to experience a nearby Nature Reserve.
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I'm very, very excited about my next adventure so nice to meet you I'm Laura
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My names Nicolau nice to meet you too
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So what are we doing here? I'm a little bit scared.
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Don’t worry we'll be doing some kayaking today, on Danube and on Sava,
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actually we’re going to meet the river confluent.
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Amazing it, so is it quite interesting where those kinds of currents come together?
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yes
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Excellent so we're going in a one man? Two man?
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Oh okay, I think we should get on two men kayak.
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Okay?
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Because then you can relax enjoy and I'll do the rest.
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Excellent this sounds good to me so what do we need to get in there?
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In the beginning safety first, so here is the life jacket, you should put this on
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Amazing
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and just relax and enjoy.
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This sounds really good actually. So I've got my lifejacket on, I've met Nicolau, he's gonna do the work
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for me, we're going kayaking and I haven't got anything to do so let's do it.
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Let’s go
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Oh, do I need to do anything yet?
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So which way round do the paddles go? Oh okay this way, I’ve got them the wrong way
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like this
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Oh this is quite relaxing isn’t it, oh look at us we're steering in circles am I splashing you? I'm sorry
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Should you grow tired of the hustle and bustle of city life, then this is definitely the place to come and escape.
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We're making our way to War Island, a small River island that doubles as a wildlife sanctuary to
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nearly 200 species of birds, many of which are endangered.
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I know it's so relaxing and so green and I can't imagine anywhere in the world,
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having this incredible sanctuary in the middle of such an urban city, it’s amazing.
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As we get closer I have to start putting some effort in,
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and it's not long before the serenity of the Danube is replaced by something else.
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It's suddenly really noisy, it was really silent out there and now
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it's a lot clearer actually the water there, there’s tons of stuff growing below.
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So here we go, we coming in now, oh do we need to apply any brakes? Or are we ok?
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Well, I don't think we have brakes
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Excellent so that's it, so we just putting the paddles down?
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Yeah
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Should I get out first of all?
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Yes, so stand up.
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Oh!
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Okay, stand up
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Ok I've got this
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Having just spent some time in the river, it was time to head back to the hustle and bustle of the city.
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And I thought I would check out one of Belgrade's trendy artistic spots.
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I'm here at a place called Dorćol Platz this evening, and it's got a really cool bohemian vibe. In actual fact,
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I'm gonna meet the lady that's created this.
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She's an incredible street artist so let's go inside Dorćol Platz and find out what she's about.
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We're gonna have a little look around the area and first impressions, it's just quite cool it's just very chilled out.
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This seems to be a little section on plants, actually I love cactuses these are brilliant look at them.
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But they've got some cute tiny ones as well, love that, and one thing I've noticed as well, you might do too,
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is the fact that there's so much of a cosmopolitan kind of atmosphere around here,
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in fact there's tons of different languages.
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We had French over there, got bit Spanish going on, with the posters over there as well and of course
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Serbian. So it's really multicultural, I love it in here. Let's take a look inside.
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Look at these guys.
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So this is, or used to be, an old abandoned warehouse.
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Around about a year ago it was actually taken over by this market, and to me it kind of reminds me of
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being somewhere like Covent Garden in London, and having all of these different things you know from
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plants to foods, to local delicacies, that are here.
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You've even got things like air plants and Aloe Vera, and over this other side you know
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naturally, a locally sourced honey, and Mead by the looks of things as well.
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In fact right at the back of the indoor market, through these doors,
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I think there's someone very special waiting for us, come inside.
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Hello?
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Hello.
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Oh hello.
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Hi welcome.
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So glad to be here it looks absolutely amazing
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Thank you
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I'm Laura
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Welcome, Alexandra, nice to meet you.
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So nice to meet you Alexandra, how did you actually start in this? Did you study it?
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Oh no I don't know, I started when I was 16
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Yeah.
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2004, and it was completely random. My father had lived in Rome for many years,
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so I was there most of the time or one part of the time .
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Yeah.
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And I was a teenager and didn't know what to do, so he was like why don't you try this?
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And I cut out my first stencil, and I was completely mind blown. It was a complete
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you know, revelation for me, so I am very lucky that I found
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medium that I liked so much so in such you know young age.
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And it's absolutely incredible, I mean you just touched on it before actually you know,
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the stencils, are they things you make them yourself or?
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Yes I do everything you know by hand because I mean,
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I do use a programme because it's all stencil so I need to layer it out I guess.
432
00:37:56,140 --> 00:37:56,920
Yeah.
433
00:37:56,920 --> 00:38:04,320
But I cut everything you know by hand, because it loses some of it and it gains some of it and then I add
434
00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:08,800
stuff around it, and then it becomes a lot. This one gave me a lot of trouble.
435
00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:13,220
It didn't want to come out no, no, sometimes it's, I mean
436
00:38:13,220 --> 00:38:17,780
especially when you do something on canvas, it's not the same when you do something on the street
437
00:38:17,780 --> 00:38:19,080
because it takes time.
438
00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:19,580
Yeah.
439
00:38:19,580 --> 00:38:22,060
You know and it has the will of its own.
440
00:38:22,060 --> 00:38:28,720
So in Serbia is it quite normal to be able to go out on the street and do graffiti? Is that a normal thing?
441
00:38:28,720 --> 00:38:31,640
Well it's, it's not, it's not illegal
442
00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:32,620
Yep
443
00:38:32,620 --> 00:38:37,720
But I think that it's much easier to do it here than somewhere else.
444
00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:45,640
People don't see it as, as threatening as maybe some other places and the law is not very clear on you know.
445
00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:49,100
Well listen, I'd like to get involved in some of your stencils and some of your art,
446
00:38:49,100 --> 00:38:50,620
so can we have a little go ourselves?
447
00:38:50,620 --> 00:38:51,120
yes yes
448
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:52,760
Excellent let's have a little look
449
00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:53,700
Safety first.
450
00:38:53,700 --> 00:38:54,200
Yeah.
451
00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:54,960
So please
452
00:38:55,820 --> 00:38:56,560
That's fine.
453
00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:58,420
I don't want to ruin your manicure
454
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,780
I love that, I'm gonna put my decorator just down here yeah?
455
00:39:01,780 --> 00:39:03,340
Excellent so gloves going on.
456
00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:05,120
Here I go.
457
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:07,600
This is quite, this is quite therapeutic
458
00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:12,200
You don't have to like move it like this, just keep your hand, see it's all in the wrist
459
00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:18,760
And is there a way, I guess there's a way of sort of, oh there we go!
460
00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:21,960
That's really cool actually seeing that for the first time.
461
00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:29,480
But it will it will show up or later on so now you have second layer
462
00:39:30,420 --> 00:39:32,620
I was wondering how it was gonna come together.
463
00:39:32,620 --> 00:39:37,240
It's just like, it's very easy techniques, extremely easy technique. You can learn it on YouTube,
464
00:39:37,240 --> 00:39:40,280
but idea is what comes
465
00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:42,060
Woah woah woah, do it slowly.
466
00:39:42,060 --> 00:39:43,320
Was I a bit aggressive there?
467
00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:44,300
Oh no no
468
00:39:44,940 --> 00:39:45,960
it won’t change anything.
469
00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:48,580
That looks amazing!
470
00:39:49,980 --> 00:39:51,260
That is amazing.
471
00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:58,700
So this has just been an absolutely amazing experience, I've enjoyed every single moment I spent
472
00:39:58,700 --> 00:40:03,240
with you Alexandra, and I would highly recommend anybody coming to this area.
473
00:40:03,240 --> 00:40:07,520
Because it's just so much fun, this, it's so quirky as well isn't it?
474
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:15,740
Yeah well this area, this neighbourhood is the oldest neighbourhood of Belgrade, and this place is a very,
475
00:40:15,740 --> 00:40:20,700
has a really nice program to it exhibitions and plays and you know?
476
00:40:20,700 --> 00:40:23,360
Just hanging around you can really feel like Belgrade vibe.
477
00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:24,560
Thank you so much Alexandra.
478
00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:25,200
Thank you
479
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:26,240
Hopefully we will see you soon
480
00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:30,960
So we've left Belgrade this morning and we're on our way up to Avala,
481
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:34,820
up a beautiful leafy mountain track, and we should be there quite soon.
482
00:40:34,820 --> 00:40:40,900
I'm told there's a TV tower there and a monument as well, it's got a really special story behind it can't wait.
483
00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:45,980
Just 10 kilometers from Belgrade, Avala Mountain is a smallish Mountain
484
00:40:45,980 --> 00:40:50,080
consisting of pine forests and springs of fresh Mountain water.
485
00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:55,120
As a result this natural beauty spot is a popular picnic destination for the locals.
486
00:40:55,120 --> 00:41:01,200
Also here is the famous Avala Tower, the symbol of Belgrade, where visitors can enjoy spectacular views of
487
00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:05,620
the city and surrounding areas from a cafe located at the top.
488
00:41:05,620 --> 00:41:08,700
And just a few minutes walk away you'll find the mountain peak,
489
00:41:08,700 --> 00:41:11,560
where lies the monument to the unknown hero.
490
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:16,500
So I think I'm around about halfway up the amount of steps to get to the monument.
491
00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:21,020
So tired already, you have to be fit for this,
492
00:41:21,020 --> 00:41:25,480
but I did find out something quite cool actually about Avala mountain, which is
493
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:32,420
It's 511 meters, so only just classes as a mountain because apparently you have to be over 500 meters.
494
00:41:32,420 --> 00:41:35,080
Anyway I've got to get on with walking, I'm out of breath already,
495
00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,240
but it's all going to be worth it when we get up there.
496
00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:55,520
I knew it was gonna be worth it for this, but I'll be honest I didn't know how breathtaking this would be.
497
00:41:56,900 --> 00:42:00,500
Just absolutely incredible. Wow.
498
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:13,000
So I actually managed to find my tour guide, Serge thank you so much for joining me.
499
00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:14,220
Pleasures all mine.
500
00:42:14,220 --> 00:42:17,240
We are now, well nearly at the top of the monument here.
501
00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:20,320
Can you give us a little background on the monument itself?
502
00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:27,840
Yeah we are on the top of Mount Avala, 511 meters, and after the First World War our King Alexander of
503
00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:32,000
Yugoslavia wanted to build here a monument to the unknown hero.
504
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:37,500
He contracted the best sculptor Yugoslavia had Mr Meštrović from Croatia,
505
00:42:37,500 --> 00:42:41,160
to make this home of Yugoslavia.
506
00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:47,840
There are eight caryatids, female figures that are holding our common home
507
00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:52,800
and inside is a grave to the unknown hero.
508
00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:57,580
See Serbia was fighting in the first Balkan war, second Balkan war, and then on the winning side in the First
509
00:42:57,580 --> 00:43:03,300
World War and when in 1915 Germans were attacking Belgrade,
510
00:43:03,300 --> 00:43:07,220
finally this was the last spot that was still giving some resistance.
511
00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:12,560
And when they managed to conquer this one, as well on the top of the mountain they found just one boy,
512
00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:18,100
14 years old and machine gun, they were very impressed with his heroism and the enemy, the
513
00:43:18,100 --> 00:43:26,540
Germans, buried him on this top of the mountain putting a sign here “lies unknown Serbian hero”.
514
00:43:26,540 --> 00:43:29,000
So you would say that you definitely deserve this monument here?
515
00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:30,420
Absolutely
516
00:43:30,420 --> 00:43:36,160
And the other thing that really interested me about this is there's several places, where I've noticed, sort of
517
00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:39,640
worn away, basically it looks like it's been attacked here is that right?
518
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:46,160
Yeah the Second World War and Germans again, occupied Yugoslavia.
519
00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:52,340
In 1945 during the final operations English partisans, together with the Soviet Red Army are liberating Serbia,
520
00:43:52,340 --> 00:43:57,940
as well as Belgrade, and they reach the spot where Germans had their cannons and machine guns,
521
00:43:57,940 --> 00:44:02,280
and the Soviets were firing at them and so they made couple damages of the monument.
522
00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:05,900
Wow. and is it always this busy? It's so busy today.
523
00:44:05,900 --> 00:44:12,940
No, this is a special day, today's the 1st of May and on the 1st of May in this country people like to make
524
00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:20,380
picnics. It's usually first nice weekend after long winter, so warm weather
525
00:44:20,380 --> 00:44:27,100
and Avala Mountain is the recreational place where you can just come out and have a barbecue and enjoy
526
00:44:27,100 --> 00:44:29,920
some time in the in the open and the nature.
527
00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:36,700
Beautiful nature here and first of May is usually the holiday when we have a couple of days off,
528
00:44:36,700 --> 00:44:40,140
so that's the ideal time to come here and enjoy.
529
00:44:40,140 --> 00:44:43,740
Because I was going to say it's a brilliant atmosphere, and I have to say, you know, apart from the monument
530
00:44:43,740 --> 00:44:48,720
itself the fact we actually are on Avala Mountain the views around are amazing.
531
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:50,420
Serbia on the top of your palm.
532
00:44:50,420 --> 00:44:53,000
Yes exactly I love that thank you so much Serge.
533
00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:53,540
thank you
534
00:44:54,660 --> 00:44:57,520
I need to find out more who was this hero?
535
00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:04,180
So I'm actually standing at the place of the Unknown Soldier, just 14 years old,
536
00:45:04,180 --> 00:45:12,220
his bones were brought here originally by the enemy actually, and the dates you might notice 1912 to 1918,
537
00:45:12,220 --> 00:45:16,320
that's to signify the Balkan wars that went on during this time because they were actually
538
00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:19,240
dedicated in his memory.
539
00:45:19,240 --> 00:45:25,480
The thing is I've actually been talking to the tour guide and I'll be honest with you that, I've actually been really
540
00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:31,820
welling up. I'm not even from here, but it's just to be perfectly honest, it's actually really hard for me to talk
541
00:45:31,820 --> 00:45:32,600
because
542
00:45:33,560 --> 00:45:38,600
even though I'm not from here, you can just feel like the emotion the atmosphere that's here and
543
00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:40,120
the people that are gathering around that…
544
00:45:40,860 --> 00:45:50,420
It means so, so much to them and this is just signifying what you know everything the history of old Yugoslavia
545
00:45:50,420 --> 00:45:56,520
as well, and how everybody comes here to just pay their respects is it's incredible.
546
00:46:02,720 --> 00:46:04,420
Next time on Serbia Old and New.
547
00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:11,660
I depart the capital city and head into rural Serbia, to discover the ancient roman ruins of Viminacium.
548
00:46:11,660 --> 00:46:17,120
Take a trip down the Danube, and stand at some of Serbia's wondrous views.
549
00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:18,300
See you next time.
57109
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