June 28 - Vidovdan in Serbia

nPosted on June 28, 2019

Key points

This religious holiday is also a national holiday. According to the Serbian Orthodox Church, June 28 is the feast day of St. Vitus (on the Gregorian calendar, that is), but Vitus was from Sicily (in Italy) and doesn’t seem to have much connection with Serbia. But on this date in 1389 (actually, June 15 on the Julian calendar), there was a huge Battle of Kosovo between Serbians led by Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army representing the Ottoman Empire.

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nApparently both armies managed to wipe out most of the other. It was a terrible lose-lose situation. But the Serbs lost out much more, because they didn’t have loads more people to defend them against the Ottoman. The huge loss of life managed to slow down the invasion – but it didn’t stop it.

Prince Lazar and the others who died that day are considered martyrs and heroes.

nBecause of the importance of this date, Vidovdan was chosen as the day to declare war against the Ottoman Empire in 1876 – after centuries of Ottoman rule!

Coincidentally, the Austro-Hungarian crown prince happened to be visiting Sarajevo, a city in the same region as Serbia, when he was assassinated on Vidovdan of 1914. That assassination led to World War I, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria worked together against everyone else.

nThe Treaty of Versailles was also signed on this date – ending World War I.

nWith all of that important history, of course Vidovdan was selected as the date for important speeches and proclamations since WWI!

nHere are some interesting things to see in Serbia (all of them having to do with rivers!):

nGolubac Fortress has 10 different towers protecting three compounds; the thick stone walls have withstood many wars and attacks. But in 1964, a dam was constructed that caused flooding along the Danube River – and that submerged some of the outer walls of the fortress!

nSpeaking of rivers and “submerged,” here’s a building that HASN’T been submerged, as unlikely as it seems:

nApparently this little cabin (which is private property) was actually built by the owner and his friends on a rock in the middle of the Drina River. They rowed all the building materials out to the rock by boat, and of course one has to take a boat (or dare to swim in the swift currents) to get there.

Even though the level of the river goes up and down over the course of the year, and despite rainstorms and wind, the cabin has stayed on its unlikely perch for more than 40 years!

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nAnd one more river sight:

nThe Meanders are tight twisting turns made by the Uvac River as it cut its way through a limestone bed. The canyon walls are up to 328 feet (100 meters) high above the water – so you cannot really check out the twisty path except from the air.

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By the way, the previously endangered griffon vulture is now thriving in the Uvac River Valley, because conservation groups have set up large “outdoor restaurants” for the vultures there.

nWhat does a restaurant for vultures serve? The waste from slaughterhouses! Yick!