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Psychogeography Portrait ... 07 ... Koraćica, very special village, Serbia  
  Koracica, very special village  
             
  Walk around Koraćica
very special village
in Serbia
  Most of my psychogeography walks are performed in urban areas. This one is not. It is a stroll around Koraćica very special village in Serbia. It is located 7 km north from the town of Mladenovac and 4.5 km south from the top of the mountain Kosmaj. Two of the walking experiences are from the circled areas.

By the end of this report it will be clear, I hope, why Koraćica is very special for me.

     
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
      Look at those photos above. Left to right: My grandmother Jelena [born Živojinović here in this village] and her sister Vida [Vidosava]; my grandfather Janicije Janićijevic and one more of my grandmother. Old photo of my grandfather, Janićije Janićijevic, born, as you can see in 1871. Next, my grandmother's mother, father with probably their mother! So grand grand mother, grand grand father and grand grand grand mother!

These photos were all found on our visit to the house in 2011, described here. Our property and house are on the main road in the centre of the village, marked with the arrow on the map. Let's start. As you will see we will be walking mostly along the memory lane.

  My grandmother Jelena,
born Živojinović
 
             
  Koracica, very special village  
           
For hundred years
on this place stood
a house with dućan
  For hundred years on this place stood a house with the store [dućan] facing the main road [sketch above left]. Few more rooms one after the other in a row together with the porch ending with the magazine for goods, were all under one very long roof. Somewhere around 1965 original house was beyond repairs and family decided to take it down.

Next year, using most of the wood and stone from the original building, my father made a plan and new structure was erected within one single season. Why this building looks like this in 2011 [photo above right] will be clear very soon.

     
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
      I remember spending most of summer school brakes here since I was 4 or 5. Our grandmother, bajka Jela, she is on the photo above first from the right, would pick up all of the kids from the family, up to 9 of us sometimes, ages 4 to 14, and bring us to this natural paradise. Parents were visiting us on weekends, bringing the goods.

Photos above were taken probably in 1967 or 1968 when new structure was completed.
I was old enough to take those photos. Those summers are unforgettable.

  I was spending most
of summer school
brakes here
 
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
  Visit recorded above and bellow is from 1975   When we grow up visits become much less frequent. Visit recorded above and bellow is from 1975. I've just returned from my life changing trip to India. Our garden was in a fool bloom. I was enjoying this house, garden and the village with my mother and father and our unnamed puppy. I was full of enthusiasm to start artistic career, switching between architecture, space objects and photography. This was a perfect environment.

I was not mentioning psychogeography back then but I was thinking about "observation as an action" and "insight path" along "time axis"!?

     
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
      On some of those visits I was in a company of my favourite people, helping me with advice and encouragements.      
             
  Koracica, very special village
 
             
      Now we are in present tense, year 2011, September. Best time of year to visit Koraćica, and whole Serbia.

Entrance to the house is intentionally blocked with huge blackberry bush, pushing even inside true the front door. It is discouraging eventual intruders.

In the middle of the living room, key to the front door on the table was clearly visible. Lot of dust everywhere but all of the furniture and items around are mainly untouched.

  Now we are in
present tense
 
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
  Last work on this house
was done in 1980
  First room to the right from the entrance is in a worst condition, ceiling gave up after huge hole in the roof appeared and snow and rain started finding its way in. Last work on this house was done in 1980, exactly 21 years ago. My father and me took down the old roof, completely enforced the wooden beams and replaced the tiles with the new ones. It was perfectly serving its purpose until couple of years ago when wooden structure give up, at that point being over 150 years old.

That was our mistake, we did not take in consideration weight of these new tiles. My father, Slobodan, was spending most of warmer parts of the year here, taking care of the house and his beautiful garden. In 1981 my father suddenly died and no work was ever done to maintain the property.

     
             
 
 
             
      Other rooms is in surprisingly good shape, and traces of life passed 21 years before are still visible.

Unfortunately turmoil around Yugoslavia breaking soon started, we moved to Canada and house was abandoned.

  Other rooms is in
surprisingly good shape
 
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
  Neighbour is using our
garden to raise pigs
and goats
  Neighbour is using our garden for the good purpose to raise pigs and goats. Why not, good to be useful to someone.

He is also using it to display on the wall facing his property a old faded photo of Marshal Tito. Is it the admiration of him or the opposite? I am not sure. You can decide yourself. Notice a nice touch. Purple neck tie is finding its place in this composition. What does that mean?

     
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
      Long time ago our plot [red line on a map] was attached to the much larger property belonging to the Živojinović family [dotted red line on the map]. Part in the middle, just behind us, probably around 1850 was donated to the church and school. Even local football field was originally belonging to the family as a field for cultivating the wheat.

Well lets continue our walk along the main road and find approach path to the church.

  Well lets continue our walk...  
             
  Koracica, very special village  
             
  Church was built in 1858   Church, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, was built in 1858. It is still in a very good shape together with the surrounding space shared with nearby school, commemorative well and very small graveyard. It in its building style resembles main Orthodox Church [Saborna Crkva] in Belgrade built short time before in 1850.      
             
   
             
      Next stop on our wandering true Koraćica is Monastery Pavlovac, approximatley3 km of fantastic walk up the road toward the top of mounting Kosmaj.

Monastery Pavlovac is dedicated to St. Nikola [see PDF document with much more info]. It was, and still is, hidden in a deep ravine of the Tihanovac Stream flowing down the hill. Monastery has been dated in the first quarter of the 15th century and had been situated in the lands of despot [ruler] Stefan Lazarevic next to one of important communications of that time. Within monastery complex have been found remains of three buildings of profane character dating from the same period as the church. During my visits to the village visits to the monastery was allways must [because we liked it so much].

Until around 1968 when first restoration started whole church was covered with stones that fell from the surrounding hill and almost recognizable. Take a look at the drawing made at that time bellow. All other monastery structures were covered with dirt and stones and overgrown vegetation. It was exciting to follow over years slow process of restoration and resurrection of the church.

  Next stop is
Monastery Pavlovac
 
             
   
             
  If you are still not tired   If you are still not tired continue up the road to the top of the mountain Kosmaj just 2 km away. Plenty of sights and nice resting places. Worth visiting if you are up to it.

As usual if you have anything to say about this page, psychogeograhy or the whole website, please. do not hesitate to contact us.

     
             
   
             
  06 ❖ Placa de Lesseps, Barcelona, 2009 ~ 12 ❖ Place aux Abbesses, Paris, 2012 ~ 17 ❖ Around Place aux Herbes, Uzes, 2015
25 ❖
Jurjeva Luka, Lastovo, Hrvatska, September 2018 ~ 26 ❖ Funchal City Centre, Madeira - April, 2019
 
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  urban squares urbansquares copyright initiative is licensed under a creative commons attribution-share alike 2.5 canada license. September 21, 2020  
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  Last time updated on September 21, 2020