What an exciting full day in Čačak! We started off the day with some sightseeing around various historical sites learning about the history of this region in Serbia. This included a stop in the middle for a delicious traditional Serbian lunch. We then had the pleasure of performing alongside some amazing local kolo groups on a beautiful outside stage to a courtyard full of locals. The highlight of this performance being that it was broadcast on national Serbian television. After the show we had an awesome evening hanging out with our new kolo friends in Čačak – Mara Blucher.
This was our first big concert where we danced alongside a local club of mostly teenagers. It was a treat to see the quality of dancing and to see the origin of some of our dances. The performance was in the evening but it was still very hot and if the nerves weren’t already going, or performance was being televised. Although the nerves showed a little it was a great performance and the crowd was elated. After the performance, we had time to socialise with the other dancers and it was incredible to meet them and perform a haka too – Pero Garlick.
Blagoveštenje Monastery group photo
Blagoveštenje Monastery is surrounded with fruit trees
Beautiful countryside around the monastery
Tarara boys after the hike up the hill
Nenad being tour guide translator
Church of Saint Lazar of Kosovo on Ljubić hill above Čačak
The beautiful ceiling inside the church
The evening performance was a huge success. Here are link to the local news items:
Our second show here in Serbia was a great success and the dancers from the local kolo group were such lovely people. We had a great time performing and we had a great time getting to know them. Our performance was also on TV!!! – Mara Blucher
The location of our performance
Photo from the stage looking onto the courtyard
Backstage
Backstage
Backstage
Backstage
Šumadija girls ready to go on stage
Old Kolo girls ready to perform
Watching the local kolo group perform
Our performance of Glamoč
Our performance of Glamoč
Local Čačak dancers
Making new friends with Čačak dancers
Čačak dancers sign our banner
More about our location and our day
The Blagoveštenje Monastery dates back to the 1600s, with frescoes painted at that time. The oldest from 1602 has been preserved. The monastery is on the banks of the Morava River and the numerous monasteries in the valley had a system of communication. They could either ring bells or see the next monastery to communicate any threat or danger to the inhabitants of the valley.
Walking into the monastery at the top of the hill
A frescoe from the monastery
As we went from place to place we learned more about the history of Prince Miloš Obrenović and the Second Serb Uprising of 1815. On Ljubić Hill above Čačak there was a memorial to the largest and most significant armed engagement. There were 5,000 Ottoman cavalry sent to attack the rebels, who retreated to Ljubić hill and were reinforced to 1,300 infantry and 200 cavalry. Obrenović used the terrain to his advantage and the Ottomans were defeated and retreated. The negotiations that began after this battle laid the foundation for more autonomy from the Ottomomans with Miloš Obrenović in power. Negotiations continued under Ottoman sovereignty until 1833 when the Sultan decreed Serbia to be a sovereign principality. The Church of Saint Lazar was built nearly a century later and finished in 2013 to commemorate this history.
The monument
The town of Čačak below
Čačak museum had artefacts from the late Neolithic period and we were given a tour by a very capable guide from the museum. Her descriptions in English were much appreciated.
