Our last full day in Serbia has been absolutely amazing. We got to spend the day in Topola on the day of their village slava (celebrations). This area is known as a quality vine growing and wine producing region and therefore we began the day by visiting the King’s Winery (and shop). We then went into Topola town where we hiked through the town markets up the hill to Oplenac where there is a spectacular church that houses the Mausoleum of the Serbian Royal family. This was breathtakingly beautiful as the walls of the mausoleum were made from mosaic that included 60 million individual 18 carat gold mosaic tiles. After our sight seeing we had another delicious traditional lunch then we went to get ready for the concert. Information about the concert coming soon – Mara Blucher.
We had an absolutely fabulous (but very hot and sweaty) time performing in Topola. It was the village slava so town was very busy. We performed at a concert alongside local kolo groups on an outside stage in the most amazing setting. This was a beautiful park right in the middle of town. Our performances are just getting better and better and this was a great final performance to leave our mark here in Serbia – Mara Blucher
Topola
For this evening performance and the first truly outdoors performance we went to Topola. We danced alongside a local group who were amazing. Unfortunately, we did have to get changed up the hill and then walk down to the stage which made those quick costume changes harder. This was made harder with the heat and the different dimensions of the stage. But I believe we still put on a great show which the locals enjoyed and it was surreal to dance in the park with the setting sun – Pero Garlick
More about our location and our day
The beginning of the day involved a drive through very fertile countryside to Topola, as well as the King’s Winery. The village slava (celebrations) had dozens of stall and food places and the roads were closed to traffic. It was a marvellous experience!
The area around us, as with previous days, was full of history. Topola is most famous for the connections to Karadjordje, the leader of the Serbian people in their struggle for independence from the Turks and founder of the Karadjordjević (Karađorđević) dynasty.
Karađorđe was killed in 1817 by agents of Miloš Obrenović, a rival rebel leader, who was concerned that Karađorđe’s reappearance from exile would cause the Ottomans to renege on the concessions that they had agreed to following the Second Serbian Uprising of 1815. Karađorđe is considered the founder of the Karađorđević dynasty, which ruled Serbia in several intervals during the 19th and 20th centuries. His murder resulted in a violent, decades-long feud between his descendants and those of Obrenović, with the Serbian throne changing hands several times.
Oplenac, or the St. George Church is the burial place of the Ducal and Royal Family of Serbia and Yugoslavia (the Karađorđevićes). Apart from the two tombs inside the church (Karađorđe’s in the southern apse; and Peter I in the northern apse), there are 26 other members of the dynasty whose eternal place of rest is in this mausoleum. Six generations of the Karađorđević family have been buried in this church. The building was started in 1910 and completed in 1930, interrupted by World War I and the death of Peter I in 1921.
The heads of state here are Leader Karađorđe, Prince Alexander, King Peter I, King Alexander I, Prince Paul, and King Peter II. It is an important place of Serbian history. In 2012, Prince Paul, his wife Olga and his son Nikola were all buried here after their remains were exhumed from the cemetery in Lausanne, and returned to Serbia. In 2013, Queen Maria, her sons King Peter II and Prince Andrew, and Peter II’s wife Alexandra, were all buried here after their remains were exhumed from Frogmore in Britain, the Saint Sava Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois, the cemetery of New Gračanica, also in Illinois, and Tatoi Palace in Greece respectively, and returned to Serbia.
