The hardest thing is to be a prophet in your own village. I moved to Novi Sad ten years ago from Belgrade. There we left our grandparents, aunts, godfathers, friends, but it was time for a change…
“Novosadski is not to lose sight of the fact that Belgrade, Budapest and Vienna are a bit remote.”
Novi Sad is as flat as a pancake, a crucial quality for someone in a wheelchair.
It’s about the same size, which means you can circle the whole city by car for the amount of time it takes you to smoke a single cigar, or how they like to say it just makes you feel uncomfortable how little you have to pay for a taxi, provided the taxi driver is honest…
“Novosadski is riding a bicycle to the Danube Street, which only the locals rightly accentuate”
When we moved here, all of our family from Belgrade greeted us with the sentence that ‘life will slow down for us’ … that’s not true.
Everything is close in Novi Sad, so I can make three-in-one plans. Suddenly we found ourselves in a rollercoaster where my sisters went to the ballet and music school, and I could also get to the center and my school very fast. Our car started collecting dust… My mother bought a bicycle… My father expanded his trousers… Our dog became a local mascot in the park, everybody on the street calls him the Local. On Sunday we always ate soup, but now we added red sauce. We remade ourselves. We became Novosadists because I still don’t dare say Novosadjani.
“Novosadism is not contagious and is not transferred by communication.”
“Novosadski is to be rude only when decency demands it.”
Novi Sad has a strange name. Although he had other names, this one was the easiest to pronounce because it has a lot of vowels. Račka varos, Petrovaradin Chain, Ujvidek, Neoplanta, Neustz, Neofyton. This mess was cut short by Maria Theresa when she gave the status of a free city to Novi Sad in 1748 with a rich compensation of 80000 royal forints by the then Novi Sad leaders.
For the monument of Svetozar Miletić, it was written that Novi Sad’s people are such communists and unbelievers, that they made a monument to Charles Marx throwing a curse on the Catholic church.
I’ve never been to Linz but they say that the Novi Sad Town House looks like theirs.
“Novosadski is to stretch your vocals.”
On the roof there is a tower called Matilda, which served as a watchtower for fires. On it, there was always a guard on duty, who, when hitting the bell, informed the city where a fire broke out.
Novi Sad was in its history a true bohemian town with 76 brothels, and besides today’s Vojvodina hotel, there was also the first public male house where men were forbidden entry unless they were part of the assortment.
The locals schedule all their meetings by the Cathedral, they call it that way but this is just a ‘small’ local church, the real one is in Subotica.
“How does a Novi Sad local court a girl?” He leaves for 10 days, returns and says, “Oh how we looked at each other!”
Within each church there were also cemeteries, and sometimes there were even nine in the city center. With the development of the city, the directive came into force to remove all the cemeteries. Today, in their place, there are fountains and cafes where you can take a break.
“Novosadski is to take a stroll thru Zmaj Jovina street on Sunday afternoon”
Vladičanski dvor is located at the end of Zmaj Jovina street. In front of him is a monument dedicated to Jovan Jovanović Zmaj.
“Novosadski is that all churches are good neighbors”
The Iconostasis of the Orthodox Church is an example of the famous Pannonian baroque, which is typical of the Serbian population in Vojvodina, which was under the Habsburg monarchy. It is a mixture of baroque with classicism that emerged at the end of the 18th century.
“Novosadski is when you are on the sidewalk, and people you encounter make a little bit of space for you to pass through”
When the Hungarian and Austrian were at war the city leaders decided that Novi Sad, as a sign of gratitude, would be on the Austrian side. The revenge from Hungary was terrible. There was a bombing that blew up everything that was built in Novi Sad for 150 years. Baroque Novi Sad has completely disappeared. Therefore, today only the architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries can be seen in the center of the city – historicalism and secession.
“Novosadski is to love cherry sauce”
“NovoSadski is walking on Sundays in the afternoon in the Danube Park”
On the site of the park there was once the Danube Lake where once the boats were moored. In 1911, the lake was drained and a park was set up.
Johan Štraus Junior (22) held two concerts in Novi Sad.
It is believed that the famous Waltz On The Beautiful Blue Danube was composed while he was a guest at the court of Count Kotek in Sremski Karlovci.
On the park bench, you can refresh yourself with the nutritious trademark of Novi Sad, an index sandwich. What his name implied was that he was ment for the always hungry students and was a deluxe version of the basic mother’s sandwich. And who likes something else….
“Novosadski is when you make gombocas instead of plum dumplings”
“Novosadski is to celebrate both Christmas, one at home, and the other at the neighbors”
Novi Sad is a multi-cult milkshake of faith and nation, and when you look at the panorama of it you will see towers that display this most.
“Novosadski is going to the concerts in the synagogue”
The whole complex was built in the style of secession. On the ground floor there are male and “altar seats” and at the galleries are seating for women. The Novi Sad Synagogue served in 1944 as a collection center for Jews before they were sent to death camps.
Street musicians also know me in Novi Sad. It could mean that I often take a walk, or I’m don’t know why ‘recognizable’.
Written and enjoyed,
Marko Veličković.
