Serbs (blue) in Yugoslavia according to the 1981 census data.
(-) First appearance of serbian name is in Rig Veda - ancient religious sanskrit text (3000-1500 b.c.) in book VIII., 32., 2.:
"Strong God, he slew Anarsani, Srbinda, Pipru, and the friend, Ahisuva, and loosed the floods." From all the European peoples the Serbs are the only race from the construction of the wording of their name, according to the Austrian sanskritologist Walter Wust who are composed in the Vedic hymns as the characteristic SRBINDA, in which almost letter to letter is identical to the modern form SRBENDA used by Balkan Serbs.
In the Vedic manuscripts, Wust interprets, SRBINDA as its own original to say patented name with a predetermined meaning. Which is in complete harmony to thinking of today’s SRBENDA expression in Serbs, because Srbenda is always the best, the most respected, most brave, the greatest for respecting tradition: in short a man who is used and shown as an example to others. Srbin(da) in the Serbian language means Serb. Srbinda in Rig Veda represents mythological being or more likely the Prince of Serbs.
(-) Some believe that the name is of Sarmatian/Iranian origin. From which particular word it derives is unclear. However, one theory suggests it derives from the word "Sarv" which means "cypress" tree.
(-) others argue that all Slavs originally called themselves Serbs, and that Serbs (and Sorbs) are simply the last Slavs who retained the name.
(-) some believe that the name comes from srkati, meaning "to suck in", referring to people so closely united as if they share mother's milk.
Ethnic location:
South-East Europe - central and western part of the Balkan Peninsula
Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christians
The eventful Serbian history, full of wars, occupations and migrations that ensued from them, influenced strongly the location and migrations of Serbs.
They live in the republics of Serbia and Montenegro, in the Serbian Republic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until the exodus of August 1995, they also lived in the Republic of Serbian Krajina in Croatia.
The population consists of
16,282,000 people,
8,500,000 living in the above-mentioned ethnic locations,
1,782,000 in the republics of former Yugoslavia,
60,000 in neighboring countries,
882,000 in other European countries,
720,000 in North America,
and about 170,000 in other parts of the world.
Abroad, Vienna is said to be home to the largest Serb population followed by Chicago with Toronto and Southern Ontario coming in third. Los Angeles is known to have a sizable Serbian community, but so does Istanbul and Paris. The number of Serbs in the diaspora is unknown but is estimated to be between 1 and 2 million on one side, and up to 4 million according to Ministry for Diaspora Republic of Serbia.
The maximum number of Serbs thus ranges anywhere from around 9.5 to 16 million, depending on the estimation used for the diaspora.
Smaller numbers of Serbs live in New Zealand, and Serbian communities in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Braziland, Chile) are reported to grow and exist to this day.
Language
Serbs speak Serbian language.
Old Slavs had a special kind of literacy, but when they reached the Balkan Peninsula, they developed (under the influence of Christianity and the Greek alphabet) a particular Slavonic literacy (from 863) with a special alphabet (glagoljica).
From the 10th century it was perfected and became known as Cirilica (cyrillic alphabet).
First documents written in Old Slavonic date from the 9th and 10th centuries, and those in Serbian language from the 11th century (Temniski zbornik - The Book of Temnic).
Following the linguistic and spelling reforms by Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic (1787 - 1864), based on the rule "write as you speak", and "one sound one letter", the folk language became Serbian literary language, with phonetic orthography.
Thus, Serbs have the simplest orthography and the most perfect alphabet in the world.
Serbian language is a very developed language (more than 800,000 words) with rich and detailed grammar (nine kinds of words, seven cases, three genders of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and precise expressions for active and passive states or the times of action). Depending on the pronunciation of the Old Slavonic sound "yat" Serbian language has three dialects:
ekavski (child = dete),
ijekavski (child = dijete),
ikavski (child = dite).
Serbian names indicate some basic qualities of the person, i.e. Stojan (postojanost - steadiness), Ratko (warrior qualities), Miroljub (peace-loving), etc. They also derive from trees, flowers, or animals, especially female names, e.g.: Borko (m.) or Borka (f.) (bor = pine), Golub (pigeon), Cveta (flower). Many names derive from Christian tradition, e.g.: David, Nikola, Petar, Pavle.
Most Serbian surnames have the surname suffix -ić (Cyrillic: -ић). This is often transcribed as -ic. In history, Serbian names have often been transcribed with a phonetic ending, -ich or -itch.
The -ić suffix is a Slavic diminutive, originally functioning to create patronymics. Thus the surname Petrić signifies little Petar, as does, for example, a common prefix Mac ("son of") in Scottish and O' in Irish names.
It is estimated that some two thirds of all Serbian surnames end in -ić.
Other common surname suffixes are -ov or -in which is the Slavic possessive case suffix, thus Nikola's son becomes Nikolin, Petar's son Petrov, and Jovan's son Jovanov. Those are more typical for Serbs from Vojvodina.
The two suffixes are often combined.
Serbian language has very precise terms for defining family relationships, both on father's and mother's side, and marriages are not allowed down to the cousins seven times removed.
Every family relationship has a particular term to denote it, and some have even more terms. To name only some of them: otac (father), majka (mother), sin (son) cerka(daughter), unuk (grandson), unuka (granddaughter), deda (grandfather), baba (grandmother), brat (brother), sestra (sister), stric (uncle - father's brother), ujak (uncle - mother's brother), svastika (wife's sister), zaova (husband's sister), surak (wife's brother), dever (husband's brother).
Non-Serbs who studied the Serbian language include such prominent individuals as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lamartine, Jacob Grimm.
Serbs belong to the Southslavonic group of Indo-European peoples.
By genetics, Serbs have the following Y-Dna chromosome distribution:
the highest is Haplogroup I1b (Y-DNA) with 29% occurrence,
then Haplogroup E3b (Y-DNA) or E3b1 haplogroup 20%,
R1a haplogroup with around 16% of tested individuals,
R1b haplogroup at 11%.
Somewhat smaller samples have haplogroups J2 8%, K 7% and I1a 7% Haplogroup I1a (Y-DNA).
There are several theories on the origin of the Serbs.
(I) Byzantine sources report that part of the Serbs migrated southward in the late sixth century and eventually overwhelmed the lands that now make up southern Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia. In this region, Serbs mixed with other Slavic tribes (which settled there in the sixth century) and with descendants of the indigenous peoples of the Balkans: Illyrians, Thracians, Dacians and Celts.
(II) Theory suggests that Serbs are descendants of a tribe known as the Lugii. These Lugii lived in central Europe, around the same area that the present-day Lusatian Sorbs of Germany live in.
(III) Per Iranian theory, the original Serboi were a Sarmatian (Iranian) tribe, who lived in the northern Caucasus and Eastern Europe.
Serbian ancestors, Protoslavs and Old Serbs, were described in the 5th century BC by Herodotus, under the names of Neuri and Budini, living north of the Danube in the region between Dniepar and north-eastern Carpathian Mountains.
The first mention of the name "Serbs" appears in the 1st century BC (69- 75), in the Historia naturalis by Plinius Caecilius Secundus, who states that Serbs (Serbi) live on the coast of the Black Sea.
In the 2nd century, Claudius Ptolomaius writes in his Geographica that Serbs (Serboi, Sirboi - Serboi, Sirboi) live behind the Caucasus, near the hinterland of the Black Sea.
The first mention of the Serbian name on their present ethnical location appears in 822, in the work of Frank chronicler Einhardt (Annales regni Francorum). He confirms that Serbs are very numerous in Dalmatia.
During the great migrations in Europe (5th to 6th century), Serbian ancestors arrive to the Balkan Peninsula from several directions and settle in the wide area between four seas (Black, Adriatic, Aegean, and Ionian).
It is on this location that the eldest Serbian feudal states Raska (later Serbia) and Duklja (later Zeta or Montenegro) were formed.
From the second half of the 12th century Raska expanded by taking over the Byzantine territory.
The medieval Serbian state reached the height of power under the rule of Nemanjic dynasty (1166-1371).
From 1217 Serbia was a kingdom, and from 1346 an empire.
The Serbian Orthodox Church acquired independence in 1219, thanks to its first Archbishop St. Sava Nemanjic (1175-1235), a man of wide education, who inspired the revival of Serbian literature, education, law and medicine.
The medieval Serbian state was most powerful during the reign of Emperor Dusan Nemanjic, who consolidated the legal system of the empire by his Law issued in 1349 (with additions of 1354).
Medieval Serbian art, architecture, and fresco painting have been included into the World Cultural Heritage, sponsored by UNESCO (monasteries Sopocani, Mileseva, Studenica).
An invasion by the Turks at the end of the 14th century cut short the development of Serbian countries, and they fell under Turkish occupation after the battles of Marica (1371) and Kosovo (1389). The occupation was completed by the end of the 15th century and it lasted for several centuries. The Turkish occupation was one of the most tragic periods in the Serbian history. Serbian population was heavily taxed (harach) to support the Turkish imperial machinery. But even more tragic was the blood tax (danak u krvi) when pre teenage boys were separated by force from their parents to be raised as Turkish soldiers (janicari), and pretty young Serbian girls were taken to harems.
Serbian Orthodox churches and frescoes were destroyed and mutilated. Rebellions were harshly punished - men were buried alive or impaled on posts.
Near the town of Nis, stands today a tragic reminder of the brutality - skulls of Serbian people built into a tower (Cele Kula).
Earthly remains of St.Sava, the most worshipped Serbian Saint, were publicly burned by the Turkish soldiers on the hill of Vracar in Belgrade. On this sacred ground stands today the Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral.
The Turkish occupation forced many migrations of the Serbs to the west (up the White Craina in Slovenia) and the north (up to Budapest).
The greatest of the migrations happened in 1690, when Serbs, led by Patriarch Carnojevic escaped to Pannonia (Austrian Empire).
The revival of the Serbian state started with the First Serbian Rebellion against the Turks (1804-1813), led by Karadjordje Petrovic. It was also the first instance of the break up of a feudal order after the French Revolution (1789).
From 1815, Serbia was a principality, and from 1882 a kingdom ruled by the Obrenovic dynasty.
During the Karadjordjevic dynasty (1903-1945), Serbia liberated the territories of Old Serbia, Kosovo, and South Serbia from the Turks (in 1912).
In 1908 the Austro-Hungarian Empire annexed Bosnia, mainly populated by Serbs. After the assassination of the Arch-Duke Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, the Empire declared war on the Kingdom of Serbia. The Allies (France, England, Russia and USA) sided with the Serbs.
The London Declaration of the Allies of 1915 recognized that the traditional Serbian lands of Vojvodina, Lika, Dalmatia, Slavonija, Baranja, Bosnia and Herzegovina, occupied by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, join the Kingdom of Serbia.
In 1918, the Kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro, with the territories of Slovenia and Croatia, formed a new state - The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which in 1929 was renamed The Kingdom of Yugoslavia. This multiethnic, multireligious state was headed by King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic, the Liberator.
King Aleksandar was assassinated in 1934 in Marseilles, France, and became the first victim of the growing Fascism in Europe.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was attacked in April 1941 by the Fascist Forces of the Axes with Hungary and Bulgaria. The territory of Yugoslavia was occupied by these Forces, and the Independent State of Croatia was created, which declared war on the USA in December 1941.
Serbia under occupation provided home and shelter to thousands of deported Slovenes.
From 1941 to 1945, a systematic persecution and genocide was committed against the Serbian people in both Serbia proper, Croatia and Bosnia. About 1,000.000 Serbs perished. The most brutal were Croatian Fascists, Ustashi. " We shall kill one part of the Serbs, we shall transport another, and the rest will be forced to convert, " so said Dr. Mile Budak Minister of Education and Creeds in Craoatia on July 22,1941. In the concentration camp of Jasenovac, the most heinous crimes recorded in history were committed on more than 700,000 men women and children. ( When in 1984 the Serbian Patriarch German consecrated the memorial church in Jasenovac, he said "Forgive we must, forget we cannot.")It was customary for Ustashi to torture Serbian people, tie them in bundles and throw into pits. Examples of such crimes are numerous. In the village of Prebilovci, near Medjugorje in Hercegovina, 870 people were massacred. Nearly 50 years later their remains were exhumed and laid to rest in a newly built memorial church. Both the church and the remains were dynamited after the secession of Bosnia in 1992.
In October 1941, the Nazi Germans executed over 7000 Serbs in the city of Kragujevac, including classes of high school students during the school session.
In Vojvodina, Hungarian Fascists killed by drowning in ice covered rivers of the Danube and Tisa thousands of Serbian men, women and children.
In 1941, General Draza Mihajlovic and his followers, Chetniks, organized the first armed resistance in the Nazi occupied Europe. As a Royalist, he opposed the Communist Partisan leader Josip Broz Tito. During the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia, 1941-1945, General Draza Mihajlovic and his Chetnics saved over 500 downed allied pilots mainly from the United States.
In recognition, General Mihajlovic was awarded posthumously The Legion of Merit by President Harry S. Truman (March 1948). General Mihajlovic was captured by Tito's Communists and executed in 1946.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was abolished by the Communist Decree in 1945.
Yugoslavia was one of the founders of the United Nations.
The parliamentary life in Serbia has a very long tradition. In the Nemanjic times, in medieval Serbia, there were Councils of Lords. One characteristic of Serbian social system is a developed local government - local councils and country meetings were instances where all decisions were made during several centuries. Serbs retained this kind of local administration even under the Turkish occupation. In the newly established Serbian state (from 1804) national conventions were held regularly, and the first, very democratic Constitution was introduced in 1835. At the beginning of the 20th century (1903-1915) Serbia had a highly developed parliamentary system, according to European standards.
From 1945 Serbia was under the communist one-party rule.
The parliamentary system with several political parties was reintroduced in 1990.
In 1992 the Security Council of the United Nations imposed the most draconian economic sanctions on the remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro, which today constitute the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
There are three main myths in the Serbian tradition:
1) The most important among them is the Kosovo legend, which grew around the terrible defeat suffered by the Serbian army, annihilated by Turks at the battle of Kosovo in 1389. Events connected with that historical tragedy acquired mythical proportions in the folk tradition and folk poetry, and took on many details and meanings derived from the Christian tradition. Thus Prince Lazar and his knights became identified with Christ and the martyrs, the Prince's son-in-law Vuk Brankovic with Judas, and Milos Obilic, who slew Turkish sultan Murat, with saintly warriors.
2)Prince Rastko Nemanjic (1174 - 1235) became monk Sava, and in time was elected the first Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Different traditions and legends grew around his character - with the passage of time - he is supposed to have thought the Serbs to till the land, to build watermills, to keep flock. He was able to open springs in dry rocks by his wand, he fought the devil, he mastered the wolves, he created dogs to keep the flocks, etc. He is also celebrated as a national saint.
3) Prince Marko (around 1335 - 1395) also became a folk hero, the most popular character in the folk poetry of all the Slavonic peoples in the Balkans (Serbs, Bulgarians, Macedonians). Many traditions joined in the building up of this mythical hero - the old Greek stories of Heracles, historical facts (Marko was heir to the Serbian medieval empire), traditions of chivalry, and the idea of a folk hero. He was strong, just, brave, he had a winged horse, and he wielded a club with which he fought both mortals and supernatural beings.
Religion
In the early Middle Ages Serbs accepted Christianity, and according to 1991 . census, 95% of population belong to Eastern Orthodox Christians. The old Slavonic pagan religion that Serbs had brought from their former habitations survived for a long time along with Christianity. The cult of the ancestors and the belief in the life after death, survived in the Memorial Feasts at the Graveyards (zadusnice), days when people visit the graves, light candles for the souls of the dead, and offer food and drink. There are four main zadusnice feasts, always on Saturdays, usually on a second Saturday before the beginning of the Lents (Easter Lent or Christmas Lent), the Saturday before the Holy Trinity Day, before Saint Kiriak's Day (12th October), and Saint Demetrius Day (8th November).
Major holidays
Serbs honor the Christian religious feasts very much:
Christmas Day (Bozic)
Epiphany,
Visitation of the Virgin,
Palm Sunday,
Eastern Sunday (Uskrs)
Ascension Day,
Holy Trinity Day,
Transfiguration
Christmas Eve (6th January) On the morning of that day a dry oak branch and hay are brought into the house as symbols of fertility and family prosperity in the next year, and a meal of non-animal Lent foods is partaken by the family (a Christmas Eve cake, baked beans and walnuts).
Saint Sava (27th January), main national saint is deeply honored by Serbs and celebrated by schools (patron saint of education), and families.
Saint Vitus' Day (28th June) is a great national feast, in which the memories of the old Slavonic God Vitus joined with the memory of the terrible defeat of the Serbs in the Kosovo Field in 1389.
Other popular saints' days are:
St. George's Day (6th May),
St. Demetrius' Day (8th November),
St. Eliah's Day (2nd August).
There are three special kinds of religious feasts among Serbs:
slava - the patron saint of the family,
zavetine or litije - the village patron saint's day procession,
zanatlijske slave - patron saints' days of different guilds.
It is believed that people who celebrate the same slava are brothers and have a same ancestor. There are about 150 patron saints.
The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, so Christmas currently falls on January 7 of the Gregorian calendar.
Obligatory slava objects are:
the icon of the saint,
a tall candle
a spring of dried basil.
There are also ritual dishes:
slavsko zito (boiled and kneaded wheat grains)
slavski kolac (slava loaf, an especially adorned ritual bread), blessed by priest before the main meal.
Slava is accompanied by toasts that are gems of folk oratory, and by singing.
Serbs take birth, marriage, and death to be the main turning points in human life. Up to the recent times they believed that birth and death were passing from one world into a parallel one, and back. Death in one of them means birth into another and vice versa. Both worlds rejoice in those who arrive and mourn for those who go away. Both consider the Earth to be their original ancestress. The act of burial was the act of birth in reversal. The child of earth, the dead, is brought to the graveyard, a holy location fenced off as earth's womb. The earth's child is laid down into earthen womb from which it originally came. Ritual customs surrounding a mother and her baby during the first 40 days after birth are parallel to those appropriate for the 40 days after death.
Serbs are open, direct, and warmhearted people, cautious and reserved to strangers at first, but very friendly, curious and helpful, once they get to know them.
One often-quoted feature of Serbian character is INAT, approximately meaning "spite"—the refusal to take an action which is being forced upon (regardless of reason thereof), and even wilful acting to the contrary, even to one's own harm. While it often has negative connotations, many Serbian successes, especially in sports and in difficult times of warfare, are also attributed to the stubborn insistence to drive out one's own goals.
Feature, often lamented upon by Serbs themselves, is the disunity and discord. Slobodan Naumović: "Disunity and disaccord have acquired in the Serbian popular imaginary a notorious, quasi-demiurgic status. They are often perceived as being the chief malefactors in Serbian history, causing political or military defeats, and threatening to tear Serbian society completely apart."
Popular proverbs "two Serbs, three parties" and "God save that Serbs may unite!", and even the unofficial Serbian motto "only unity saves Serbs" (Samo sloga Srbina spasava) illustrate the national frustration with the inability to unite over important issues.
Salutations are obligatory at encounter, as a sign of good will, honest intentions, and good manners. They can be verbal, hand shakes, cheek kissing.
In old times the formula for salutation was "God helps (Pomaze Bog), answered by "God help you" (Bog Ti pomogao).
Today the usual formula of greeting is "Good day" (Dobar dan), "Good morning" (Dobro jutro), "Good evening" (Dobro vece).
At parting one says "See you" (Dovidjenja), "Good night" (Laku noc).
Travelers are seen off with words "Lucky journey" (Srecan put).
Handshakes are used, with appropriate greetings, between acquaintances, friends, and equals, and kisses are exchanged between close relatives, godfathers (kumovi), and blood brothers. When coming to a family gathering, slava, or some other feast, guests exchange kisses with host and hostess, kissing their cheeks three times.
Gestures:
Agreement is expressed by nodding, and disagreement by shaking one's head from left to right. Surprise is denoted by hitting one's forehead with a hand, and confusion by scratching one's head behind the ear. Winking denotes a secret message, thumb between the index finger and the third finger (sipak) as well as hitting the bent elbow of the left arm with the right hand means rude refusal, offense and contempt. It is a rule that a younger person greets the elder, the guest greets the host, a rider greets a pedestrian, a man greets a woman, and a passer by - those sitting or standing. Formerly, elder or important people were greeted by bowing, kissing their hand, and taking of caps.
Serbia is rich in agricultural and cattle breeding produce, vegetables and fruit, so it is natural that Serbs have a very strong interest in food.
The first written data about education of Serbs belong to the 9th century, when the first school was opened by Christian missionaries and educationalists Cyril and Method, the creators of Slavonic literacy. In the Middle Ages Serbian monasteries were centers of education and they remained to be so during the dark ages of Turkish occupation (14th - 19th centuries). At the beginning of the 18th century, the Serbs who fled to Austria opened several higher schools there. Education received a strong inspiration by the re-establishment of the Serbian state in 1804, and many secular schools began to appear, together with the Great School, an embryo of University in Belgrade, in 1808.
Between the two world wars, basic education (four years) became compulsory for girls too, and after World War Two a compulsory eight year education was introduced.
Almost whole generations (95% of pupils) go forward to high schools (there are about 500 of them in Serbia).
There are six universities, with 76 faculties, that receive 130,000 students every year, and 60 highly specialized schools (with two year courses), entered by 40,000 students every year. Unfortunately, many young people go abroad every year after having finished their education (brain drain).
Parents strive to provide for the education and specialization of their children, expecting them to continue with independent life and work, to provide for their families, and enter the economic and social life of the country.
Education is free for all.
The most typical Serbian folk dance is kolo. In a kolo, the dancers form an open or closed ring of people who hold each other's hands, belts, shoulders, etc. Kolo is a symbol of the sun's circle. The dance is accompanied by music, sometimes singing, but it can also be a so-called mute kolo (nemo kolo). Kolo dances differ in rhythm, step and also by the direction in which the dancers move. When kolo dancers move in the direction opposite the usual one, it is a kolo for the dead (mrtvacko kolo).
Football (soccer) is the most popular of all contemporary sports. It was introduced by Serbian students returning to Switzerland at the end of the 19th century, and the first football clubs were founded in Belgrade as early as 1903: "Soko" - "The Falcon" and "Srpski mac" - "The Serbian Sword". "Crvena zvezda" - "The Red Star", one of the most popular Serbian football clubs, won the European and the world championships in 1991. The quality of Serbian professional football is reflected in the number of Serbian football players playing for the best European and world clubs.
The gravestones (krajputasi) have very original, witty, or clever epitaphs, and they are decorated by multicolored images and scenes invoking the character of the dead.
Although the country is rich in wine and brandy (especially the famous sljivovica), alcoholism has never been a major social problem in the country. It does not include an important percentage of the population. The same applies to the problem of drugs. They are taken by a smaller number of young people, mainly in larger cities.
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Origin of the firesteels/4C's charges (ocila)Ocila is the term that describes the
four C-shaped elements on the coat of arms.
Another word in Serbian for the same thing is ognjila, but I do not think that this is ever used for those elements in this sense.
Ocila is called in English a firesteel, a cup or plate used for holding fire in religious service (or most usually beneath icons), providing the fragrant smoke.
Similar device is also known in Western European heraldry, then most usualy with opening above, often with fire bursting from it.
Željko Heimer, 28 September 1998
The meaning and use of this symbol is said to date back to the XIIIth century during the life of St. Sava, a Serbian prince, monk, and a patron of the Serbian Orthodox Church [est. 1219].
During that time of transition in Serbian maedieval history, the state was pressured by the Vatican to convert into Catholicism.
Since the state did not have its own independent ecclesiastic establishment, St. Sava called for establishment of Serbian independent Archiepiscopat, and as well called on all Serbs to unite against the pressure from The Vatican.
St. Sava said, 'Only Unity Saves the Serbs', in Serbian, Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava. Every word in that sentence begins with the letter S; in Cyrillic alphabet letter S is С, and there comes the explanation why there are four C's in the Serbian coat of arms.
The Serbian coat of arms represents a reminder for a need for Serbian people to unite with the cause to preserve their heritage and nationhood.
Position of the region in Serbia
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