Special Interests - Folk & crafts

Whether your special interest lies in folk music, dances, and handicrafts, or you simply enjoy every aspect of ethnology, do not miss:   

 

Sirogojno Ethno village  - This is an open-air museum situated 32 km from the town of Užice and 24 km from Zlatibor Mountain.  Sirogojno village lies on the ideal altitude of 900m. The village was first mentioned in the Turkish land register of 1476. In the 1970s it became known for its hand-made sweaters. `Sirogojno fashion` gained popularity throughout the world. The gifted individuals of the Zlatibor villages developed diverse trades and crafts in order to satisfy their basic needs. Since the whole region is abundant with different types of wood (pine trees, fir trees, spruces, oaks, beeches, ashes, elms, birches, hazels), it was used for many different purposes. Skillful builders made dwelling places and household amenities of wood. Most household utilities, dishes for food storage and preparation, agricultural tools, and transport means for goods and travelers were made using the skills of different trades.  These tradesmen included carpenters, coopers, wheel makers, and basket and bottle makers. Other crafts developed locally were related to processing of clay, textile, leather and metals: pottery, tailoring (terziluk, abadžiluk), and the making of local shoes called opanci.  Other trades included blacksmiths, the transport and selling of goods (kiridziluk, rabadziluk), as well as the production of tar, the burning of pinewood splinter and lime.   The Museum programs pay special attention to the preservation and revival of the traditional crafts and trades. The workshops present the skills of the cooper, blacksmith, and potter.

Kovacica village – Naïve art colony  - Naive art is characterized by simplicity. There is a big generalization that assumes that naive art is done by people who have very little formal knowledge of art. The term "naive art" presupposes the existence of art which is contrary to the academic, generally accepted and studied methods of how to create artistic works, mostly paintings. In practice, however, there are schools of naive Art. Over time, naive art has become the accepted style. Kovacica village offers the authentic atmosphere of the countryside of Vojvodina.  Here one may encounter a colorfully and ethnically mixed population, where members of six nationalities are living together.  The village represents a unique oasis of living traditions, original arts and crafts, and a way of life almost untouched by global trends. Kovacica has gained worldwide fame for its tradition of naive painting, with internationally recognized naive painters such as Zuzana Halupova and Martin Jonaš.  There is also there the International Ethno Center Babka, which has the mission to preserve and promote the unique artistic values and life-styles of the local community.