Airat Bik-Bulatov: ‘Tatarstan has much in common with Serbia’

Yugoslav pot

We have much that makes us related with Serbia. Kazan is considered to be a melting pot – officially there are up to 173 nationalities here. It is needless to say about the eclecticism of architectural styles, the compatibility of incongruous. It can be also said that Serbia is no less a pot. At least, it concerns a great number of peoples and cultures there, becoming a part of Serbian life that looks like a weave of colored ribbons, beautifying a head of a young girl in the folk costume.

If to find yourself in Belgrade in the quarter of bohemian restaurants Skadarlija, on the facades of most of which are the dates — 1834, 1862, there is a high probability that the musicians will come to your table — with mandolins, violins, accordion and even a double bass. And then they will start singing in all languages – Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, and if they will found out that you are from Russia, they will definitely sing 'Dark eyes' and 'Moscow Nights'. The frames of endless feasts with songs that we remember from the films of Kusturica, he just peeped them from the life!

'If to find yourself in Belgrade in the quarter of bohemian restaurants Skadarlija, on the facades of most of which are the dates — 1834, 1862, there is a high probability that the musicians will come to your table.' Photo: tourweek.ru

Emir Kusturica, who considers himself a Serbian, has a Bosnian origin. It is the same with other Serbian classics: Ivo Andrić, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, has Croatian origin. Known to many Soviet readers Branislav Nušić belongs to one of the ethnic minorities – Cincari or Aromanians (Balkan Romanians). Everything is mixed up. This is the same as 'scratch any Russian – you will find Tatar'.

Russian ear with pleasure hears Slavic stems in Serbian language, and Tatar ear hears that 'a spoon' in Serbian sounds like 'spoon' in Tatar ('kashyk'), and 'an hour' will be 'saat' that reminds Tatar 'hour'.

The Northern part of Serbia had long been a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was strongly attracted by Europe. The Southern part was under the Turks, so the temperament is southern, the hugs are bigger, the communication is more open. I have been in both parts so I can compare. There are even differences in the way of speaking.

'We are what we are'

You see, you compare! But more often, not the Serbs with the Serbs, but Serbia – with Kazan and Tatarstan! Starting with houses. We love festive painted facades, especially on the main streets. And there, there are many, even on the central streets the houses as if a war has just ended: if a facade coating has peeled off, and the plasterwork has crumbled – the Serbs do not bother, and often they leave as it is. In general, the slogan 'We are what we are' could be a motto of the Serbs. They are very open and do not show off, they love to talk: in a taxi or in a restaurant where a waiter can easily chat with you.

There are many small private shops, which delighted me very much on my first visit: the shop of a bookbinder, working at the press, where his grandfather used to work; a shop of a lamplighter; 'Steklorezats Sima y sin'… All this is old Soviet! Skadarlija sings all night, the houses and the windows are open! Perfect Serbia! But now the windows are being closed, life is changing slowly. And not only houses with crumbling plaster remind of the wars.

In every park – toilets, an area for children to play. There are benches in shady areas, in the depths, away from the hustle and bustle

Belgrade has suffered the most from different bombings and has been destroyed for many times. The first settlement was here since the Neolithic times. Beautiful place, where the Sava river flows into the Danube, it's warm here! And one of the first generals of the enemy, the Huns' leader Attila, reached that place, and the last bombing in 1999 made by NATO members, it is a deep wound in the heart of every Serb. The bombings, about which the other 'civilized Europe' prefers not to remember, is remembered in Serbia by everyone. And this tragic monument to a girl with an inscription: 'We were just children' – is one the many reminders. The monument is located in Tašmajdan Park.

Today I especially would like to write about parks. Although I could write about how Serbs eat, about local restaurants, after which I have realized that we here, in Kazan, do not know how to eat; or about the developed Belgrade water transport, about which I also want to write in relation to Kazan (after all, we both are at a junction of two rivers!), especially in the year dedicated to water resources preservation. But today — about parks! Yes, it's worth it!

All parks in Belgrade are remarkably arranged. In Kalemegdan Park – the ancient fortress, reliefs, hills, where companies sit, with a view of the Sava river, the car park at the bottom, in a natural moat, lined with tiles, coming to the fortress wall. In every park – toilets, an area for children to play. There are benches in shady areas, in the depths, away from the hustle and bustle. And a lot of shops on the hilltop – on the contrary, for the noisy companies, but also for couples too, if they want to look at the river from the height… At Kalemegdan, they meet the dawn. That time, they say, it is heard the trumpet roars of animals from the neighbouring zoo, greeting the Sun.

On the West side the park goes to the Orthodox Church, and from the East — ends with the monuments to Aliyev and Pavic

Why are the Azerbaijan president and the Serbian poet next to each other?

At Tašmajdan, the second famous park – there is a sports area, fitness equipment (I remember a big old beggar in a cloak was working out on it), as well as the tables for chess, running tracks, on the hill there is a small restaurant, the tables are on the street. It is in the upper part and is separated from the park by a jogging track. Flowers, many colors. Monuments — to the children's poet Desanka Maksimović, around there are tulips, yellow and red. The monument to children killed during the bombing… and more flowers, benches. On the West side the park goes to the Orthodox Church, and from the East — ends with the monuments to Aliyev and Pavić. About them, I think, should be more details.

It looks very funny at first glance – two monument-remakes, they are only a couple years: Milorad Pavić, famous Serbian writer, and Heydar Aliyev, the former President of Azerbaijan! The Azerbaijanis restored the park, gave a lot of money, and they were allowed to put their Aliyev, but on the condition that they put Pavić as well! We are accustomed to that foreign investments go for an industry, oil or somewhere else. But here – for a park! Apparently, the local authorities agreed and wanted it!

The Azerbaijanis restored the park, gave a lot of money, and they were allowed to put their Aliyev, but on the condition that they put Pavić as well!

I don't laugh at the monument to Aliyev in Belgrade, because in the same park, improved for the money of the Azerbaijani state, there is a monument to the Serbian children's poet Desanka Maksimović, and to a girl, and other children — the victims of the bombings, and a city toilet, and jogging tracks, free outdoor fitness equipment, outdoor chess pavilion like that were in Kazan in the 1980s in Petrov Park and Gorky Park, and now there is no. No, I'm not laughing, I am grateful to the Azerbaijanis and for Belgrade citizens, and for the example of foreign investment in a city park, which can be useful for us. And the fact that different peoples, that Pavić, I suppose, did not know any Aliyev, and so what? Pot is pot, everything is mixed up here, all live together on one land. In Tatarstan, they say, there are 173 nationalities that live together.