RITAM GRADA / RHYTHM OF THE CITY
SVETOZAR GRDIJAN, BAL JADRANSKE STRAŽE U OFICIRSKOM DOMU, 1933. (MUZEJ GRADA BEOGRADA)
Monografija „Moderni Beograd 1918–1941“ pitak je i bogato ilustrovan vodič kroz Beograd između dva velika rata Monograph Contemporary Belgrade 1918-1941 is an easy-reading and richly illustrated guide through the Belgrade of the interwar period
formances, which left no room for boredom, regardless of how long the programmes ran,” says Babac, speaking as though he re- calls it all. The arrival of the pop me- ga-diva Josephine Baker marked the whole of 1929, though no one was shocked that she danced top- less, wearing a costume made of fake bananas. It was the reflec- tion of the cosmopolitan spirit of the city that caused the then Yu- goslav capital to resemble Paris, even according to the criteria of evening entertainment. Cosmo- politanism was also reflected in
Privredni rast prati razvoj obrazovanja i kulture, ili obrnuto The development of education and culture led to economic growth, or vice versa
restaurant menus, which offered European specialities alongside local ćevapi. Various faiths and nations were represented among the guests, but also among the en- tertainers and staff. “The nightlife of Belgrade was writ- ten about in the media, which testifies to hospitality es- tablishments being recognised as being pivotal to social development,” notes Babac. That development came to a halt at the beginning of the 1930s, as was the case every- where else around the world, due to the all-encompass- ing economic crisis of the Great Depression. However, nightlife had already reawakened by the middle of the ‘30s, and had relocated from the smoky bars at the heart of the city to the proletarian periphery, albeit to eminent establishments located there. This was the case, for example, with Žagubica, which still exists at the corner of Ruzveltova and kraljica Marija streets. So, while Terazije and Slavija slept, life was being lived to the fullest in the neighbourhoods of Čubura, Zvezdara and Palilula, to paraphrase Babac. That Belgrade took on the appearance of a “nocturnal butterfly”, as one Dutch journalist described it. Money was spent wantonly and earned quickly, at least in hospitality circles. The other social classes began scrimp with their finances, which created a custom of on-tick credit, but also of sponsoring the poor. Tavern singers, who had talent on a par with European stars, found it tough to earn their dinars, but also easy, be- cause they enjoyed their work. The situation was simi- lar for actors, comedians, acrobats etc. Some worked in two shifts, heading to venues that opened at midnight after their first shows came to an end, or they spent the money they’d previously earned there. If there’s anything that remains of the Belgrade de- scribed by Babac, Popović and Antonijević, then it is precisely this nocturnal world, comprising a cacophony of various types of music coupled with the raised and muffled voices and satisfied sighs of guests. The Serbi- an capital thereby strives to remain in step with its own former modernity, and it succeeds in doing so, because it is nowadays compared to Berlin, as a city that stands as a symbol of top nightlife.
ters of the Danube at the new power plant in Dorćol. The airwaves were filled with music and the voices of “little people from the radio”. Machines increasingly be- gan to replace the manual work of labourers, manufac- turing chocolate and other confectionary, beer, foot- wear, furniture and paper, but also money, which was produced at the National Bank’s Institute for Manufac- turing Banknotes, which was built in 1929 in Topčider, where it remains to this day. The Industry of Aircraft Engines was founded in Rakovica two years earlier, followed the next year by the establishing of the Ikarus Aircraft Factory and the First Serbian Aircraft Factory of Živojin Rogožarski, the IK-3 model of which was able to rival the German Messer- schmitts in 1941’s so-called ‘April War’. Foreign capital flowed into Belgrade, serving to strengthen domestic capital. Cash credits and loans began to function, which helped in the construction of facilities like the Belgrade Fairgrounds. The development of education and culture led to economic growth, or vice versa. The standout names in the world of art included Toma Rosandić, Milo Miluno- vić and Petar Dobrović, while in the domain of literature were Miloš Crnjanski, Rastko Petrović, Stanislav Vinav- er, Ivo Andrić, Isidora Sekulić et al. Libraries and music schools were established and developed, while science also experienced expansion, the crowning glory of which was the opening of the Observatory on Veliki Vračar hill, which received the name Zvezdara. This period saw the flourishing of daily, weekly and periodical print publica- tions, but also comics, while pronounced female eman-
cipation brought fashion into focus. “Women’s fashion trends during those ‘Roaring Twenties’ arrived in Belgrade from Paris, and also brought – in addition to clothing styles – progress in terms of the self-esteem of women as active members of socie- ty,” says Babac. As such, the updated wardrobe enabled increased freedom of movement, even when such cloth- ing was made from expensive fabrics and embroidered with beads and sequins, which only ended when the emphasising of female curves came to the fore during the ‘Gloomy Thirties’. Men began discarding from their wardrobes suit vests and jackets, which had been man- datory accessories until then. Citizens received fashion information from magazines, but also shop windows, while the more affluent attended fashion shows held at elite salons. This resulted in the development of various professions – from tailors, to jewellers, furriers and hair- dressers. In “little Paris”, as the Belgrade of the time was dubbed, the echo of London resounded when it came to the fashion of men and children. And yet, tradition wasn’t forgotten either, which was desirable when it came to celebrating national holidays. “The influence of fashion life could also be felt in Bel- grade’s kafana taverns, as the city’s hubs of good times and cultural events, but also hotbeds of the flow of in- formation. The lunchtime music programmes of popu- lar restaurants, such as the Palas and the Russian Tsar, included performances of American jazz, while ballet, cabaret and choral programmes were represented in the evenings, along with the performances of multiple or- chestras. The content revolved around collage-style per-
74 | Beograd » Belgrade
Belgrade » Beograd | 75
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator