Balkanist Presents: A State of War
A State of War follows two Ukrainian marines over the course of one year as they serve, live and fight in the shadow of Shyrokyne, a ruined seaside resort town in Donetsk…
Turkey’s Foreign Policy is Inflaming Greek Historical Memory
Tensions ran high across the Aegean on March 25, 2019, as Turkish fighter jets zoomed towards the Greek prime minister’s helicopter. Greek fighter jets intercepted the Turkish planes before they got too…
Film: Conversations About the (Un)known History of Roma Slavery
History is not what happened in the past, it is how we make sense of it in the present. It sets the terms by which we can reconcile past injustices with current…
In Conversation: Dragica Sekulić, Montenegro’s Minister of Economy on China’s New Silk Road
Malgosia Krakowska spoke with Dragica Sekulić, Montenegro’s Minister of Economy, on why the government is welcoming Chinese investments and how she envisions the country’s future as a European green energy hub. …
How to Sleepwalk Into a War
America’s experiment with its first Twitter presidency hasn’t inspired faith in our political institutions. What have long been long policy processes are now condensed to visual aids, 280-character thoughts, and as many…
Memories of a Bombardment: Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of the NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia
It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. From today’s vantage point, those 78 days seem like a foreign world, and one that I sometimes…
Bosnian Higher Education is in the Jaws of Politicians
Last September, when the institutional accreditation for six Bosnian universities expired, few of us thought it would become a serious issue. Despite university efforts to re-apply for accreditation through the Agency for…
A Farewell to Yugoslav Cinema’s Greatest Antagonist: Dušan Makavejev (1932-2019)
Sweet Movie (1974) was the first Dušan Makavejev film that I ever watched. I remember the mixture of thrill, excitement and disgust that I felt as I watched the film, rooted to…
From Belgrade to the East Village: A Q & A with Vladimir Ocokoljic, Owner of Kafana NYC
As the sun sets, Avenue C in the East Village starts to spring to life. Vladimir Ocokoljic is the owner of Kafana NYC, a traditional Serbian restaurant that specializes in cuisine like…
My Jewish Family in Romania, Past and Present
In the 1890s, two Jewish men from Moldavian towns roughly 230 kilometers apart left Romania for the United States. Following in the footsteps of roughly 70,000 of their compatriots, these men left…