Page 7 - POVRATAK ISHODISTU- KUD KOPAONIK LEPOSAVIC

ПОВРАТАК ИСХОДИШТУ

ABSTRACT

Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija has been continuously shaped all the way from the
Middle Ages to our days. It encompasses religious, artistic and ethnic heritage – both tangible and
intangible. Due to long periods of foreign rule in the Balkans, and above all the rule of the Ottoman
Empire, the spiritual and secular life merged into a unique amalgam of customs and rituals, becoming
tied to specific sites and cultural monuments. Having in mind the circumstances and conditions under
which the Serbian population today lives in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the fact that a significant
number of people originating from those areas are forced to live in other parts of Serbia and abroad, the
issue of the survival of the intangible cultural heritage of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija inevitably
arises. As a consequence, we are witnessing an increasing importance of folklore ensembles, which
bear the heavy burden of fusing local customs into a representative combination of instrumental
music, singing, dance, costumes and staged rites performed before an audience familiar with them, as
well as before an audience who until recently used to practice them.

Due to modernization processes in the twentieth century, the practice of many customs in everyday life
ceased, though they have not been forgotten. This publication covers eleven sites and it was preceded
by field research. The selected zones are presented from historical and geographical points of view;
typical customs and men’s and women’s costumes are described; music scores and lyrics, as well as
choreographic solutions and schemes are also presented. Special attention is paid to the authenticity
of folk melodies and the meaning of songs, which served as the basis for all choreographies. This
presentation of the ethnographic treasures of Kosovo and Metohija is accompanied by photographs
of the members of the Kopaonik Folklore Ensemble dressed in reconstructions of local folk costumes
and, in some cases, in authentic items purchased in the field. The photos were made at the premises of
the Kopaonik Folklore Ensemble in Leposavić and various locations in Prizren and Peć.

The presented choreographies were performed in Serbia, Europe, Australia, Near East, China and Africa,
and they were particularly warmly welcomed by Serbian diaspora in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
For its performances and the promotion of Serbian folk culture in Kosovo and Metohija, the Kopaonik
Folklore Ensemble received a number of awards and recognition in Serbia; these awards are also listed
in the book. This publication is a contribution to preserving Serbian national and cultural identity.