Stevan Sremac was one of the most significant, most beloved, and most-read Serbian realists, storytellers, and satirists.
Sremac was born in Senta on November 11, 1855, and became an orphan early. He was raised by his uncle Jovan Đorđević, a distinguished writer and author of the text of the Serbian anthem “Bože pravde,” founder and first manager of the National Theater in Belgrade.
He finished high school and history studies at the Great School in the capital, and later worked as a professor in Pirot, Niš, and Belgrade. During the liberation wars from 1876 to 1878, he participated as a volunteer, showing a strong patriotic spirit.
He started his literary work relatively late, but he created works that marked an epoch and remained alive in collective memory.
The most significant works of Stevan Sremac include the novels Zona Zamfirova, Ivkova slava, and Pop Ćira i pop Spira, which are known for their humor, realistic portrayal of life in Serbia, and vivid characters.
In addition to them, the short stories Božićna pečenica, Limunacija na selu, and Junak dana ili Njegov dan are also significant.
Zona Zamfirova (1906) is considered his most famous work, a love story set in the town of Niš, full of local humor and authentic details.
Ivkova slava (1895): Depicts a rich, cheerful, and riotous celebration, which serves as a backdrop for many entertaining and picturesque situations.
Pop Ćira i pop Spira (1898): Through the lives of two village priests, Sremac wittily and ironically paints a picture of life in a small provincial town and the conflict between tradition and the new.
Božićna pečenica (1893): One of the early and significant short stories that belongs to the genre of a village humorous tale.
Limunacija na selu (1896): Another short story that distinguishes Sremac’s ability to describe the everyday life of peasants in a witty manner.
Junak dana ili Njegov dan (1904): A short story that deals with the theme of a vain and conceited man, who is responsible for his “fame.”
His works became an indispensable part of Serbian culture, and many have been adapted into films and theater productions.
Niš held a special place in his life and work – the city where he taught, socialized, and recorded scenes from life became the inspiration for his most picturesque characters.
In them, he combined the spirit of the southern town and the storytelling tradition of the Vojvodina plain, leaving a testimony of a time when old customs and new, civic understandings clashed.
Known as the “writer with a notebook,” Sremac recorded the everyday life of “ordinary people” with much warmth and humor – their speech, flaws, virtues, and the funny sides of life.
In his works, one can feel a genuine affection for the people, but also irony towards self-proclaimed “enlighteners” and “progressives” whom he was able to portray with witty sharpness.
Sremac is also remembered as a witty bohemian and a gentleman of the old school, a frequent guest of Belgrade’s taverns “Kolarac,” “Ruski car,” and “Tri šešira.”
He never married, but he left behind a rich literary opus and an enduring image of the Serbian mentality.
He passed away on August 25, 1906, in Sokobanja from sepsis. He was buried with great honors in the New Cemetery in Belgrade.
In honor of the writer, the city of Niš established an award bearing his name in 2004, which is given for the best novel or book of short stories in the Serbian language.
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Source: N1; Photo: Wikimedia Creative Commons