The “Oko Sokolovo” (Hawk’s Eye) ensemble from Chicago organized a tour called “Paths of Serbian History and Spirituality 2025” in the past two weeks, with 32 members of the ensemble, considered the best Serbian folklore ensemble in America, embarking on the journey from the USA.
During the tour of Serbia and Greece, the ensemble covered 3500 km, held 5 folklore concerts and 7 singing performances. With one guest appearance on RTS’s Morning Program, the ensemble visited 15 Serbian monasteries and churches.
“Especially important was the visit to the Serbian military cemetery Zeitenlik in Thessaloniki, as well as Corfu, with the Serbian House and the island of Vido with its mausoleum and ossuary. During the trip to Thessaloniki, the ensemble visited the Church of St. Demetrius and Meteora, Orthodox monasteries on cliff tops, as well as the Church of Saint Spyridon in Corfu,” says Milan Andrijanić, the head and choreographer of “Oko Sokolovo,” adding:
THEY WILL LONG REMEMBER GREECE: They Visited Corfu, the Island of Vido, Zeitenlik, Monasteries in Meteora…
“We visited the Fruška Gora monasteries Krušedol, Hopovo, and Jazak, the Ružica Church and St. Petka Church at Kalemegdan, the Temple of Saint Sava in Vračar, Poganovo Monastery in Eastern Serbia, St. Nicholas Monastery in Kuršumlija, Petrova Church in Novi Pazar, Sopoćani and Gradac Monasteries, old and new Pavlica in the Raška area, Studenica and Žiča.”
“Oko Sokolovo” held concerts with the KUD Boleč and KUD Abrašević ensembles in Belgrade, AKUD Oro in Niš, and ANIP Frula in Raška, as well as a concert on St. Spyridon Square in the center of Corfu.
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“Our singing group had the honor of singing spiritual songs from their repertoire in monasteries. The ensemble visited Gadžin Han and laid flowers at the monument to Dragutin Matić ‘Oko Sokolovo’, whose name they bear, as well as his birth house in the village of Kaletinac,” says Andrijanić. Great attention from the ensemble members was also attracted by a visit to Đavolja Varoš (Devil’s Town) near Kuršumlija, the only site from Serbia that was nominated as one of the world’s natural wonders, as well as the miraculous Rtanj mountain.
SERBIAN, ALMOST A WORLD WONDER: Devil’s Town
SERBIAN “PYRAMID”: Visiting Rtanj
“We visited ethno restaurants Lugarnica in Mala Remeta on Fruška Gora, Balašević at the foot of Rtanj, and Poganovo restaurant, tasted a real homemade breakfast on the slopes of Fruška Gora, had lunch in Belgrade’s oldest tavern ‘Znak Pitanja’ (Question Mark), had dinner in the famous Niš Mehana, and tasted monastic wine from Poganovo Monastery.
AT POGANOVO MONASTERY: Liturgy and Wine
“In Belgrade, we visited the city center, Princess Ljubica’s Residence and the Cathedral Church. During the trip, we also stopped by the Folk Art national costume workshop in Kraljevo,” concludes Milan Andrijanić.
Article: Serbian Times Photo: Oko Sokolovo