Virtual Exhibition / THE BEGINNING OF BALKAN ST
Monday-Monday / AUGUST 22 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 / SASA Gallery of Science and Technology
Along the steep incline of one of the few streets whose name has never been changed, through a kind of craftsman’s empire, many waddled from the train station towards Terazijska Terrace and the very heart of Belgrade. Imagine a student from the boondocks arriving by train in Belgrade with a cardboard suitcase tied with his grandfather’s belt, and in front of him the street unfolds like a mountain to be conquered. The post-war generations also remember the numerous pastry shops where they enjoyed kadaif, tulumbas, tufahias, halvah, Turkish delights and other delicacies from the Turkish times, while drinking klaker, boza and cabeza. At the top of this 700-meter-long street, there is the legendary hotel “Moskva”, which was opened in 1908 in the presence of King Peter and where countless greats of history and art of the 20th century have stayed since then.
The oldest pictures of Balkanska Street are full of simple, white houses (chatmar and bondručari) where merchants and artisans live and work. Rushing rapidly into the 20th century, magnificent buildings emerged between them. You can still see the building that used to be a cinema with a summer scene on the roof. Branislav Nušić could often be found in the “Luxor” cinema during the thirties. Many post-war youth were able to enjoy film screenings at the October 20 Cinema. Even in the 21st century, regardless of the smart building and numerous stores dedicated to mobile phones, in Balkanska St, silversmiths, leatherworks, hatmakers, and all sorts of craftsmen could still be found. Balkanska St is the place where everything collides. It is here where the battle lines are drawn, between the old times and new. This street has built its reputation throughout centuries, and you can be certain that whatever you’re looking for, you will find in Balkanska St.
