While we have specified our aims and intentions before, there is still some confusion about our platform. Balkanism’s Manifesto 2023 clearly outlines our intentions, ethos, and goals as a platform.
These are our set of values we work by. Balkanism has been around now for nearly 4 years, and we are so appreciative of all of the support we have gained through these years.
We are currently working towards our very first Balkanism publication and cannot wait to share more information on this soon! 🤎🔥
Watch this space!
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#balkanism #balkans #people #manifesto #aims #goals #balkan #culture #history #identity #intentions #work #collective
A Roma woman collecting water at a well on the grounds of the Gracanica monastery, in Kosovo.
The image is dated to May 1913, and was taken by Jean Brunhes and Auguste Léon on expedition in the Balkans at the time.
This image is a part of the Albert Kahn Collection.
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#balkan #balkans #kosova #kosovo #kosove #gracanica #history #roma #romani #community #archives
The caption of this image states: “Montenegrin soldiers haggling with a tobacco seller in an unidentified town.” The image was taken during the first Balkan war (1912-1913).
The tobacco seller appears to be of African descent, representing a historical African diaspora community that once existed in the southern parts of Montenegro, with a concentrated cultural centre in Ulqin/Ulcinj, in present-day Montenegro. Some accounts suggest that members of this community arrived in the region as enslaved peoples, while other sources claim that some came as pirates who docked in the local area.
These visual representations serve as an important reminder that our region has long been home to communities of diverse ancestry. This African diaspora community in the Balkans is said to have adopted local languages, including Albanian, and many also embraced Islam as their faith. Over time, they intermarried with local populations and became integrated into the social fabric of the region.
Across the Balkans and throughout its diasporas, traditions of racism and racial violence unfortunately continue to persist. Within the region, racialised minorities, particularly the Romani community, often bear the brunt of this violence. Yet, a closer examination of our histories does not support narratives of “racial purity”, so many ethnonationalist ideologies strive for. Instead, the history of the Balkans reveals a mosaic of human diversity, cultural exchange, and shared existence that has too often been forgotten.
It is time to begin remembering this history, not only to acknowledge the diversity that has always existed in our region, but also to critically confront historical systems of racial violence and strive toward greater unity and solidarity across the Balkans.
Images by Samson Chernov, courtesy of the Archive of Serbia. Used only for educational purposes.
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#balkanism #balkans #africandiaspora #people #history
An image titled "A portrait of a Gheg Albanian man". The exact location is uncertain, but it was produced by Carleton S. Coon, who conducted field research in Albania in 1929–1930. During this period, Coon carried out an anthropometric survey of 1,067 Albanians across ten northern regions, focusing on physical measurements of body size and form. This research was later completed in 1946–1947 with assistance from the Albanian community in the Boston area and contributed to his publication The Mountains of Giants: A Racial and Cultural Study of the North Albanian Mountain Tribes.
While historically significant, this material is also considered problematic within contemporary scholarship. It emerges from early physical anthropology, a field that often sought to classify human populations through racial typologies and bodily measurements. Such approaches are now widely critiqued for reducing individuals and communities to physical traits and for reinforcing essentialist ideas about human difference, which have been used historically to justify unequal power relations. As a result, these images should be understood within their historical context and engaged critically.
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#balkan #balkanism #albania #shqiperia #anthropology #historical #photography #representations
Have you heard about the Zapis Drvo (record tree) tradition?
In Serbia, a Zapis tree represents a sacred spot in a village or town. One can recognise this tree by an engraved cross on its bark, an arrangement of flowers, or a small fence formed around it for protection. It is believed that the Zapis tree protects the village and its people and the tree is a central location in the village or town’s social life. Communities will annually gather around the tree for Christian holidays, especially during the village’s Slava, holding an especially sacred spot for those villages that did not have local churches.
In most cases, this tree is an oak due to its importance in Slavic mythology and tradition. But it can be any large tree, such as an elm or wild pear. Like Slava, the Zapis tree is a pagan tradition that later took on elements of Christianity, in order to maintain its position in the lives of communities, though many of these ancient superstitions remained. People are not allowed to pick this tree’s leaves or branches, nor climb it – these rules are the same even when the tree dies.
Local communities would even sometimes set up a table beside the tree for people to leave symbolic presents. The power of this tree tradition is exemplified in a specific ritual, where the clothing of the sick would be left beside the tree with the hope that it would induce healing for the person. Rooted in earth and tradition alike, the Zapis tree tradition endures as a guardian of memory and belief, a silent witness to the lives, rituals, and stories of those who gather around it.
Photos sources: Zblagojevic - wiki commons.
by @petrovicverica99
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#balkan #balkanism #serbia #slavic #trees
Today, we seek to question ethnonationalist ideas that continue to normalise themselves across the Balkans. We have a collective responsibility to challenge and resist the ideologies that sustain cycles of violence, and to work toward ending their continuation.
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#balkanism #balkans #ethnonationalism #violence #activism #stop #balkan #history #antiethnonationalism
Large decorated wooden chests, also known as Sanduk found just outside the Ethnographic museum in Prizren, Kosovo. The root of this term derives from the Arabic: ṣundūq, brought to the Balkans through Ottoman Turkish.
These wooden chests were crucial for storing textiles (as seen in the second image), linens and other personal items. In the marital process, this object was essential in keeping the dowry for the bride, known as the “bridal chest”, it would store various elements important for brides.
It’s sad to see these chests not properly conserved and looked after, while symbols of a time where decisions, particularly for women, were made by others. They also hold references to the social lives of our ancestors, remaining significant objects we should connect with, narrate and hold in contemporary contexts.
Do any of you still have a Sanduk?
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#balkan #balkanism #kosova #kosove #prizren
I took these photos in 2023, and titled them ‘Diasporic Memory’. I was inspired by family archival photographs and early autochrome photography from Kosovo in the early 20th century.
Paying homage to the importance of the garden, women from my family and from these archival images would adorn themselves in their finest traditional clothing, using the gardens they cultivated as a backdrop for their images.
Bringing this to the British context, I would continue this tradition, with an urgency to maintain material culture in a context where wearing these items of clothing becomes less common.
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#balkan #balkanism #traditional #kosova #dress
Today, 55 years ago, the first World Romani Congress was held in London in 1971. It was funded by the World Council of Churches and the Government of India. The congress was attended by 23 representatives from ten countries: Czechoslovakia, Finland, Norway, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, and Yugoslavia, with observers from Belgium, Canada, India, and the United States.
The congress established five commissions aimed at examining social affairs, education, war crimes, language, and culture, all focused on supporting and advancing the rights and lives of Romani people worldwide.
Most symbolically, the congress formalised key elements of Romani identity, including the adoption of a flag, which features the Dharmachakra as the national emblem of the Roma people, the recognition of the song “Gelem, Gelem” as their anthem, and the use of “Roma” as a neutral term for members of this community, replacing various discriminatory and pejorative terms that had been used around the world.
As a result, 8 April is now recognised as International Romani Day. At Balkanism, we unequivocally condemn the racism and systemic discrimination that members of the Roma community continue to face across the region and around the world. The Romani community is an integral part of our cultures and histories, and we remain committed to platforming and representing these rich cultural and historical contributions.
The first image depicts Raya Bielemberg (Udovikova), a Norwegian Romani singer, performing at the first congress in London, as reported by The Times.
The second image shows representatives of the congress collectively singing “Gelem, Gelem.”
The third image captures a speech by Zarko Vanko Rouda and Grattan Puxon.
Sources: World Roma Congress & BBC.
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#balkan #balkanism #roma #internationalromaday #people
We’re so excited to invite you to our first collaborative event with @mel.scribbles : Ederlezi | Hıdırellez | Đurđevdan: Exploring Culture Through Spring Rituals
Join us for an immersive evening honouring the rich traditions of spring, celebrated across the Balkans and parts of Turkey every 6th May. Rooted in ancient rituals, this gathering is all about renewal, intention, and connection.
The evening will begin with a short cultural talk by Balkanism founder Arbër Qerka-Gashi (@arberqgashi ) followed by a hands-on workshop using natural elements. Then, Emel Sevinç (Mel Scribbles) will guide a reflective journaling session to help you set intentions for the months ahead.
Where: Flukes, Big Penny Social @flukes_e17@bigpennysocial
When: Wednesday 6th May, 7:30 – 9:30 PM
Optional: wear something red, bring a red pen / meaningful item to connect with the spirit of the rituals 🌹
Come as you are, and step into spring with us 🌸
Book your ticket via the link in our bio!
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#balkan #balkanism #ederlezi #culture #spring
An image depicting members of the Arbëreshë community, adorned in their traditional clothing, celebrating Easter in Piana degli Albanesi, Palermo, Sicily, Italy - 1983.
The Arbëreshë are an ethnolinguistic minority group who speak an older form of the Albanian language in Southern Italy, descending from communities who settled in the region between the 15th and 18th centuries fleeing the advancement of Ottoman conquest.
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#balkan #balkanism #arberesh #culture #albania
Over this and the next weekend communities in the Balkans and those around the world will celebrate Easter. Considered a deeply reflective and spiritual time, this festival honours the resurrection of Jesus Christ, while also marks the end of lent.
This time symbolises rebirth, victory over death, hope and new beginnings. It holds an important significance for various Christian communities in the region, who will engage in a variety of rituals and customs popular during the festive period.
One of those traditions is the cultivation of coloured eggs. The eggs hold a special relationship to Easter, often used as a symbol of rebirth and new life. Whatever your denomination is, whether you celebrate this weekend or next, we hope you all have a wonderful Easter.
Gëzuar Pashkët! Sretan Uskrs! Срећан Ускрс! Честит Великден! Hristos a înviat! Vesele velikonočne praznike! Καλό Πάσχα! Среќен Велигден! Baxt hai sastimos tiri patragi!
Image description: custom with coloured eggs at Easter, B. Drnkov, 1954.
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#balkan #balkanism #easter #christanity #religion
