Belgrade

_

En. A trip to Serbia.

You cannot be passionate about history without being drawn to the “Eastern Bloc” countries — in other words, the former Soviet Union. For a simple reason: history unfolds before your eyes there, and the scars of past conflicts are visible everywhere. In Belgrade, they are preserved and deliberately displayed by Serbia; you can sense a spirit of mistrust, defiance, even a desire for revenge following the NATO bombings during the Yugoslav War in 1999.

Belgrade is a harsh, virile, wounded, warlike city. You sometimes come across newlyweds posing, bouquet in hand, amidst concrete blocks and political graffiti.

_

Fr. Voyage en Serbie.

On ne peut pas être passionné d'Histoire sans être magnétisé par les "Pays de l'Est", autrement dit ex-Union Soviétique. Ceci pour une raison simple : l'histoire s'étale sous nos yeux et les stigmates des anciens conflits sont partout présents. À Belgrade ils sont préservés et affichés par la Serbie, on comprend un esprit de méfiance, défiance, revanche suite aux bombardements de l'OTAN durant la guerre de Yougoslavie en 1999.

Belgrade est une ville âpre, virile, blessée, guerrière. Mais on y croise parfois des mariés, posant bouquet à la main au milieu des blocs de béton et des tags politiques.

Elderly man reading a newspaper at an outdoor transit stop on a cloudy day.
A colorful mural on a retaining wall along a winding road in Serbia, featuring the Serbian flag and Cyrillic text.
Green vintage tram number 11 on city tracks with modern high-rise buildings in the background.
Religious icon card lying on cracked concrete ground surrounded by scattered rocks and debris.
Rusty abandoned steel framework structure against a clear turquoise blue sky, showing deteriorating metal beams and triangular supports.
Low-angle view of tall historic stone buildings lining a narrow urban street under a clear blue sky.
Weathered brutalist apartment building facade with rows of windows and air conditioning units mounted on the exterior walls.
Brutalist apartment building with colorful BBRS graffiti mural on weathered concrete wall, urban street scene.
People standing on a city street corner near a Canon building with a McDonald's sign visible at dusk.
Urban building under construction with steel scaffolding against a clear blue sky in a city setting.
Stone facade of Glavna Posta radio telegraph building with golden lettering and tall windows bathed in warm sunlight.
Tattooed hand resting near glass decanter and tubes on a counter, wearing teal jacket.
A pedestrian walks past a bold graffiti mural reading KOSOVO VRATI on a weathered city building facade.
Brutalist high-rise apartment tower with concrete facade, surrounded by parked cars on an overcast day.
Historic stone building with ornate doorway, dark blue doors, graffiti-covered walls, and classical architectural details on a city street.