On 12 June 2026, the Association for the Preservation of Vlach Customs, Culture, Tradition and Language “Gergina” presented the fourth issue of its magazine “Vlaška reč – Vuorba Vlahilor” in Negotin. Published twice a year, the magazine represents one of the many achievements of the organizers of numerous activities dedicated to preserving the identity of the Vlachs in Serbia. To date, the publication has featured dozens of contributions by authors of considerable experience and authority in their respective fields.
— Written by Jovanka Stanojević
In publishing terms, “Vlaška reč – Vuorba Vlahilor” represents a significant step forward in the Municipality of Negotin, renowned for its representative cultural heritage and well-preserved traditional values of both the majority Serbian population and the national minorities, among which the Vlach community is the largest. For this reason, the efforts of the Association for the Preservation of Vlach Customs, Culture, Tradition, Language and Identity “Gergina” to contribute through a biannual publication gain additional meaning and are worthy of recognition.
Including the latest fourth issue, more than sixty topics have been published in its pages so far. They are authored both by experts already recognized for their reputation in their respective fields and by enthusiasts devoted to the written word who serve as guardians of the vibrant and authentic traditions of the Vlach region, transforming their research and readings into articles.
The number of published contributions has exceeded expectations, which speaks volumes about the support enjoyed by the permanent contributors to “Vlaška reč”.
“The magazine truly promotes and preserves the traditions, culture, customs and identity of the Vlachs, particularly because it is published bilingually, in Serbian and in the Vlach script, which has enjoyed equal status within the legal framework for many years. The biannual publication features around ten regular sections, and the latest issue contains as many as twelve. It is likely that future issues will include additional sections in an effort to meet the expectations of readers eager for broader knowledge and new insights into Vlach tradition and culture. Since December of last year, when the Association celebrated a highly successful anniversary marked, among other things, by the presentation of the third issue of the magazine, and up to the current June promotion, ‘Gergina’ has organized dynamic and carefully conceived programmes that attracted an impressive number of visitors, especially considering the circumstances of smaller communities such as Negotin. Cooperation with cultural institutions, other associations and individuals, as one of the key preconditions for successful work, has been at a commendably high level. It is important to emphasize that new contacts are constantly being established and strengthened year after year”, said Editor-in-Chief Dr. Siniša Čelojević, President of the Association “Gergina”, at the magazine launch.
Within the structure of the fourth issue, the section “History of the Vlachs” prominently features contributions by two authors already well known to the wider public.
Bora Dimitrijević from Zaječar, a retired archaeologist, is a cultural professional who, during his tenure as Director of the National Museum in Zaječar, oversaw the inscription of the Late Roman archaeological site Felix Romuliana on the UNESCO World Heritage List. He continues to work on its preservation beyond the borders of the Timok Krajina region as a member of both domestic and international scientific and professional organizations.
For “Vlaška reč – Vuorba Vlahilor”, he contributed one of his texts dedicated to the Imperial Palace of Romuliana, which has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2007 under the name Gamzigrad–Romuliana, Palace of Galerius.
This year, Negotin marks several anniversaries of important cultural institutions. A true jewel among them is undoubtedly the Holy Trinity Church, the town’s central religious monument, which, following two and a half years of extensive restoration works, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its consecration. Nenad Vojinović, archival counsellor, historian and Director of the Historical Archives of Negotin, writes about this sacred site.
“The construction of the New Church lasted from 1872 to 1874 and culminated in its consecration on St George’s Day 150 years ago. The Holy Trinity Church in Negotin is one of the jewels of the Negotin Krajina region, and celebrations marking the beginning of regular services in the church are already underway and will continue throughout the year. We should not forget that this celebration coincides with other important anniversaries, including the 180th anniversary of the Negotin Reading Room, the 170th anniversary of the birth of the renowned Negotin-born composer Stevan Mokranjac, and the 60th anniversary of the Mokranjac Days Festival. These milestones make us proud heirs to the legacy of great individuals whose work is woven into our culture and collective memory. For years, the Historical Archives have published the annual journal Baštinik, and we know how much effort and research are required for a publication to see the light of day. Therefore, I congratulate the Association ‘Gergina’ on its continuity, dedication and efforts to provide the Vlach community with a magazine that, I believe, has a bright future in both Serbian and the Vlach script”, emphasized Vojinović.
“Vlaška reč – Vuorba Vlahilor“ also preserves cultural heritage and promotes tourism potential through the story “Krupaj Spring – The Power of Water and the Spirit of Homolje“ by Andrijana Strgulc, a young woman from Negotin who, through her work and research, now as a doctoral candidate in geosciences, has established herself as an expert in tourism and geography.
The team has also been joined in this issue by Professor Dr. Mladen Marković, an ethnomusicologist from Belgrade and a distinguished member of Serbia’s academic community, who contributed his study of traditional Vlach folk music entitled “Sviranje 1”.
Another contributor and friend of “Gergina” is Marija Vitas, an ethnomusicologist, music critic and promoter of traditional music and cultural heritage from Belgrade, who writes album reviews titled “The Magical Rhythm of Slatina” and “Music Between Two Hills”, both dedicated to Vlach kolo dances, the latter from Mokranje.
• Magazine launch event for Vlaška reč, Negotin, 2026 | Photo: Suzana Mihajlović Jovanović
In the section “Prominent Vlachs”, Dr. Petar Paunović from Rajac writes about Serbian academician and member of the New York Academy of Sciences Professor Dr. Vojislav Petrović, born in Mala Kamenica in the Municipality of Negotin. Petrović served as Vice-Rector and Rector of the University of Belgrade, was among the founders of the Institute for Biological Research, headed its Endocrinology Laboratory, and later became Director of the Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” in Belgrade.
Dr. Paunović reveals that during a scientific career spanning half a century, Professor Petrović made a major contribution to the advancement and modernization of biological sciences in Serbia, achieving internationally recognized results.
Interesting stories in the section “Customs of the Vlachs in the Negotin Krajina Region” were recorded by Slađana Stojanović from Plavna and Brankica Dimitrijević from Slatina, who spoke passionately at the promotion about the customs of the Vlachs in her village.
“We wanted to leave a written record of customs that today are often known only through the memories of elderly residents of Slatina or through scattered written sources”, she said.
The audience had the opportunity to hear stories about a time when the village celebrated the day before Little Christmas on 13 January, St Basil’s Day (Little Christmas itself, celebrated a day later), Mladenci in March, St John’s Day in July, and the Feast of the Transfiguration in August. Visitors also shared memories and traditions from their own places of origin, creating an atmosphere of intimacy and nostalgia for times gone by.
The authors were assisted by Ljubica Dimitrijević, conservation researcher and advisor at the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments.
At the Elixir Foundation, which once again hosted the event, Suzana Mihajlović Jovanović, member of the magazine’s Editorial Board and a journalist with extensive professional experience, spoke about the regular sections she oversees: the now recognizable chronicle of the Association’s activities, “Day by Day”; reports on the evenings of the International Festival of Vlach Music “Gergina”, now in its 17th edition; and equally important developments in the field of the Vlach language and its place in contemporary education.
“Every record of language, customs, creativity and activities aimed at preserving Vlach culture forms part of our collective memory. That is why it is important that everything we do is documented and preserved for future generations”, said Mihajlović Jovanović.
Manuela Radojković also contributed to this section with her article “Grammar of the Vlach Language with Orthography”. Alongside the aforementioned authors, journalist Danijela Nikolić wrote about activities in the field of the Vlach language and its role in contemporary education, an area of particular importance to the Vlach community.
Other contributors to the fourth issue include Jelena Bujdić Krečković, a journalist from Donji Milanovac, who presents a recipe for “plašinte” in the “Vlach Cuisine” section, evoking the aromas of childhood and Vlach household traditions, while the distinguished sociologist Tomislav Popović writes about the village of Slatina in the Negotin Krajina region in the section “Our Villages”.
The promotion of the fourth issue particularly highlighted the importance and contribution of participants in the section “Traditional and Contemporary Literary and Musical Creativity”, while readings of Vlach folk wisdom served as a vivid reminder of the richness of Vlach culture in Serbia.
Svetislav Trnkić contributed the article “A View of the Homeland Through the Lens of Dragoslav Marković”, featuring the work of the local photographer from Slatina, who provided several of his black-and-white photographs for publication.
• Magazine launch event for Vlaška reč, Negotin, 2026 | Photo: Suzana Mihajlović Jovanović
The evening was enriched by performances from members of the Ethno Group “Gergina”, who sang the festival anthem “Gergina” along with two other songs from their regular repertoire.
Financial support for the printing of 300 copies of the “Vlaška reč – Vuorba Vlahilor“ magazine was provided by the National Council of the Vlachs and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia, with additional sponsorship from the Negotin branch of Poštanska Štedionica Bank.
// this text is based on and adapted from materials published by NG Portal and the Gergina Association //
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