At another interesting Serbian language lesson, Savremena’s students learned about the life and work of Danilo Kiš. In order to learn more about the life of the famous Serbian author, students took part in a unique event called the “Literary guide through Belgrade”.

A trip down memory lane

Following the steps of Danilo Kiš, students were able to hear many interesting stories about his life that will forever remain in the legacy of Belgrade, the city where he studied and created.

Walking along the path that cannot be found on any map, alongside houses, apartments and taverns that were once there but now remain only as fond memories, students listened to stories about the era in which Kiš lived and created. How he came to Belgrade, where he lived, what he experienced on his journey towards becoming one of our greatest writers are just some of the interesting things our students learned through the tour.

A literary experience on the streets of Belgrade

Savremena’s students started the tour at the Railway Station through which the author passed twice on his way from Cetinje. The first time was when he came to learn Serbian, because prior to Cetinje, having lived in Hungary he spoke Hungarian; the second time was when he came to study world literature in Belgrade. The railway station marks the beginning of his Belgrade days and the trains themselves are significant for Kiš and our students knew exactly why.

The tour then continued along Balkanska Street, passing by the passage where Kiš lived as a student, Dom Sindikata and the famous Prešernova klet tavern where the notable Belgrade intellectuals exchanged their experiences and ideas. Knez Mihailova street led the students to the French Cultural Centre, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and finally to the Faculty of Philology where Kiš spent his students years. On their way back, students also passed through Skadarska Street.

Learning through fun experiences

When learning materials come to life as first-hand experiences, they become more fun and easy to remember leading to longer retention. This way students also become more interested in the subject truly acquire the knowledge rather than just memorising it.
We believe that by learning about the life Danilo Kiš led in Belgrade helped our students understand and interpret his works even better.