Power restored in Gračanica

Having just spent two days in Gracanica, I can say that yes large parts of the town are without real power, but most Serbs don't care. Everywhere I went, houses, shops, and restaurants were using generators and plan to use generators for the foreseeable future. When I asked some of the residents (who quickly became friends) about this, most said they had the 26 euros to pay and would gladly pay it as they would pay any bills. But of course there's politics involved as well as grifting. So Serbs will spend anywhere between twice to three times as much money on a generator that they know provides them power without any politics involved.

My last night was spent kafana hopping - and apparently drinking with the Serbian "mayor" of Pristina (a great fellow). Music was blasting, people were having a good time, and every so often the power would flicker which would then mean one of us had to go outside, kick the generator around a little and get it back working.

If there ever was a visiual representation of "inat" it was this in Gracanica.

And what's up with the lack of trees south of the Ibar? Crossing from K. Mitrovica (which is a fully functioning city completely outside the authority of Pristina), I noticed that the road from southern Mitrovica, through Vucitrn around Pristina was almost barren. No trees! Maybe it was what we drove through but dammit people, plant something! Serbs are probably leaving out of sheer boredom than open intimidation.

Oh and if anyone's interested in what the border between northern Kosovo and the rest of Serbia is, it's for display purposes only. The only time I felt I was actually leaving Serbia was when we crossed the Ibar.

He said that most of these 290 households fell into the category of socially at-risk families.
--
That's for KEK and Kosova gov to decide not some self proclaimed Serbian "leader."

"And what's up with the lack of trees south of the Ibar?"

Probably chopped down by illegal Albanian woodcutters. Albanians also chopped down or burnt a lot of the fruit trees in Serbs' yards after they took over the properties.

People also note the damage to the tree line once they cross into Albania from other countries, such as Macedonia. The Albanians do a lot of over and illegal cutting of the forests.
Many have been caught in southern Serbia doing that as well.

Nice post Mike. I'll be heading down to my Southern province also just with my licna karta. :)

Visiting Gracanica again would be amazing and I'll be sure to donate some fuel to my fellow citizens there.

That's for KEK and Kosova gov to decide not some self proclaimed Serbian "leader."
(Alban, 3 July 2009 12:26)

The UN and International Law (Helsinki Convention & UN Resolution 1244) would beg to differ.

P.S. Mike, it was very kind of you to visit and spend time with the Kosovo Serbs. Many more Serbs (including the diaspora, for instance) should do this to let them know they aren't abandoned and forgotten.

No pay, no electricity...

Mike
I spent lots of time in Gracanica and retaurants in there.
My obervation is rather different form yours:
Yes power generators function when there is no power and yes there is loud live music playing in one of the restaurants but number of customers in the restaurants has dropped drasticaly and is in decline, not only of financial reasons but of some other reasons sadly.
North Mitrovica, cannot be called at all anything as there is nothing serbian functioning. Try and you can see what I mean.

Kosova is not heaven, it is one year old and full of trouble. However, troubles are slowly being identified and are being solved. Stil long way to go but KOsova will get there.

Thanks for the update, Mike - this was precisely what I observed, too. I did not pay attention to the trees, but you are right, it's all barren.

And I guess, if they operate any equipment down there, they need UPS of course. Do they have decent Internet connection?

Yes Ida, more Serbs need to visit/go to Kosovo for a number of reasons.

First, it's a real eye opener to see what it is that Serbia is fighting over. The north is indisputably Serbian territory and short of another Operation Storm, nothing is going to change that. Gracanica has the look of a frontier town with a "Devil may Care" attitude, but it needs infrastructure and investment from Belgrade. There's small things like garbage bins, park benches, and either a theater/movie theater/shopping center to liven the area up. After three days there, one would get incredibly bored. But that's nothing compared with the villages like Vucitrn, Obilic and Babin Most which I passed and saw literally NOTHING. Again, Serbs are leaving out of lack of anything to do rather than over intimidation from Albanians. These places are literally in the middle of nowhere (think Zajecar but even more rural).

Second, almost all Serbs I spoke with in Gracanica just want to be back on the map. K Mitrovica gets all the money and attention. Gracanica has the look of a settlement. They don't want Belgrade's direct rule. They can't stand Bogdanovic or even Tadic. They just want the same chance at sustainability as the north has. The monastery is absolutely beautiful and no one has ever touched it.

Third, I think Serbs going to Kosovo to see what is really there would help put a better picture on the situation. There is nothing to lead me to believe Kosovo has anything resembling the features of an independent state, but at the same time there's little point in Belgrade trying to hold onto the entire region. Trepca is one large slag heap that needs 30 million euros just to tear it down and start anew. K Mitrovica is not this garrison-like town that's ready to defend itself from an imminent Albanian attack. Many Albanians like to shop in Serb stores and ride Serb buses because its cheaper than shopping in Albanian stores or riding in Albanian buses where the prices are jacked up immensely. Gracanica is also not this surrounded enclave on the brink of extinction. Close to 10,000 Serbs live there and life is as normal as it could get under the circumstances. The story of Serbs working around the power cuts from KEK by using generators is a testament to their tenacity at taking matters into their own hands.

He said that most of these 290 households fell into the category of socially at-risk families.
--
That's for KEK and Kosova gov to decide not some self proclaimed Serbian "leader."
(Alban, 3 July 2009 12:26)

To be honest... what KEK should be "at risk" in a normal place is a "KEK in the @$$". (Sorry, MTCowgirl for the plagiate but it gave me a good laugh). Here is the original - and see, what internationals from USA think about this matter.

http://www.mtcowgirl.us/kosovolog.html

'No trees! Maybe it was what we drove through but dammit people, plant something!'

They're getting to it - Thaci started a tree-planting day some time last fall, something along the line of "One Kosovar - one sapling." I think it's supposed to be an annual event.

I hope they're using native species.

"Visiting Gracanica again would be amazing and I'll be sure to donate some fuel to my fellow citizens there.
(Zoran, 3 July 2009 15:59)"

When you're there Zoran, be sure to eat at Mexana. It's a little kafana a little ways up from Gracanica. Walk along northern wall, cross a "river", more like a creek, and you're there. The food's pretty good and astronomically cheap when compared to Belgrade prices. We had corba, salate, and rostilj all for 17 euros. Can't beat it!

"Do they have decent Internet connection?
(Ataman, 3 July 2009 13:31)"

That's like asking does Belgrade have internet. I use SBB here which every so often decides on its own it doesn't want to work. The same applies to Gracanica but more frequently. I did get a kick out of the "computer shop" which was no bigger than a trafika :)

Amer,

Gracanica has a significant level of self-sufficiency, but as far as employment is concerned, take it within the relative context of Kosovo itself - most of the legitimate jobs are paid from Belgrade. For example, there's at least three times as many people working in the local post office as is needed. To my knowledge, there's no Serbs that "drive to work" in Pristina and beyond the simple shop merchants, employment of any large kind is altogether absent outside of security and NGOs.

As far as travelling is concerned, I'd be more afraid of the quality of the roads than what or who is driving on them. The bus I was on clearly showed it was a Serbian bus as the sign in the window said "K. Mitrovica - Gracanica". We were stuck in traffic around Pristina like everyone else. Regular driving is what it is too. Most Serbs use a "KS" license plate when driving throughout Kosovo, but switch back to Serbian plates when they can. Kosovska Mitrovica - KM, Pristina - PR and so forth. The night of my kafana hop, I found myself in a PT Cruiser being driven ridiculously fast by some Serb with music blasting about 5 people more in the car than it could hold. He offered to race to Lipjan but fortunately the rest of us convinced him to just stay within the Pristina area.

I can't see a Serb in Gracanica subjected to physical harm unless he or she walks into the middle of Pristina and starts singing Cetnik songs. Again, for what its worth, Gracanica is too large for Albanians to intimidate. They're largely left to themselves. The only problem is if a Serb is driving without KS plates south of the Ibar, because they're bound to be stopped by the police and fined for every little penalty, real or imagined. Albanians are more interested in taking Serbs' money than physically harassing them.

Public transportation is largely these little buses that drive from KM to Gracanica and from Gracanica to the rest of Kosovo. If an enclave is passed, the bus stops and a Serb gets on or off. There were a few at Vucitrn and Obilic.

What schooling there is, is elementary school at Gracanica monastery itself. Most upper schools in Kosovo are in Mitrovica. Again, for what its worth, the Univeristy of Pristina in Mitrovica has completely relocated there.

So the big picture for me is that Kosovo is neither what Albanians or Serbs tend to think. It's somewhere in the middle. From what I saw in Gracanica, it has long term potential to exist without any major problems. The biggest thing that would make Serbs leave is simple lack of infrastructure and modern jobs outside agriculture and the service sector, but you're going to find that in the rest of southern Serbia too. Gracanica seemed to have more social capital than Kraljevo!

Hi Mike,

What's the employment situation like in Gracanica? Is there anything functioning besides shops and restaurants? Are the fields being worked? Are people afraid to travel? either because of the fear of physical harm? or lack of the proper documents? Is there public transportation between towns? Is there a noticeable Kfor/EULEX presence? What about schools - are there elementary schools only, or high schools as well?

And so forth - thanks for going and taking a look.

No pay, no electricity...

He said that most of these 290 households fell into the category of socially at-risk families.
--
That's for KEK and Kosova gov to decide not some self proclaimed Serbian "leader."

Having just spent two days in Gracanica, I can say that yes large parts of the town are without real power, but most Serbs don't care. Everywhere I went, houses, shops, and restaurants were using generators and plan to use generators for the foreseeable future. When I asked some of the residents (who quickly became friends) about this, most said they had the 26 euros to pay and would gladly pay it as they would pay any bills. But of course there's politics involved as well as grifting. So Serbs will spend anywhere between twice to three times as much money on a generator that they know provides them power without any politics involved.

My last night was spent kafana hopping - and apparently drinking with the Serbian "mayor" of Pristina (a great fellow). Music was blasting, people were having a good time, and every so often the power would flicker which would then mean one of us had to go outside, kick the generator around a little and get it back working.

If there ever was a visiual representation of "inat" it was this in Gracanica.

And what's up with the lack of trees south of the Ibar? Crossing from K. Mitrovica (which is a fully functioning city completely outside the authority of Pristina), I noticed that the road from southern Mitrovica, through Vucitrn around Pristina was almost barren. No trees! Maybe it was what we drove through but dammit people, plant something! Serbs are probably leaving out of sheer boredom than open intimidation.

Oh and if anyone's interested in what the border between northern Kosovo and the rest of Serbia is, it's for display purposes only. The only time I felt I was actually leaving Serbia was when we crossed the Ibar.

Mike
I spent lots of time in Gracanica and retaurants in there.
My obervation is rather different form yours:
Yes power generators function when there is no power and yes there is loud live music playing in one of the restaurants but number of customers in the restaurants has dropped drasticaly and is in decline, not only of financial reasons but of some other reasons sadly.
North Mitrovica, cannot be called at all anything as there is nothing serbian functioning. Try and you can see what I mean.

Kosova is not heaven, it is one year old and full of trouble. However, troubles are slowly being identified and are being solved. Stil long way to go but KOsova will get there.

Nice post Mike. I'll be heading down to my Southern province also just with my licna karta. :)

Visiting Gracanica again would be amazing and I'll be sure to donate some fuel to my fellow citizens there.

"And what's up with the lack of trees south of the Ibar?"

Probably chopped down by illegal Albanian woodcutters. Albanians also chopped down or burnt a lot of the fruit trees in Serbs' yards after they took over the properties.

People also note the damage to the tree line once they cross into Albania from other countries, such as Macedonia. The Albanians do a lot of over and illegal cutting of the forests.
Many have been caught in southern Serbia doing that as well.

P.S. Mike, it was very kind of you to visit and spend time with the Kosovo Serbs. Many more Serbs (including the diaspora, for instance) should do this to let them know they aren't abandoned and forgotten.

He said that most of these 290 households fell into the category of socially at-risk families.
--
That's for KEK and Kosova gov to decide not some self proclaimed Serbian "leader."
(Alban, 3 July 2009 12:26)

To be honest... what KEK should be "at risk" in a normal place is a "KEK in the @$$". (Sorry, MTCowgirl for the plagiate but it gave me a good laugh). Here is the original - and see, what internationals from USA think about this matter.

http://www.mtcowgirl.us/kosovolog.html

That's for KEK and Kosova gov to decide not some self proclaimed Serbian "leader."
(Alban, 3 July 2009 12:26)

The UN and International Law (Helsinki Convention & UN Resolution 1244) would beg to differ.

'No trees! Maybe it was what we drove through but dammit people, plant something!'

They're getting to it - Thaci started a tree-planting day some time last fall, something along the line of "One Kosovar - one sapling." I think it's supposed to be an annual event.

I hope they're using native species.

Thanks for the update, Mike - this was precisely what I observed, too. I did not pay attention to the trees, but you are right, it's all barren.

And I guess, if they operate any equipment down there, they need UPS of course. Do they have decent Internet connection?

Yes Ida, more Serbs need to visit/go to Kosovo for a number of reasons.

First, it's a real eye opener to see what it is that Serbia is fighting over. The north is indisputably Serbian territory and short of another Operation Storm, nothing is going to change that. Gracanica has the look of a frontier town with a "Devil may Care" attitude, but it needs infrastructure and investment from Belgrade. There's small things like garbage bins, park benches, and either a theater/movie theater/shopping center to liven the area up. After three days there, one would get incredibly bored. But that's nothing compared with the villages like Vucitrn, Obilic and Babin Most which I passed and saw literally NOTHING. Again, Serbs are leaving out of lack of anything to do rather than over intimidation from Albanians. These places are literally in the middle of nowhere (think Zajecar but even more rural).

Second, almost all Serbs I spoke with in Gracanica just want to be back on the map. K Mitrovica gets all the money and attention. Gracanica has the look of a settlement. They don't want Belgrade's direct rule. They can't stand Bogdanovic or even Tadic. They just want the same chance at sustainability as the north has. The monastery is absolutely beautiful and no one has ever touched it.

Third, I think Serbs going to Kosovo to see what is really there would help put a better picture on the situation. There is nothing to lead me to believe Kosovo has anything resembling the features of an independent state, but at the same time there's little point in Belgrade trying to hold onto the entire region. Trepca is one large slag heap that needs 30 million euros just to tear it down and start anew. K Mitrovica is not this garrison-like town that's ready to defend itself from an imminent Albanian attack. Many Albanians like to shop in Serb stores and ride Serb buses because its cheaper than shopping in Albanian stores or riding in Albanian buses where the prices are jacked up immensely. Gracanica is also not this surrounded enclave on the brink of extinction. Close to 10,000 Serbs live there and life is as normal as it could get under the circumstances. The story of Serbs working around the power cuts from KEK by using generators is a testament to their tenacity at taking matters into their own hands.

"Visiting Gracanica again would be amazing and I'll be sure to donate some fuel to my fellow citizens there.
(Zoran, 3 July 2009 15:59)"

When you're there Zoran, be sure to eat at Mexana. It's a little kafana a little ways up from Gracanica. Walk along northern wall, cross a "river", more like a creek, and you're there. The food's pretty good and astronomically cheap when compared to Belgrade prices. We had corba, salate, and rostilj all for 17 euros. Can't beat it!

"Do they have decent Internet connection?
(Ataman, 3 July 2009 13:31)"

That's like asking does Belgrade have internet. I use SBB here which every so often decides on its own it doesn't want to work. The same applies to Gracanica but more frequently. I did get a kick out of the "computer shop" which was no bigger than a trafika :)

Amer,

Gracanica has a significant level of self-sufficiency, but as far as employment is concerned, take it within the relative context of Kosovo itself - most of the legitimate jobs are paid from Belgrade. For example, there's at least three times as many people working in the local post office as is needed. To my knowledge, there's no Serbs that "drive to work" in Pristina and beyond the simple shop merchants, employment of any large kind is altogether absent outside of security and NGOs.

As far as travelling is concerned, I'd be more afraid of the quality of the roads than what or who is driving on them. The bus I was on clearly showed it was a Serbian bus as the sign in the window said "K. Mitrovica - Gracanica". We were stuck in traffic around Pristina like everyone else. Regular driving is what it is too. Most Serbs use a "KS" license plate when driving throughout Kosovo, but switch back to Serbian plates when they can. Kosovska Mitrovica - KM, Pristina - PR and so forth. The night of my kafana hop, I found myself in a PT Cruiser being driven ridiculously fast by some Serb with music blasting about 5 people more in the car than it could hold. He offered to race to Lipjan but fortunately the rest of us convinced him to just stay within the Pristina area.

I can't see a Serb in Gracanica subjected to physical harm unless he or she walks into the middle of Pristina and starts singing Cetnik songs. Again, for what its worth, Gracanica is too large for Albanians to intimidate. They're largely left to themselves. The only problem is if a Serb is driving without KS plates south of the Ibar, because they're bound to be stopped by the police and fined for every little penalty, real or imagined. Albanians are more interested in taking Serbs' money than physically harassing them.

Public transportation is largely these little buses that drive from KM to Gracanica and from Gracanica to the rest of Kosovo. If an enclave is passed, the bus stops and a Serb gets on or off. There were a few at Vucitrn and Obilic.

What schooling there is, is elementary school at Gracanica monastery itself. Most upper schools in Kosovo are in Mitrovica. Again, for what its worth, the Univeristy of Pristina in Mitrovica has completely relocated there.

So the big picture for me is that Kosovo is neither what Albanians or Serbs tend to think. It's somewhere in the middle. From what I saw in Gracanica, it has long term potential to exist without any major problems. The biggest thing that would make Serbs leave is simple lack of infrastructure and modern jobs outside agriculture and the service sector, but you're going to find that in the rest of southern Serbia too. Gracanica seemed to have more social capital than Kraljevo!

Hi Mike,

What's the employment situation like in Gracanica? Is there anything functioning besides shops and restaurants? Are the fields being worked? Are people afraid to travel? either because of the fear of physical harm? or lack of the proper documents? Is there public transportation between towns? Is there a noticeable Kfor/EULEX presence? What about schools - are there elementary schools only, or high schools as well?

And so forth - thanks for going and taking a look.