Todor's Saturday in Mali Krčimir: Tradition and Revival

В статье представлены результаты исследования празднования Тодоровой субботы (Тодорова дня) в Малом Крчимире (область Заплане, Юго-Восточная Сербия). Вслед за обзором существующих исследований обрядов на Тодорову неделю в балканском контексте и реконструкции ритуалов, осуществленной на базе имеющихся исследований и этнографических материалов, авторы рассматривают эти ритуальные практики в контексте «новой волны фольклоризма» и других процессов в культуре Сербии. This paper examines the celebration of Todor’s Saturday (Todorova subbota) in Mali Krčimir (Zaplanje, southeastern Serbia). After reviewing previous studies of relevant rituals in the Balkan context and reconstruction of the ritual based on available studies and ethnographic material, the authors provide a picture of this ritual practice within the traditional culture of Zaplanje. At the current moment the celebration of St. Theodore’s Day is positioned at the crossroads of the traditional and the institutionalized type of ritual. The article analyzes transcripts of field conversations that illustrate emic polyphony. Their emic polylogue, which sometimes has a polemical character, centers on several themes: the interpretation of continuity and revival, the question of the right to tradition, nostalgic memories of the past and the relationship of past and present as a new problem. The article discusses ritual and customary practice related to the celebration of St. Theodore’s Day in the context of “negotiating authenticity” and the “new wave” of folklore, with attention to the specifics of Zaplanje. Finally, the article raises the question of the sustainability of St. Theodore’s Day practice, and the possibility and consequences of its eventual inclusion in the system of protecting the intangible cultural heritage.

Seasonal dynamics of epilithic diatom community from the Vrla River (Southeastern Serbia)

Seasonal analysis of epilithic diatom community from the Vrla River was performed in four seasons a year (six times) at six sampling sites. Between the second (VR2) and the third sampling site (VR3) was located a trout fish farm. The highest number of diatom taxa was recorded in spring (149) and the lowest in autumn (93). The number of taxa that were found to be dominant during all four seasons was twenty-four. The relationship between 45 the best-fitted diatom taxa, which showed conspicuous seasonal dynamics, and seasons in which these taxa were recorded was illustrated using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The large number of taxa was identified in all four seasons or in winter period only. Few taxa were present only in spring and summer.

Ethnopharmacological application the plants from family Geraniaceae in the Pirot County

The subject of this study was the study of the ethnopharmacological application of plants from family Geraniaceae in the Pirot County (Southeastern Serbia). The research was conducted in the form of surveys among the rural population in four municipalities: Pirot, Babušnica, Bela Palanka, and Dimitrovgrad. The analysis of the survey showed that the population of the County was used Erodium cicutarium (1 report), Geranium macrorrhizum (7 reports), Geranium robertianum (1 report), and Pelargonium graveolens (1 report) in the folk medicine for internal application. Erodium cicutarium was used against spasms in the abdomen of children (1 report), Geranium macrorrhizum against bronchitis (2 reports), diabetes (1 report), for rejuvenation (1 report), high blood pressure (2 reports), and Parkinson' s disease (1 report), and Pelargonium graveolens against diabetes (1 report). One respondent has mentioned the use of Geranium robertianum, but without the knowledge about its use. The results were compared with the results of previous ethnobotanical studies in neighboring regions. Our results about the applications of species from the family Geraniaceae are completely different from their ethnobotanical surveys in Serbia and the Balkan Peninsula.

Who is jumping in a Serbian bog? – Orthopteran fauna of the Vlasina region

Vlasina Plateau is a highland bog situated in the mountains of southeastern Serbia, close to the border with Bulgaria. From a conservation point of view, bogs are one of the most important habitats and they are considered as threatened all across Europe. As the Orthopteran fauna of southern European bogs has not been studied in detail, we decided to make an inventory of grasshoppers and bush-crickets of Vlasina region. During eight years (2012 to 2019) of orthopterological study, 63 species were recorded at Vlasina Plateau. Interesting findings are those of Balkan Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus bornhalmi) and Bures’ Bush-cricket (Isophya bureschi) recently reported as first for Serbia, as well as regionally rare Serbian Pygmy Bush-cricket (Anterastes serbicus), Domogled Meadow Bush-cricket (Broughtonia domogledi), Short-winged Cone-head (Conocephalus dorsalis), Club-legged Grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus), Fieber’s Walking Bush-cricket (Psorodonotus fieberi) and Pygmy Toothed Grasshopper (Stenobothrus crassipes). In addition, we provided new distributional and bioacoustic data for Poecilimon pseudornatus and I. bureschi.

Macro- and microhabitat preferences of eastern Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri)

Macro- and microhabitat preference of Testudo hermanni boettgeri, the eastern subspecies of Hermann’s tortoise, was investigated utilizing modified methodology for the western subspecies which emphasized the importance of habitat heterogeneity preservation. The study objective was to explore the habitat preferences of the eastern subspecies of T. hermanni. Research was conducted within the same year at four localities in Eastern and Southeastern Serbia. Macrohabitat determination was conducted using a 0 to 5 land cover score system (coverage with herbaceous, bushy or tree vegetation) for 4 m2 tortoise encounter surroundings. Microhabitat analysis was carried out by determining the plant species in closest contact with the tortoise in the moment of recording. Plants were classified into six groups: 1) aromatic, 2) bramble, 3) herbaceous, 4) thorny shrub, 5) tree and 6) non-thorny shrubs. test was used for comparison between expected and empirical habitat preference. Results confirmed that the most attractive macrohabitats for Eastern Hermann’s tortoises in this part of the Balkans are meadows and open shrublands, with the addition of dense forest (important in wormer months), what is concordant with earlier data from the Mediterranean part of former Yugoslavia. The most attractive microhabitats were “herbaceous plants”, followed by “bramble”.

Comparative Analysis of Parasitological, Immunodiagnostic and Histopathological Methods in the Diagnosis of Human Giardiasis

Giardiasis/lambliosis is a disease caused by the presence of a protozoan Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia) in the upper portions of the human digestive tract (DT). This cosmopolitan parasite is present particularly in children, but in all other age groups and socioeconomic conditions as well. The studies undertaken in the Ni�ava District (southeastern Serbia) have demonstrated a high prevalence of infection caused by G. lamblia species using conventional microscopy of three stool samples with or without concentration technique (6.24%), i.e. using the immunoenzymatic method to confirm the presence of G. lamblia antigen in the stool (6.59%). The use of invasive methods in the diagnosis of giardiasis is warranted in individual selected cases, when the significance of the parasite should be assessed regarding its involvement in the pathogenetic mechanisms of damage to the digestive tract mucosa.