“Summer of Culture in Orašac” continues with the monodrama “Isidora’s Prayers” on Friday, August 9, at 7 p.m., in the amphitheater at Marićevića Jaruga. The dramatic artist Vesna Pavlović will recite a text arranged by Marina Končar, accompanied by music by Nebojša Petrović.
This precious manuscript, containing the brilliant words of the renowned Isidora Sekulić, was found by Proto-Deacon Dr. Ljubomir Ranković among the legacy of Bishop Jovan, the former Bishop of Šabac and Rector of the Belgrade Theological Seminary, who was also a nephew, comrade, and companion of Saint Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović.
The prayers, which she would bring during her regular visits to the Topčider Church in Belgrade, testify to the spiritual strength, depth, and breadth of the woman who, in the opinion of many, was the most enlightened figure in the history of Serbian culture.
Isidora Sekulić
She was a Serbian prose writer, novelist, essayist, polyglot, art critic, and academic. Born in Mošorin on February 16, 1877, she died in Belgrade on April 5, 1958. She was the first female member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
“In my school bag, coming home, I found notes of mockery, my caricatures, all of it suggesting I was always with my nose in a book, acting important. I didn’t bury my nose in books, but those around me assigned me an importance I didn’t feel for myself. Quite the opposite, I would withdraw and hide in the back rows, in the darkest corners. I felt I was a disturbance, that my desire for knowledge provoked,” Isidora described her childhood. By the age of fourteen, thanks to her father, who took care of his children alone after losing his wife early, she already knew five world languages and was far beyond her peers in knowledge. Besides literature, she had a strong grasp of natural sciences and philosophy. She graduated from the Pedagogical School in Budapest, majoring in mathematics and natural sciences, in 1892. In 1900, family tragedies struck again: her father died that year, followed by her brother Dimitrije. They were buried in the Orthodox cemetery in Zemun. She spent much time at the cemetery, often seen staying there for hours. She met Nikola, the gravedigger, who shared stories of the lives of those buried in the Zemun cemetery. She recorded all of Nikola’s stories in a black notebook she carried each time she visited. Thus, her great work, “Chronicle of a Small Town Cemetery,” was born.
Isidora Sekulić
Family tragedies deeply influenced her personality and work, shaping her as a solitary and reserved woman. Acquaintances said she was cold but with passionate emotions that flared when it came to science, literature, and knowledge.
She held long monologues with purpose, and they were never monotonous. She believed that solitude, silence, and work were essential for spiritual growth and attributed these traits to men. She explained that this view stemmed from being raised by her father, a man, which impacted her character and creativity.
Isidora Sekulić upheld patriarchal values but simultaneously advocated for women’s freedoms, striving for a balanced middle ground.
She spoke many languages and translated from German, English, French, Russian, Norwegian, and Swedish.
She believed that if there was nothing worthwhile to say, it was better to remain silent.
She passed away in 1958 and was buried in the Topčider Cemetery without wreaths, pomp, or speeches, as she wished. Since she had no heirs, all her property was left to the Savski Venac municipality.
In 1993, a committee of academics from SANU included her among the one hundred most significant Serbs.
Most notable works: “Companions” (1913), “Letters from Norway” (1914), “From the Past” (1919), “Deacon of Our Lady’s Church” (1919), “Chronicle of a Small Town Cemetery” (1940), “Notes” (1941), “Analytical Moments and Themes” (1941), “Notes on My People” (1948), “Njegoš: A Book of Deep Devotion” (1951), “Speech and Language, a Cultural Review of the People” (1956), “Peace and Restlessness” (1957).