Serbs

TheSerbs(Serbian Cyrillic:Срби,romanized:Srbi,pronounced[sr̩̂bi]) are aSouth Slavicethnic groupnative toSoutheastern Europewho share a common Serbianancestry,culture,history, andlanguage.They primarily live inSerbia,Kosovo,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,Montenegroas well as inNorth Macedonia,Slovenia,GermanyandAustria. They also constitute a significantdiasporawith several communities acrossEurope, theAmericasandOceania.
The Serbs share many cultural traits with the rest of the peoples ofSoutheast Europe. They are predominantlyEastern Orthodox Christiansby religion. TheSerbianlanguage (a standardized version ofSerbo-Croatian) is official in Serbia, co-official in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is spoken by the plurality in Montenegro.
The identity of Serbs is rooted inEastern Orthodoxyand traditions. In the 19th century, theSerbian national identitywas manifested,with awareness of history and tradition, medieval heritage, cultural unity, despite living under different empires.Three elements, together with the legacy of theNemanjić dynasty, were crucial in forging identity and preservation during foreign domination: theSerbian Orthodox Church, theSerbian language, and theKosovo Myth.When thePrincipality of Serbiagained independence from the Ottoman Empire, Orthodoxy became crucial in definingthe national identity, instead of language which was shared by otherSouth Slavs(CroatsandBosniaks).The tradition ofslava, the family saint feast day, is an important ethnic marker of Serb identity,and is usually regarded their most significant and most solemnfeast day.
The origin of theethnonymis unclear. The most prominent theory considers it ofProto-Slavicorigin.Hanna Popowska-Taborskaargued nativeSlavicprovenance of the ethnonym,claiming that the theory advances a conclusion that the ethnonym has a meaning of a family kinship or alliance, which was also argued by a number of other scholars.
According to a triple analysis –autosomal,mitochondrialandpaternal— of available data from large-scale studies onBalto-Slavsand their proximal populations, the whole genomeSNPdata situates Serbs with Montenegrins in between two Balkan clusters.Y-DNA results show that haplogroupsI2aandR1atogether stand for the majority of the makeup, with more than 50 percent.
According to several recent studies Serbia's people are among the tallest in the world,with an averagemale heightof 1.82 metres (6 ft 0 in).
Early Slavs, especiallySclaveniandAntae, including theWhite Serbs, invaded and settledSoutheastern Europein the 6th and 7th century.Up until the late 560s, their activity was raiding, crossing from the Danube, though with limited Slavic settlement mainly through Byzantinefoederaticolonies.TheDanubeandSavafrontier was overwhelmed by large-scale Slavic settlement in the late 6th and early 7th century.What is todaycentral Serbiawas an important geo-strategical province, through which theVia Militariscrossed.This area was frequently intruded bybarbariansin the 5th and 6th centuries.The numerous Slavs mixed with and assimilated the descendants of the indigenous population (Illyrians, Thracians, Dacians, Romans, Celts).White Serbs fromWhite Serbiacame toan area near Thessalonikiand then they settled area between Dinaric Alps and Adriatic coast.The region of "Rascia" (Raška) was the center of Serb settlement and Serb tribes also occupied parts of modern-dayHerzegovinaandMontenegro.Prior to their arrival to the Balkans, early Slavs were predominantly involved in agriculture, which is why they settled in areas which were cultivated even during Roman times.
The first Serb states,Serbia(780–960) andDuklja(825–1120), were formed chiefly under theVlastimirovićandVojislavljevićdynasties respectively.The other Serb-inhabited lands, or principalities, that were mentioned included the "countries" ofPaganija,Zahumlje,Travunija.With the decline of the Serbian state of Duklja in the late 11th century, Raška separated from it and replaced it as the most powerful Serbian state.PrinceStefan Nemanja(r. 1169–96) conquered the neighbouring territories ofKosovo,DukljaandZachlumia. TheNemanjić dynastyruled over Serbia until the 14th century. Nemanja's older son,Stefan Nemanjić, became Serbia's first recognized king, while his younger son, Rastko, founded theSerbian Orthodox Churchin the year 1219, and became known asSaint Savaafter his death.Parts of modern-day Montenegro,Bosnia and Herzegovina, and central Serbia would come under the control of Nemanjić.
Over the next 140 years, Serbia expanded its borders, from numerous smaller principalities, reaching to a unifiedSerbian Empire. Its cultural model remained Byzantine, despite political ambitions directed against the empire. The medieval power and influence of Serbia culminated in the reign ofStefan Dušan, who ruled the state from 1331 until his death in 1355. Ruling as Emperor from 1346, his territory includedMacedonia, northern Greece, Montenegro, and almost all of modernAlbania.When Dušan died, his sonStephen Uroš Vbecame Emperor.
WithTurkishinvaders beginning their conquest of the Balkans in the 1350s, a major conflict ensued between them and the Serbs, the first major battle was theBattle of Maritsa(1371),in which the Serbs were defeated.With the death of two important Serb leaders in the battle, and with the death of Stephen Uroš that same year, theSerbian Empirebroke up into several small Serbian domains.These states were ruled by feudal lords, with Zeta controlled by theBalšić family, Raška,Kosovoand northern Macedonia held by theBranković familyandLazar Hrebeljanovićholding today'sCentral Serbiaand a portion of Kosovo.Hrebeljanović was subsequently accepted as the titular leader of the Serbs because he was married to a member of the Nemanjić dynasty.In 1389, the Serbs faced the Ottomans at theBattle of Kosovoon the plain ofKosovo Polje, near the town ofPriština.Both Lazar andSultanMurad Iwere killed in the fighting.The battle most likely ended in a stalemate, and afterwards Serbia enjoyed a short period of prosperity under despotStefan Lazarevićand resisted falling to the Turks until 1459.
The Serbs had taken an active part in the wars fought in the Balkans against the Ottoman Empire, and also organized uprisings;because of this, they suffered persecution and their territories were devastated – major migrations from Serbia into Habsburg territory ensued.After allied Christian forceshad captured Budafrom the Ottoman Empire in 1686 during theGreat Turkish War, Serbs fromPannonian Plain(present-dayHungary,Slavoniaregion in present-dayCroatia,BačkaandBanatregions in present-daySerbia) joined the troops of the Habsburg monarchy as separate units known asSerbian Militia.Serbs, as volunteers, massively joined the Austrian side.
Many Serbs were recruited during thedevshirmesystem,  a form ofslavery in the Ottoman Empire, in which boys from Balkan Christian families wereforcibly convertedtoIslamand trained for infantry units of theOttoman armyknown as theJanissaries.A number of Serbs who converted to Islam occupied high-ranking positions within theOttoman Empire, such asGrand VizierSokollu Mehmed PashaandMinister of Warfield marshalOmar Pasha Latas.
In 1688,the Habsburg army took Belgradeand entered the territory of present-dayCentral Serbia.Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Badencalled Serbian PatriarchArsenije III Čarnojevićto raise arms against the Turks; the Patriarch accepted and returned to the liberated Peć. As Serbia fell under Habsburg control, Leopold I granted Arsenije nobility and the title of duke. In early November, Arsenije III met with Habsburg commander-in-chief,General Enea Silvio PiccolominiinPrizren; after this talk he sent a note to all Serb bishops to come to him and collaborate only with Habsburg forces.
AGreat Migration of the Serbs (1690)to Habsburg lands was undertaken by Patriarch Arsenije III.The large community of Serbs concentrated in Banat, southern Hungary and the Military Frontier included merchants and craftsmen in the cities, but mainly refugees that were peasants.Smaller groups of Serbs also migrated to theRussian Empire, where they occupied high positions in the military circles.
TheSerbian Revolutionfor independence from the Ottoman Empire lasted eleven years, from 1804 until 1815.The revolution comprised two separate uprisings which gained autonomy from the Ottoman Empire that eventually evolved towards full independence (1835–1867).During theFirst Serbian Uprising, led by DukeKarađorđe Petrović, Serbia was independent for almost a decade before the Ottoman army was able to reoccupy the country. Shortly after this, theSecond Serbian Uprisingbegan. Led byMiloš Obrenović, it ended in 1815 with a compromise between Serbian revolutionaries and Ottoman authorities.Likewise, Serbia was one of the first nations in the Balkans to abolishfeudalism.Serbs are among the first ethnic groups in Europe to form anationand a clear sense of national identity.
In the early 1830s, Serbia gained autonomy and its borders were recognized, withMiloš Obrenovićbeing recognized as its ruler. Serbia is the fourth modern-day European country, after France, Austria and the Netherlands, to have a codified legal system, as of 1844.The last Ottoman troops withdrew from Serbia in 1867, although Serbia's and Montenegro's independence was not recognized internationally until theCongress of Berlinin 1878.
Serbia fought in theBalkan Warsof 1912–13, which forced the Ottomans out of the Balkans and doubled the territory and population of theKingdom of Serbia. In 1914, a youngBosnian Serbstudent namedGavrilo PrincipassassinatedArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, which directly contributed to the outbreak ofWorld War I.In the fighting that ensued, Serbia was invaded byAustria-Hungary. Despite being outnumbered, the Serbs defeated the Austro-Hungarians at theBattle of Cer, which marked the firstAlliedvictory over theCentral Powersin the war.Further victories at the battles ofKolubaraand theDrinameant that Serbia remained unconquered as the war entered its second year. However, an invasion by the forces ofGermany,Austria-HungaryandBulgariaoverwhelmed the Serbs in the winter of 1915, and a subsequent withdrawal by theSerbian Armythrough Albania took the lives of more than 240,000 Serbs. Serb forces spent the remaining years of the war fighting on theSalonika frontin Greece, before liberating Serbia fromAustro-Hungarian occupationin November 1918.Serbia sufferedthe biggest casualty rate in World War I.
Following the victory in WWI, Serbs subsequently formed theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Sloveneswith otherSouth Slavic peoples. The country was later renamed theKingdom of Yugoslavia, and was led from 1921 to 1934 by KingAlexander Iof the SerbianKarađorđević dynasty.DuringWorld War II, Yugoslavia was invaded by theAxis powersin April 1941. The country was subsequently divided into many pieces, with Serbia being directly occupied by the Germans.Serbs in theIndependent State of Croatia(NDH) were targeted for extermination as part ofgenocideby the Croatian ultra-nationalist, fascistUstaše.The Ustaše view of national and racial identity, as well as the theory of Serbs as aninferior race, was under the influence ofCroatian nationalistsand intellectuals from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.Jasenovac campwas notorious for the barbaric practices which occurred in it.SisakandJastrebarsko concentration campwere speciallyformed for children.Serbs in the NDH suffered among the highest casualty rates in Europe during the World War II, while the NDH was one of the most lethal regimes in the 20th century.Diana Budisavljević, a humanitarian of Austrian descent, carried out rescue operations from Ustaše camps and saved more than 15,000 children, mostly Serbs.
More than half a million Serbs were killed in the territory of Yugoslavia during World War II. Serbs in occupied Yugoslavia subsequently formed a resistance movement known as theYugoslav Army in the Homeland, or the Chetniks. The Chetniks had the official support of theAlliesuntil 1943, when Allied support shifted to the CommunistYugoslav Partisans, a multi-ethnic force, formed in 1941, which also had a large majority of Serbs in its ranks in the first two years of war. Over the entirety of the war, the ethnic composition of the Partisans was 53 percent Serb.During the entire course of the WWII in Yugoslavia, 64.1% of all Bosnian Partisans were Serbs.Later, after the fall of Italy in September 1943, other ethnic groups joined Partisans in larger numbers.
At the end of the war, the Partisans, led byJosip Broz Tito, emerged victorious. Yugoslavia subsequently became a Communist state. Tito died in 1980, and his death sawYugoslaviaplunge into economic turmoil.Yugoslaviadisintegratedin the early 1990s, and aseries of warsresulted in the creation of five new states. The heaviest fighting occurred inCroatia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose Serb populations rebelled and declared independence. Thewarin Croatia ended in August 1995, with a Croatian military offensive known asOperation Stormput a stop to theCroatian Serbrebellion and causing as many as 200,000 Serbs to flee the country. TheBosnian Warended that same year, with theDayton Agreementdividing the country along ethnic lines. In 1998–99, aconflictin Kosovo between the Yugoslav Army and Albanians seeking independence erupted into full-out war, resulting in a 78-day-longNATO bombing campaignwhich effectively drove Yugoslav security forces from Kosovo.Subsequently, more than 200,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians fled the province.On 5 October 2000, YugoslavPresidentSlobodan Milosevićwas overthrown in a bloodless revolt after he refused to admit defeat in the2000 Yugoslav general election.
Modern demographic distribution of ethnic Serbs throughout homeland and native regions, as well as inSerbian ethnic diaspora, represents an outcome of several historical and demographic processes, shaped both byeconomic migrationsandforced displacementsduring the recentYugoslav Wars(1991–1999).
According to most recent census conducted in Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro, there are nearly 7 million Serbs living in their native homelands, within the geographical borders of formerYugoslavia. In Serbia itself, around 5.5 million people identify themselves as ethnic Serbs, and constitute about 83% of the population. More than a million live inBosnia and Herzegovina(predominantly in theRepublika Srpska), where they are one of the threeconstituent ethnic groups. Serbs inCroatia,MontenegroandNorth Macedoniaalso have recognized collective rights, and number some 186,000, 178,000 and 39,000 people, respectively, while another estimated 96,000 live in the disputed area ofKosovo.Smaller minorities exist inSlovenia, some 36,000 people, respectively.
Outside of the former Yugoslavia, but within their historical and migratory areal, Serbs are officially recognized as national minority inAlbania,Romania(18,000),Hungary(7,000), as well as in theCzech RepublicandSlovakia.
There are over 2 million Serbs indiasporathroughout the world; some sources put that figure as high as 4 million.There is a large diaspora in Western Europe, particularly inGermany,Austria,Switzerland,France,Italy,SwedenandUnited Kingdom. Outside Europe, there are significant Serb communities in theUnited States,Canada,Australia,South AmericaandSouthern Africa. The existence of a large diaspora is mainly a consequence of either economic or political (coercionor expulsions) reasons.
There were several waves of Serb emigration. The first wave took place since the end of the 19th century and lasted untilWorld War IIand was caused by economic reasons; particularly large numbers of Serbs (mainly from peripheral ethnic areas such asHerzegovina,Montenegro,Dalmatia, andLika) emigrated to the United States. The second wave of emigration took place after the end ofWorld War II. At this time, members of royalistChetniksand other political opponents of communist regime fled the country mainly going overseas (United StatesandAustralia) and, to a lesser degree,United Kingdom. The third wave of Serb emigration, by far the largest, consisted of economic emigration beginning in the 1960s when several Western European countries signed bilateral agreements with Yugoslavia, allowing the recruitment of industrial workers to those countries; this lasted until the end of the 1980s. The major  destinations for migrants wereWest Germany,Austria, andSwitzerland, and to a lesser extentFranceandSweden. That generation of diaspora is collectively known asgastarbajteri, after Germangastarbeiter("guest-worker"), since most of the emigrants headed for German-speaking countries. These migrations left some parts of Serbia sparsely populated.Later emigration took place during the 1990s, and was caused by both political and economic reasons. TheYugoslav warscaused many Serbs from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to leave their countries in the first half of the 1990s. Theeconomic sanctionsimposed on Serbia caused an economic collapse with an estimated 300,000 people leaving Serbia during that period, 20% of which had a higher education.
Serbs speakSerbian, a member of theSouth Slavicgroup of languages, specifically the Southwestern group. Standard Serbian is a standardizedvarietyofSerbo-Croatian, and thereforemutually intelligiblewith StandardCroatian, StandardMontenegrin, and StandardBosnian(seeComparison of standard Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian), which are all based on theShtokavian dialect.
Serbian is an official language in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and is a recognized minority language in Montenegro (although spoken by a plurality of population), Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Older forms of literary Serbian areChurch Slavonicof the Serbian recension, which is still used for ecclesiastical purposes, andSlavonic-Serbian—a mixture of Serbian,Church SlavonicandRussianused from the mid-18th century to the first decades of the 19th century.
Serbian has activedigraphia, using bothCyrillicandLatinalphabets.Serbian Cyrillicwas devised in 1814 by Serbian linguistVuk Karadžić, who created the alphabet on phonemic principles.Serbian Latin was created byLjudevit Gajand published in 1830. His alphabet mapped completely on Serbian Cyrillic which had been standardized byVuk Karadžića few years before.
Loanwords in the Serbian language besides common internationalisms are mostly fromGreek,Germanand Italian,while words ofHungarianorigin are present mostly in the north.
TheOttoman conquestbegan a linguistical contact between Ottoman Turkish and South Slavic; Ottoman Turkish influence grew stronger after the 15th century.Besides Turkish loanwords, also many Arabic (such asalat, "tool",sat, "hour, clock") and Persian (čarape, "socks",šećer, "sugar") words entered via Turkish, called "Orientalisms" (orijentalizmi).Also, many Greek words entered via Turkish.Words for hitherto unknown sciences, businesses, industries, technologies and professions were brought by the Ottoman Empire.Christian villagers brought urban vocabulary from their travels to Islamic culture cities.Many Turkish loanwords are no longer considered loanwords.
There is considerable usage of French words as well, especially in military related terms.One Serbian word that is used in many of the world's languages is "vampire" (vampir).
Literature,iconpainting, music, dance and medieval architecture are the artistic forms for which Serbia is best known. TraditionalSerbian visual art(specificallyfrescoes, and to some extenticons), as well as ecclesiastical architecture, are highly reflective of Byzantine traditions, with some Mediterranean and Western influence.
Many Serbian monuments and works of art have been lost forever due to various wars and peacetime marginalizations.
In modern times (since the 19th century) Serbs also have a noteworthyclassical musicand works of philosophy.Notable philosophers includeSvetozar Marković,Branislav Petronijević,Ksenija Atanasijević,Radomir Konstantinović,Nikola Milošević,Mihailo Marković,Justin PopovićandMihailo Đurić.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, many icons, wall paintings and manuscript miniatures came into existence, as many Serbian Orthodox monasteries and churches such asHilandar,Žiča,Studenica,Sopoćani,Mileševa,GračanicaandVisoki Dečaniwere built.The architecture of some of these monasteries is world-famous.Prominent architectural styles in the Middle Ages wereRaška architectural school,Morava architectural schoolandSerbo-Byzantin architectural style. During the same periodUNESCOprotectedStećakmonumental medieval tombstones were built. The Independence of Serbia in the 19th century was soon followed withSerbo-Byzantine Revivalin architecture.
Baroqueandrococotrends in Serbian art emerged in the 18th century and are mostly represented in icon painting and portraits.Most of the Baroque authors were from the territory ofAustrian Empire, such asNikola Nešković,Teodor Kračun,Teodor Ilić Češljar,Zaharije OrfelinandJakov Orfelin.Serbian painting showed the influence ofBiedermeierandNeoclassicismas seen in works byKonstantin DanilandPavel Đurković.Many painters followed the artistic trends set in the 19th century Romanticism, notablyĐura Jakšić,Stevan Todorović,Katarina IvanovićandNovak Radonić.Since the mid-1800s, Serbia has produced a number of famous painters who are representative of general European artistic trends.One of the most prominent of these wasPaja Jovanović, who painted massive canvases on historical themes such as theMigration of the Serbs(1896). PainterUroš Predićwas also prominent in the field of Serbian art, painting theKosovo MaidenandHappy Brothers. While Jovanović and Predić were bothrealistpainters, artistNadežda Petrovićwas animpressionistandfauvistandSava Šumanovićwas an accomplishedCubist. PaintersPetar Lubarda,Vladimir VeličkovićandLjubomir Popovićwere famous for theirsurrealism.Marina Abramovićis a world-renownedperformance artist, writer, andart filmmaker.
Traditional Serbian music includes various kinds ofbagpipes,flutes,horns,trumpets,lutes,psalteries,drumsandcymbals.Thekolois the traditional collective folk dance, which has a number of varieties throughout the regions. The first Serbian composers started working in the 14th and 15th century, likeKir Stefan the Serb.Composer andmusicologistStevan Stojanović Mokranjacis considered one of the most important founders of modern Serbian music.Other noted classical composers includeKornelije Stanković,Stanislav Binički,Petar Konjović,Miloje Milojević,Stevan Hristić,Josif Marinković,Luigi von Kunits,Ljubica MarićandVasilije Mokranjac.Well-known musicians includeZdravko Čolić,Arsen Dedić,Predrag Gojković-Cune,Toma Zdravković,Milan Mladenović,Radomir Mihailović Točak,Bora Đorđević,Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga,Đorđe Balašević,Cecaand others.
Serbia has produced many talented filmmakers, the most famous of whom areSlavko Vorkapić,Dušan Makavejev,Živojin Pavlović,Slobodan Šijan,Goran Marković,Goran Paskaljević,Emir Kusturica,Želimir Žilnik,Srđan Dragojević,Srdan GolubovićandMila Turajlić. Žilnik andStefan Arsenijevićwon theGolden Bearaward atBerlinale, while Mila Turajlić won the main award atIDFA. Kusturica became world-renowned after winning thePalme d'Ortwice at theCannes Film Festival, numerous other prizes, and is aUNICEFNational Ambassador for Serbia.Several Americans of Serb origin have been featured prominently inHollywood. The most notable of these are Academy Award winnersKarl Malden,Steve Tesich,Peter Bogdanovich,Tony-winning theatre directorDarko Tresnjak,Emmy-winning directorMarina Zenovichand actorsIván Petrovich,Brad Dexter,Lolita Davidovich,Milla JovovichandStana Katic.
Most literature written by early Serbs was about religious themes. The founders of theSerbian Orthodox Churchwrote variousgospels,psalters,menologies,hagiographies, along with essays and sermons.At the end of the 12th century, two of the most important pieces of Serbian medieval literature were created– theMiroslav Gospelsand theVukan Gospels, which combined handwritten Biblical texts with painted initials and small pictures.TheCrnojević printing housewas the first printing house in Southeastern Europe and is considered an important part of Serbian cultural history.
NotableBaroque-influenced authors wereAndrija Zmajević,Gavril Stefanović Venclović,Jovan Rajić,Zaharije Orfelinand others.Dositej Obradovićwas the most prominent figure of theAge of Enlightenment, while the most notable Classicist writer wasJovan Sterija Popović, although his works also contained elements of Romanticism. Modern Serbian literature began withVuk Karadžić's collections offolk songsin the 19th century, and the writings ofNjegošandBranko Radičević. The first prominent representative of Serbian literature in the 20th century wasJovan Skerlić, who wrote in pre–World War IBelgradeand helped introduce Serbian writers to literary modernism. The most important Serbian writer in theinter-war periodwasMiloš Crnjanski.
The first Serb authors who appeared after World War II wereMihailo LalićandDobrica Ćosić.Other notable post-war Yugoslav authors such asIvo AndrićandMeša Selimovićwere assimilated to Serbian culture, and both identified as Serbs.Andrić went on to win theNobel Prize in Literaturein 1961.Danilo Kiš, another popular Serbian writer, was known for writingA Tomb for Boris Davidovich, as well as several acclaimed novels.Amongst contemporary Serbian writers,Milorad Pavićstands out as being the most critically acclaimed, with his novelsDictionary of the Khazars,Landscape Painted with TeaandThe Inner Side of the Windbringing him international recognition. Highly revered in Europe and inSouth America, Pavić is considered one of the most intriguing writers from the beginning of the 21st century.Charles Simicis a notable contemporary Serbian-American poet, formerUnited States Poet Laureateand aPulitzer Prize winner.Contemporary writerZoran Živkovićauthored more than 20 prose books and is best-known for hisSFworks which have been published in 23 countries.
Many Serbs have contributed to the field of science and technology. There are more Serbian scientists and scholars working abroad than in the Balkans. At least 7000 Serbs who have a PhD are working abroad.Medical specialists from Serbia have performed a number of operations which have been described as pioneer works.
Serbian Americanmechanical and electrical engineerNikola Teslais regarded as one of the most important inventors in history. He is renowned for his contributions to the discipline of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th century. Seven Serbian American engineers and scientists known asSerbo 7took part in construction of theApollo spaceship.Physicist and physical chemistMihajlo Pupinis best known for his landmark theory of modern electrical filters as well as for his numerous patents, whileMilutin Milankovićis best known for his theory of long-termclimate changecaused by changes in the position of the Earth in comparison to the Sun, now known asMilankovitch cycles.Gordana Vunjak-Novakovicis a Serbian American biomedical engineer focusing on engineering human tissues forregenerative medicine,stem cellresearch and modeling of disease. She is one of the most highly cited scientists of all times.
Notable Serb mathematicians includeMihailo Petrović,Jovan KaramataandĐuro Kurepa. Mihailo Petrović is known for having contributed significantly to differential equations and phenomenology, as well as inventing one of the first prototypes of an analog computer.Roger Joseph Boscovichwas a Ragusan physicist, astronomer, mathematician and polymath of paternal Serbian origin(although there are competing claims for Bošković's nationality) who produced a precursor ofatomic theoryand made many contributions toastronomyand also discovered theabsence of atmosphereon theMoon.Jovan Cvijićfounded modern geography in Serbia and made pioneering research on the geography of theBalkan Peninsula,Dinaric raceandkarst.Josif Pančićmade contributions tobotanyand discovered a number of new floral species including theSerbian spruce.Biologist and physiologistIvan Đajaperformed research in the role of theadrenal glandsinthermoregulation, as well as pioneering work inhypothermia.Valtazar Bogišićis considered to be a pioneer in thesociology of lawand sociological jurisprudence.
There are several different layers of Serbian names. Serbian given names largely originate fromSlavic roots:
e.g.,Vuk,Bojan,Goran,Zoran,Dragan,Milan,Miroslav,Vladimir,Slobodan,Dušan,Milica,Nevena,Vesna,Radmila. Other names are ofChristianorigin, originating from theBible(Hebrew, throughGreek), such asLazar,Mihailo,Ivan,Jovan,Ilija,Marija,Ana,Ivana. Along similar lines of non-Slavic Christian names areGreekones such as:Stefan,Nikola,Aleksandar,Filip,Đorđe,Andrej,Jelena,Katarina,Vasilije,Todor, while those ofLatinorigin include:Marko,Antonije,Srđan,Marina,Petar,Pavle,Natalija,Igor(through Russian).
Most Serbian surnames are paternal, maternal, occupational or derived from personal traits. It is estimated that over two thirds of all Serbian surnames have the suffix-ić(-ић) ([itɕ]), a Slavicdiminutive, originally functioning to createpatronymics. Thus the surnamePetrovićmeans the "son of Petar" (from a male progenitor, the root is extended with possessive-ovor-ev). Due to limited use of international typewriters and unicode computer encoding, the suffix may be simplified to-ic, historically transcribed with a phonetic ending,-ichor-itchin foreign languages. Other common surname suffixes found among Serbian surnames are-ov,-ev,-inand-ski(without-ić) which is the Slavicpossessive casesuffix, thus Nikola's son becomes Nikolin, Petar's son Petrov, and Jovan's son Jovanov.  Other, less common suffices are-alj/olj/elj,-ija,-ica,-ar/ac/an. The ten most common surnames in Serbia, in order, areJovanović,Petrović,Nikolić,Marković,Đorđević,Stojanović,Ilić,Stanković,PavlovićandMilošević.
Serbs are predominantlyOrthodox Christians. Theautocephalyof theSerbian Orthodox Church, was established in 1219, as an Archbishopric, and raised to thePatriarchatein 1346.It is led by theSerbian Patriarch, and consists of three archbishoprics, six metropolitanates andthirty-one eparchies, having around 10 million adherents. Followers of the church form the largest religious group in Serbia and Montenegro, and the second-largest inBosnia and HerzegovinaandCroatia. The church has an archbishopric inNorth Macedoniaand dioceses in Western Europe, North America, South Americaand Australia.
The identity of ethnic Serbs was historically largely based on Orthodox Christianity and on the Serbian Church in particular. The conversion of the South Slavs from paganism to Christianity took place before theGreat Schism of 1054. During the time of the Great Schism, Serbian rulers includingMihailo VojislavljevićandStefan Nemanjawere Roman Catholics, with the former being a vassal of thePapal States. In 1217, the Serbian rulerStefan Nemanja IIwas crowned byPope Honorius IIIof the Roman Catholic Church. However in 1219, Nemanja II was crowned once again by the newly independent Serbian Orthodox Church. This shift solidified the Christian Orthodox religion in Serbia.
With the arrival of theOttoman Empire, some Serbs converted toIslam. This was particularly, but not wholly, the case inBosnia.Since the second half of the 19th century, a small number of Serbs converted to Protestantism,while historically some Serbs were Roman Catholics (especially inBay of KotorandDalmatia; e.g.Serb-Catholic movement in Dubrovnik).In a personal correspondence with author and critic dr. Milan Šević in 1932,Marko Muratcomplained that Orthodox Serbs are not acknowledging the Roman Catholic Serb community on the basis of their faith.The remainder of Serbs remain predominantly Serbian Orthodox Christians.
Among the most notable national and ethnic symbols are theflag of Serbiaand thecoat of arms of Serbia. The flag consists of a red-blue-whitetricolour, rooted inPan-Slavism, and has been used since the 19th century. Apart from being the national flag, it is also used officially inRepublika Srpska(by Bosnian Serbs) and as the official ethnicFlag of Serbs of Croatia. The coat of arms, which includes both theSerbian eagleandSerbian cross, has also been officially used since the 19th century, its elements dating back to the Middle Ages, showing Byzantine and Christian heritage. These symbols are used by various Serb organisations, political parties and institutions. TheThree-finger salute, also called the "Serb salute", is a popular expression for ethnic Serbs and Serbia, originally expressingSerbian Orthodoxyand today simply being a symbol for ethnic Serbs and the Serbian nation, made by extending the thumb, index, and middle fingers of one or both hands.
Traditional clothing varies due to diverse geography and climate of the territory inhabited by the Serbs. The traditional footwear,opanci, is worn throughout the Balkans.The most commonfolk costume of Serbiais that ofŠumadija, a region in central Serbia,which includes the national hat, theŠajkača.Older villagers still wear their traditional costumes.The traditional dance is thecircle dance, calledkolo.Zmijanje embroideryis a specific technique of embroidery practised by the women of villages in area Zmijanje on mountainManjačaand as such is a part of theUNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.Pirot carpetis a variety of flat tapestry woven rug traditionally produced inPirot, a town in southeastern Serbia.
Slavais the family's annual ceremony and veneration of their patron saint, a social event in which the family is together at the house of the patriarch. The tradition is an important ethnic marker of Serb identity.Serbs usually regard the Slava as their most significant and most solemnfeast day.Serbs havetheir own customs regarding Christmas, which includes the sacral tree, thebadnjak, a youngoak. On OrthodoxEaster, Serbs have the tradition ofSlavic Egg decorating.Čuvari Hristovog grobais a religious/cultural practice of guarding a representation ofChrist's grave onGood Fridayin theChurch of St. Nicholasby theSerbian Orthodoxinhabitants in the town ofVrlika.
Serbian cuisineis largely heterogeneous, with heavy Oriental, Central European and Mediterranean influences.Despite this, it has evolved and achieved its own culinary identity. Food is very important in Serbian social life, particularly during religious holidays such asChristmas,Easterand feast days, i.e.,slava.Staples of the Serbian diet include bread, meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. Traditionally, three meals are consumed per day. Breakfast generally consists of eggs, meat and bread. Lunch is considered the main meal, and is normally eaten in the afternoon. Traditionally,Domestic or turkish coffeeis prepared after a meal, and is served in small cups.Bread is the basis of all Serbian meals, and it plays an important role in Serbian cuisine and can be found in religious rituals. A traditional Serbian welcome is to offerbread and saltto guests,and alsoslatko(fruit preserve). Meat is widely consumed, as is fish. Serbian specialties includekajmak(a dairy product similar toclotted cream),proja(cornbread),kačamak(corn-flour porridge), andgibanica(cheese and kajmak pie).Ćevapčići, caseless grilled and seasoned sausages made of minced meat, is thenational dishof Serbia.
Šljivovica(Slivovitz) is the national drink of Serbia in domestic production for centuries, andplumis the national fruit. The international nameSlivovitzis derived from Serbian.Plum and its products are of great importance to Serbs and part of numerous customs.A Serbian meal usually starts or ends with plum products and Šljivovica is served as anaperitif.A saying goes that the best place to build a house is where a plum tree grows best.Traditionally, Šljivovica (commonly referred to as "rakija") is connected to Serbian culture as a drink used at all important rites of passage (birth, baptism, military service, marriage, death, etc.), and in theSerbian Orthodoxpatron saint celebration (slava).It is used in numerous folk remedies, and is given certain degree of respect above all other alcoholic drinks. The fertile region ofŠumadijain central Serbia is particularly known for its plums and Šljivovica.Serbia is the largest exporter of Slivovitz in the world, and second largest plum producer in the world.Winemaking tradition in modern-day Serbia dates back to the Roman times in the 3rd century, while Serbs have been involved in winemaking since the 8th century.
Serbs are known for their sporting achievements, and have produced a number of talented athletes.
TheHungariancitizenMomčilo Tapavicawas the firstSlavand Serb to win anOlympic medal, in the1896 Summer Olympics.
Over the years Serbia has been home to many internationally successful football players such asDragan Džajić(officially recognized as "the best Serbian footballer of all times" by Football Association of Serbia; 1968Ballon d'Orthird place),Rajko Mitić,Dragoslav Šekularacand more recent likes ofDragan Stojković,Dejan Stanković,Nemanja Vidić(two-timePremier League Player of the Seasonand member ofFIFPro World XI),Branislav Ivanović(Serbia's most capped player) andNemanja Matić.Radomir Antićis a notable football coach, best known for his work withthe national team,Real Madrid C.F.andFC Barcelona. Serbia has developed a reputation as one of the world's biggest exporters of expat footballers.
A total of 22 Serbian players have played in theNBAin the last two decades, including three-timeNBA All-StarPredrag "Peja" Stojaković, as well as NBA All-Star and bothFIBAandNBA Hall of FameinducteeVlade Divac.The most notable isNikola Jokić, the2020–21–2022NBA Most Valuable Player Awardwinner and 2023NBA finals MVPrecipient.Serbian players that made a great impact in Europe include four members of the FIBA Hall of Fame from the 1960s and 1970s –Dragan Kićanović,Dražen Dalipagić,Radivoj Korać, andZoran Slavnić– as well as recent stars such asDejan Bodiroga(2002 All-Europe Player of the Year),Aleksandar Đorđević(1994 and 1995Mr. Europa),Miloš Teodosić(2009–10Euroleague MVP),Nemanja Bjelica(2014–15 Euroleague MVP),andVasilije Micić(2020–21 Euroleague MVP).The "Serbian coaching school" produced many of the most successful European coaches of all times, such asŽeljko Obradović(a record nine Euroleague titles),Božidar Maljković(four Euroleague titles),Aleksandar Nikolić(three Euroleague titles),Dušan Ivković(two Euroleague titles), andSvetislav Pešić(one Euroleague title).
One of the most notable Serbian athletes is tennis playerNovak Djokovic. He has won an all-time record 24Grand Slam men's singles titles, and has been year-end World No. 1 on a record eight occasions.Djokovic is regarded by many to be the greatest men's tennis player of all time.
Other notable tennis players includeAna Ivanovic(champion of2008 French Open) andJelena Janković, who were both ranked No. 1 in theWTArankings, whileNenad ZimonjićandSlobodan Živojinovićwere ranked No. 1 in doubles.
Notablewater polo playersareVladimir Vujasinović,Aleksandar Šapić,Vanja Udovičić,Andrija PrlainovićandFilip Filipović.
Other noted Serbian athletes, including Olympic and world champions and medalists, are: swimmerMilorad Čavić, volleyball playerNikola Grbić, handball playerSvetlana Kitić,long-jumperIvana Španović, shooterJasna Šekarić,sprint canoerMarko Tomićević, judokaNemanja Majdovand taekwondoistMilica Mandić.
A number of sportspeople of Serb origin represented other nations, such as tennis playersDaniel Nestor,Jelena Dokic,Milos RaonicandKristina Mladenovic,NHLplayerMilan Lucic, basketball players NBA All-starPete Maravich,Nikola Vučević,Goran Dragić,Luka Dončić, wrestlerJim Trifunov, sprint canoerNatasa Dusev-Janics, soccer playerMiodrag Belodedici, artistic gymnastLavinia Miloșovici,racquetballplayerRhonda Rajsichand racing driverBill Vukovich.