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The word “Freedom” in the history of Serbia has always been expensive, but the price paid by the Serbian people in World War I cannot be pronounced without having a lump in the throat, and one can feel a few moments when saying the number of victims who fell for freedom. That is, according to some data, between 1,100,000 and 1,300,000 lives were lost during the four years of the war. That figure was a third of the population at that time, and during the war, up to 60% of the male population died.
Those who survived Golgotha and the suffering of the First World War in Serbia had to continue their lives rebuilding their homes and creating families. Grandparents born shortly before the war or in the war years did not know what free time and play meant, like their peers today. That is, in addition to the regular school activities, on their little shoulders, there were hard jobs such as digging, plowing, harvesting corn, threshing grain, as well as all those activities that were considered necessary for the survival of a household in the country.
What life was like for our ancestors when they were children is best illustrated by a video made by an unknown Dutch cameraman, which was until recently stored at the Amsterdam Film Institute. A few days ago, that video was restored and colored, thanks to Sladjan Grujicic.
On their shoulders, barefoot or in sandals, naked, with headscarves and kerchiefs on their heads, dressed in the typical Serbian costumes of the time, our chukunbakas and chukundeks did the hardest physical work on the ground from morning to night, before and after school.
Imagine those little hands, who with hard work became increasingly rougher over time, in addition to grabbing something terrible, as something normal and necessary to preserve the home. Imagine their seriousness at seven, nine or eleven years old, when they knew that a barn and a field were more important than a book, but they did everything in parallel.
If you still can’t do that, watch this five minute video and just watch the faces of Serbian children who had to replace their parents, grandparents, uncles and uncles, sometimes hungrier than full.
Those little housewives and housewives, plucked from a carefree childhood, were the most important factor in rebuilding the country, and their DNA was woven into our bloodstream. We, as his descendants, must not forget his sacrifice, work and commitment.
Because there is almost no field in Serbia that, far away now, in 1920, has not been cultivated by the hand of a child. Thin and smooth on the outside like silk, and cracked and rough on the inside. So this video is there to remind us of who we are and where we come from. To be remembered, mentioned and not forgotten.
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