It was a belief that a man should not settle for less than freedom Borislav Pekić, his trademark.
That's what the book is about. Death to freedom Dragoljub Mandić, which he recently published "Vukotić media", which is recommended to be read now not only because July 2 is the anniversary of Pekić's death, but above all to find answers to questions that are still present today.
Political biography of the writer
Borislav Pekić spent his life believing that freedom is worth more than coming to terms with the times in which we live. Arrested, persecuted and often lonely in his convictions, he believed that freedom, democratic order and individual dignity are not a political program but a condition of human life. He did not meet the society he stood for, and freedom, democratic culture and responsibility towards society are part of contemporary debates and social aspirations.
The author of the book, the young historian Dragoljub Mandić, dedicated this work to the political biography of the great writer, from the earliest days to his death. Written chronologically and based on rich literature, periodicals, published documents, archival material, but also hundreds of hours of conversations with contemporaries, this biography is perhaps the most complete work on the great writer.
There were many reasons for demonstrating
With the permission of the author and publisher, we quote part from Death of freedom about student protests in 1968:
"Europe was ruled by the spirit of rebellion in the 1960s. First in West Berlin, and then in France and Italy, young people expressed their dissatisfaction with the post-war social development."
Despite the vague demands, the clouds of student demonstrations, which took place in '68. spread throughout Europe, at the beginning of June they also towered over Belgrade. There were many reasons for demonstrating: difficulties in implementing economic reform, rising unemployment, declining production, increasingly pronounced social inequalities and other anomalies that led to tension in the entire Yugoslav society.
The occasion was an incident that happened on June 2 during the event Friendship Caravan in New Belgrade, which was intended for participants of the labor action. Students also wanted to attend the event, but since they were not allowed to do so, there was a big conflict between the brigadier, the students and the militia, who intervened. Due to great dissatisfaction, around 3.000 students marched towards the city center that same night, pushing fire trucks seized during the conflict in front of them. A militia cordon stopped them at the underpass and dispersed them using force. However, this only led to the escalation of the rebellion, so on June 3, the student leadership was formed and clear demands were highlighted.
Pekić supported the student movement since he did not resist its romanticism, but ideologically he did not belong to it due to his leftist color. But when Živojin Lazić took him to the Faculty of Philosophy on June 3, Pekić could not remain indifferent to what he saw there: 'The scene in the inner courtyard is impressive. It is reminiscent of the Convention at the time of the French Revolution. He speaks a lot and clearly. Much is also required, but less clearly.'
Letter to students
He immediately joined the writers who signed the letter of support for the students. Živojin Pavlović, the famous director and writer, testifies that Pekić was one of the first signatories: 'Then Borislav Pekić and Mirko Kovač appear. They sign without objection. Pekić - a tall, saintly figure - announces in a shrill voice that he will not read the text; everything he signed so far he signed 'in white'!' The following day, the poet Milan Komnenić read the letter in front of the students: 'We follow your struggle with excitement and admiration, which has become a matter of conscience for every honest person in this country. We wholeheartedly support your courage to put forward not your narrow university demands, but to open up and refresh the essential questions of freedom, truth and justice in a socialist society.'
On the same day, Pekić called the editorial office of Književni novini and initiated the paper to officially stand behind the demonstrations, which was done. Although he worked hard to prepare a number that would convey what the students had to say, Pekić quickly lost his expectations of the final outcome of the demonstrations: 'I don't expect anything. I am aware of the complete senselessness of everything that is happening, but I do not resist the tide. It is pleasant to be carried somewhere. It doesn't matter where. You always arrive at the same place anyway.'
Despite this, he did not want to spread defeatism and in commenting on the situation he mostly used sarcasm. However, he could not hide his mood in front of his wife who, unlike him, completely succumbed to the revolutionary atmosphere. This led to the first quarrel between them, and the occasion was the emblem of the Red University 'Karl Marx' on Ljiljana's lapel, as well as her desire for Pekić to wear it himself. Then he began to enter into conflicts with the participants of the demonstrations, revolted by their superficiality, self-deprecation and hypocrisy.
When everything is over
About one of them, which happened near "Trandafilović", Pekić wrote the following:
"When everything is over, you will come here for a while - under the linden tree - to admire yourselves and talk about the glorious times of 1968, you will sit with me under that linden tree, as long as I want to listen to you and admire you, and then one day, when the mist of that somnambulant but magical June falls from your eyes and when with those new, and actually ancient eyes of the selfish, you see your generation catching no fog, but comfortable positions, you will just disappear. I will meet you again as editors of reputable publishing houses, who, patting me on the shoulder and looking through me as if through a closet window, will reject manuscripts, or, after five years of working on them, send me to rework them for another five and adapt them to what is currently 'convenient' - because this, brother, you yourself know right now, I will not be really extremely inconvenient - and when we are with you, although I do it, I do not believe that I will be so angry as to cross the line decency, if I remind you of our conversations under the linden tree, you will remember neither the conversation, nor the linden tree, and finally, by the time I reach the door of your office, neither me!'
Photo_ Vukotić mediaPekić, one of the founders of the Democratic Party
Although the revolutionary speeches 'sometimes put pressure on him', Pekić continued to attend the demonstrations until the very end.
Later, a few months after the demonstration ended, Pekić analyzed the newsletters, daily and student press, and wrote down the names of the people who appeared most often. Then he promised himself that 'within a decade, he would look up all those names and talk to them'. He wondered who and what June 1968 would bring? Fortunately for Serbian literature, he brought Pekić a solution to the plot of the novel he was working on at the time. In two years, it will be published under the title Pilgrimage of Arsenije Njegovan. "
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