NUSANTARA visited a traditional tourist event “Days of millers and mill workers” in the village of Bistrica, near Petrovac na Mlavi
Members of the Association of Serbian-Indonesian Friendship NUSANTARA attended, on Sunday, April 23, 2023, in the village of Bistrica, near Petrovac na Mlavi, on the slopes of the Homolje mountains, the traditional tourist event “Days of millers and mill workers”, which is organized for the thirteenth time and which was attended by hundreds of guests.
The event was held in a picturesque setting, near a dozen of old mills, built during the 19th and up to the middle of the 20th century. Due to its socio-historical value, this complex was declared a cultural monument in 1986. The beginning of this interesting journey through time started from the Ivkova watermill and lead past the mills of Milisavčić, Tomaška, Julanska, Velika, Pavićevska, Ružanska, Nedeljkova and Milanova, past the church of Emperor Constantine and Empress Jelena, all the way to the Tomaška rolling mill and the waterfall.
Bistrica is also known for being the birthplace of Dragutin Tomašević, the first Serbian Olympian, who has his memorial room in the center of the village.
The visitors had the opportunity to, while walking by the mills, taste the old dishes of the Bistrica region: Bistrica cheese, projara, pie, polenta, homemade cakes, but also to buy local homemade products: Bistrica rakija, honey from Homolje, flour from the mills, as well as to enjoy cultural and artistic programme.
The watermills in Bistrica, which have recently been on the list of the most endangered sites in Europe, will be completely renovated, as part of the “Seven Most Endangered” program for 2023 and with the help of donors.
After their stay in Bistrica, the members of the Society, on their way to Belgrade, visited the Sestroljin monastery, near Požarevac, and the friendly host, priest Rade, told the legend about Sister Jelica and the connection of this monastery with the other three monasteries in the Braničevo district: the monasteries of Rukumija, Zaova and Bradača.
The members of the NUSANTARA Association would like to thank Mrs. Gorica Marinković, president of the Association of Millers and mill workers of Bistrica, for the great organization and hospitality.
Marko Jelić
Photos: Verica Stojković, Oliver Dimić, Zoran Stojković, Sonja Lapatanov, Romana Stepović, Marko Jelić
RTV Mlava: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSXZt44CTmk&t=4s
