Serbs and Orthodoxy

"As you reach the end of an exciting one-hour drive through the hills southwest of Kraljevo in central Serbia, at some point the windy road makes one last curve and the trees give way to a clearing. One can then admire, profiled against the sunset, the harmonius blend of the Romanesque and the Byzantine architectural styles, under the roof of the Studenica monastery. While for the regular tourist this may be just another check mark on the list of the World Heritage Sites, locals know this particular monastery stands for much more.

Built by Stefan Nemanjic, the founder of the medieval Serbian state, in 1190, the Studenica monastery represents the symbol of Serbian Orthodoxism, the mother of all Serbian churches, a stronghold of Eastern Orthodoxy in the region. It is also the point of departure in my intention to pursue of a project that explores the current relationship between the Serbs and the Orthodox Church."

This was the beginning of the last draft of my story proposal for World Press Photo's See Masterclass. It is a vast and complicated theme. This project will be nothing more than a visual exploration of this theme, as I am sure that by late November - our deadline for the masterclass - I will only be able to catch a glimpse of such an intricate topic.

I will try to keep a brief journal of my project here, consisting of photos, random thoughts and casual descriptions of my Serbian experience. Comments are always welcome!