Golden Wreath of Struga Poetry Evenings
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (1988) Winner
Desanka Maksimović
デサンカ・マクシモヴィッチ
Desanka Maksimovic
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1898-05-16 （Rabrovica (near Valjevo), Kingdom of Serbia）
- Died
- 1993-02-11 （Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia (modern Serbia)） age 94
- Nationality
- Serbian
- Languages
- Serbian, French
- Religion
- Eastern Orthodox Christianity
- Residence History
- Brankovina (childhood) → Valjevo → Belgrade (adult life and career)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, writer, translator, teacher
- Active Years
- 1920-1993
- Affiliations
- First High School for Girls, Belgrade (teacher), Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (member)
- Memberships
- Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (partial member → full member)
- Influenced By
- Russian poetry / Russian literature (e.g., Anna Akhmatova), Local folk and religious traditions
- Influenced
- Female poets in Yugoslavia/Serbia, The tradition of popular lyrical poetry
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Belgrade | Faculty of Arts | Art History and Comparative Literature | — | 1919–1924 | Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes |
| University of Paris (study abroad) | — | — | — | 1925 (フランス政府奨学金による1年間の留学) | France |
University of Belgrade
Faculty of Arts
/ Art History and Comparative Literature
Period:
1919–1924
Year of Graduation:
1924
Country:
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Published early poems while a student; graduated around 1924
University of Paris (study abroad)
Period:
1925 (フランス政府奨学金による1年間の留学)
Year of Graduation:
1925
Country:
France
One-year study in Paris on a French government scholarship
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Saint Sava Medal | — | — | Government (Kingdom of Yugoslavia/Serbia) | 受賞 |
| 1964 | Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (partial member → full member) | — | — | Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts | 部分会員（1964）、正会員（1965） |
| 1967 | Medal from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union | — | — | Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union | 受賞 |
| 1975 | Vuk Karadžić Award (Lifetime Achievement) | — | 生涯功労 | Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Commemorative postage stamp | — | — | Post Office / Postal Service | 追悼・記念 |
Saint Sava Medal
1925
Organization:
Government (Kingdom of Yugoslavia/Serbia)
Result:
受賞
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (partial member → full member)
1964
Organization:
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Result:
部分会員（1964）、正会員（1965）
Medal from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
1967
Organization:
Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Result:
受賞
Vuk Karadžić Award (Lifetime Achievement)
1975
Category:
生涯功労
Organization:
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Result:
受賞
Commemorative postage stamp
1996
Organization:
Post Office / Postal Service
Result:
追悼・記念
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Pesme (Poems)
1924 PoetryDebut collection containing early lyrical poems.
childhoodnaturelove
Translations
- English and numerous other languages
Pesnik i zavičaj (The Poet and His Native Land)
1945 Poetry (war poems)Collection of war-time poems containing the well-known poem "Krvava bajka" (A Bloody Tale) about the Kragujevac massacre.
warremembrancevictimhood
Translations
- Translated into English, Russian, etc.
Tražim pomilovanje (I Seek Clemency)
1964 Poetry (reflective, with historical references)A reflective volume referencing the 14th‑century reign of Dušan the Mighty; contains veiled critique of Tito's government and became widely popular.
historypolitical critiquepenitence
Adaptations
- [music] Tražim pomilovanje (arranged for chorus) / Mirjana Sistek-Djordjevic (作曲・編曲者として)
Translations
- Russian and others
Pesme iz Norveške (Poems from Norway)
1976 Poetry (travel-inspired)Poetry inspired by her visit to Norway; travel experiences reflected in the poems.
travelnaturenostalgia
Translations
- English and others
Pamtiću sve (I Shall Remember Everything)
1989 Poetry (memoir/reflective)A late reflective collection dealing with memory, time, and loss.
memorylosstime
Translations
- English and others
Bibliography
- Pesme (1924)
- Vrt detinjstva (1927)
- Zeleni vitez (1930)
- Pesnik i zavičaj (1945)
- Tražim pomilovanje (1964)
- Pesme iz Norveške (1976)
- Pamtiću sve (1989)
Adaptations
- Tražim pomilovanje set to music / arranged for women's chorus and orchestra by Mirjana Sistek-Djordjevic
Translations of Works
- Numerous translations of her works into English, Russian, French, and many other languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyric poetry valuing traditional metre and formsplain, emotionally resonant style
- Recurring Motifs
- nostalgia (homeland)love and lossmortality and finitudenature
Legacy
A leading national poet of 20th‑century Serbia. The first female Serbian poet to achieve widespread acceptance and popular appeal; her works were widely translated and she has been commemorated with statues, stamps, and street names.
Academic Societies
- Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU)
Archives
- Archives of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
- National Library of Serbia (holds related materials)
In Popular Culture
- Credited with popularizing the local practice of love locks through one of her poems
- Statues and monuments in Valjevo and Belgrade
Quotes
-
"I would not have had as many friends as I have now if I had not been able to forget the biting jokes or critical remarks about my poetry or myself."
Source: Personal recollection / interview (source unspecified)
Trivia
- The poem "Krvava bajka" (A Bloody Tale) is widely known as a requiem for the Kragujevac massacre.
- A statue of her was unveiled in Valjevo in 1990 while she was still alive.
- Many contemporaries referred to her simply by her first name, Desanka.
- Her poetry has been translated into numerous languages.