Immortal regiment
[ VO ] A lot of people… I think about 70%, even 80% of Serbians are pro-Russian.
[ VO ] You know, you cannot make it like fashion.
[ VO ] Or count how many people came to the “Immortal Regiment”
and then come to a conclusion they are pro-Russians or not.
[ VO ] Russophobia means also Serbophobia.
[ VO ] We have passed through this.
[ VO ] So we know how the russian brothers are feeling at the moment.
Fans are shouting: Serbia – Russia! Serbs and Russians – brothers forever
SERBIA’S CHOICE
[ VO ] In a small apartment in the Vozdovac district,
artist Branislav Radisic begins painting.
[ VO ] He already knows the the picture’s title
- Miracle in Gadara.
[ VO ] A parable about Jesus
Christ, who cast out demons from a possessed man.
[ VO ] It’s actually a current story.
[ Branislav Radišić, Artist ] This is one of the miracles of Jesus Christ,
when he exorcised evil spirits
[ Branislav ] It's like Dostoevsky's 'Demons'
[ Branislav ] I'm now making an allegory, a single painting,
and today, it's the same
[ Branislav ] These two are called, Ananias...
and Legion
[ Branislav ] It's actually the same as what's now going on
with the Nazis, the 'Ukronazis'
[ Branislav ] They live in graves,
so, they live in dead ideas
[ Branislav ] Their concepts are dead, but they live on
at others' expense and attack everyone who passes by
[ Branislav ] And now it's happening not just in Ukraine, but in Europe too
April 4, 2022
[ VO ] This spring in the presidential elections incumbent Aleksandar Vucic, won.
[ VO ] Most Serbs are pro-Russian and so Vucic is resisting
European pressure, refusing to impose sanctions on Russia.
[ Aleksandr Vucić, President Of Serbia ] Tell me please, how can we...
just impose sanctions against the Russian Federation?
[ Aleksandr ] The only country not to sanction us in the 90s,
which has never imposed them on Republika Srpska
[ VO ] Thunder struck after the elections. Serbia voted to
suspend Russia's membership in the UN Human Rights Council.
April 7, 2022
[ VO ] Vučić made excuses – about pressure and blackmail.
[ VO ] But the Serbs rebelled and took to the streets with the rallying cry of
"Not on my behalf" - the people had not voted against Russia.
[ Mladen Obradović President, Obraz Movement ] The vote by the Serbian
delegation at the UN
was not in our name, in the name of Serbs who love Russia
[ VO ] Mladen Obradovic is one of the organizers of this mass action, a
theology graduate, he runs the telegram channel Serbs for Russians.
[ VO ] He’s also the leader of the Obraz movement. He confirms he did
not speak out against Russia. So it’s not on his behalf either.
[ Mladen ] We do not believe the Serbian government
should do things like that
because a vote like that harms both Serbia and Russia
[ VO ] Mladen knows the works of Dostoevsky and Gogol, he’s
familiar with the philosophers Leontiev and Ilyin.
[ VO ] He appears on television, streams on YouTube, and assimilates
leaflets around Belgrade about fostering friendship with Russia.
[ VO ] To victory with Russia
Hi, our Russian brothers!
Belgrade here, in Serbia!
We have a convoy for friendship with Russia
Victory will be ours!
[ Mladen ] There have been recent opinion polls
[ Mladen ] For the first time, even pro-Western pollsters
had to admit that most Serb citizens opposed joining the EU,
and the percentage is especially high among the young
[ VO ] Kustendorf is a toy village built by film director Emir Kusturica.
[ VO ] It looks like movie scenery.
[ VO ] Film festivals are held here annualy. This year, out of
500 films submitted, it was the Russian entry that won.
[ VO ] While Russian art is banned in one part of Europe, it wins in another part.
[ Emir Kusturica, film director ] This is going to happen in
the Western media, that in Kusturica festival Russian win
at the moment when we don’t want Russians to win anywhere.
[ Emir ] We ban their sportsmen, ban their cats…
[ Emir ] We ban everything what is Russian. But this is so crazy.
[ Emir ] When you say that European culture is cancelling the Russian
culture, I don’t see big culture in Europe at the moment.
[ Emir ] No culture can not cancel culture.
[ Emir ] How can you separate Lev Tolstoy from the history? Or
Turgenev from the history of Europe? This is impossible.
[ VO ] At one time, Serbia was also shunned in Europe.
April 23, 1999
[ VO ] It was bombed, and the Serbs were doubt outcasts.
[ VO ] Today, fraternity between Russia and Serbia is being
poisoned. Serbs are being forced to join European sanctions.
[ VO ] However, so far without success.
November 25, 2021
[ Emir ] What we could say, politicians, they say one
thing, they do another and they think third.
[ Emir ] So I still hope that our president is moving in
between these three elements – thinking, doing, saying.
[ Emir ] I still believe that he will find the space not to
put sanctions. Because these sanctions are symbolic.
[ Emir ] If we put sanctions on Russia, we spit on our
past, on our history, on our Christian beliefs.
[ Emir ] Which are leading to the last bombardment that happened in 1999.
'This is CNN breaking news'
'We must act now'
'The call to take out Slobodan Milosevic'
'NATO began on massive air bombing campaign'
'We will provide that knockout blow'
'Military action'
'gung-ho bom bom bom'
'It is attack to sovereign state'
'Waves of planes are taking off'
'NATO cruise missiles land in Serbia'
'It all start again tomorrow night'
[ VO ] In 1999, NATO bombed Yugoslavia without UN sanction.
[ VO ] "Time" magazine came out with a cynical headline,
claiming massive bombing would open the way to peace.
[ VO ] According to various sources, about 6 thousand civilians were killed.
[ VO ] By then, Yugoslavia had broken up into mini-states,
most of which had taken a pro-Western course.
[ VO ] But not Serbia.
[ Lubisa Milic, Carpenter ] We all remember what America did to us
[ Lubisa ] And not just us, all over the world. Americans bombed my village
April 1999
52 bombs fell on army barracks in my village
in 78 days of bombing
[ Lubisa ] One evening, bombing started
[ Lubisa ] My mum and dad stayed inside
[ Lubisa ] They weren't afraid, they said there was nothing to worry about
[ Lubisa ] When bombs started falling, they always hid inside, in the cellar
[ Lubisa ] I went in and they were trembling with terror
[ Lubisa ] They didn't want to stay
[ Lubisa ] There was a huge valve
[ Lubisa ] It was part of a bomb, and as big as a kitchen stove
[ Lubisa ] I couldn't imagine it had come from the sky
[ Lubisa ] I asked Dad where it was from, it smelled of oil
[ Lubisa ] He said, 'It's a gift from Clinton'
[ VO ] Carpenter Lyubisha Milich remembers those bombings vividly.
[ VO ] He restores old cottages.
[ VO ] This one, he says, is a hundred years old, and will last another century after repairs.
[ VO ] After the covid-19 pandemic, people turned to nature,
and the demand for country cottages has grown.
[ Lubisa ] I try to work in an ethno style, so it looks...
as it did 100 years ago...
old windows, old furniture, locks, authentic keys
[ VO ] While Serbia is not being bombed today, it has not become easier: the nation surrounded
by NATO countries, and the EU is forcing it to impose of sanctions against Russia.
[ Lubisa ] I doubt Serbia would gain anything by imposing sanctions
[ Lubisa ] We'd lose...
much more than we'd gain
[ Lubisa ] We'd lose a lot in energy sources, and that's too much
[ Lubisa ] We had the cheapest gas in the region
[ Lubisa ] We'll lose that and get nothing from Brussels
[ Lubisa ] We got nothing,
like a donkey with a carrot
April 7, 2022
[ VO ] They often talk of carrots and donkeys here.
[ VO ] And also the stick and the carrot. Europe works with a stick more
often than not. Which is why Serbia voted against Russia in the UN.
[ Alexandr Botsan-Kharchenko Russian Ambassador To The Republic Of Serbia ] There's been
unceremonious and blatant
pressure on Serbia from Washington and Brussels
[ Alexandr ] That's a major factor
[ Alexandr ] They stop at nothing with their pressure
May 19, 2022
[ Alexandr ] It includes political pressure, intimidation, blackmail,
threats that the status of European Union candidates
will be annulled or suspended
[ Branislav ] Black is earthly, overflowing with lies
[ Branislav ] But white is pure, it's purity
[ Branislav ] Purity that we actually get from birth
[ Branislav ] This contrast is the most important thing for me
Malevich, whom I love, announced the death of all art styles
with his black square: a black square on white
[ Branislav ] I guess there is a kind of mystical connection
between Russia and Serbia
[ Branislav ] It's a big mystery, you can't describe it logically,
or explain it emotionally
[ Branislav ] It's a mystical connection: what happens to us, happens to you
[ Branislav ] What happens to you, happens to us
[ Branislav ] We can only observe...
this mystical connection
[ Branislav ] I believe we are one people
[ Branislav ] But history has divided us into several separate regions
[ Branislav ] We all feel it
[ VO ] A column of Serbian Night Wolves filled the old Nish-Aleksinac route.
[ VO ] A monument dedicated to the so-called Nish Incident is being unveiled.
[ VO ] The event happened on November 7, 1944. American aircraft
allegedly bombed a convoy of Soviet troops by mistake.
[ VO ] The Red Army responded by destroyed 5 American fighters.
[ VO ] Some consider in to be the first showdown between Russia and the United States.
[ VO ] This case gives you some background:
the hidden thoughts of our allies even on the eve of victory
[ VO ] Afterwards there were excuses
[ VO ] They thought it was German troops, a German motorcade etc
[ VO ] Although there were clearly signs and flags,
so it was obvious they were Soviet troops
Donetsk People's Republic
[ VO ] Where else can you take a photo with the Russian
ambassador just like that? Well, you can here.
[ VO ] Everybody knows Serbs and Russians are brothers
[ VO ] Orthodox peoples are friends
[ VO ] Russians and Serbians have been connected for centuries
[ VO ] We have many club members in Serbia
[ VO ] The 240 kilometers from Belgrade to Nish, is not a problem for the Night Wolves.
[ VO ] If something about Russia happens somewhere in
Serbia, most likely the Wolves will be there.
[ VO ] For example, in the town of Luboviya - on the border with Bosnia.
[ Song ] Little snowberry, snowberry
Snowberry of mine!
[ Song ] Little raspberry in the garden,
my little raspberry!
[ VO ] Nenad Marich, a former bodyguard, is now an athlete, and a security officer.
[ VO ] Motorcycling for him is about rebellion, rock and roll and adrenaline.
[ Nend Maric, Member, ‘Night Wolves’ Serbian Motorcycle Club ] 'Night Wolves' is a club,
a Russian motorcycle club,
with its headquarters in Russia
[ Nend ] There's no difference between us
[ Nend ] We have the same flags... just turned upside down
[ Nend ] Sufficient proof we're brothers!
[ Nend ] We in the 'Night Wolves' are all brothers
[ Nend ] We were the first to struggle with NATO in 1999
[ Nend ] We know what evil it is
[ Nend ] We know who killed our children
[ Nend ] We know who financed Nazism in Croatia,
and how many Serbs were expelled and killed
[ Nend ] Russia will win together with Serbia
[ Nend ] We'll never surrender to Western fascists
Never!
[ Nend ] We orthodox peoples are united
[ Nend ] We stick together and fight
[ Nend ] Serbia will never betray Russia,
and Russia will never betray Serbia Simple as that!
[ VO ] Deyan Mirovich, a political scientist, a professor at Mitrovoca
University in Kosovo is of skeptical and says the unbelieveble:
sooner or later Serbia will impose sanctions against Moscow.
[ VO ] The people may be for Russia, but it's the politicians who decide, not them.
[ Deyan Mirovic, Political Scientist ] Every question, every poll,
shows that almost 80% of the population supports Russia
[ Deyan ] Yesterday, the Serbian president said
there will be no sanctions for now,
but we'll see later. If there's heavy pressure from the EU,
then there will be!
[ VO ] Former serbian minister of foreign affairs, Vuk Drashkovic, is pro-NATO.
[ VO ] He supports Europe and anti-Russian sanctions.
[ Vuk Draskovic, Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Serbia (2004-2007) ]
Serbia in NATO, Serbia in the European Union, Serbia in the West.
[ Vuk ] Why is Serbia in NATO?
[ Vuk ] Because NATO is not just a military organization.
[ Vuk ] NATO is a political organization too. If you say ‘I want
to approach NATO’, it means ‘I want this western path’.
[ Vuk ] And the European Union is travelling on that road.
[ Milica Durdevic Stamenkovski, Leader, Oathkeepers Party ] For now, the state leadership
says sanctions won't be imposed
[ Milica ] But there is strident propaganda in some of the media
May 31, 2022
[ Milica ] Citizens are being told that if Serbia imposes sanctions,
their lives will be 10 times better than now
[ VO ] A girl versus a hawk. In the last presidential elections
in Serbia 160 000 serbians voted for Militsa Stamenkovsky.
[ VO ] She came 5th, but still considers it a victory.
[ Milica ] Serbia awaits something new, fresh, and different
[ Milica ] This is exactly the Serbian party!
[ VO ] She is against Serbia joining NATO and sharply
criticizes the government for it’s stance on sanctions.
[ Milica ] I think our refusal to impose sanctions
must cause much anger in Western political circles
[ Milica ] Serbia at least tried to gain some time,
agreeing with some of the West's steps so as to deflect the pressure
[ Milica ] I guess this just temporarily blunts the knife
the West is holding against Serbia's throat
[ Milica ] The love for Russia in Serbia is so great
that it was our people who created the saying:
'God in heaven, Russia on earth'
[ Milica ] If you impose sanctions on Russia, Serbs will feel
as though they're imposing sanctions on themselves!
[ Andrey Kolosov, Artist ] I've lived here for 6 years
and created murals all over Serbia, in Belgrade too
[ Andrey ] Some people invite me because of my approach, it's free
[ Andrey ] All over Serbia, there are a great many murals
created to support friendship
[ Andrey ] Generally, among the people of Serbia there is...
deep meaning in the fact that everyone, who exists...
can order a mural...
for this or that holiday, for example, memorial days...
for the Russian flag or the Serbian flag
[ Andrey ] He can order a mural and create it
[ Branislav ] When people ask what I do, I say that I am nothing
[ Branislav ] I try to be nothing, which is the same as everything
[ Branislav ] It's the absolute, and...
[ Branislav ] I can't define myself
[ Branislav ] I deliberately added some blood red colour
[ Branislav ] It came from the blue
[ Branislav ] With us, you start and don't know what you'll do next,
how you'll finish
[ Branislav ] You either burn all that you've done, crumple it up, or leave it
[ Branislav ] This was essential for me
[ Branislav ] It's called 'The miracle at Gadar'
because, now God...
mystically banishes
all evil
from the world
[ Branislav ] All those...
who are demonic
[ Branislav ] Banish...
this Nazism
[ VO ] Almost seven thousand runners from seventy countries weren’t
put off by the Balkan heat and entered the 42 kilometers race.
[ VO ] Presenting medals at the finishing line, young volunteers shared their
plans for the future. Someone roots for Russia, others look to Europe.
'I think we should side with Russia and China,
not Europe and America'
'I'm going to the Air Force and plan to join the military academy,
and while at the military academy,
I'd like to continue my training as a pilot in Russia'
'We'd have better study conditions in parts of Europe than here'
'I want to go to France after university'
'France is a European country I adore'
'I love their culture, civilisation, literature, and fashion'
[ VO ] While young people compare East and West, the older generation looks East, to Russia.
[ VO ] This year there is a big strawberries harvest in Serbia.
[ VO ] The community of Shabac has an ideal climate for it.
[ VO ] On Milosh Miletic’s 30 hectares farm, two hectares are given over to strawberries.
[ Milosh Miletic, Farmer ] Three times, every day, 150 to 450 boxes
Up to 2000 kg...
two tonnes
[ Milosh ] Now we unload...
weigh it, put it on pallets, then wrap it up...
and put it in cold storage
[ Milosh ] It cools for a few hours before it's shipped to Russia
[ VO ] Strawberries used to be exported to Russia. But after
the borders closed, logistics became more expensive.
[ VO ] The farmer complains, that if it goes on, he will only be able to trade with Europe.
[ Milosh ] We send raspberries to Europe,
and strawberries...
apples...
cherries
[ Milosh ] Plums and dried plums go mostly to Russia
[ Milosh ] If the EU imposes sanctions,
we won't be able to sell our products
[ Milosh ] Then we'd have big problems. Production would be suspended
[ Milosh ] We don't even know what we'd do, or how we'd do it
[ VO ] While the EU cuts ties with Russia, Milan Stamatovic,
the mayor of Zlatibor city, is restoring them.
[ Milan Stamatovic, Zlatibor Mayor ] This Office
is the Commonwealth with the Russian Federation
BUREAU FOR COOPERATION WITH THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
[ Milan ] It was founded 7 years ago in the municipality of Cajetina
to build strong connections with entrepreneurs and tourists
from the Russian Federation
[ VO ] With this mix of mountains and sea air, Zlatibor
is a Balkan health resort known throughout Europe.
[ VO ] Driving up to an altitude of 1500 meters, Milan compares
the situation in Russia with what Serbia went through.
[ Milan ] If Russia was paying debts up until 2017 or 2021
for Ukraine's loans,
how can Ukraine suddenly declare
that it wants to be with NATO, and not with Russia,
who paid off Ukraine's loans?
[ Milan ] The Russian people would have been much better off,
if that money had been spent on their own needs
[ Milan ] So do we, the Serbs
[ Milan ] Serbia also financed Kosovo and Metohija
[ Milan ] We paid their loans, and suddenly
someone came and said, 'You've paid our loans
and now we're leaving you.' So give our money back!
[ Milan ] Give the money back and go wherever you want
[ Milan ] The situations in Serbia...
and Russia are similar
[ VO ] The mayor wants to erect a monument to Russian paratroopers on top of Mount Tornik.
June 12, 1999
[ VO ] They marched from Uglevik to Pristina in 1999.
[ VO ] 200 Russians took control of Slatina airport before NATO troops there.
[ VO ] The monument is still in Moscow, but as soon as freight
traffic across Europe resumes, the ten-ton bronze structure will go to Serbia.
Immortal regiment
[ Branislav ] History repeats itself. For Russia, history repeats with war
[ Branislav ] Every 100 years, a serious war breaks out
Napoleon,
the Poles, Hitler...
and war again. It happens every 80-100 years
[ Branislav ] Russia must defend its life Its own life
[ Branislav ] She stood up when crippled, almost dead
[ Branislav ] It's a struggle...
[ Branislav ] Anyone with eyes can see it
[ Branislav ] It's a battle between good and evil
[ Branislav ] It's between good and evil
[ Branislav ] It's between black and white
a fight against Satan.