Description
150 years of rational beekeeping in Serbia
Beekeeping is an activity of exceptional importance, not only for beekeepers and farmers, but also for the planet, because the bee is a key element in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem and preserving biodiversity and natural resources. The honey bee bred in Serbia is the so-called “domestic bee”, “western honey bee” or “Euro-African honey bee” (Apis mellifera L.).
Beekeeping has a long tradition in many cultures, and rational beekeeping is an approach to beekeeping based on increasing the efficiency of bee products production in accordance with bee health and the conservation of natural resources.
Professor Jovan Živanović (1841–1916) is considered to be the father of rational beekeeping in Serbia and the Balkans. He was born in Sremski Karlovci, where he completed elementary school and the Great Serbian Gymnasium, and after studying philology in Vienna, he was appointed as a professor of the Serbian language at the Karlovci Gymnasium.
For health reasons, he established an orchard near Karlovci, where, in 1875, he first encountered bees, introducing the first eight traditional wicker beehives. Instead of obtaining honey by suffocating bees, Professor Živanović, in search of new solutions, turned to innovation, so he contacted renowned beekeepers from Europe and the world and began to introduce advanced work technologies. He brought from Europe, but also constructed himself, the most modern equipment – the first beehive with movable frames – the so-called “American”, the Hruschka spinner for extracting honey, the first steam-powered wax melter and the first press for casting comb foundations in beehives.
Professor Jovan Živanović founded the second Department of Modern Beekeeping in Europe for students of the Karlovac Theological Seminary. He published a number of books and several magazines in the field of beekeeping, and in the vicinity of Karlovac he also arranged four apiaries with about 400 hives. With his work, he laid the foundations for the modernization of beekeeping in Serbia, making it more efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable in the long term, thus leaving a permanent mark on the improvement of beekeeping practice, both from a technical and ecological perspective.
Professional cooperation: Danica Radović, Publicist, Beekeeping Museum Sremski Karlovci
Artistic realisation of the issue: MA Marija Vlahovic, academic graphic artist
150 years since the discovery of the Serbian spruce
Serbian spruce (Picea omorika) is a species of spruce, endemic to the Balkan Peninsula and a Tertiary relic. This means that this plant can only be found in a specific, small area and that it has managed to survive since ancient times (it is estimated that Serbian spruce has existed for about 65 million years). Because of these characteristics, it is known as a “living fossil”.
It was named after Serbian scientist Josif Pančić (a Serbian physician, botanist, and first president of the Serbian Royal Academy), who discovered it on Mount Tara in 1875, near the village of Zaovine. The scientific name of spruce comes from the local name for this coniferous species. Before the Ice Age, this species was widespread in Europe, and today it grows naturally only on the Balkan Peninsula, in the area of the middle stream of the Drina River and in the canyon of the Mileševka River, i.e. in western Serbia and eastern Bosnia.
The largest population in Serbia is located within the Tara National Park, which is why Serbian spruce is considered the queen of this mountain, and its beautiful, slender and elegant crown, which distinguishes it from all other conifers, has earned it the title of “queen of conifers”.
Serbian spruce has been on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 1998. It was initially listed as vulnerable, and unfortunately since 2010, it has been declared an endangered species. All Serbian spruce sites have been designated as nature reserves and are cared for by the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, and each individual Serbian spruce tree is under protection.
Expert collaboration: Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia
Artistic realisation of the issue: MA Marija Vlahovic, academic graphic artist
