Serbian Festival Sydney in Sydney, Australia | Festival

Serbian Festival Sydney

Locality: Sydney, Australia

Address: Darling Harbour 2000 Sydney, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.serbianfestival.com.au

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25.01.2022 Вечнаа памат ваша Светости.

24.01.2022 Today the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates Vidvodan or the Day of the light. This day is marked in the church calendar as the commemorative day of the Holy Prince Lazar and the Serbian holy martyrs, who gave their lives for the defence of the motherland during the Battle of Kosovo on 28 June 1389. For those who don't know, Vid or Svetovid was considered the supreme deity of the Old Slavs, the god who sees everything. He was "the God of all gods", while all the others were d...emigods. After the Battle of Kosovo, there have been stories that later became legends that talk of fairies called Rusalke, girls and fiancees of the Serbian knights killed in the battle. According to belief, they appear one day before Vidovdan and roam the woods from dawn until dusk, mourning the death of Prince Lazar and his knights. Then, during the night they gather in the forest near the creek and dance around the fire, and if a young Serb accidentally sees them during the ritual, they give him red wine to drink and turn him into a dragon that will wait to avenge the death of the Serbian heroes of Kosovo. ---- . , 28. 1389. . , , . " ", . , , , . , , . , , , . Source: @meet.the.serbs See more

24.01.2022 Serbian Veterans and their descendants march in the annual #ANZAC day in #Australia to commemorate the sacrifice of all fallen soldiers who fought with the Allies in the #FirstWorldWar, but due to these unprecedented times all public ANZAC Day services around both countries were cancelled. ANZAC Day is a national day of memorial in Australia, commemorating the 25th of April, 1915, when the Australian and New Zealand armed forces fought in the Battle of Gallipoli. #Se...rbs are proud of their ancestors who fought for freedom in World War I, even though the price that the Serbs had to pay for that freedom was terribly high. Today we commemorate the sacrifice of all ANZACs and fallen soldiers who fought with the Allies in the First World War. Lest We Forget. #lestweforget #anzacday #sfs2020 Pictured below is the Australian author, Miles Franklin, with Serbian medical orderlies at a Scotish Womens Hospital in support of the Serbian Army, 1917. State Library of New South Wales

24.01.2022 On Great and Holy Thursday we turn to the last events of our Lord and His Passion. Thursday morning begins with a Vesperal Divine Liturgy commemorating the Myst...ical (Last) Supper. As previously mentioned, this is actually Holy Thursday evening's service celebrated in the morning in anticipation. Generally, although not this year because of the pandemic, all who are able should make an effort to receive Holy Communion at this service as it was at the Mystical Supper that our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist. At this Liturgy a second Host is consecrated and kept in the Tabernacle. It is from this Host that Holy Communion is distributed to the sick and distanced throughout the coming year. Thursday evening actually begins the services of Great and Holy Friday. The service of the Twelve Passion Gospels commemorates the solemn time of our Lord's Crucifixion. After the reading of the fifth Gospel, the Holy Cross is carried in procession to the centre of the Church where it remains until Saturday morning.

24.01.2022 The Australian Government has translated its COVID-19 guidelines into Serbian for the benifit of the Serbian Community. Please share with your friends and family Please stay safe during this pandemic

23.01.2022 - ,... COVID-19, , 18. 19. 2020. , : , , . (100) , , ; , ; , , ; ; , , , (1. 9, 22) ; . , . , , ; , , , , (1 . 4, 13), . , , . , + - TO ALL CLERGY AND MONASTICS CHURCH COMMUNITIES AND MISSIONARY PARISHES OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX METROPOLITANATE OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND RE: Extraordinary circumstances caused by the virus COVID-19 Very Venerable and Very Reverend Fathers, In accordance with government guidelines and measures for the prevention of spreading and the suppression of viruses, and the decision rendered at the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanates annual Clergy Assembly, held on the 18th and 19th of March 2020, at St Sava Monastery New Kalenich near Canberra, we inform you of the following: All parish priests are to convene an extraordinary meeting of their respective Church Committee to meet the compulsory current state protection measures, with an expectation that there may well be further measures put in place. In accordance with the current prescribed limits pertaining to the number of faithful (100) that are to be at any one time inside the church building, the Church Committee will appoint ushers, who will control and coordinate the flow of faithful in and out of the church; The same limitations for the number of faithful during worship, will likewise apply to church halls; Folklore practice and pensioners group meetings are to be cancelled, whilst the operation of schools and hospital visitations conducted by clergy are to be executed in accordance with national/state regulations and recommendations; The level of hygiene is to be raised across church communities; Priests are to make themselves readily available to meet the pastoral needs of their faithful, to commune those who are sick and comfort those who are frightened; to become all things to all people, as St Paul instructs us (1 Cor. 9, 22) at this time of great calamity and spiritual assessment. Regular weekday services which will attract smaller numbers of parishioners should be organised where possible. In the larger church communities where there is a need and the means, the Holy Presanctified Liturgy should be served twice a week. Likewise, apart from the regular service of Divine Liturgy on Sunday, an additional Divine Liturgy is to be introduced on Saturdays. At Divine Liturgy, before the dismissal prayer, priests are to read a special prayer for the deliverance from the new virus; We are obliged to care for the well-being of all those entrusted to us, to work in conjunction with the instructions and recommendations of government authorities and health experts, but at the same time, not to be found as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4, 13), that no one will waver in heart because of us, to doubt the veracity of the promise given to us in Christ. In a time when the world is overcome with great fear and panic, we as Christians are called to soberly stand on the solid Rock of our Faith and Hope, who is Christ Jesus. With Archpastoral blessings, + S I L U A N Bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand The Serbian Orthodox Church

23.01.2022 Keep up to date with Serbian Orthodox Metropolinate AU & NZ on YouTube. Click the subscribe button!

22.01.2022 Keep the 7th of July at 9.30pm FREE!!

22.01.2022 OMG this right now would PERFECT Thanks for visiting us @izzyfooddiaries and for the review! #serbianstreetfood #cevapi #sydneyfood

22.01.2022 Milos Ninkovic has something to say! Donate now: https://www.stsavacollege.net/donate

22.01.2022 Like MIS Televizija/ Marketing and Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand SOC to view more live streams of the services and sermons for this coming Holy Week

22.01.2022 American magazine Forbes has included Serbia on the list of five countries that it recommends to tourists who want to visit lesser-known European destinations. ..."For those who have already spent a considerable amount of time in Western Europe, consider a trip to one of the continent’s more underrated nations in the east, north, or south. Rife with beautiful natural features and fascinating histories, these five countries are ideal for those in search of a truly unique experience. ... Rife with natural hot springs, Serbia’s world-class spas have drawn visitors from across Europe for thousands of years, with Vrnjaka Banja and Ribarska Banja standing out as two particularly prominent venues for a relaxing getaway. In addition to soothing springs, Serbia is also rife with historic cities, ranging from Niš, the birthplace of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, to Novi Sad, a northern city that’s been nicknamed the Athens of Serbia thanks to its historic significance. Of course, no trip to Serbia is complete without visiting Belgrade, the nation’s capital. One of Europe’s oldest cities, Belgrade is packed full of historic ruins as well as a vibrant drinking and dining scene." Read the full article at https://bit.ly/2KAsL7m. --------------------- Амерички магазин Форбс уврстио е Србиу на листу пет земаа кое препоручуе туристима женим да посете мае познате европске дестинацие. За оне кои су ве провели знатну количину времена у западно Европи, размислите о путовау у едну од потцеениих дестинациа на континенту на истоку, северу или угу. Ових пет земаа, богатих природним лепотама и фасцинантном историом, идеалне су за оне кои траже заиста единствено искуство. ... Богате природним термалним изворима, српске бае светске класе хиадама година привлаче посетиоце широм Европе, а Врачка Баа и Рибарска Баа истичу се као два посебна места за опуштауи одмор. Поред умирууих извора, Србиа обилуе и историским градовима, почев од Ниша, родног места римског цара Константина Великог, до Новог Сада, северног града кои е због свог историског значаа добио надимак Српска Атина. Наравно, ниедно путовае у Србиу ние потпуно без посете Београду, главном граду нацие. Као едан од настариих европских градова, Београд е препун историских локалитета, а истиче се и живахном сценом за убитее ела и пиа. Прочитате цео чланак на https://bit.ly/2KAsL7m.

22.01.2022 A couple of weeks ago, SBS Serbian spoke about the upcoming seminar for Religious and Community leaders on the prevention of domestic and family violence. Alexandra Alavanja, from Communities and Justice of the NSW Government, then told us that this year the Serbian community, as well as the clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia, will join forces for the first time and start raising awareness about this problem. If you would like to get involved, you still have t...ime to complete our survey which closes today! ENGLISH: http://bit.ly/DVFtest Пре пар недеа, говорили смо по први пут о семинару о превенции куног и породичног насиа. Александра Алаваа, из Министарства правде Владе Новог ужног Велса, тада нам е рекла да е се ове године Спрска заедница, као и свештенство Спрске Православне Цркве у то држави, по први пут прикучити семинарима и почети да подиже свест о овом проблему. CYRILLIC: http://bit.ly/DVFtestSerbian

19.01.2022 Today the Orthodox Church observes Good Friday (Great Friday or Holy Friday), the day when Jesus Christ was taken from the house of the high priest Caiaphas to the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate, who condemned him to be crucified. Looking at what people and soldiers are doing to him, Christ said: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". Good Friday is considered to be the saddest day of Christianity. The custom is to dye Easter eggs in red, which symbolises th...e blood of Christ, his sacrifice but also the belief in the resurrection and new life. ------------------ , . , : , , . . , . #velikipetak #uskrs #sfs2020 See more

18.01.2022 Happy Easter to all celebrating today! Whilst many Australians will be celebrating with easter egg hunts in the backyard and a good ol barbie for lunch, today the Orthodox Christians of Australia celebrate Palm Sunday or the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. #sfs2020 #serbianfestivalsydney #serbfestsyd #happyeaster #palmsunday #serbian #orthodox

18.01.2022 BISHOP SILUAN'S NATIVITY EPISTLE IN ENGLISH To all the clergy, venerable monastics and faithful people of our God-saved Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zea...land Peace of God, Christ is Born! Dearly beloved faithful in the God-Child Christ, Gathered on the Feast Day of the Holy Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ throughout our God-saving Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as faithful children of Saint Sava, we thank God for His immeasurable love and mercy, for His long-suffering and condescension, crying aloud with the angels and shepherds Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! (Luke 2:14) Following the example of St Paul, the All-laudable Apostle in giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20), we are grateful to God for not leaving us wandering in our strays, for not handing us over to the hellish darkness we entered, but rather, as a good and loving Father, caring for His lost children, sent His Only Begotten Son to illuminate our paths, to lead us in fact, to the only True Path which leads to life, life everlasting (John 10,10). We give thanks to our Lord of Bethlehem, to Him Who is given unto us as the Heavenly Bread without which humanity is left malnourished; To our God who has through His blessed and Holy Nativity revealed to us our lost image and human dignity. We likewise thank God, that in this troubled time, when fear and panic threaten to reduce man's complex theanthropic existence to an exclusively biological animalial instinctive" category, to remove everything immortal and imperishable from his life and existence, from his consciousness and self-consciousness, we are able to discover our true selves once again through the Feast of the Holy Nativity. To discover ourselves immortal and imperishable, as creatures who are at their very core Theanthropic (Godhuman). The joy and meaning that Christmas inaugurates, seems to have never been more necessary for humanity than today. To a humanity that has lost sense of its royal dignity, its spark of eternity it carries within itself. Burdened, disoriented, frightened, and confused, there is nothing more urgent humanity is in need of than the Gospel of Christmas. What is this Gospel of Christmas? It is that Heaven has bent down, that is has made an inclination towards earth, that we are not alone in this world, but that God is with us! That should be the greatest joy and consolation for all of us who live on earth. That, even in the time of the current pandemic and all our other hardships, God is always with us, crucified with us, on His all-conquering Cross; giving us His gracious support, comfort, and crucifixional-resurrectional strength and power. Because of this, the Holy Apostle Paul, heartening us through the ages, cries out: If God is with us, who will be against us? (Rom. 8, 31). This truth, brothers, and sisters should become the good news we are to share with today's overburdened world and society. In the turmoil of this life, following the media reports around us, especially spending a lot of time on social networks, we are losing precious time that God has given us for prayer and an in-depth analysis of our lives, where we stand as Christians in light of the Holy Gospel. It is time, brothers, and sisters, for fervent prayer, for penitential tears and faith that works through love. The person who has not filled himself with God, who does not live a spiritual life, is easily filled with sorrow, anxiety, and hopelessness. This is because such a man, as a rule, observes his life horizontally, through the bare prism of the earthly. In fact, the dogma of Covid's newly configured type of man is that there is no Godman. God and His gacefilled uncreated energies, His presence in creation is pushed out and back to the realms of the transcendent, and man, consequentially, returned to the realms of the transient. Because of this, we are called as Orthodox Christians to be spiritually awake, because the ancient temptation of humanism - the reduction of the God-man and God-manhood to bare humanness, the de-incarnation of all that is theanthropic (God-human) within us, our churches, our sacramental life, is the temptation St John the Theologian warned us of as pertaining to the spirit of the antichrist ( 1 The Epistle of St. John 4: 2-3). It is very easy for a person to imperceptibly transfer his faith from the immortal God-man to the transient man through various temptations and spiritual traps, including those that present themselves as philanthropic and good intentioned. Carrying our consecrated oak branches symbolising the light and strength of Christ which through the Holy Incarnation have become accessible to us, let us bring with them into our homes the joy and consolation that the Holy Nativity brings to humanity. Let us share this with our family, our neighbors, and the whole world! Let us be apostles of this joy, of this gospel among men, that God became man, in order for humanity to become gods by His grace. We prayerfully remember this Christmas our brothers and sisters in crucified Kosovo and Metohija, as well as our brothers and sisters who have recently suffered from the devastating earthquake in Petrinja, Sisak and Glina. May the Lord grant everyone the necessary consolation and strength to overcome this tragedy, and to us, prayerful empathy and a generous heart, to offer our support to them by fulfilling the supreme commandment of love. We likewise remember in our prayers, this Holy Nativity, our newly departed and beloved Patriarch of Serbia His Holiness Irinej, Metropolitan Amfilohije, Bishop Milutin, and all our deceased who have fallen asleep in the Lord. May God grant them His Heavenly Kingdom! Let us never forget that it is the Holy Nativity that brings us solace, faith and hope. Being physically separated from you, my beloved faithful, because of the closed borders, I remind you that I am always with you in my thoughts and prayers. I greet all of you, my spiritual children throughout Australia and New Zealand from the see of our Saint Sava Holy Metropolitanate in Cabramatta - Sydney, with the greeting of peace, love, joy and all-meaning: PEACE OF GOD, CHRIST IS BORN! +Siluan Bishop of Australia and New Zealand The Serbian Orthodox Church

17.01.2022 We’ve all got someone we know who fits into this criteria. #maminodete #ooahsudija #sfs

17.01.2022 SOYA Youth Ministry presents a short video on the Feast Day of The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.

16.01.2022 "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them."... Australian War Memorial #rememberenceday #lestweforget #sfs

16.01.2022 Merry Christmas to the Orthodox Communities across NSW. If you are attending a place of worship or celebrating at home with friends or family, it’s important t...o stay COVID safe. Up to 5 visitors from any number of households may visit another on any day. The total number of visitors includes adults and children. Remember to: - Always register your details when attending a service. - Try to attend outdoor services or those in well-ventilated spaces that are not crowded. - Maintain physical distancing from those you don’t live with. - Wear a face mask in indoor settings, or if you are singing outdoors (and over 12 years of age). - Avoid participating in singing or chanting indoors. - Remain seated throughout the service. - Objects should not be passed around. - No food should be shared. - Practise good hand hygiene by using hand sanitiser and washing your hands. Please do not attend any type of celebration if you have even mild COVID-19 symptoms. Stay home and get tested immediately and self-isolate until you receive a negative test result. There are more than 350 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit https://www.nsw.gov.au//how-to-protect-yourself-an/clinics or contact your GP.

15.01.2022 Information about COVID-19 (Corona Virus) in Serbian https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au//Pag/covid-19-Serbian.aspx

15.01.2022 Last Saturday we organised a photo shoot featuring some of our beautiful children wearing the brand new school uniform. Take a look at our Behind the Scenes vid...eo . Photos of Summer, Winter and Sports are coming soon. We are working hard to finish for opening in 2021. If you can help towards the purchase of furniture, resources and office fit out, you can do so here and now: https://www.stsavacollege.net/donate/ All donations are tax deductible! Thank you!!!

14.01.2022 The Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of ANZ presents to you "The Spiritual Character of Nikola Tesla" a lecture to be delivered (in English) by the Very Reverend Fr Oliver Subotic, Phd. Where: St Sava College When: The 28th of March 2020 at 5pm. Address: 381 St Andrews Road, Varroville.... All are welcome!

14.01.2022 On Saturday the 21st of March, SOYA (Serbian Orthodox Youth Association) had the privilege to meet with his Grace Bishop Siluan and board members of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand at the holy Monastery of St Sava (New Kalenic) to discuss the future of the youth

14.01.2022 For all those legends who have placed orders for our SFS Merch, unfortunately our supplier has placed all orders on hold due to COVID-19. Due to this our orders will be running late and we apologise sincerely. #sfs2020 #stanikodkuce #stayhome

13.01.2022 The argan Eight is a 15km heritage railway between Mokra Gora and Vitasi in Western Serbia. Built in 1925 on the Zlatibor mountain range, the steam train railway track derives its name from the eight loop track designed for the train to overcome mountainous terrain. Travelling through an incredible 22 tunnels and 10 bridges, the railway was reopened in 2003 by a group of train enthusiasts after being closed for financial problems in 1974. Today, the museum-tourist railway has attracted thousands of visitors from across Serbia and abroad, with the 2017 season attracting 75,000 visitors, out of which 25,000 were foreign tourists.

13.01.2022 Live Stream of the Holy Fire at Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem https://www.facebook.com/greekcitytimes/videos/1588861657935622/

12.01.2022 Among the victims of the #coronavirus in Serbia is also a famous Serbian surgeon Miodrag Lazi, well known for his courage, strong and unwavering spirit. In dif...ficult times for the Serbian people, he was always on the front lines, saving lives in often unimaginable conditions. And the Serbs never forgot that. Yesterday, in many Serbian cities, people fulfilled his last wish, to say their last fairwell with the sounds of the "March on the Drina". ---------------------------- # , , . , , . , , . https://youtu.be/EOBLrtl1dIY https://youtu.be/CE4kOvc0G8E

12.01.2022 Have no major plans this weekend? Well we’ve got you sorted! The annual Orthodox Online Film Festival ‘Byzanfest’ is currently on and ends this Sunday, so you’ve got until then to watch some great quality Orthodox Christian short films. All shorts are free whilst other feature films, you’ll need to purchase either the individual itself, or with a festival pass which gives you complete access to all the films for 7 days.... Included in this year’s selection of films, there are various short and feature films directed by several Serbian film makers. These include; Short Films (https://www.byzanfest.com/short-films) A Woodland Stroll directed by Bojan Teodosijevi The Story of Prophet Jonah directed by Maria Chaika Sorrow directed by Stefan Teofilovi Children of Sava directed by Jakov and Zlata Popov Feature Films (https://www.byzanfest.com/feature-length-program-2020) Исцеее (The Healing) directed by Ivan Jovi И Сутра е уревдан (Djurdjevdan is yet to come) directed by Predrag Todorovi #byzanfest #sfs

12.01.2022 Denver Nuggets, captained by Serbias Nikola Joki, have made it to the NBA Western Conference Finals by downing the Clippers 104-89 after a thrilling 1-3 playoff comeback.

11.01.2022 Christ is Born! Hristos se Rodi! The roads and carparks are nearly complete. Bitumen is being laid and the landscape is changing significantly. If you can help ...with a donation towards the landscaping, including turf and plants, do it now. In just over two weeks, our children will begin their school life at St Sava College. Donate now. See more

09.01.2022 Calling all LEGENDS! Due to the success of this years festival and its constant growth, we are seeking for some new fresh faces to be amongst and join our current SFS CREW. We are looking for people with all different sorts of skill sets and experience in design, marketing, sales, hospitality, and operations. Dont be afraid if you have no experience, as SFS is a fantastic opportunity to try new things, and expand on your skills.... For the details of where and when our meeting is or any questions regarding anything SFS, please DM us via Facebook or Instagram. See you soon! #sfs #serbianfestivalsydney # serbfestsyd #sfs20 #sfs21

09.01.2022 Nikola Tesla stars in a recent Doctor Who episode viewed by over 5 million people

08.01.2022 All for one and one for all! School uniforms express many values and can make dramatic statements. The inaugural SSC uniform is no exception to this rule. By it...s very nature, a uniform expresses 'community', since all its wearers present in one of a variety of its options. In its cuts and shapes it exemplifies the God-given uniqueness and complementarity of the sexes - both male and female. Its versatility allows the wearer to dress for a variety of occasions, from formal to casual and sporting, The styling expresses humility and the lashings of red - joy! After all, red is the colour of the Resurrection of Christ, the ultimate joy, the fulfilment of our motto: The Path to Life! See more

07.01.2022 Apply for a teaching position at St. Sava College History is about to be made with the opening of St. Sava College in January 2021. We have engaged our founding... principal, and the time has now come to recruit our very first teachers. A full job description and online application is available at: https://www.teachers.on.net//44511-junior-school-class-tea Join us on the Path to Life!

07.01.2022 Novak Djokovic has taken his 5th Rome Masters title, and record 36th Masters 1000 title, after defeating Diego Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3. This week he also surpassed Pete Sampras, for holding the world No.1 ranking for 287 weeks. He is now 23 weeks behind Federer.

06.01.2022 My father stepped on a landmine and was brought home to us in pieces in a casket. After that, my mother was left alone, in a hostile environment, with four kids... under the age of fifteen. She was Catholic Croatian and my father was Orthodox Serbian. It was very unusual for people from these two backgrounds to marry, until 1940, when Tito tried to bring the country together as Yugoslavs under communism, and part of that was encouraging mixed marriages. As a child, I spent my days looking after goats and sheep in an idyllic environment on the coast. But in 1993, Croatians suddenly decided they wanted to break away from Yugoslavia, and my father, as a minority Serb who lived in Croatia, enlisted in the war to fight against the independence movement. It was an extremely difficult time for my mother, because she was an ethnic Croat living alone in an enclave full of Serbs, at a time when neighbours were killing neighbours. People would loiter in front of her house, sharpening their knives, and she frequently faced death threats. She feared for her life, and started sleeping with an AK-47 beneath her bed. My mother had always been a formidable woman, but after my father died, she had to become both parents to us. She was the one who pulled the plough, carried wood on her back, and slaughtered and skinned animals. She was the one who taught us how to hunt. And she was the one who put timber cladding on the windows so that shrapnel wouldnt come through. It was a difficult time to live. There was little food. We frequently had to run to bomb shelters, and saw dead bodies on the streets. Finally, when I was 8, we, along with over 300,000 ethnic Serbs, were removed from our homes in the biggest movement of people since World War II. Although Serbia took us in, they didnt want us there, as they saw us as cowards who hadnt put up enough of a fight. We were put into a large sewing factory where they replaced the sewing machines with mattresses, and thats where we lived, side by side, for five years. Eventually, my mum got a job at a dairy farm milking cows and I helped her every morning before school, carrying around heavy pails of milk. Then the Kosovo war started. This led to even more running and displacement for us. It was even worse when NATO started bombing because they had planes with bombs that would dig a crater. We fled into the mountains and hid in the dark, because there were no bomb shelters capable of providing sanctuary for so many people. Finally, we found out we had been accepted to come as refugees to Adelaide, in Australia. On the day we left, I was 12 years old, but honestly I felt like I was 45! I had never really felt like a child because I always wanted to be strong and tough for my mum. When we arrived in Adelaide, I distinctly remember seeing blue sky and greenery and hearing birds for the first time in over a decade. In Yugoslavia, everything had been soot-covered, rivers had dried up and the birds had fled. It was a barren world with depressed people. But Australia was completely the opposite, with friendly Aussie neighbours who introduced us to the way of life. Arriving was a healing process for us, but there were also a lot of challenges. The kids at school called us war criminals and accused of being responsible for Serbian massacres that we knew nothing about. They also called us the KGB Twins, and sometimes they would tap us down before going to class to make sure we didnt have any bombs on us. One time, we were beaten up after school and my twin ended up in hospital with swelling around his brain. It was horrible because after all we had survived, he was on the verge of dying on an Australian playground because of racism. It took a couple of years for us to really find home here, and that was because we ended up changing to a more multicultural school in year 11, where we found other students who were survivors of wars from Somalia, Iraq, Vietnam, South Sudan and Cambodia. And we all bonded together as children of war. My eldest brother had always wanted to be an engineer, but as the man of the family, he had to go to work instead. As soon as he arrived, he went to work at Holden in Elizabeth, where he made cars for 18 years, until the day they shut the factory down. Sometimes he would bring home pamphlets from the union, and as a result I became really interested in employment law and industrial relations. So I decided to go to law school, and Im now a union lawyer for the CFMEU. I represent factory workers who are low paid and award dependent. Its a privilege to recover stolen wages and represent these workers when theyve been unfairly dismissed or discriminated against. I especially love representing non-English speaking migrant workers, as they are prone to exploitation. I see my mother and my older brother in every one of them. For the last 6 years, Ive also volunteered for a refugee legal centre, helping asylum seekers to complete their temporary protection visa applications. Out of my siblings, I think I was the most affected by the war, so hearing their stories of trauma isnt always easy. But I feel its important for me to try to help others in need of protection. Danijel Former Yugoslavia Arrived 1999 Would you like to support New Humans of Australia in our storytelling work? Become an official patron for only $3 a month, and get a free copy of our e-book. www.patreon.com/newhumansofaustralia Photographs: Interviewee's own #refugees #refugeescontribute #Yugoslavia #Adelaide #Australia #storiesnotstereotypes #newhumansofaustralia

06.01.2022 Loved our official SFS merch just like Kasiana did? Well be taking last minute pre-orders till this Wednesday only. Click the link to purchase your merch today: https://forms.gle/s8nLmGHoLKL8TGZm6 #sfs2020 #serbfestsyd #serbianfestivalsydney #tumbalongpark #darlingharbour #sfsmerch #merchandise #festival #serbianfestival

05.01.2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeuHKa6sRZs&t=50s

05.01.2022 ITS OFFICIAL! St. Sava College is Now Registered as a School! DONATE NOW: https://www.stsavacollege.net/donate Ksenija Lukich gives an us exciting update regarding the Colleges registration status, enrolment applications, and official opening date.

04.01.2022 Click on the event for more details! To register for this event, please email [email protected] :)

04.01.2022 7th July. 9.30pm. Do not miss it!

03.01.2022 IN MEMORIAM (1947-2020) , , . , ... -. ! It is with great sorrow that we announce the falling asleep in the Lord of our dear friend and very esteemed longstanding member of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate Executive Board and Treasurer, Mr Peter Kozlina. May the Lord grant him His Heavenly Kingdom for his tireless labour of love and self-giving in the upbuilding of His Church and the Serbian Community in Australia and New Zealand! May his memory be eternal!

02.01.2022 Yesterday marked the international Day for Elimination of Violence against women and with that, we open our registrations for South West Sydney Serbs’ first ever Family & Domestic Violence Seminar. We are limited to 50 spots, click the link below to register. Don’t miss out, send this to a friend who would love to attend. https://bit.ly/dfvticket... P.s. Attendance will be confidential.

02.01.2022 X ! ! Christ has risen! Happy Easter to all celebrating today! Good luck to everyone in the egg cracking. Lets hope Deda doesnt win again! #sfs2020 #hristosvaskrse #orthodoxeaster #serbianfestival #serbian #orthodox #easter #christhasrisen

01.01.2022 ENROLMENTS ARE NOW OPEN AT ST. SAVA COLLEGE! St. Sava College is opening next year, with Kindergarten Grade 1 and Grade 2. Applications for enrolment for next y...ear and for 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 must be completed online. Click the link below to complete your enrolment application. If you have any questions regarding enrolment before completing your online application, please call Fr. Rade Radan on 0407 119 878, or forward an email to [email protected].