The Destiny Tellers
THE DESTINY TELLERS— Sudjaje
As you approach the October 21 Museum building in Kragujevac, Serbia, an arresting metal sculpture, the Sudjaje, catches your eye. Translated from Serbian to English as the “judge,” it is also known as the Destiny Tellers, a moving witness to one of the most harrowing periods in Serbian history. Designed and gifted to the museum in 1979 by the renowned sculpturer Jovan Soldatović, his masterpiece captures the profound essence of the expansive Memorial Park and the despair that engulfed the entire region of Serbia in October 1941, during the early, cruel days of World War II in what was then the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
The towering sculpture features three older women cradling an infant in their arms. Regarded as deities or immortals in mythology, these women, capable of bringing darkness or light, came after the birth of a child to determine its fate. In a city haunted by unspeakable sorrow, Kragujevac’s rich yet tragic history, uncertain present, and hopeful future, served as a powerful reminder of the innocence that war has stolen away. Witnessing the unfolding of events, do these women bear witness to the horrors that befell their community, or do they peer into the unfathomable depths of a future yet unknown?
Inspired by ancient Slavic mythology, this sculpture is a powerful symbol of empathy for the lives shattered, futures erased, and innocence lost. With their compassionate gaze, the women implore us to be more just and responsible for our actions and consequences. The towering presence of the Sudjaje as a watchtower of memory, represents a presence forever intertwined with the fate of the people of Kragujevac.
A timeless sentinel, the Destiny Tellers demands not only our attention, but also our reverence. It urges us to remember, to grow, and to create a world free from the horrors of the past. It acts not merely as a symbol of art, but as a poignant warning of the human cost of war—a cost that Kragujevac, the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the world must never forget. Its presence is a weighty testament to those that rest here on these hallowed grounds.
I am about halfway through No Bread and enjoying it very much.
The British published book “Princess Olga of Yugoslavia: Her Life and Times” by Robert Prentice , Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd. 2021
In it Prentice reports on British documents confirming that the SOE made payments to Serbian generals to organize the March 27 coup. You alude to this but with the expiration of Official Secrets Acts the documents are now available. Prince Paul was British educated and was certainly ware of this at the time. However he did not want to plunge the country into a civil war. Best regards, Branko
Thank you Branko Terzic!!
A picture of a heroic nation told through the story of a family. An exceptionally and very emotionally written novel that penetrated to the very heart and horrors of war. In a time when everyone chooses sides, a one Kingdom disappears. Thank you Mila for all the hours, days and years you spent researching. Thank you for writing a novel like this, which shows many untold difficult stories that the Serbian people have gone through, and that few people in the world know about. Thanks to you it’s possible now!