Matija Bećković ( sr-Cyrl, Матија Бећковић, ; born 29 November 1939) is a Serbian poet, writer and

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

Life

Bećković was born in Senta, in the multiethnic province of

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( ; sr-Cyrl, Војводина, ), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia, located in Central Europe. It lies withi ...

(then Danube Banate,

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

), to a military family of Montenegrin Serbs. Bećković's father Vuk was an officer in the

Royal Yugoslav Army The Yugoslav Army ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslovenska vojska, JV, Југословенска војска, ЈВ), commonly the Royal Yugoslav Army, was the principal Army, ground force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It existed from the establishment of ...

, and during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the commander of the Rovci

Chetnik The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

Battalion and as such, one of the commanders of the leader of the Montenegrin Chetniks, Pavle Đurišić. His father was killed in 1945. He graduated from the Valjevo Gymnasium in

Valjevo Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 56,145 while the city admini ...

in 1958. It was during his gymnasium years in Valjevo that he published his first poem, in the journal 'Mlada Kultura'. Furthermore, it was also in Valjevo that Bećković met Vera Pavladoljska, to whom the poem of the same name, published in 1960, was dedicated. Bećković went on to marry Pavladoljska, and he remained married to her until her death. Upon graduating from the Valjevo gymnasium, he entered the

University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade () is a public university, public research university in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it me ...

, graduating with a degree in Yugoslav and world literature. He became a corresponding member of the

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (; , SANU) is a national academy and the most prominent academic institution in Serbia, founded in 1841 as Society of Serbian Letters (, DSS). The Academy's membership has included Nobel Prize, Nobel la ...

in 1983, becoming a full member in 1991. Bećković is a close friend of Serbian former Prime Minister

Vojislav Koštunica Vojislav Koštunica ( sr-cyrl, Војислав Коштуница, ; born 24 March 1944) is a Serbian former politician who served as the last President of Serbia and Montenegro, president of FR Yugoslavia from 2000 to 2003 and as the Prime Min ...

, and an active supporter of his Democratic Party of Serbia. He has been living in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

since 1960. On the

Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006 An independence referendum was held in Montenegro on 21 May 2006. It was approved by 55.5% of voters, narrowly passing the 55% threshold. By 23 May, preliminary referendum results were recognized by all five permanent members of the United Natio ...

, Bećković did not have a right to vote since he lives in Serbia. However, as a prominent Serb nationalist he fiercely advocated against Montenegrin independence, actively supporting the

State Union A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller politics or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal govern ...

during the pre-referendum campaign. In April 2022, Bećković signed a petition calling for Serbia not to impose sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. His selected words have been published in 15 volumes by Matica srpska in 2024.

Poetic style

A distinguishing feature of Bećković's poetry is its regionalism. Distinctly Serbian archaic dialect and phraseology permeate his work. This aspect of his work is most often lost when one reads it in translation.

Awards and recognitions

* Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle, 2007 * Order of Saint Sava * Order of Marko Daković * Radoje Domanović Award *

Marko Miljanov Marko Miljanov Popović ( sr-Cyrl, Марко Миљанов Поповић, ; 25 April 1833 – 2 February 1901) was a Brda chieftain and Montenegrin general and writer. He entered the service of Danilo I, the first secular Prince of Montene ...

Award, Montenegro * Milan Rakić Award * Desanka Maksimović Award * Njegoš's Award *

Award,

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

* Felix Romuliana Award * Honorary citizen of

Subotica Subotica (, ; , , ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Central Europe and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Sub ...

* October Award * 7 July Award * Prosveta Award * Duško Trifunović Award * Vinaver's wreath * Velika povelja Brankovog kola

Works

*''Vera Pavladoljska'' *''Metak Lutalica'' *''Tako je govorio Matija'' *''Dr. Janez Paćuka o međuvremenu'' *''O međuvremenu'' *''ČE: Tragedija koja traje'' (Published in English as ''CHE: Permanent Tragedy'') *''Reče mi jedan čoek'' *''Međa Vuka Manitoga'' *''Lele i kuku'' *''Dva sveta'' *''Poeme'' *''Služba Svetom Savi'' *''O Njegošu'' *''Kaža'' *''Čiji si ti Mali?'' *''Nadkokot'' *''Služba'' *''Sabrane pesme'' *''Kosovo najskuplja srpska reč'' *''Ćeraćemo se još'' *''Kad budem mlađi'' (Published in English as: ''When I'm Younger'') *''Misli'' *''Bez niđe nikoga'' *''Put kojeg nema'' *''Služba pustinjaku cetinskom'' *''Besede'' *''Tri poeme'' *''Prahu oca poezije'' *''Sto mojih portreta'' *''Mojih 80'' *''Crna Gora - ime jedne vere''

References

* Bećković, Matija. ''Izabrane Pesme i Poeme.'' Belgrade: Bigz, 1990. * Petković, Novica. "Twentieth century literature". ''Essays on Modern Serbian Bards.'' Ralph Bogert, Ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006.

External links

Bećković's poems at the South Slavic Library
- Mostly in Serbo-Croat, one English translation.
Translated works by Matija Bećković

MATIJA BECKOVIC
at royalfamily.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Beckovic, Matija 1939 births Living people People from Senta Serbian male poets Serbian monarchists Serbian nationalists Serbian people of Montenegrin descent Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts Eastern Orthodox Christians from Serbia Eastern Orthodox writers Serbian writers University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology alumni Recipients of the Order of St. Sava Poets laureate