Did you know that Kraljevo’s “Abrašević” is celebrating a full century of existence this year? The first cultural and artistic groups in Kraljevo began their work at the start of the 20th century. Some of them performed in the hall of the Paris Hotel, and after World War I an amateur theater was founded in the city. According to some sources, “Abrašević” in Kraljevo was established as early as 1905, though there is not enough evidence to confirm this claim.
The initiator of “Abrašević” in Kraljevo was tailor Dragan Tešić, already a member of the Šabac branch. The cultural‑artistic group “Abrašević” began work in mid‑1926, with Tešić elected as its first president. It was named after the poet Kosta Abrašević. The group included a mixed choir, drama section, and library, with members mostly craftsmen and workers. They performed in hotels and taverns across Kraljevo. Because “Abrašević” often supported strikes financially and its members participated in them, its work was temporarily banned.
The group was banned after the introduction of the January 6 Dictatorship in 1929. Its members then founded “Polet”, again led by Tešić, but it was dissolved in 1931 after a recital condemned the death penalty carried out in the United States. In its place, the group “Goč” was founded, but it too was shut down in 1932, with Tešić and 12 members expelled. “Abrašević” resumed work in 1934 under its old name, registered as a branch of the Belgrade “Abrašević”, which had police approval. It included choir, drama, recitation, tamburitza sections, a dance school, and a library. By late 1940, after unions and cultural groups were banned, “Abrašević” ceased activity again.
Many members of “Abrašević” took part in World War II: 52 were fighters, and 33 were executed or killed. Several members – Desimir Jovović‑Čiča, Stanislav Sremčević‑Crni, Čedomir Vasović, Dragoslav Bogavac, Rade Vilotić, and Momčilo Dugalić – were proclaimed national heroes. After the war, “Abrašević” resumed work in January 1945, becoming a cultural‑artistic society two years later. The drama section was the first to restart, staging “The Invasion” directed by Milorad S. Jović, the first director of the National Museum Kraljevo. Among actors who later had notable careers and began in “Abrašević” were Marko Nikolić, Dara Vuković‑Plaović, Miodrag Radovanović Mrgud, Dragan Ockolić, Smilja Trmčić, Zorica and Siniša Protić, and others. Soon, choir and music sections were organized, and in 1946 the folklore section began.
In the early 1960s “Abrašević” faced major problems, especially lack of space. The society had to move several times, at one point working only 30 square meters. Membership dropped to just 40, with many joining the newly founded “Železničar”. After its only room was demolished, “Abrašević” briefly stopped work. Conditions improved in 1964 when it was given space in the House of Social Organizations. That same year, the folklore section won first place at a festival in Zielona Góra, Poland – its first international performance. Since 1979, rehearsals have been held in the building of the Volunteer Firefighters’ Association, still used today.
Despite wars and sanctions in the 1990s, “Abrašević” never stopped working. In 1995 it became part of CIOFF, the international association of folklore ensembles, participating in festivals and tours worldwide. In 2009 the drama section was revived under actress Biljana Konstantinović. Today, “Abrašević” includes folklore, drama, children’s and adult choirs, male and female singing groups, and a folk orchestra. Each year it organizes the event “Summer at Abrašević”, bringing together ensembles from the region and abroad.
For its great contribution to Kraljevo’s cultural life, “Abrašević” has received several awards, including the Diploma of Special Merit from the Kraljevo Municipal Assembly in 1965, and the November Award from the Cultural‑Educational Community of Kraljevo in 1972. On its 50th anniversary, “Abrašević” was decorated with the Order of Merits for the People with a Golden Star.
Milena Baltić
Editor of the Education and Scientific Program
of the Official Internet Presentation of the National Museum Kraljevo