Kolonija means Colony and is pronounced, kolonia.
The hike I took last week through the village was different than most of my last visits. I went to a new part of the village. I made a left where I normally make a right.
I found what is now the gypsy side of town. What some may call “the other side of the tracks”. Honestly, I found it quaint if not a little sad. One of the first things I noticed was music coming from one of the buildings. It was probably some Turbo folk music. But it really reminded me of the music in Bollywood movies I miss and love. I am not sure where it was coming from. But it was coming from more than one place as I heard it throughout the village. It wasn’t very loud, just pervasive.
Most of the places were dilapidated. One place Mama called an old motel is now almost void of windows and housing at least one family of gypsies. Large gaps that used to hold windows are covered with large pieces of fabric. On one of the buildings, a large satellite dish is hanging on the side of the second story. I guess they do have electric.
Front view of the Miners quarters in Vina (kolonija), Serbia
This is now the home of local gypsies who took over the miners “hotel” when the mine closed.
I only saw a few people. They stared at me as it I was an alien. And I actually am! I smiled and waved like the Madagascar penguins and walked on down the snow and ice covered road. Not long after I bit it..The ice got me. I got up quickly, looked around. but saw no one. Maybe some one saw me, maybe not.
On my way back to the house I saw two little snow men with flowers for eyes, nose, etc.
They were in front of a pile of wood ready to be cut down further to stove size pieces.
Kolonia’s Snowmen guarding the woodpile
At the end of the wood pile I noticed an antique carriage. Having seen better days, it was covered by an old cars roof and surrounded in snow.
Old horse carriage in the snow
Kolonija was given the name when the old coal mine was working.The mine attracted workers from all over. Kolonija was formed.
Once the mine was closed, and the people who lived there moved on, Gypsies moved into the abandoned buildings. not all the places look run down. Some are quite nice, others are not.
And, like in the rest of Serbia, Fica cars are everywhere.
Chronicles of Serbia 