One of the greatest Yugoslav revolutionaries of the XNUMXth century Mitra Mitrović (1912-2001), she wrote a memoir in the mid-70s, which is a memory of her life and "work" until the beginning of the Second World War. The memoirs were published in October 2023 by the publishing house "Vukotić media" from Belgrade. The book was very expertly and meticulously prepared by a historian from Belgrade Veljko Stanic. The book is titled "Written".
The memoirs were in a private archive for almost 50 years Dr. Alekse Djilas. Let me remind you, Mitra Mitrović was the first wife Milovan Đilas. They were married from 1936 to 1952 and had a daughter A wolf (1949-2001). Aleksa Đilas (1953) is the son of Milovan Đilas from his second marriage with Stefanija Barić from Zagreb from 1952 until his death in 1995.
And when we are talking about Đilas's (first) revolutionary and (second) post-revolutionary marriage, it is important to note that the best men in Đilas's ideologically divergent marriages were: Koca Popovic i Branko Pešić in Đilas's first marriage, a Peko Dapcevic i Slavka Ranković (wife Aleksandar Ranković) were godfathers in Đilas's second marriage. These marriage-godfather ties are very important, because they reveal the ideological, revolutionary and political closedness of the communist "brotherhood" among high party officials.
Therefore, marriage-godfather ties had to have a semi-familial (red) sign of close friendship and connection. From that "sign" later - in part - the famous Đilas book "New Class" will be born.
Otherwise, ideological marriages usually last as long as the rise of ideology.
When you read and close the last page of this exciting book, it is difficult not to notice the closeness of these memoirs to the work of the most prestigious planetary performer of the XNUMXth century. Marine Abramović. Namely, both "revolutionaries" in their works reveal high dimensions and ranges in expressing the ultimate limits of human endurance. Marina questions those boundaries directly on herself with razors, knives, fire, snakes and similar props. Mitra questions his endurance, the strength of personal hope and social visions with pen and rifle in hand.
Sacrifice and vision
Elem, Mitra Mitrović's memoirs talk about her struggle for freedom and how she - in her second, revolutionary life - gradually conquered and conquered that freedom in religion. At least for a while. Some twenty years or less.
From her childhood, we learn from Mitra's memoirs that the arrow of communism hit her right in the heart. Later, she found out and accepted the communist rational, scientific thread by reading and educating herself with works Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin. But also numerous other "leftist" writers and intellectuals from Rose Luxemburg and so on. From all of them, she absorbed the narrative about the society of a happy, fraternal, harmonious and conflict-free humane future. She particularly appreciated Russian classics, primarily LN Tolstoy. But also Ž. Ž. Rousseau, we learn from the memoirs.
Briefly, we would say here that Mitra's ideological maturation was a leap towards heaven. There she searched for and found the strongest foundation and support for the de-alienation of man and the creation of a classless and ideal society. Egalitarianism and collective spirit were the "sine qua non" of her life.
Mitra Mitrović's sacrifice and vision for the future of Yugoslavia can be seen as if in the palm of her hand from her memoirs. But, a sacrifice and a vision for the fate of the entire human race, which ("normally") should be painted in a futuristic (red) color. Mitra did not know the other color, nor was it "scientific" and reliable.
That awareness was excellent at that time in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
It proved to be a salutary remedy in the collision with the civilization of death that German fascism was spreading for all non-Aryan peoples. Then we see MM in numerous actions in Belgrade, at the University, the National Theater, the street, throwing tear gas, demonstrations, party conspiracy, etc.
We see a brave and daring communist woman who works conspiratorially and puts her head on the line almost every day. Short closures mean nothing to her. On the contrary. They harden her and make her an even better Bolshevik and Stalinist.
So that I don't bother describing the life of a revolutionary who lives on the edge of a knife every day. It is more or less known.
The "worm of doubt" has been sown
Let's move away from her memoirs for a moment and see Mitra's memoirs more clearly from a higher viewpoint and orbit.
Let's state this.
What is surprising in the life and "work" of every revolutionary, including M. Mitrović, is a frequently asked question: how is it that such a lucid and educated mind as she was, never even in a dream doubted her faith, that she doubted what "Moscow Trials" (1936-1938), to doubt the facts M. Krleže in the conflict on the literary left, which he writes about in his memoirs.
But it is a banal and false dilemma, he rightly claims FM Dostoevsky. And not only him. Revolutionary thought and faith is different. Because if MM hadn't been exactly the way she was and exactly the kind of awareness and courage she had, she wouldn't have been a great revolutionary working on the global reorientation of consciousness and the world with faith in a better tomorrow.
Only later - at the Third Extraordinary Plenum of the CC SKJ in January 1954 - will MM look down on the country. They will see that the Lenin-Stalin concept of socialism did not destroy the people. Some survived. Therefore, he will very resolutely and bravely defend Đilas' rebellion and his morals. But also (in part) the liberal ideas of my ex-husband.
And already - when we are talking about this Plenum - all the godfathers of Milovan Đilas turned their backs on the godfather or remained silent at that plenum - except Mitra Mitrović. And according to the unwritten logic of the usual divorce, Mitra should be the first to turn her back on Milovan Đilas. She didn't do it. On the contrary.
Therefore, the strength of character of Mitra Mitrović defeated politics at the Plenum Josip Broz. Not completely, but the "worm of doubt" has been sown. She was soon severely punished and rejected by Tito and his "new class" comrades. She retired at the age of 51.
Let's conclude.
It is no coincidence that in Montenegro it is said that "every time carries its own burden". This would probably mean that heroes are created in the collision of personalities, on the one hand, and the times in which these personalities live, on the other hand. (And the weather is never so good that it couldn't be better, nor so bad that it couldn't be worse.)
Mithra's time was a time that sought and created heroes. Mitra was one of those, the best. She bravely and dignifiedly looked the fascist challenge straight in the eyes from the future. And she wasn't wrong. She was on the right side of history.
Today's weather is the opposite. It seeks followers, weaklings and even cowards. And he creates them en masse. Quite simply, we live in a slippery slope time. And there are no new "Mitra Mitrović" in sight.
Bonus video:
