On the occasion of the celebration of half a century since the writer Ivo Andrić received the Nobel Prize for Literature, many texts were published on the subject of the famous prize, Andrić's books and his life.
Some authors tried to find out more about the writer's private life. Vera Kondev's text is one of those. We present the story of the genius writer and the woman he loved in its entirety.
Loneliness, love and problems with publishers
This year is marked by the legend of Serbian literature, Ivo Andrić (1892-1975), because we remember that exactly half a century ago he became the first, and so far the only, writer from the former Yugoslavia to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Lord Andrić made sure that, if he received such letters, they were immediately destroyed
However, interest never ceased, not only in his works, which are constantly reprinted and translated into the most exotic foreign languages, but also in the writer's life, because he always tried to preserve his privacy.
It is true that he very often complained of loneliness, health problems, problems related to his diplomatic career or as a writer for problems with publishers, but no letters have been found in his legacy that could reveal that some ladies had tender feelings for him .
Lord Andrić made sure that, if he received such letters, they were immediately destroyed, among them Milica Babić, the love of his life and the only woman he let into his lonely world and married after 30 long years of waiting for her to be free.
The ladies kept Andrić's letters
However, the ladies with whom Andrić hung out carefully kept his letters, from Zdenka Marković, a friend from his early youth, to Vera Stojić, who was his collaborator and friend until his death (90 letters).
In the book, Gordana Brajović claims that Andrić and Milica Babić met before her husband Nenad Jovanović was appointed to the Yugoslav embassy
The first educated Serbian costume designer, Milica Babić (1909-1968), married to Jovanović, also saved Andrić's letters that he sent her, while she was still married to another, when she became a widow, and then, when after the wedding (September 7, 1958) they occasionally were separated.
Thanks to that correspondence, one can, at least, sense that behind the elegant, always serious "facade" there was still a tender heart in which, until the end of her life, there was only one place for Milica.
Fortunately, two publicists, long-time researchers of Andrić's life, Gordana Brajović, a journalist and children's poet who died early, and Radovan Popović, a long-time journalist of the "Politika" newspaper, published in the books "Andrić and Milica" and "Andrić's Friendships", as part of the original material, and a significant part of the preserved letters that Andrić wrote to Milica.
"Dear friend..."
In the book, Gordana Brajović presents the thesis that Andrić and Milica Babić met before her husband Nenad Jovanović was appointed to the Yugoslav embassy in Berlin at the request of Andrić, who was ambassador at the time.
Andrić also presented his capital work "On the Drina Bridge", when it was published in March 1945, to the married couple Jovanović
It is indisputable that the married couple Jovanović has been constantly in the company of Andrić since arriving in Germany, who, according to the testimony of friends, changed overnight and did not hide his fascination with a beautiful young woman, 17 years younger than him, whom he appointed to be the hostess at his receptions since was single.
In the beginning, they are brought together by their common origin, because all three are from Bosnia, and then by their interests, because they are all turned to literature, but there are signs that Milica enjoyed the attention showered on her by both men, between whom there was never any misunderstanding or open hostility .
Such a relationship would be maintained from 1939 until Nenad's death in 1957, and during that time Andrić would begin very short and strictly informative letters with "Dear friend" so that her husband would not feel left out, even though the real person to whom the message was addressed was Milica.
Andrić also presented his capital work "On the Drina Bridge", when it was published in March 1945, to the married couple Jovanović with a dedication in which he expressed the hope that Nenad would soon return home from the camp (which happened at the end of 1945).
Until his death, he signed his letters with "Mandarin"
After returning from captivity, Nenad Jovanović got a job as a translator at the Tanjug news agency and the three of them continued to hang out.
After the wedding, Andrić no longer hid the fact that he had Milica in mind when he wrote the story "Jelena žena koje nema"
Brajović learned from a conversation with Milica Zajcev (a famous ballet critic), the daughter of Milica's sister, that Andrić had the nickname "Mandarin" in Jovanović's house before leaving for an official visit to China at the head of a delegation of writers, and that's how he signed his letters to Milica until her death. .
From the time she became a widow, Andrić contacted her from all his trips by phone, card, and letter. The decision to marry Andrić Milica was first announced by Lula Vuča to the wife of his best friend, Aleksandar, and they were also their godparents.
The last summer before they got married, even though Milica was already a widow, they spent separately, but Mandarin reports to "Dear Friend" every day how he spent the day they were "empty". During the next trip in the spring of 1958, he addresses her for the first time as "Dear Milice" and complains of "complete loneliness".
After the wedding, Andrić no longer hid that when he wrote the story "Jelena žena koje nema" he had Milica in mind, and with her he made his first real home in the apartment where his memorial museum is today.
With Milica at the awarding of the Nobel Prize
There was also the news that he had won the Nobel Prize, and at that moment he was accompanied by his beloved woman, with whom he first toasted, which was recorded by the cameras for eternity.
Until the last day, he answered her with "Dargo Lepo"
With him, in a luxurious royal blue ball gown with a large black bow in her silver hair, she entered the ceremonial hall where the award ceremony was to be held, and then the tones of the Bosnian sevdalinka "Kad ja pođoh na Bembaša" rang out. The choir of Stockholm madrigalists sang "Oj autumn long nights".
After this joint triumph, a long struggle with Milica's disease, a severe form of arthritis, which will indirectly kill her, because the drugs weakened the heart that betrayed her, begins.
Until the last day, he called her with "Dargo Lepo" and signed "Grli te znojno tujo Ivo Mandarin".
Bonus video:
