Against the background of the furious news caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine, I read with a nostalgic smile the news from my native Estonia that on some island during the holiday Tõnu punched Toivo in the face. Unfortunately, no one understands how injured Toivo was and how offended Tõnu was, and why Riho or Andres, for example, remained unpunished. Everyone laughs at this news. But it’s their loss. I’ll try to explain with my example.

On a summer evening, I was walking down Balkanska Street in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. I walked from the city center, returning from the bar after two or three glasses of raki to my hotel “Astoria”. Despite the late hour, I saw that one of the shops selling drinks was still open. The decision to buy a cool beer arose by itself. The owner of the shop was sitting outside and reading a newspaper under a lamp.

I must say right away that I do not know much about the local press, but somewhere I heard that in Belgrade it is the tabloid newspapers that most clearly reflect the ever-changing course of the Serbian government and President Vučić. It was evident that the owner of the shop was a seasoned man, ready to sell anything and at any time. He did not save his own strength, nor electricity, nor money for paper newspapers. In his head it was connected, like everything in this complex, intertwined world of the Balkans, on the border of West and East, in the city – which was once the center of the Non-Aligned Movement, and even earlier – part of Byzantium.

I did not have time to open my mouth, when the owner happily determined that I was Russian… His eyes sparkled, as if he had found a gold coin. Many of my fellow tribesmen mistakenly think that this joy of recognition is about money. Not at all. Although money will always work for an enterprising person. This is a long story of joint expectations and victories, insults and defeats, gifts and promises, holidays and commemorations. This bromance is not overshadowed by military conflicts, since there is no common border between Serbia and Russia. Of course, everything is not so simple, but in general, both countries are satisfied with a certain symbolic unity of the Slavs, among common Orthodox shrines, Cyrillic writing, a plentiful feast with raki and vodka, and, of course, among common enemies in the person of the Western Roman Empire, on the one hand, and the Turkish Janissaries on the other.

But what the hell kind of pan-Slavic unity can we talk about now, in 2022, when some Slavs are killing each other on the fields of Ukraine? Ah, let’s not talk about that! We already know who is behind all these “puppets”… And in general, why talk about politics and war, if the weather is so good… In the end, it’s better to stay neutral and not join any military blocs. As the great Broz Tito bequeathed. And he was echoed by a graduate of a French engineering college named Pol Pot… But this was back in the days of the USSR. However, history tends to repeat itself.