The Most Influential Serbian People You Should Know

Serbian history is full of individuals who overcame difficult beginnings to become international megastars, hugely important scientists and really, really weird artists. The Balkan nation has a proud history of creativity both in the artistic and scientific sense, and as such the Serbian tentacles stretch far and wide.
Is there a Serbian Hall of Fame? Not exactly, although it is difficult to argue with many of those celebrated in Jagodina’s entertaining wax museum. Most readers can be forgiven for not having intimate knowledge of legends like Milorad Rajčević, but you really need to get up to speed with these guys and gals.

Nikola Tesla

You don’t earn the nickname ‘The Electric Jesus’ without reason, let alone the moniker of ‘The Man Who Invented the 20th Century’. Serb scientist Nikola Tesla was the dictionary definition of ‘ahead of his time’, a shining light in a sea of tradition and conservative science. Tesla is credited with being the brains behind Alternating Current (AC), radio, wireless technology, remote control, the neon lamp and a whole lot more. The Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade is an essential visit.

Tesla, just casually hanging out below some rampant electricity

Novak Djoković

Duško Popov

You may not be familiar with the name ‘Duško Popov’, but we’d wager that you are familiar with 007 himself, James Bond. Popov was a double agent in World War II and a genuine international playboy, whose antics in a casino led to Ian Fleming creating the Bond character. 007 was taken from many real individuals, but none influenced the character as much as the man known as ‘Tricycle’.

Emir Kusturica

Born in Sarajevo, Emir Kusturica is one of the most influential filmmakers of the modern age. The brains behind Underground, Life is a Miracle and many more, Kusturica’s films are a chaotic blend of Balkan tradition and darker than dark comedy. His movies manage to straddle the line between absurd and affecting, filled with preposterous characters that are just fallible enough to exist.

Milunka Savić

Disney’s Mulan is a piece of fiction, but the life of Milunka Savić was everything but. Likely the most decorated female in the history of war, Savić entered the Serbian Army in 1913 in place of her brother, but her gender was not revealed until she was wounded in battle years later. Savić went on to take part in three wars (including World War I), before being demobilised in 1919.

Mihajlo Pupin

Born in the village of Idvor in the north of Serbia, Mihajlo Pupin emigrated to the United States in 1874. He had just five cents in his pocket, which he immediately spent on an extremely disappointing piece of pie, before going on to build himself a career as an inventor and physicist. Pupin is best known for his contributions to communication, and he was also a founding member of NASA.

Milutin Milanković

In the early part of the 20th century, Milutin Milanković was an ambitious mathematician and scientist looking for a problem to solve, one of cosmic proportions. After a famous night involving four bottles of wine, Milanković set about trying to give reason to the changing climate of the planet. His theories shone new light on the history and future of climate change, along with founding planetary climatology.

Marina Abramović

Art is full of controversial figures, but Marina Abramović may well find herself as the cherry on that particularly unusual cake. Born in Belgrade, Abramović is known for her immensely confrontational performances and exhibitions, putting her audience in the most uncomfortable positions. Some believe she is the worst example of gimmickry in art, but the old adage of ‘no press is bad press’ almost certainly rings true.

Philip Zepter

With a net worth of some $5 billion, Philip Zepter is thought to be the richest Serbian on the planet. Born Milan Janković, Zepter got his business start selling pots and pans, eventually growing his Zepter International company into a major global conglomerate. Zepter now lives in Monte Carlo, because of course he does.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.