Lest We Forget: Images of the Past and Present of Southern Serbia

Jovan Ćirić Tetovac’s Lest We Forget is a poignant memoir that captures the author’s experiences and reflections as a Serbian intellectual from Tetovo, Macedonia, during the turbulent early 20th century. Published posthumously, the book chronicles the socio-political struggles of the Slavic population in Vardar Macedonia under Ottoman and later Yugoslav rule.

Ćirić vividly recounts the cultural and national awakening among the Macedonian Slavs, emphasizing their resilience against assimilation pressures from neighboring powers, particularly in the context of Bulgarian, and Greek influences. The narrative interweaves personal anecdotes with historical events, such as the Ilinden Uprising and the Balkan Wars, to highlight the region’s complex identity dynamics.