Serbian Cultural and Arts Center St. Sava, until recently known as Serbian Cultural Club St. Sava, was founded in Chicago incorporated on December 19, 1951. Thanks to the generous contributions of its founding members, the Dom at 448 West Barry Avenue, in the historic neighborhood of Lakeview in Chicago, IL, was purchased in 1952. To this day, the Dom remains the heart of all the activities of the Center.
A Brief History
The Serbian People Reconstruction Movement was founded in Germany in 1944. Its members were known as Dušanovci, because the organization was known as Dušan the Mighty, headed by Dr. Slobodan M. Drašković.
Dr. Drašković arrived to Chicago in 1947 and took part in the All-Serbian Congress, after which he permanently relocated to the United States. At the same time, Dušan the Mighty relocated to the United States, but in 1952, due to the US laws and regulations, it changed its name to Serbian Cultural Club St. Sava and became a 501(c)(7) not-for-profit private club.
Two years after it was founded, the Serbian People Reconstruction Movement started the newspaper The Serbian Struggle (Srpska Borba) whose aim was to reach out to the Serbs outside of Serbia. Between 1946 and 1949, the periodical was printed in Germany, later continued in France, and finally moved to Flushing, NY, USA, where it was printed as a weekly newspaper until 1981. Today, The Serbian Struggle is published as a bi-monthly magazine.
Dr. Drašković, who authored many books, was not only one of the founding fathers of the Center, but was also one of the main pillars of the Serbian diaspora.
The Center Today
In recent years, the Serbian Cultural Club St. Sava began expanding its membership to include not only Serbs, but also others wanting to learn about and participate in Serbian traditions and celebrations. To reflect this expansion, in 2007, at the annual Congress of Members, members of the club decided to change the name to the more inclusive Serbian Cultural and Arts Center St. Sava. This change has strengthened our dedication to our mission of introducing, preserving and promoting Serbian culture, arts, and heritage to the city of Chicago, its major metropolitan areas, and the greater United States.
