The Belgrade Circle of Mitrinović’s Followers in the Light of Archival Sources

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to focus on the connections of Dimitrije Mitrinović (1887–1953) with the Serbian branch of his followers. Additionally, we will pay attention to the place of Nicholai Velimirovich in the circle of Mitrinović’s network. After research based on the archive material of the New Atlantis Foundation (Bradford), we show that the circle of panhumanists from the twenties of the last century was essentially the Serbian branch of Mitrinović’s network (Miloš Đurić, Pavle Jevtić, Vladeta Popović, Dušan Stojanović). Apart from the work on spreading the ideas of Mitrinović, this circle was devoted to occult practice, also under the leadership of a teacher from London. Nicholai Velimirovich, who during his stay in London connected with Mitrinović’s environment, distanced himself from this group after the First World War, to their disappointment. The correspondence of Mitrinović’s followers with Mitrinović from the post–war years reveals how they saw this change in Velimirovich as an abandonment of joint work. In addition, some of Velimirovich’s words that they convey to Mitrinović reveal his clear desire to move away from them. As it is well known, Velimirovich continued on his way. On the other hand, what is more important than the contacts is the influence of Mitrinović’s ideas. All the mentioned names are bearers of a movement that has been called differently — most often “panhumanism.” We can say that Mitrinović’s group is the core and originator of panhumanism in the interwar culture, whose themes then spread to other authors. Considering the importance of panhumanism, the presence of this group in culture is longer (since the early twenties of the 20th century) and more influential than it would seem from the life of the two magazines, and this also means that Mitrinović was more present in the Serbian environment than it seems at first glance. Even if indirectly, he was present through his followers. Velimirovich, who accepted panhumanism during his younger years, however, later moved away from panhumanistic concepts and Mitrinović.