РАСТКО ПЕТРОВИЋ И АМЕРИЧКА КУЛТУРА
RASTKO PETROVIC AND THE AMERICAN CULTURE

Summary/Abstract: As many other Serbian writers from the beginning of the last century, Rastko Petrovic was also a diplomat. After spending several years in Yugoslavian embassy in Rome, in November 1935. Rastko came to United States, where he worked in consulates in Chicago and New York, and then in the embassy in Washington, where he was Charge d’Affaires. Rastko Petrovic continues to build his literary opus and artistic interests in America. His most significant work was the second volume of his novel Day sixth. Main character of the novel Migrations by Milosh Crnjanski, Vuk Isakovich, dreams of the magnificent russian steppes through which he will ride horses and live a free and authentic life. The hero of Rastko Petrovic’s novel finds such happiness in land-scapes of America, far away from war torn Europe. While writing the second part of the novel Day sixth, Rastko Petrovic beggins to show great interest in expressive possibilities of another art form – movie. From spring to late autumn of 1939, Rastko made several short amateur documentary films with his camera. The value of this footage is documentary rather than artistic. However, the fact that their author is a great writer, certainly adds to their importance. These films represent some of Rastko’s interests that are important for understanding his literary opus. Since his arrival to America, Rastko became interested in customs, dances and songs of Native Americans. Just like before, when he wrote about folk customs of eastern and western Serbia and about ritual dances of African natives, in America Rastko directed his interests to studying life and traditions of Native Americans.

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