Guča Madness

Dragačevski sabor trubača, the biggest brass festival in the world, celebrated it's 50th anniversary. During ten days of madness Serbian town Guča hosts almost 600 thousands visitors from all over the world. They had an opportunity to hear 2,000 musicians playing on a brass instruments, including Goran Bregović and the Boban Markovic orchestra. The sound of the trumpet traditionally accompanies every major event in Serbia's life: births, baptisms, weddings, funerals, state and church festivals.

© Michal Kowalski / Babel Images

Pilgrimage

Every year hundreds of highlanders go on a pilgrimage to the monastery on the Jasna Góra in Częstochowa. Walks takes 9 days. Last day pilgrims dressed in regional clothing are entering the city and celebrate the end of  the way.

Poland, Częstochowa, August 2010

© Adam Kokot  /  Babel Images

under the bridge

Michał Król is one of the best polish alpinist. In October he is going to Nepal where he will try to make a new climbing route on Gauri Senkan South, 7010 meters over the sea level.

On picture Michał is training his physical endurance on the bridge
Poland, Nowy Targ, July 2010

Adam Kokot / Babel Images

Never forget Srebrenica

750 newly identified victims from massive graves was burried last Sunday in Srebrenica (Bosna and Herzegovina), where fifteen years ago the biggest genocide in Europe since world war II took place. From 12th to 16th of July 1995 paramilitary troops of Bosnian Serbs leaded by Ratko Mladic killed over 8.000 Muslims protected by dutch UN soldiers. Fifteen years after the war relations between Muslims and Serbs in Bosna are still stained.

© Michal Kowalski / Babel Images

The Face of Belarus

Belarus - the last European dictatorship. Before coming here, I couldn't believe that I would find here even one hippie. Before coming here, Belarus had the face of its one and only sovereign - Aleksander Lukashenko.
But Belarussian hippies - yes, they exist! Being permanently watched by uniforms and plainclothes, they managed to find their own little zone of freedom.

The first Rainbow Gathering in Belarus, June 2010.

© Mieszko Stanislawski / Babel Images

Goanny

"I think that the World Cup is nice for the country. Now a lot of people from all around the world are coming here and that is good. I would like to watch a game of Brazil vs. Portugal. I like Cristiano Ronaldo so much... but for me it's impossible to buy a ticket. 140 rands (15 Euros) is too expensive. Maybe it is a good price for many people from this country but I don't have work and without it... it's difficult to get money. If I could earn some I would go and see one game in Soccer City. I will have fun with all my friends making noise with our vuvuzelas".
Name: Goanny
Age: 22
Ethnicity: Xhosa
Occupation: Unemployed
Soweto, Johannesburg. June 20, 2010

© Jonathan González / Babel Images

High hopes (over and over again)

"... builds". An electoral poster of a candidate in the presidential campaign in Poland. Bochnia, 21.06.2010.

© Grzegorz Ostrega / Babel Images