Ethnic Slovak naïve paintings from Serbia join UNESCO's list of cultural heritage

KOVACICA, Serbia (AP) — Nearly a century ago, two farmers in an ethnic Slovak village in northern Serbia started painting to pass the time during the long winter months. This week, their art is being inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

The farmers' paintings and those of others from the village of Kovacica are what is known as naïve art — a form that depicts everyday scenes, landscapes, village life and farm surroundings with a childlike simplicity.

With their bright colors and folk motives, the self-taught naïve painters of Kovacica, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Belgrade, Serbia's capital, have developed a unique tradition among the country's ethnic Slovak minority.

“Naïve art in Kovacica began in 1939 when Martin Paluska and Jan Sokol started painting,” explained Ana Zolnaj Barca, the head of the Gallery of Naïve Art in the village. “They were farmers with only four grades of elementary school.”

Paluska and Sokol initially painted scenes they saw on postcards, such as Venetian gondolas or wild animals, explained Zolnaj Barca. But their art really bloomed over time, when they turned to their own surroundings rather than far-away lands, she said.

The village's naïve art gallery, established in 1955, now holds the works of nearly 50 recognized artists and hosts some 20,000 visitors each year.

Among its most famous artists is Zuzana Chalupova, who often painted children and whose work was featured on millions of UNICEF postcards. Another Kovacica artist, Martin Jonas, depicted farmers with oversized hands and feet but small heads — meant to symbolize their hard-working life.

And though the Kovacica style of naïve paintings originated in the village, it has since spread far beyond the area.

“An identifying factor, the practice is a means of transmitting the cultural heritage and history of the Slovak community in Serbia,” UNESCO said in its citation.

Serbia’s government said Tuesday that the UNESCO decision to inscribe Kovacica's naïve paintings confirms the Balkan nation’s “promotion of cultural diversity.”

For gallerist and expert Pavel Babka, naïve art represents a treasure chest of traditional ways and customs — he points to a painting in his gallery showing a girl in traditional Slovak multi-layered skirt being sent off to church alone for the first time.

Another painting in Babka's gallery features a horse-drawn cart and a yellow house dating back to Austro-Hungarian times, testifying of the long presence of the ethnic Slovak community in what is today Serbia.

Contemporary naïve artists, Babka said, often also seek inspiration in the tales of the past and “would rather paint a horse than a tractor.”

Artist Stefan Varga, 65, agrees. He said he paints images based on the “stories my grandmother told me from when she was a little girl."

Those times weren't easy but they were “simple and beautiful,” he said.

Varga’s paintings feature cheerful, red-cheeked villagers in traditional clothes, bright colors, farm animals and huge pumpkins. The main characteristics of naïve painting are “joy and purity, the purity of heart and colors," he said.

“Naïve painters usually use simple colors,” said Varga. They “use the simplest way to say what they want to say so everybody can understand them, whether they are Chinese, Japanese, English or Serb.”

Pavel Babka, gallerist and naïve art expert shows painting of a girl in traditional Slovak multi-layered skirt in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Pavel Babka, gallerist and naïve art expert shows painting of a horse-drawn cart and a yellow house dating back to Austro-Hungarian times in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Klara Babka hangs a painting in the Gallery of naive art in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Klara Babka hangs a painting in the Gallery of naive art in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Pavel Babka, gallerist and naïve art expert shows the photo of older generations of naïve painters in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Various paintings in the Gallery of naive art in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Ana Zolnaj Barca, head of the Gallery of naive art speaks about various paintings in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Workers put up air conditioner in the Gallery of naive art in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Stefan Varga paints in his room in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Stefan Varga paints in his room in the village of Kovacica, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)