In the Serbian village claimed to be the birthplace of vampires: Mysterious deaths were once reported

Walking through dense bushes, local historian Nenad Mihajlovic removes branches to uncover the grave. According to locals, it is the long-lost burial site of Petar Blagojevic, known as the father of vampires.

Based also on historical documents, Mihajlovic and the villagers hope that Kisiljevo, about 100 kilometers east of Belgrade, will gain fame as the birthplace of vampires and attract tourists from all over the world.

In the summer of 1725, long before Irish writer Bram Stoker designated Transylvania as the famous home of Dracula, the residents of this village opened Blagojevic's grave, suspecting that he rose at night to kill the locals.

“Petar Blagojevic was found completely unharmed,” recalls Mirko Bogicevic, a former village head and member of a family that has lived there for 11 generations. “Fresh blood was flowing from his mouth and ears,” Bogicevic says.

"He was probably just an ordinary man who had the good fortune or misfortune to become a vampire. All we know is that he came from Kisiljevo and his name is mentioned in documents from the 1700s," he adds, showing a copy of the Austrian newspaper "Wienerisches Diarium" dated July 21, 1725.

This event marks the beginning of the legend of the vampire of Kisiljevo.

According to Austrian experts who were sent to the border area to investigate the mysterious deaths, a linguistic misunderstanding may have given rise to the myth. Clemens Ruthner, head of the Centre for European Studies at Trinity College Dublin, explains:

“In Bulgarian there is an old word 'Upior', which means 'bad person'. I believe the locals mentioned it vaguely and the doctors mistranslated it as 'vampire'.”

The Austrians, seeing the blood coming out of the body, thought it was indeed something unusual, but the deaths were caused by high temperatures associated with serious infections.

"Vampirism, like witchcraft, is an anthropological way of explaining incomprehensible things," adds Ruthner.

Three centuries later, few people have visited Kisiljevo, a quiet village with beautiful nature.

In the Serbian village that claims to be the birthplace of

The Resurrection of the Legend

Beyond the invisible creatures, promoting local folklore has great potential to attract tourists and investors, says Dajana Stojanovic, director of the tourism office.

“Our region is rich in myths and legends, not only the story of Petar Blagojević, but also the magic of the Vlachs and unique local customs,” she says. “Every village has its own traditions,” she adds.

But for Mihajlovic, more than legend, it's about the true history of this area.

"We have complete documentation of a very special event, a case officially known as vampirism," says the 68-year-old professor.

“I personally believe in the veracity of that report.” And he’s not the only one…

In some houses in the village, bottles of Serbian brandy mixed with garlic and chili pepper are still kept, a reminder of ancient beliefs. /France 24