One of the biggest acting and music stars of the former Yugoslavia was laid to rest at the New Cemetery in Belgrade, in the Alley of Meritorious Citizens.
At the New Cemetery in Belgrade today, Olivera Katarina Šakić, an actress and musician from the former Yugoslavia who passed away on July 21, 2026, at the age of 87, was laid to rest. The funeral began at 12:30 p.m. in the Alley of Meritorious Citizens, and among the first to arrive was her son Mane Šakić, a renowned painter.
According to a report by Kurir.rs, Mane Šakić arrived at the funeral dressed in black, visibly grief-stricken. He brought a teardrop-shaped floral arrangement and then sat in front of the church where the funeral service was held, waiting for the final farewell to his mother to begin.
Olivera Katarina was extremely attached to her only son, whom she had with her husband Miladin Šakić. Mane lived and worked abroad for years, but remained very close to his mother.
Olivera Katarina did not want an ostentatious funeral. In one of her last major interviews with NIN, she said: "My son will find some peaceful spot where he can visit me." When asked if she wanted anyone to give a eulogy at her grave, she replied briefly: "No speeches, please." Asked what sentence she would hope to hear in a farewell speech, she answered: "The unspoken one."
Olivera Katarina left an indelible mark on regional art. In addition to acting, she won over audiences as a performer of chansons, Romani songs, and old city ballads. She performed in the most prestigious concert halls around the world, including the famous Paris Olympia.
