Olivera Katarina, Yugoslav film and music icon, dies at 87

Serbian actress and singer Olivera Katarina died on 21 July 2026 at the age of 87. Born Olivera Petrović in Belgrade on 5 March 1940, she became a leading figure of Yugoslav cinema and popular music. Her breakthrough role was Lenče in Aleksandar Petrović’s 1967 film "Skupljači perja," which won the Grand Prix at Cannes and earned an Oscar nomination. Katarina was also celebrated as a vocalist, performing traditional, Roma and pop songs and giving 72 consecutive concerts at Paris’s Olympia. Serbian Deputy Prime‑Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said, “With great sorrow I received the news that Olivera Katarina has left us,” praising her lasting impact on Serbian culture. President Aleksandar Vučić offered condolences, calling her “an authentic and charismatic diva whose voice transcended borders.” Her career spanned theatre, film, television and numerous international stages, leaving a lasting legacy across the former Yugoslav region.