Who is Živorad Nikolić

Živorad Nikolić, known throughout Serbia and the region as Žika Šarenica, is a Serbian journalist and television host whose career spans more than five decades. He made his name as the creator and host of “Žikina šarenica” (“Žika’s Patchwork”), one of the longest-running and most recognizable formats on Serbian television, dedicated to the people, customs, and beauty of Serbian towns and villages. Throughout his career, Živorad Nikolić has traveled a path from a village boy from Jasikovica, through working as a Russian language teacher, to becoming one of the symbols of Radio Television of Serbia, and later of other television stations in the country.

Early life and childhood

Živorad Nikolić was born on March 1, 1950, in the village of Jasikovica, near Trstenik, to Mališa and Stanka Nikolić. He grew up in a rural household, under modest conditions typical of central Serbia at the time. According to his own words, his childhood was idyllic, though marked by the everyday duties typical of village children of that era — school and tending livestock in the surrounding meadows.

He was especially attached to his father, who, as he later recounted, found it difficult to accept that his son would not remain in the village and take up farming. The decision for Živorad to pursue schooling away from his home village was made, against his father’s objections, by his mother Stanka, who did not want a difficult life as a village householder for her son. His first encounter with television, which he described as a “secret wish,” happened in early childhood, at a time when television sets were a rarity, especially in villages — in Jasikovica, he notes, there was only one, in his cousin’s house.

Education

After primary school in his home region, Živorad Nikolić finished secondary school in Vrnjačka Banja. Upon completing gymnasium, his greatest wish was to enroll at the Faculty of Philology and later work as a teacher in a secondary school. In Belgrade, he first enrolled in English at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade, but changed his mind during his studies and ultimately graduated with a degree in Russian language and literature.

During his student years, Nikolić faced a difficult financial situation, but despite this he strove to help his family while completing his studies. He did not abandon his studies, and alongside his university coursework he also began working, marking the start of his long working life.

Start of career

Even while still a student, Živorad Nikolić taught Russian at the Secondary Medical School and the Forestry-Technical School in Kragujevac. One of his students at the time was Nada Macura, who later became the spokesperson for the Emergency Medical Service. Nikolić has pointed out that he came to journalism and television almost by accident, since his original plan was to remain in education as a Russian language teacher.

A turning point came with an invitation from his high school friend Boško Ruđinčanin, who offered him a job at the newspaper “Vrnjačke novine” and at Radio Vrnjačka Banja. This is how, in his own words, his journalism career officially began at Vrnjačke novine. At the radio station in Vrnjačka Banja he also worked as a host, but according to some sources, he was at one point let go because his superiors felt he lacked sufficient talent for the job.

He continued his career at Radio Belgrade, where he arrived without a formal competition, purely on the strength of recommendation and his work up to that point. The turning point came when a guest on one of the shows he hosted was Sergej Šestakov, then editor-in-chief of the Belgrade Program of Radio Television of Serbia. After their conversation, Šestakov offered Nikolić a move to television. A month later, in 1986, Živorad Nikolić began working in the editorial team of the Morning Program at RTS, officially beginning his long-running television career.

Rise to popularity – “Žikina šarenica”

Živorad Nikolić spent the following years working within the RTS editorial team, and the turning point in his career came in 2005, when, together with the then general director of RTS, Aleksandar Tijanić, he launched the show that would define his career — “Žikina šarenica”. The idea was to create an informative-entertainment program modeled on Italian television formats of the time, focused on everyday life, people, and customs across Serbia.

The name of the show was suggested by Tijanić himself, and Nikolić later admitted that at first he could not believe the show would bear his name. The format quickly won over audiences: every week, the “Žikina šarenica” team traveled to towns and villages, introducing viewers to local landmarks, traditions, monasteries, and both well-known and lesser-known figures from those regions. Over time, the show became one of the hallmarks of RTS’s weekend programming and part of the weekend routine for many families in Serbia and the region.

During more than a decade and a half of airing on RTS, “Žikina šarenica” underwent changes and adapted to new viewing habits — new segments were introduced, such as “Žika’s Riddles” and “Viewer Reporter,” which allowed audiences to actively participate in the show’s content. Nikolić later explained that the greatest secret to the format’s longevity lay precisely in the fact that it was always focused on people and their stories, rather than solely on production trends.

Move to Pink and “Sa Žikom po Srbiji” on Kurir Television

In early 2018, after 14 years of “Žikina šarenica” airing on RTS, news emerged that the show would move to TV Pink. Živorad Nikolić explained that negotiations with Pink had been ongoing since the show’s launch on RTS, but that the right conditions were only met in 2018. He left the public broadcaster after more than four decades of work, retired, and then decided on a new professional challenge — continuing “Žikina šarenica” on a commercial channel, where the show launched on March 10 of that same year, retaining its recognizable format and the host’s style.

Despite retiring from RTS, Nikolić did not stop working. A few years later, on March 24, he launched a new original show called “Sa Žikom po Srbiji” (“Traveling Serbia with Žika”) on Kurir Television, in collaboration with producer Marijana Petrović, with whom he had previously worked for years on “Žikina šarenica,” when she served as director and he as editor and host. The new show, a semi-documentary travel format, airs on Sundays at 3 p.m., through which Nikolić introduces viewers to lesser-known places, people, and stories from various parts of Serbia. The host himself has said that this kind of documentary-travel format had always been a great wish of his, but that he had not previously had the opportunity to fully explore it.

Greatest achievements

The greatest professional achievement of Živorad Nikolić is certainly the show “Žikina šarenica,” which, aside from a brief pause during the change of television network, remained on air for more than two decades, making it one of the longest-running formats on Serbian television. In addition to this show, Nikolić is the author of the documentary series “Dosije zatvor” (“Prison File”), which had 17 episodes and dealt with life behind prison walls, demonstrating his readiness to try his hand at a more serious, investigative journalistic genre alongside entertainment.

His later show, “Sa Žikom po Srbiji” on Kurir Television, represents a continuation of his long-standing work promoting lesser-known parts of Serbia, and the host himself has said that this project, even coming at a later stage of his career, has given him a feeling of experiencing genuine television popularity for the first time.

Private life

Živorad Nikolić was already married during his student years. He married his first love, whom he began dating back in secondary school, while in his fourth year of university. They had a daughter, Ružica, but the marriage later ended in divorce.

He met his current wife, Zorana Nedić, on July 24, 1988, entirely by chance, at a train station in Belgrade — he was waiting for a tram to Kalemegdan, while she had gotten off at that stop after missing her tram from Novi Beograd. From that meeting on, they became inseparable, and they married seven years later, on July 24, 1995 — exactly on the anniversary of their first meeting. Zorana has a daughter, Katarina, from a previous marriage, whom Nikolić accepted as his own child. According to available sources, his wife Zorana avoids media attention and rarely appears in public.

Even though Živorad Nikolić’s career spans more than four decades, he continued working long after officially retiring from RTS, explaining that for him journalism is not just a job but a way of life. He has stated that he views his retirement years as merely one phase, pointing out that inactivity leads to stagnation, while professional engagement continues to fulfill him.

Trivia

• The nickname “Žika Šarenica” comes from the name of his most famous show, suggested by the then general director of RTS, Aleksandar Tijanić.
• According to some sources, due to certain spontaneous and unusual remarks made during filming, he also acquired the informal nickname “Žika Seljak” (“Žika the Peasant”) among the public, which, as he himself says, does not bother him.
• During numerous filmings of “Žikina šarenica,” there were also awkward moments — he once told a young girl during the show that she would “become Ana Ivanović and marry well,” for which he later had to apologize to both the girl and tennis player Ana Ivanović.
• He has never in his career written a job application or applied for a position through a formal competition — every subsequent engagement came through recommendations and personal connections.
• Although his stage name is widely recognized, he has pointed out that today, outside his circle of close friends, almost no one recognizes him by his real name — Živorad Nikolić.

Awards and recognition

Although “Žikina šarenica” achieved great viewership and recognition throughout Serbia and the region over its decades-long run, publicly available sources do not list specific official journalism or television awards granted personally to Živorad Nikolić. This information is not currently publicly confirmed from reliable sources, and is therefore not stated as fact.

Legacy and influence

Živorad Nikolić will leave his mark on the history of Serbian television primarily through the format he created, with which he defined a particular genre of travel-entertainment programming focused on “ordinary” people and local communities, rather than exclusively on major cities and well-known figures. “Žikina šarenica” became, for many generations of viewers, synonymous with weekend programming and part of the family routine, while his authorial approach — relying on the sincere stories of ordinary people rather than sensationalism — left a recognizable mark on the domestic television scene. Continuing his work in the later years of his career through the show “Sa Žikom po Srbiji,” Nikolić continues to nurture the same approach, passing it on to a new generation of viewers through another television network.

Biography – frequently asked questions

Who is Žika Šarenica?

Žika Šarenica is the stage name under which Serbian journalist and TV host Živorad Nikolić is known, the creator and long-time host of the show “Žikina šarenica.”

When was Živorad Nikolić born?

Živorad Nikolić was born on March 1, 1950, in the village of Jasikovica, near Trstenik.

What is Žika Šarenica’s real name?

The real name of the host known as Žika Šarenica is Živorad Nikolić.

Is Živorad Nikolić still active on television?

Yes, although he is retired from Radio Television of Serbia, Živorad Nikolić still hosts the original show “Sa Žikom po Srbiji” on Kurir Television.

When was “Žikina šarenica” launched?

“Žikina šarenica” was launched in 2005 on Radio Television of Serbia, with the support of then general director Aleksandar Tijanić.

Why did “Žikina šarenica” move from RTS to TV Pink?

After 14 years of airing on RTS, Živorad Nikolić retired from the public broadcaster in 2018, after which the show, with his continued involvement, continued on TV Pink.

What did Živorad Nikolić study?

Živorad Nikolić graduated in Russian language and literature from the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade, after initially enrolling in English.

How did Živorad Nikolić start his media career?

He began his media career at the newspaper “Vrnjačke novine” and at Radio Vrnjačka Banja, later continuing at Radio Belgrade, from where he moved to Radio Television of Serbia in 1986.

Is Živorad Nikolić married?

Yes, Živorad Nikolić is married to Zorana Nedić, whom he married in 1995, seven years after they met.

What other shows has Živorad Nikolić made?

In addition to “Žikina šarenica” and “Sa Žikom po Srbiji,” Živorad Nikolić is the author of the documentary series “Dosije zatvor,” which had 17 episodes.

Conclusion

Živorad Nikolić, better known as Žika Šarenica, is one of the most recognizable journalists and hosts of Serbian television, whose professional journey from a village boy in Jasikovica to a symbol of RTS spanned more than half a century. Through the show “Žikina šarenica,” he built a distinctive, recognizable style based on the sincere stories of ordinary people, an approach he continues to nurture even now, in the later years of his career, through the show “Sa Žikom po Srbiji” on Kurir Television. His example shows that a love for journalism and television, as the host himself points out, knows no boundaries of a working life.