11 July 2019 - President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Ivan Brajović, handed out 13 July awards for 2019 to Dragan B. Perović, for the author TV series “Crnogorci sentom po svijetu”, cycles of TW shows “Myth exorcist” and his book “Stefan Perović Cuca – orepak bića”, Božidar Šekularac for the book “Montenegro in the time of Crnojevići” and to Pavle Goranović for the book under the title “Poetry”.
Brajović pointed out that the 13 July Uprising was one of the noblest historical books of Montenegro, whose old pages had been printed in the oldest state printing shop in the world.
“This book echoed the freedom of our homeland. It is the book that is being written even nowadays and it must not ever be finished as it would be the end of Montenegro. Histories are written, and states live along with their people,” said Brajović, as CdM reported.
If there had not been 13 July, contemporary Montenegro would not exist, he continued.
“That day in 1878, when our independence was confirmed at the Congress in Berlin; or that day in 1941 when a new, liberated Montenegro was born. That is what we are celebrating. We are celebrating the Statehood Day in an independent Montenegro and we are presenting 13 July awards,” Mr Brajović.
He said we lived in the time when a word, uttered or written, given or taken, started to devalue. Instead of uniting, a word divides, foils, it targets and makes everything relative.
“In such times, only wisdom can outlive the interest and the spite, just like rationality can outlive anemia and lethargy. Therefore, we must be wise and patient, because the truth will always find its way. We are here to keep our word and do what we had decided. For all these reasons, it is my pleasure to be here today and present our creators with awards,” said Mr Brajović.
He said that today “we are reaping what our ancestors had sowed”. Everything that survived many decade-long droughts and floods, snows and winds; everything that outlived ideological, religious and other differences and conflicts; everything that reinforced the sparkle of Montenegrin statehood and weaved Montenegrin sky into the civilization constellation.
"Today, we are worshipping Montenegrin victims who fought against the greatest evil of humanity – fascism. And you, dear award winners, thank you for your work and dedication. Your success and your achievements are the success and achievements of Montenegro,” stated Brajović.
Dragan B. Perović said that the award was the crown of many-decade long work, effort and desire to make a contribution to the Montenegrin cultural milieu.
“Montenegro is above us. It’s been immersed into the misfortunes and troubles of others for so long, letting them make up for their lack of history using its own values. We must come back to our own selves and render of decisions on your own, relying on our own striving and bright traditions,” said Perović.
The decision on granting 13 July awards was reasoned by the president of the Jury, Rajko Todorović Todor, who said that the works of the laureates represented the durable value of the Montenegrin culture and science.
Speaking about the works of Božidar Šekularac, president of the Jury said that 28 publications testified to his continuous commitment to scientific and pedagogical works and represented a significant contribution to Montenegrin historiography.
He said that Pavle Goranović is one of the most prominent Montenegrin poets, whose poetry is filled with numerous philosophical associations and implications. His book, “Poetry”, is characterized by the maturity of the expression and language, a connection of space and worlds, making this author one of the most important figures at the Montenegrin literary scene.
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