29 August 2019 - Culture Centre Tivat announces Award Decisions at PURGATORIJE 2019 Festival:

The award decision has been made by a jury consisting of Ivica Kunčević - jury president and jury members Dubravka Drakić and Stevan Koprivica.

Award for Best Play at the Fourteenth Festival of the Mediterranean Theatre Purgatorije 2019, has been unanimously presented to the play ZAŠTO JE POLUDEO GOSPODIN R? (Why did Mister R Go Crazy?), produced by the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia.

Justification: Using Reiner Fasbinder's work as a pretext, the authors and the ensemble produced a show of marvelous semantic and poetic verticals, a humorous and above all bitter dedication to the loss of the so-called "little man", a similar one to us, a work that caters to viewers in the true meaning of that Aristotelian term the essence of theatre.

Award for Best Acting has been unanimously decided to go to actor Boris Isakovic for his role of Lord R in the theatre play "Why did Mr. R go crazy?" produced by the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia.

Justification: The Best Actor Award goes to Boris Isakovic for his role as Lord R in the play "Why Mr. R went crazy". Boris Isakovic, with the ease of boundless talent and total dedication to acting, interprets Mr. R by going through different genres and types of theatrical expression, uniting them into a painful portrait of an individual devastated by the society in which we all live and with which we have complete identification.

The Bravura Acting Award has been unanimously decided  to go to actor NENAD JEZDIC for the role of Boss Mark - gazda Marko in the play Nečista krv (The Unclean Blood) in the production of the National Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia

Justification: Nenad Jezdić made the perfect amalgam of an authentic Stankovic character and a contemporary rural almost-amateur by sometimes playing indescribable internal fractures. Jezdić finds brilliant solutions in interpenetration, in which he superstitiously replaces it with a suggestive and expressive physical movement, in which we sense all the agitation of the soul of the hero he interprets.

The Special Award for Artistic Achievement has been unanimously decided to go to BOB JELIČIĆ for directing a theatre play. 

Justification: Bobo Jeličić shows what the theatre can do through directorial thinking, while remaining in the coordinates of a readable and interesting act for the viewer. Jelicic combines wit, pain, politics, charm and tragedy by completely devoting himself to working with the actors in the most mysterious detail, while reducing the stage apparatus to a minimal but effective character. The result of Jelicic's directorial manuscript is a play that belongs to the total theatre we rarely see in our scenes. 

Based on the Decision on the establishment of Ivana Tomicic Theatre Award, the Director of Culture Centre Tivat, Neven Stanicic, made the Decision on giving the 2019 Award to actor OMAR BAJRAMSPAHIC for his outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical expression.

The closing night of the festival will be staged tomorrow, August 30 at 9 pm, when the theatre play Vrat od stakla (The Neck Made of Glass) will be performed after the awards ceremony, as announced from the Culture Centre. The play is directed by Jagos Markovic, written by Biljana Srbljanovic and produced by the Yugoslav Drama Theater in Belgrade. Cast: Jelisaveta Seka Sablic, Vesna Trivalic, Anita Mancic, Dragan Micanovic, Irfan Mensur and others.

The island of St. Juraj or St. Djordje, near Perast, still manages to preserve the peace of a spiritual sanctuary, resisting the massive invasion of tourists who daily besiege its "neighbor" - the island of Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Skrpjela).

Holy sanctuaries such as these two islands should have peace, and those many curious people trying to approach them is met with a warning sign on the shore with the inscription “Church property. Access and bathing are allowed only for island guests, and there is sign prohibiting mooring of all vessels" except the boats of Subotica and Kotor dioceses, as well as Parish of Perast ", highlighted on the stone walls. There are many things to see on the island - there are 72 graves with inscriptions and coats of arms of noble families (Zmajevic, Brajkovic) inside the church, and outside the church are the graves of those who were "lesser-known inhabitants of Perast". It is assumed that the legendary Katica Kalfic and Ante Slovic, Romeo and Juliet from Perast, were buried in the grave just outside the church wall.

We entered the island thanks to don Srecko Majic, the parish priest of Perast, who, according to the old rules, would today be the "abbot of St. Djordje - St. Juraj", but it is not, since the island was contractually given for use to Diocese of Subotica. While we find diving equipment in front of the walls, bathers and guests sunbathing on the rocks, there is a beautifully landscaped courtyard with a kitchen and restaurant inside. In the outer courtyard, where Austrian cannons from 1860 still stand, small tents were erected for the modest accommodation of priests, and on the opposite side, in the small section, is the tomb of the Butorac family.

"In the period from June to the beginning of September, the Reverends, priests, nuns and their families and persons employed by the Diocese of Subotica and related sister dioceses from Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine reside on the island. They spend their holidays there, some to improve their health, especially for those living in monasteries, this is a little more freedom for them. There are not too many guests, peace and quiet are provided for everyone, the food is homemade, we strive to feel nice and comfortable within the limits of our possibilities. "From June to September, about 150 people pass through the resort, and accommodation capacity is limited, 19 beds. We are all satisfied, we have more than 50 percent of our guests who are returning, they come back to this place every year and always bring new people with them," explained Mihalj Pece, appointed on behalf of the Diocese of Subotica as the manager of the island of Sv. Djordje. He points out that tourists can visit the church of St. Djordje, as this is not forbidden.

"In the morning during the Holy Mass every day at 8 and 10 am on Sundays, attendance is allowed, but in the afternoon, it is not suggested, because it is a rest period and we do not want to be disturbed. We need to protect the priest's privacy, to ensure peace. The other story is if anyone wants to come to bathe, sunbathe, then again, we protect the privacy of priests, nuns and their family members, because this is church property and is not a public bath. When groups of visitors from the Museum of the City of Perast are announced, they are free to enter; we adapt to it. There is no visit like on the neighboring island - to come by boats, that 50 of them enter the island, we do not function like that, Mihalj says, adding that during the winter the keys are left with a friend from Perast, who is coming to check the island, and they come to repair the facilities at the end of March.

"It is painful that individuals and groups cannot visit the church, pray and light a candle for the death of their ancestors, buried in the cemetery of St. Juraj. The bishops of Subotica and Kotor could, by contract, make the area accessible, if not the whole island, then at least the church, says Don Srecko, explaining to us that the first inhabitants lived here during the time of Empress Teuta, and in Diocletian's times there were also defensive fortifications. The first church is mentioned in 809, when the Benedictines from the island welcomed the ship that was bringing the relics of Saint Tripun. Around 1540, the parish priest of Perast became the abbot of St. Djordje - Juraj. After the great earthquake in 1667 when the old church was demolished, the present one was built. At the time of Napoleon's occupation of Boka Kotor bay, there was a military barrack, and after the departure of the French, the Austrians came until 1918. Then comes the charity Red Cross. From Debeli brijeg to Albania there used to be 30 male and female Benedictine monasteries, including St. Djordje, and today there are hardly any.

Boka Kotor bay, photo Boka News

After the Second World War, in 1959, since the church and housing remained with no roof, the administrator of the diocese of Kotor then offered the bishop of Subotica to restore the islands with his money and to be used by priests, theologians and students from Subotica diocese. The island has been given to be governed for 90 years and by law, after 100 years, becomes their property. In the beginning it worked beautifully, everyone who wanted was welcome, there were concerts, exhibitions, spiritual evenings, but for the last ten years the island has turned into a closed-type tourist resort. More recently, we are facing problems that some administrators do not allow visitors to enter the islands, not even in the church, says Don Srecko Majic.

It is up to the bishops to decide

"According to the documents we possess within the state of Montenegro, the owner and manager of the Island of St. Juraj is the Diocese of Kotor, i.e., parish priest of Perast. The island has neither been sold nor has a legally confirmed agreement on usage. The diocese is already working to make the island become valorized as it deserves. The people from Boka bay are tolerant and peaceful; we want this to be resolved peacefully and culturally, don Srecko said. Mihalj Pece adds that the issue of further use of the island "will be resolved by the new bishop of Subotica, when he becomes appointed soon and Bishop Ilija Janjic, i.e., his successor".

Text by M.D.Popovic, on August 29th, 2019, read more at Boka News

This year's Sea Dance will feature the most powerful festival production ever seen in Montenegro. During all three days of the festival, a complete Exit production will be staged according to the demands of one of the most demanding performers in the world, David Guetta, with equipment that is shipped in on as many as 11 tow trucks.

About 120 people take part in the stage set up at the festival venue, while during the festival, from Friday 30 August to 1 September, the number of people engaged will exceed one thousand. Especially for this year's Sea Dance, eight latest-generation color lasers arrive from Greece, which, with special accessories, 126 lighting fixtures and numerous additional stage effects, creates impressive scenes over the entire festival space.

The main stage, in its construction, weighs more than 50 tons of steel and aluminum, and will carry equipment from the largest Exit stages. In addition to Guetta, this stage will feature numerous other performers, including Robin Schulz, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, "Disciples", "Ofenbach", Darko Rundek, Senidah.

The production of the No Sleep stage will also be more massive this year and is located in a new location right on the beach, just below the hill separating Buljarica from Petrovac.

The festival will be complemented by a new creative “Living Culture” zone dedicated to the promotion of local authors, implemented by the EXIT team in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

There is a huge demand for tickets for this year's festival. One-day tickets are also on sale for the first and second days at 17.99 euros each, while the price for the third day is 19.99 euros. A set of tickets can still be purchased today at the cost of 34.99 euros.

From Friday 30 August, the price will be 50 euros and one-day tickets for 19.99 euros for Friday and Saturday, which Sunday is 24.99 euros. Tickets are available at the GIGSTIX sales network at 54 sale points in 23 cities in Montenegro, and more information can be found on the official website of the Sea Dance Festival.

Text by Marija Vasic, on August 29th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

In Vucje, twenty kilometers from Niksic, the fourth Regional Rural Youth Camp, organized by the Network for Rural Development of Montenegro, began.

"The bottom line is to involve as many young people as possible, to transfer the knowledge and skills necessary for the development of local communities in rural areas for projects implemented with the support of policies implemented by our state and the countries of the region and the European Union," said the director of the Network, Ratko Batakovic.

During the two days, camp participants will have the opportunity to hear, among other things, more about local action groups, leader access, sustainable rural development, empowerment and diversification of the rural economy, while the third day is reserved for field trips.

“We expect good work and good results. The current rural development will also be discussed. We will have lectures on what it looks like from the European Union angle, what support measures, approaches, and what it looks like from the national level. We will also have insight into what is happening at the local level in different parts of our region and what is the role of the civil sector, how to best promote and improve rural development," said Batakovic.

At the camp (Photo: Private archive)

The participants of this year's camp, which was financially supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Permanent Working Group on Rural Development of Southeastern Europe, will be from Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Kosovo.

 “We are glad that there are initiatives like this, to bring together people in the region who are interested in rural development and who are interested in some kind of agriculture, to hear what is happening in different countries and to hear some positive experiences from those countries that are already EU members," said Darko Konjevic, General Director of the Directorate for Rural Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Montenegro.

He promised that the ministry would continue to support initiatives aimed at developing rural areas of Montenegro.

The main theme of this year's camp, which runs till August 30^th, is "Sustainable Rural Development Challenges and Opportunities".

The participants are young people who are most often in contact with agriculture and are nominated by national rural networks. 

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on August 28th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

29 August 2019 - The manifestation Ethno Evenings, which takes place in Budva and Petrovac, will traditionally continue in August and September, announced the representatives of Tourist Organisation of Budva Municipality.

In the following month, the Ethno Evenings program will include performances by the Castel Nuovo music band, Stara Budva Cultural Centre and Harmonija women's vocal group, renowned for their unearthly vocal blend and virtuosic ensemble singing.

Schedule and timetable for the Ethno Evenings are listed below.

Music band Castel Nuovo

-Promenade in Budva, Thursday, August 29 from 5:00 pm;

-Budva Old town and promenade, Saturdays and Sundays starting September 1^st, from 5:00 pm, throughout September;

-Petrovac promenade, Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning September 3^rd, from 5:00 pm, throughout September;

Cultural Centre Stara Budva

-The plateau between Hotel Mogren and Avala, Thursday, September 5^th from 8 pm;

-Wednesdays from 8:00 pm until the end of September;

Women's Vocal Group Harmonija

- The Square of Poets, Thursday, August 29^th from 8:00 pm.

The aim of this event, which has been organized for more than ten years, is to introduce the guests to the musical and cultural heritage of the region, and to make the stay of tourists in Budva as beautiful as possible during these months.

Read more about cultural events in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

28 August 2019 - The 52nd Balkan Sailing Championship will be held in Tivat from September 6 to September 11, according to the organizer, JK Delfin Sailing Club. The main sponsor of this international competition is the Municipality of Tivat with the support of the Ministry of Sport, Ministry of Tourism, Tivat Tourism Organization, Montenegro Sailing Federation and many sailing partners and friends.

The competition is organized for the Olympic Laser class and the Optimist class, with national teams from the Balkan countries - Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro participating, and in general sailors from Croatia, Slovenia and Italy are expected to attend, about 300 participants in total.

The opening ceremony on the Pine waterfront, which will be preceded by participant defiles led by city music, is scheduled for 7 pm when Nikola Janovic, Minister of Sport of Montenegro, will open the competition. JK Delfin is completing the preparations for the competition with the great help of representatives of local public companies that are on the organizing committee formed by the Municipality of Tivat, headed by the Mayor Dr. Siniša Kusovac. The president of the competition is Ilko Klakor, coach of JK Dolphin and coach of the national team of Montenegro, who says with undeniable pleasure:

“Of course, I am proud of what we have achieved so far and that we have been allowed to organize the Balkan Championship. It is a great pleasure for all the hard work, effort and renunciation that we put into it, which is not hard for us because we love sailing and the club. With the advice of people who have preserved the tradition and the existence of the club, with a team of enthusiasts who are small but select, we have been able to improve the sports activities of the club, put it on healthy feet, achieve great results. Organizing the 52nd Balkan Championship is a big challenge," Klakor said. He thanked the Federation, the Ministry of Sport, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and especially the Municipality of Tivat “for helping the club print a new page in the history of Tivat, JK Delfin, sailing in Montenegro and Montenegro itself.”

During the Balkan Championship, competitors will sail on two regatta fields in the Bay of Tivat, a total of 11 regattas for four classes in four competition days. The Montenegrin national team will exercise its right to participate in the extended squad so that 37 sailors from domestic clubs will participate.

28 August 2019 - "Dinamika Music", a quartet from Belgrade will hold a concert on the stage of the Summerhouse Buća Atrium in Tivat on Thursday, September 29, as announced from Culture Centre Tivat.

Dinamika music is a DJ-led electric string quartet that brings music together through time from Vivaldi to Michael Jackson. The dynamic is made up of academic musicians educated at Academies at home and abroad. The band members are Katarina Ranic Cavic, Bogdan Cavic, Milovan Jovanovic and Katarina Stanimirovic.

Katarina Ranic Cavic is the founder and frontman of the Electric Dynamics music quartet. The creative and original artist, who "holds the violin in her little finger," but is also extraordinarily strong in the role of organizer and manager.

Musicians of "Dinamika music" play electric violins, which gives them special sound and dynamism, and the place of the conductor was taken by the acknowledged DJ Grappelli - Bogdan Čavić, founder of the agency DJ EXPRESS in Belgrade. He is the dynamics of this music quartet, making it special and unique by his musical background done in accordance with his profession as an academic violinist from the Mozarteum hochschule in Salzburg and many years of experience in European DJ scenes. DJ Grappelli originally handled all the tracks for electric composition, thus overcoming the stereotypes and monotony in the musical offering.

Katarina Stanimirovic gives new impulse, energy and beauty to this quartet. Full of enthusiasm and cheerful spirit, she readily "jumps" from the place of the third violin to the place of a second whenever needed.

Milovan Jovanovic is the 2nd violin and good spirit of the quartet. He is also called our Mr. Bean, being an unsurpassed charmer on the podium and always in charge to be in good spirits and full of laughter.

If you love the music of Nigel Kennedy and Vanessa May, David Garett, DJ Guetta, DJ Tiesta, this evening will be interesting to you; the organizer points out.

The concert will be held within the Purgatorije Festival.

28 August 2019 - Preliminary data published by the Statistical Office of Montenegro shows that the average price of an apartment in Montenegro is higher by 11,6% compared with the same period last year. Economic analyst and professor in the Faculty of Management Herceg Novi Vasilije Kostić, cites reasons why the price of real estate has gone up so drastically.

He pointed out that the number of residential units in Montenegro exceeds the need for them. Besides, real estate purchase is a form of investing that offers specific advantages in comparison to other possibilities.

"By this, I mean poorly-developed securities market," stated Kostić as Cafe del Montenegro reports.

In his opinion, an increase in the price of an apartment square meter in Montenegro is impacted by the fact that our country is a very attractive tourist destination.

"As it is becoming even more attractive, the interest in real estate in Montenegro grows simultaneously," explained Kostić.

Increase in the real estate price is followed by an increase in economic activity, i.e., economic dynamics.

According to data published by the Statistical Office of Montenegro, the average price per square meter in new construction in Podgorica was 1.204 EUR in the second quarter of 2019. At Montenegrin coast, it amounted to 1.368 EUR, in the central region 677 EUR, whereas in the northern region it was 880 EUR.

Read more news about business in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

28 August 2019 - If everything goes according to plan, the construction of a kindergarten in Rožaje, Blok VI in Podgorica, Pljevlja and Herceg Novi will start this year, said Minister of Education, Damir Šehović. He announced a new project – the introduction of digital classrooms and changing the so-called ethos of schools – making students study for the knowledge, not for grades.

Minister Šehović confirmed the construction of kindergartens in City kvart, Bloc VI, Tuški put, Stari Aerodrom, Zlatica in Podgorica, as well as in Bijelo Polje, Berane, Plav, Pljevlja, Rožaje, Bar and Ulcinj, and added that 38 capital projects worth 50 million EUR confirmed the government’s commitment to investments in long-term and sustainable projects.

"Our objective is to bring projects close to completion. When it comes to internal procedures, we do not procrastinate. I want to praise the efficiency of the Ministry of Education," said Šehović as CdM reported.

In the prior period, the Ministry has been working on restoring the credibility of professional education – the realization of dual education and providing support to third-degree students. As Minister says, the emphasis will be put on high-quality practice. Starting from September, around 800 students will be attending dual lectures.

"Make something using your own two hands is something one should be proud of. To know how the world functions, is that a small thing," asked Šehović.

The Montenegrin education system needs more high-quality understanding of the process and connection of lessons from different areas. In that context, digital technology is one of the most important mechanisms. Digital technology is not simply installing a computer in the classroom. It's more about urging the lecturers and students to use the Internet and computers for stimulating children to create their own contents.

"To be more precise, a child can learn to memory that DNA carries genetic instructions. But the high-quality animated image of DNA structure, its modifications, offers more comprehensive and more applicable knowledge," pointed out Minister.

In cooperation with the British Council, the Ministry will distribute around 4000 micro bit computers to every elementary school in Montenegro.

"Also, around 3 million EUR will be intended for the equipment of school cabinets. However, it is only the beginning, since digital technology requires the use of Internet, computers and software skills," stressed out Šehović.

Commenting on the announced changes in specific subjects programs, Šehović said that subjects of general education will still make a great segment of overall high school program. Changing one group of mandatory courses into elective has drawn criticism as representatives of the Association of Teachers of social subjects claimed that it would bring into question the concept of civil society.

"A citizen and civil society are not synonyms for pure theoretical knowledge. I would say that civil society contains openness for different individual needs. Such citizens are created by harmonious relation between theoretical knowledge and its practical application," added Šehović.

He points out that the Ministry knew how to praise the success Montenegrin students made in numerous regional and international competitions. A giant step forward in that context was the establishment of the Fund for Quality and Talents, which grants several thousand awards to the best students every year.

Minister also reminded that students should be urged to understand what they learn and that Ministry has started working on the promotion of pre-school education.

"We now have 1700 new places in kindergartens, several new kindergartens and numerous units adapted to function as kindergartens. We are slowly but surely addressing the problem of overbooked kindergartens," concluded Šehović.

Šehović finally added that a country whose citizens have a taste and know-how to swim out of the sea of emptiness would keep up with its development course.

Read more news about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

28 August 2019 - Montenegro and Germany have established dynamic bilateral relations at all levels, and additional efforts should be made to strengthen economic cooperation through stronger investment from the German businesspeople, said Prime Minister Duško Marković at the meeting with Deputy Chair of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag Katja Leikert.

Prime Minister Duško Marković spoke about the country's economic recovery, which is reflected in high growth rates, deficit reduction and excellent budget filling.

"The results are above expectations. The budget is stable, public revenues are higher than planned, and we have entered into a fierce showdown with the grey economy that has yielded results," he underlined.

Prime Minister Duško Marković emphasised the excellent tourist season, as well as the results and potential in the fields of agriculture and energy. Montenegro, he added, has turned to renewable energy and is an area that offers great opportunities for the German investors. The Government has placed particular emphasis on the strengthening of the overall infrastructure, as a key prerequisite for dynamic and sustainable development.

The meeting also addressed progress in the European integration process, freedom of the media, and successes in the fight against corruption and organised crime, as stated in the announcement by the Office of the Prime Minister.

"We have demonstrated strength and sustainability of institutional action in the combating organised crime and corruption. We have achieved great results in these areas," the Prime Minister of Montenegro underscored.

Prime Minister Duško Marković thanked Ms Katja Leikert for the support of the Government of Germany and the federal police, as well as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which has continuously assisted Montenegro in strengthening its institutional potential, and which organised the visit of Ms Leikert to Montenegro.

Read more news about politics in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.