In the last 7 years, MSC Cruises fleet brought over 700,000 guests to the Croatian city often nicknamed The Pearl of Adriatic – Dubrovnik, the only port in Croatia where passengers can embark MSC ships and start a vacation of their dreams. In 2008 alone MSC ships have called Dubrovnik 73 times carrying onboard over 200,000 passengers.
Year: 2008
Vlaho Paljetak's Marijana sung by Seiji Tanaka in Japan in 1976
Vlaho Paljetak (1893-1944) is a famous Croatian pop singer born in Dubrovnik, known for several still very popular songs, among them Marijana . It is not widely known that this Croatian song had two Japanese recordings. It was sung by Seiji Tanaka in 1976.
Dr. Slaven Letica: If Streets Could Talk. Kad bi ulice imale dar govora.
If Croatian streets and squares could talk, what a thrilling story they could tell about the meaning of all the name changes, and the dramatic, bloody, and tragic history that lies beneath. In my book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest , I decided to “freeze history”, at least for a brief moment. I gambled on posthumous recognition for my efforts, fully aware that any such appreciation in Croatia is always fleeting, and never long-lasting.
Miro Gavran 3 premieres in 3 countries in 2 weeks. Latvia, Slovakia and Czech R.
Miro Gavran, the most succesful contemporary Croatian playwright, will have three premieres of his plays in three European countries in only two weeks. His three playes “All About Men”, “Greta Garbo’s Secret” and “Othello from Susak Island” will be performed Latvia November 28, 2008. Slovakia December 11, 2008 and Czech Republic December 13, 2008 in respective languages.
Slavonski Poduzetnik a Croatian success story
Vladimir Mihajlović, on the photo, is a newspaperman of Slavonski Poduzetnik – Slavonian Entrepreneur. He sent us a few very interesting stories published in this monthley issued in Osijek, a major town in Slavonija. Slavonia is a very fertile historical region on the north of Croatia. The editor in chief of this excellent bussiness journal is Tihomir Jelavić.
Croatian village celebrates victory of US senator Mark Begich
Mark Begich’s victory in the U.S. Senate race in Alaska is being celebrated in a Croatian village where his grandfather once lived. Begich’s grandfather left the small village of Podlapaca in central Croatia almost a century ago to seek a better life in America. Croatian Nikola Begic, who says he’s the new senator’s cousin, was quoted by one paper as saying their extended family had endured poverty and wars in the past, so the senator’s victory “may be God’s reward now.”
Hrvoje Gunjaca: Great story about operation of eagle owl on CNN
An injured eagle owl was brought to the Falconry centre near Šibenik, Croatia, with its wings badly damaged. Under carefully measured anaesthetic, 30 damaged feathers have been changed with new feathers. The operation was done by Emilio Menđušić, director of the centre (on the photo). The resulting film prepared by Hrvoje Gunjača was awarded by CNN.
Mark Begich the first Croatian-American US Senator. Begich wins in Alaska.
Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) increased his lead over convicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to 3,724 votes on Tuesday with almost all of the remaining ballots counted, and the Associated Press has now called the race for the Democrat. Smile of relief, so well deserved. Croatians all over the world are celebrating tonight, a historic race. Mark is entering Senate at the right moment in history as a critical democratic Senator.
Lavoslav Ruzicka Croatian Nobel Prize winner from Vukovar
Lavoslav Leopold Ružička (1887-1976) is one among three Croatian winners of the Nobel Prize. Born in the town of Vukovar, he obtained the Nobel Prize for chemistry while working et ETH, Zurich, Switzerland. In Vukovar the home of his birth has been renovated in 2007 from the 1991 destruction, now known as the Ružička House.
Dr. Slaven Letica: Vukovar ili hrvatska knjiga postanka. Gdje zlo ne otima NADU.
Ovo je osvrt dr. Slavena Letice na pad Vukovara kroz dva članka, jedan iz 1991. i drugi iz 2008. Naslovi članaka su “Vukovar ili hrvatska knjiga postanka” i “Vukovarski poučak ili Odvažnost hrvatske nade”.
Dr. Drago Stambuk: Speech at the Holy Mass for Vukovar Victims, Tokyo 2008
Dr. Drago Štambuk in his speech in Tokyo at the Holy Mass for Vukovar Victims, November 16th 2008, said that “… Vukovar’s treatment by the Serbian forces onslaught from August to November 1991, when up to 15,000 missiles would fall daily on this beautiful baroque town, turned its citizens into martyrs and town into a waste land. The lives of the inhabitants were conducted inside cellars…”
Croatian pupil Martin Kotarski and Bill Gates awarded in Japan
Martin Kotarski, 14 years old Croatian pupil, and Bill Gates (both on the photo), are recipients of a recognition from the Goi Peace Foundation in Japan. Martin received Children’s Category 1st Prize for his essay Joined by a Cookbook. He prepared a cookbook with traditional Croatian meals in order to get money for poor people of his school.
Ivan Mestrovic's The Descent from the Cross sold for 250 000 EU at Sotheby's
Ivan Meštrović (1883-1962), a famous Croatian sculptor, is probably best known for his Chicago Indians , prepared in Craatia in the course of two years. His another famous sculpture carved in wood is The Descent from the Cross , exhibited with undprecedented success at Albert Museum in London in 1915. It has recently been sold for 250,000 EU at Sotheby’s in London.
Croatian Heroes: Kata Šoljić legendary Croatian mother died
Kata Šoljić, considered as a hero of Homeland War, lost her four sons who defended Croatia in 1990s during the Battle for Vukovar. She was seeking the remains of her children for twelve years, and the last one was found in 2003. During the Second World War she lost her four brothers. Kata Šoljić died in 2008 in Zagreb, at the age of 87.
Nenad Bach is Baack and Wanted – performance at Fairleigh Dickinson University
Nenad began the set behind the piano and performed a new ballad: “Everything is Forever.” The song was in the mood of most of Nenad’s previous rich resume of recordings, but it managed to be both melancholy and optimistic. Perhaps that is possible when one has a long track record of engagement on and off the stage. We hope to see more of Nenad’s vault full of talent and vision into the future, and the audience that night certainly was left looking for more.
St Paul visited Croatian island of Mljet on his journey to Rome
An important conference is organized in Dubrovnik where outstanding specialists will prove that St Paul went to Rome across the island of Mljet in Croatia, and not via Malta. This fact is contained in a book by Ignjat Đurđević, 18th century Croatian Baroque writer from the city of Dubrovnik. The prinicpal contributor on the conference is Dr. Miho Demović, on the photo.
Eck Spahich distinguished Croatian-American died
Ekrem Eck Spahich (1945-2008) was distinguished Croatian American in Texas, born in the town of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1972, Eck organized the Croatian Philatelitic Society and started the social journal, Trumpeter (Trubljac). He was an active member of “Bluebonnet” CFU Lodge 1836 in Houston.
Croatian Heroes: Heroes of Vukovar TV serial by Eduard & Dominik Galic, part 10
Part 10 is the last one from the Vukovar Heroes series by Eduard and Dominik Galić, entitled Blago Zadro. It will be available on Friday 07.11.2008 20.10. This episode is about legendary Blago Zadro and his influence on Vukovar’s defenders.
Stjepan Hauser obtained cello from legendary Bernard Greenhaus as a gift
Legendary Bernard Greenhaus played on a very special cello made especialy for him by Cornelissen. And he suddenly decided to give this most beautiful example of Cornelissen to Stjepan Hauser, Croatian cellist, as a gift! The Greenwich Trio, in which Stjepan plays cello, won the 1st prize at the International Music Competition “Carlo Mosso” in Alessandria, Italy.
Hrvoje Saric 1922-2007 inventor of the first 360 degree camera
In 1972 Hrvoje Sarić invented and patented the first professional 360 degree synchro-rotational photo-camera in history. In 1988 he deviced the first electronical construction consisting of nine BETACAM videocameras, catching the range of the full circle. It was used at 1998 and 2000 EXPO exhibitions in Lisbon and Hannover in Portugal and Germany.