In 2013 the Chapel of Mother Mary of Sljeme near Zagreb, also known as the Queen of Croatians, solemnly celebrated 80 years since it has been built. The Holy Mass was served in September 2013 by cardinal Josip Bozanić, the Zagreb Archbishop. In October 2013 an interesting mass has been served by F. Josip Rožmarić, SJ, and by Rev. Oleh Hirnyk, Greek-Catholic priest from the city of Lviv, Ukraine; see the photo.
Author: Ivana Marija Vidovic and Darko Zubrinic
Ivana Marija Vidovic representing her native city of Dubrovnik and Croatia in Italy as a pianist and poet
Ivana Marija Vidović, distinguished Croatian pianist and poet born in the city of Dubrovnik, is a frequent guest in Italy. On the other hand, as a profound connoisseur of Italian culture, she was nominated in 2010 as an Ambassador of Italian culture in Croatia. In October 2013 she had two recitals and a master class at the Conservatory of Antonio Vivaldi in Alessandria, with emphasis on the opus of Croatian pianist Dora Pejačević. During the 2013 PianoMasters Festival in Lombardia in Palazzo Gallio, she was playing Mozart, Granados and Dore Pejačević, while during the break her verses have been recited by Italian actor Claudio Milani. At the end Ivana recited the verses in original Croatian language.
Tina Mihelic from Split Croatia is the 2013 Radial Laser World Sailing Champion
Tina Mihelić is the 2013 world champion in sailing in the category of Radial Laser. This is for the first time in history that a Croatian sportswoman won such a title. The competition took place in China, and she won in front of the girls from Denmark and the USA. Originaly from a very nice Croatian coastal town of Kostrena, she now lives in the city of Split. This is one of great achievements of Croatian sports. Congratulations to Tina and to her YC Labud (i.e., Swan) in the city of Split. The yacht club was founded in 1924.
Ante Glibota Croatian historian of Art published a monograph about Chinese painter Yin Yang in Bejing
Ante Glibota: “…Through his visual work, Yin Yang appears through this book’s pages as a crusher of immaterial, divine and earthly ideas, and imposes himself by the gesture’s apotheosis, and in the reconciliation of the human, philosophical and spiritual values, unifying the whole in tonalities that unveil the simplicity and the colorimetrical richness of the light’s surface. The spirit and the soul are thus transported toward an imaginary that opens up the way towards unattainable issues. …” We congratulate Mr. Ante Glibota for his very nice 2013 monograph published by Delight Edition. Mr. Glibota is distinguished Croatian historian of art and architecture, living in Paris and Shanghai, and a titular member of the European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Letters in France.
Jolijn Ceelen from the Netherlands learning Croatian Glagolitic Script with her father Mart in Sv. Filip i Jakov
Ms. Jolijn Ceelen is a very young and gifted painter and designer from the Netherlands (Nijmegen), and her father Mart (Schijndel) is interested in painting as well. In September 2013 they decided to participate in the Fourth Glagolitic Workshop organized by the Society of Glagolites of Zadar, founded in 2012, in order to learn the basics of the exotic Croatian Glagolitic Script. The literature writen using this amazing script during the past centuries (from the 10th century till today) is surprisingly rich. The Ceelen’s arrived to Croatia for the first time, and shared their fascination with other participants of the Glagolitic Workshop.
Phil Boskovich, King of Onions, descendant of Croatian immigrants, dies in 2013 at the age of 97
Boskovich was born in Los Angeles in 1915 to Croatian immigrants. After graduating from North Hollywood High School in 1933, he joined his father, Stjepan, on the family’s small farm, according to a release from the company. His brother Joe, cofounder of the company, died in 2008. Today, Boskovich Farms grows produce on more than 15,000 acres in California and Mexico and employs more than 500 people in Ventura County.
Miro Gavran's plays to be premiered in capitals of Poland, Brazil and Latvia in October 2013
If you are in Brazil’s capital Sao Paulo, Poland’s capital Warsaw, or Latvia’s capital Riga this month (October 2013), you can see one of three premieres by Miro Gavran, the most prolific contemporary Croatian playwright, that will happen in these cities. The titles of respective plays are “My Wife’s Husband” in Poland, and “All About Men” in Latvia and Brazil. Gavran’s plays have been translated into more than thirty languages worldwide.
Jakov Sedlar, distinguished Croatian filmmaker: Who wants to kill Yulia Tymoshenko?
FILMIND Tel Aviv & Coppola film London presents: Who wants to kill Yulia Tymoshenko? directed by Jakov Sedlar, distinguished Croatian filmmaker.
Wladimir Kossjanenko founded The Virtuosos of Split chamber orchestra in Croatia
Wladimir Kossjanenko is a violist of international reputation, born in Alma Ata in Kazakhstan, now associate professor at the Academy of Music in the city of Split in Croatia. He has recently founded The Virtuosos of Split, an ambitious chamber orchestra, composed of his students at the Academy, and also of several professional musicians. Except in Croatia, he is a frequent guest of classical music events throughout the world. His wife Vesna Podrug, a pianist born in the city of Split, is an assistant professor at the same Academy.
Croatian folklore groups from Zadar won gold medals at the 2013 World Championship of Folklore in Bulgaria
Two Croatian folklore groups, Sv. Jeronim from Vlašić and Sv. Šime from Rtina as one (under the name of Dalmatika), and Privlaka and Radovin as another, won gold medals at the World Folk 2013 competition organized in Bulgaria. The international competition is organized by the World Association of Folklore Festival and the European Association of Folklore Festivals. More than hundred folklor groups from all five continents participated. Outside the competition, four Croatian folklore groups (about 60 singers) sang old-Croatian Glagolitic songs in two Bulgarian historical churches, which was registered by local TV. Congratulations to Mr. Livio Marijan and his coleagues from the Zadar hinterland.
Josip Hanjs world champion in Shorthand Speech Capturing competition organized in Ghent in Belgium 2013
In 2013 Mr. Josip Hanjš, representing Croatia, became the world champion in a Shorthand Speech Capturing international organized in Ghent, Belgium. Seven countries participated: except Croatia, also Hungary, Italy, Germany, Argentina, France and Turkey. Mr. Hanjš is the president of Croatian Shorthand Association, one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1882 (five years before London). This is his secon world title in his career: the first title of the world champion has been won in Prague in 2007. It is interesting that here both female and male participants compete all together.
Croatians are the World Cup champions in quadruple sculls for the third time – in 2010, 2012 and 2013!
Qadruple sculls is one of elite sports in world’s rowing. To be among the first ten nations in the world raniking is a great exploit for every nation. The results of Croatian however are absolutely amazing: David Šain, Martin Sinković, Damir Martin and Valent Sinković are dominant among such nations like Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Norway, Canada, USA, etc. With these results Croatia has been established as a world superforce in this sporting discipline. In 2013 they were winners for the third time in the last four years, this time in Luzern in Switzerland. Furthermore, Damir Martin had a birthday on this great winning day.
Pope Francis and his encounters with Croatians in Argentina and Brasil
Pope Francis, as a cardinal of Buenos Aires, encountered Croatians in Argentina in various occasions. He concelebrated during a mass dedicated to blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac (1898-1960). His personal confessor was Croatian Franciscan Berislav Ostojić. We express our gratitude to Carmen Verlichak, Croatian-Argentinean writer living in Buenos Aires, for providing us with interesting photos.
Domagoj Cevid and Borna Vukorepa won 2 golds at the 2013 International Mathematical Olympiad in Colombia
Croatian national team of best young Croatian mathematicians participated at the 53rd International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 2013 with 6 competitors, among 97 countries. Two of them, Domagoj Ćevid (on the photo) and Borna Vukorepa, won the highest prizes – gold medals. Furthermore, for Domagoj it was the second gold medal, since in 2012, he won the first gold medal for Croatia in history. It should be noted that some of our best former competitors are now distinguished scientists working in Croatia, like Marko Tadić, Andrej Dujella and Pavle Pandžić, or abroad, like Mladen Bestvina and Ivan Mirković, to name just a few.
Marin Soljacic Croatian-American physicist researching from wireless energy transfer to photonic crystals
Croatian-American physicist Marin Soljačić, professor at MIT, USA, is best know for his work on wireless energy transfer. In addition to this, he works on numerous problems on electromagnetism in materials structured on the scale of the wavelength, such as micro- and nano-structured materials for infrared and visible light, including nonlinear optical devices and surface plasmons. His recent research, supported by a US$20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, focuses on use of photonic crystals in solar cells. In 2007 he founded WiTricity Corp., together with a group of his colleagues at MIT.
Miro Gavran's play Night of the Gods translated into Hindi will be played in Hyderabad India on August 3rd 2013
The Croatian author Miro Gavran’s play “NIGHT OF THE GODS” will be premiered in THE TURIYA THEATRE in the Indian city of Hyderabad on August 3rd. The play has been translated into Hindi and is being directing by Bavani Ganti, while the main roles are being played by Rabul Reddy, Vinay Abhishek and Afroz Hussaini. To date “NIGHT OF THE GODS” has been played in 20 premiere performances. His works have been translated into 35 languages, and his books have come out in 150 different editions at home and abroad. His dramas and comedies have had more than 200 theatre first nights around the world and have been seen by more than two million theatre-goers.
Carmen Verlichak Croatian-Argentinean writer published a monograph El Cardenal Stepinac in Buenos Aires 2013
In 2013 Carmen Verlichak, Croatian-Argentiean writer living in Buenos Aires, wrote a monograph about Blessed Cardinal dr. Alojzije Stepinac 1898-1960, entitled El Cardenal Stepinac. It has been published by the Krivodol Press in Argentinean’s capital. This is the first monograph in Castellano about this important historical and religious figure published in South America. In 1998 Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Marija Bistrica, during his second Apostolic visit to Croatia.
George Mikan gentle giant and the first big dominant basketball player in the history of NBA has Croatian roots
George Mikan, a famous Croatian-American basketball player, the first big and dominant man in the NBA (212 cm tall). He was born in Joliet, and baptized in the Croatian Roman Catholic Church in. His grandfather, whose name is also George Mikan, was born in Croatia, as Juraj Mikan (in Croatian, Juraj = George), and he once said th efollowing: “I am proud of my grandson, and am glad that we Croatians have made a contribution to the progress and development of our America, not only in its industry, but in its sporting world, also.” A statue was erected in honor of the NBA Hall of Famer at the Target Center in Minneapolis. In 2013 his two grand-daughters, Gina and Molly, visited Croatia and, among others, payed a visit to the native village of George Mikan’s grand-father, and to their relatives – Mikans in Croatia.
Ljeposlav Perinic 1922-2005 the King of Dolls and the world exhibition of his dolls in Buenos Aires in 1970
Ljeposlav Perinić 1922-2005 was a Croatian known under the title of the King of Dolls or Rey de las munecas . In 1970 he had an exhibition of dolls in Buenos Aires where he lived since 1945. In this article we show a short interview with him conducted by Monica Mihanovic. On the photo Mr. Perinić with two beautiful dolls representing Pakistan (on the left) and India. Since 1991 the collection of his dolls is kept in Croatia’s capital Zagreb.
2CELLOS taking the cello to a new level and breaking the boundaries between different genres of music
Young Croatian cellists Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, known as 2CELLOS, achieved sensational success by taking the cello to a new level and breaking the boundaries between different genres of music. “… Go and see them live, because it really is astonishing! I can’t remember seeing anything as exciting as them since I saw Jimi Hendrix live back in the 60’s…” Elton John.