On 2nd and 3rd July 2022, an excursion was organized by the Croatian-Indian Society in Zagreb (CIS), jointly with CIGRE-Croatia . The aim was to learn more about Nikola Tesla’s education in Croatia (Tesla spent the first 20 years of his life in Croatia) and about his role in the history of Electrical Engineering. The first day, we visited the Museum of the Castle of Ozalj and two Hydroelectric plants of Ozalj on the beautiful Kupa river. The second day, we visited the city of Gospić and the village of Smiljan, where Nikola Tesla was born. Among 14 participants of the excursion, there were five citizens of India.
Category: Education
Hrvojka Mihanovic Salopek: Digital Recording of the Croatian Mariological Heritage
This cultural project is carried out under the auspices of the Committee for Education, Science and Culture of the Croatian Parliament and the Council for Culture of the Croatian Conference of Bishops. Videos are published in English and Croatian (Digital Recording of the Croatian Mariological Heritage, i.e., Digitalno snimanje hrvatske marijanske baštine). The Project leader, scenarist and director: Hrvojka Mihanović-Salopek, Ph.D., employed at the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb.
Werner Ilic and Martin Cruickshank two Croatian defenders paddled across the Atlantic in 2022
Werner Ilić and Martin Cruickshank (right and left), Croatian defendors from 1990s, successfuly paddled across the Atlantic Ocean during 83 days (i.e., almost three months). They travelled 5500 kms from Canari Islands to Barbados (from 15th January to 22nd March 2022). In this way, Croatia has been included into the list of 32 countries which have paddlers accross oceans. Mr. Werner Ilić is a Croatian born in Germany, while Marti Cruickshank is of Scottish provenance, living in Croatia in the town of Velika Gorica near Zagreb, where he is happily married.
Nikola Tesla's lecture in the city of Zagreb in 1892
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was born in Croatia, where he spent his young formative years. Out of his 87 years, he spent the first 20 in Croatia, and in the USA about 60 years. In 1892 he visited the city of Zagreb, where he was invited by Milan Amruš, the Mayor of the city. On May 24th, 1892, Nikola Tesla presented some of his advices how to electrify the city using his AC (alternating current) polyphase system. On this occasion, he said the following: “I consider it as my duty, as a native son of this country, to assist the Zagreb City Council in this matter and help in every way I can.” Tesla arrived to Zagreb on 22nd May, and left it on 26th May.
Benefit concert of "I Medici di McGill Orchestra" in Montreal, Canada, to help Ukraine
You are cordially invited to the next concert of “I Medici di McGill Orchestra”, in collaboration with the McGill Ukrainian Students Association. Guest conductor, maestra Veronique Lussier leads the ensemble that will present the pianist and medical student Emily Oulousian in Grieg’s Piano Concerto, an MSF staff member on the ground in Ukraine will provide a 15 min presentation. The event starts with singing of the Ukrainian National anthem and three Ukrainian folks songs performed by Trio Rossa. The orchestra was founded in 1989 by Croatian-Canadian scientist and musician Dr. Ante L. Padjen (on the photo) with an aim to reinforce the study of the humanities at the faculty.
Ukraine – Croatia cultural and historical relations
This article illustrates some of deep connections between Ukraine and Croatia: White Croatians in Ukraine, Kiev Glagolitic folia (10th century), Kiev Rus, The Reims Evangel (11th century and 1395), Ivan Uževič, Ester eggs traditions in Ukraine and Croatia, Greek-Catholics in Ukraine and in Croatia, Ukrainian monuments in Croatia, Eduard Miloslavić, toponyms and hydronyms in Croatia and Ukraine of the same name, etc. On the photo: Taras Belej, a fine Ukrainean artist, living in Ivano-Frankivsk. This article was prepared in support of achieving peace in Ukraine.
Keiko Mitani Japanese expert in Croatian Glagolitic literature passed away in 2022
Keiko Mitani, professor at the University of Tokyo, one of greatest Slavists in Japan, passed away in January 2022. She earned her PhD at the University of Zagreb, under supervision of Professor Stjepan Damjanović (of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts). She was president of the Japan-Croatian Friendship Society in Tokyo. In 2017, she participated at the international conference “The Phenomenon of the Glagolitic Script”, organized in the cities of Biograd and Zadar on Croatian coast. She also wrote a manual in Japanese for learning Croatian, as well as a Croatian-Japanese dictionary.
Romain Rolland's 1924 book "Mahatma Gandhi" translated into Croatian as "Naš Gandhi" (Our Gandhi!)
Romain Rolland’s book was published on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi (celebrated in 2019), and Stjepan Radić (honored in the year 2021). The original Croatian version of the book was published in 1924, entitled “Naš Gandhi” (Our Gandhi!). Issuing this reprint was suggested by Mr. Joginder Singh Nijjar, the president of Croatian-Indian Society in Zagreb. It appeared under the auspices of highest Croatian political, cultural and scientific institutions, as well as under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of India to Croatia. We provide a presentation of the reprint written by Ante Belić.
GAVRANFEST in Augsburg in Germany 17-19 March 2022 in Sensible Theater
The thirteenth GavranFest will be held 17-19 March 2022 in Senseble Theater in Augsburg, Germany. It’s an international theatre festival with plays by Miro Gavran, Croatian writer. The festival selectors and organizers Anne Schuster i Sebastian Seidel invited five theatres from three countries, Romania, Germany, Croatia with theatres from Bucharest, Augsburg Munich and Zagreb. Along with theatre performances, there will also be a presentation of Gavran’s collection of plays in German called ONE DRAMA AND FOUR COMEDIES in translations by Tihomir Glowatsky, Ljerka Orešković Herrmann and Ludwig Steindorff.
Betiana Bellofatto published her photobook “Terra Australis Aedificanda” in Ushuaia 2021
Betiana Bellofatto published her photobook published in Ushuaia in 2021: Terra Australis Aedificanda (Southern Land To Be Built) . Born in 1979 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Betiana Bellofatto studied Audiovisual Design and Photography. She has performed as direction and production assistant in several fictional short-films and commercial spots. In 2009, in Berlin, she co-founded i Collective , a multicultural artist collective that works on multidisciplinary projects. Her activity combines photography, installation, art in the public space and internet art.
PingPongParkinson celebrating 5th anniversary 2017-2022
In celebration of the 5th anniversary of the global non-profit PingPongParkinson, a celebrity exhibition table tennis match will take place on Sunday, February 6th at 4:00 pm at the Westchester Table Tennis Center, 175 Tompkins Ave in Pleasantville, New York, the birthplace of PingPongParkinson and on Monday, February 7th at 6:00 pm at the CRUSH Table Tennis 255 Field Point Rd, Greenwich, Connecticut. Limited seating is available due to COVID-19 safety considerations. Bring the proof of your booster vaccination. Please send inquiries to pingpongparkinson@gmail.com or/and the club.
1143 years since the first international recognition of Croatia
The first international recognition of Croatia came in 879 from Pope John VIII, i.e., 1143 years ago! The Croatian Prince Branimir, 9th century, made important steps in strengthening the relations with Rome. During the solemn divine service in St. Peter’s church in Rome in 879, Pope John VIII gave his blessing to the prince and the whole Croatian people, about which he informed Branimir in his letters, the first one dated on May 21, 879. This was the first time that the Croatian state was officially recognized. A special cultural program was organized on 15th January 2022 at Croatian Embassy in Tokyo on the occasion of the first diplomatic recognition of Croatia in 1992, on which occasion Yoko Nishii played her solemn pianistic concert.
Miro Gavran's theatrical play 'The Doll' shown in Russia and Turkey in 2022
Miro Gavran is the greatest Croatian contemporary playwright: his plays were translated from Croatian into as many as 41 languages worldwide. His play ‘The Doll’ will be shown in 2022 in the Russian Federationand in Turkey. Its Russian premiere will be shown on 26th Febrary 2022 in Moscow, at the famous Taganjka Theatre . The play was translated from Croatian by Sergej Girin. It was premiered already in 2011 in New York, and since then it was shown with great success throughout the world: in Los Angeles, Mumbai, Havana, Vienna, Copenhagen, Budapest, etc.
Tomislav Sikic delivered a lecture about Srinivasa Ramanujan a famous Indian mathematician
Tomislav Šikić, Assocuate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Zagreb, delivered a lecture dedicated to Srinivasa Ramanujan, the most famous Indian mathematician in history. Croatian mathematicians have contributed twelve scientific papers in The Ramanujan Journal . Also, as many as 23 Indian mathematicians are (or have been) members of specialized math journals in Croatia, published by Element co. Two Croatian mathematicians, Professors Hrvoje Šikić and Zoran Vondraček, have earned their PhD’s under the guidance of distinguished Indian mathematician Murali Rao, University of Florida. A few Croatian mathematicians were invited lecturers in Indian scientific institutions.
PingPongParkinson photo-monograph by Warren Rosenberg with Nenad Bach, illustrated by Ignasi Blanch
This wonderful photo-monograph prepared is dedicated to every person who has Parkinson desease. It describes how playing table tennis can help each such person. Due to Nenad Bach, the PingPongParkinson has become a world-wide movement, as shown on the pages of the book. There are currently more than hundred chapters in numerous countries throughout the world.oran Primorac, Olympian and Ping Pong Parkinson advisor, said: “I’m honoured and intrigued to be part of this progressive idea that has the potential of helping millions of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.”
Mirjana Bohanec Croatian opera singer, diplomat, and a film star
Her concert reportoire is very extensive: from Baroque oratorial works of Bach, Haendel, Monteverdi, Pergolesi, Cherubini, Vivaldi, to such classics like Mozart and Haydn. She sang numerous pieces of Lied, composed by Schumann, Schubert, Brahms, Grieg, Debussy, etc. She also interpreted works of Croatian authors: Antun Sorkočević, Vinko Jelić, Ivan Lukačić, Ferdo Livadić, Vatroslave Lisinski, etc. Except in Croatia, she had concerts in Austria, Germany, Italy, Swityerland, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, France, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Australia, Canada and in the USA. However, she is best known for her role in the an anthological Croatian film Tko pjeva zlo ne misli (Who Sings – Does not Think of Evil). She was also a Croatian diplomat in Germany and Austria in 1990s.
Vesna Skulic Croatian cinderella participating in White Path humanitarian action in BiH 1993
Vesna Škulić is living in the village of Ražanac near the city of Zadar, Croatia. As an amateur radio operator, she She trasfered more than hundred thosand humanitarian messages. She actively participated in solving numerous problems related to the humanitarion action of White Path in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993. According to late Professor Slobodan Lang, Zagreb, who was the chief organizer of the action, this was the first ever successful joint Christian – Muslim humanitarian operation in history. Vesna Skulić, a courageos and charming Croatian woman, is a paraplegic.
Radoslav Lorkovic inducted to the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame on October 17, 2021
Born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1958, Radoslav moved to the United States at age six. In the late 1990s Radoslav took his blues and accordian stylings to numerous Yupa ik Eskimo villages throughout SW Alaska. This memorable, mid-winter visit also included community concerts and class presentations in nearly twenty villages. Drawing from a multitude of influences ranging from elegant classical and jazz styles to the rawest, most basic blues, country and soul, Radoslav Lorkovic has taken on an unusually broad musical spectrum and refined it into his distinctive piano style. He has played with Odetta, Shawn Mullins, Greg Brown, Jimmy LaFave and others.
Ivana Marija Vidović a member of the Jury of the pianist competition in Acquaviva delle Fonti in Italy
Nedavno je u starome talijanskom gradu Acquaviva delle Fonti u blizini Barija u Apuliji održano vrlo ugledno međunarodno natjecanje pijanista iz cijelog svijeta od Kanade, SADa, Kine, Južne Koreje pa do brojnih europskih zemalja. U konkurenciji do 35 godina starosti bio je i jedan natjecatelj iz Hrvatske. Riječ je o natjecanju Citta di Acquaviva “žGiovanni Colafemmina”. Na čelu žirija bio je ugledni argentinski pijanist Daniel Rivera, a članica žirija bila je i hrvatska pijanistica Ivana Marija Vidović.