A banana a day keeps the doctor away !

Do you know that this fruit is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins (A, B, C), iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and natural sugars? Bananas are great source of energy, help to relax your mind, reach weight-loss goals, protect against heart disease, reduce the effects of a hangover and morning sickness if you’re pregnant… 

1964…

Looking at my last shots of the summer 2012 I found these ones… I bet that’s 1964 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL… Mmm… old cars, old history… 

It was quite special year. My favorite jazz singer was born, decision to construct Channel Tunnel was taken, Nobel prices went to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jean-Paul Sartre… and many more.  Speaking about Balkans, it was time of Tito and Great Yugoslavia (a socialist federation of six Yugoslav nations).

Anyway, let’s back to the subject.  You wouldn’t like to drive this car ? 

Sarajevo Roses

Are you thinking of flower?

Which color?

Which size?

What’s your first thought?

Or maybe you watched a film by Roger M. Richards?

In this way, the secret is known. 

Sarajevo Roses are red, red like a blood which appeared on the street after mortal shell’s explosion.  Sarajevo Roses have shape of the flower, shape which was given by marks of the explosion.

Sarajevo Roses are painful memories, filled with red resin after the war. They are unavoidable part of history. According to the stories, they grew by the death and they were watered with the tears of those who survived…

Sarajevo Roses became very popular tourist attractions and… they have started to disappear…

Is it caused by renovation ? or maybe Bosnians want to keep their history for themselves?

Ciglane

I remember first time when I came here and noticed this communist neighborhood in the centre of Sarajevo. In fact, it’s quite amazing to see this huge red and white blocks of flats,  like one never ending wall… For me that’s the best example of communist architecture here, just a few steps far from Austro-Hungarian buildings. 

I’m not fan of it, but surly there are some pluses to live in such place. Like each quarter, this one has its own life. It’s like a mini version of the city, where you can find all what you need in the daily life. There is less pollution here, and it takes you only about 20 minutes by feet to reach the city center. Ciglane is built on the hills, apartments are quite big, and you’ve got an excellent view (especially at night)! You don’t have a problem with parking place. There is a lot of stairs… but if you’re tired you can always take a lift, even outside… 

So, what do you think of it?

Rukavice – speaking about Bosnian culture heritage

Hurry up if you think to come to Sarajevo and get to know about its history by visiting museums. Situation of Bosnian cultural institutions is really dramatic. They survived the war, but right now they are in real danger. 

Signing the Dayton peace accord in 1995 ended the war and in the same time set up two separate entities: Bosniak-Croat Federation and Bosnian Serb Republic. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the most divided country of ex-Yugoslavia. Politic system is really hard to understand; each entity has its own president, government, parliament, police and other bodies. Frankly speaking, it’s really hard to build the country where opinions are so divided and somehow nationalism takes the first voice.

In annex 8 of Dayton peace accord we read: A Commission to Preserve National Monuments is established. The Commission is authorized to receive and act upon petitions to designate as National Monuments movable or immovable property of great importance to a group of people with common cultural, historic, religious or ethnic heritage. When property is designated as a National Monument, the Entities will make every effort to take appropriate legal, technical, financial and other measures to protect and conserve the National Monument and refrain from taking deliberate actions which might damage it.

So, here we are… financial sources are empty, opening hours are squeezed and it’s more and more difficult to keep alive cultural institutions. Last year, the National Museum was closed. 

stidite se = be ashamed !

This news was shocking, thousands of people appeared on the streets to protest. Unfortunately it didn’t bring any positive thing. More? There is a new list, with new museums, galleries and libraries to be closed… I ask myself, how is it possible not to take care of the cultural heritage? 

The World has replayed, and the Day of Museum Solidarity was created. Museums all over the world are putting yellow tape across key exhibits, exactly the same like in Sarajevo. Is it enough to keep attention of the visiting public ? You can read more about it on http://www.cultureshutdown.net/public-call-day-of-museum-solidarity/

Artists in Sarajevo have replayed too. Lately walking in the city, I noticed a piece of art on the wall of the Historical Museum (which is also on the list to become closed). The performance is called Rukavice what means gloves. They all are given by Sarajevian people. As we can read in the inscription, this is a way to keep attention of the actual problems of culture institutions, to think how to find a solution and let others to get to know about it…