January 12^th

The presentation of the architectural and urbanistic project for the main city square – Trg Kralja Milana was held at the big hall of Nis City Assembly. The experts from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Nis City Institute for Urbanism and the City of Nis have prepared a proposal for the new look of the city center, which would give this zone a more modern and beautiful look. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, attended the presentation, and on this occasion he emphasized the significance of this project, which should create a new and more beautiful dimension of the central city square. All interested were able to see a three-dimensional view of the project that foresees the existence of a pedestrian zone all the way to the entrance to the fortress and another fountain at the location which is now parking lot. The final version will be presented to the public soon.

January 11^th

On January 11^th, 1878, the Serbian flag was placed on the wall of Nis fortress after nearly five hundred years. After centuries of slavery freedom has come. Todor Stankovic, a member of the secret committee for liberation, was the one who placed the Serbian Flag over Stambol Gate. At that time, 120 Serbian soldiers were killed and 791 were wounded in the fighting for Nis. In his address on the occasion of the 140^th anniversary of the liberation of Nis Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said that the liberator of our city, Prince Milan Obrenovic, exclaimed in front of the fortress on that day: “This flag is a sign for us that every citizen, regardless of his religion, can count on the protection from Prince.  I salute you as an advocate of justice, as a defendor of freedom for all citizens, for all confessions.” The Mayor also emphasized that the only real freedom was the one that was free of hatred and prejudice towards others. On the occasion of this important historical event for the City of Nis, a formal session of the Assembly of the City was held, on the occasion of which the highest awards of the city were awarded. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and the President of the City Assembly Rade Rajkovic, presented the awards to this year’s laureates. Previously, the highest officials of the City of Nis laid their wreaths on the monument to the liberators in the center of the city.

January 10^th

The reception for artists who would be performing at the traditional New Year’s concert in Nis organized by the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the maestro Zoran Andric was organized at Nis City Hall. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic welcomed the artists and the representatives of the Italian Cultural Center from Belgrade who helped in bringing the artists to Nis. Maestro Zoran Andric announced the possibility that the City of Nis together with the Government of Serbia would invest in the construction of a new concert hall in the following three years, and that for the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra it would be the honor to be the first to perform in the new concert hall.

January 6^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic extended his greetings on the occasion of Christmas to all who celebrate this great Christian holiday according to the Julian calendar. “Peace of God, Christ is born! Happy Christmas to all believers who celebrate this most joyous Christian holiday according to the Julian calendar. Let Christmas, a symbol of new life and salvation, but also love and family, be a guide to all of us in the way of mutual respect, tolerance and understanding, no matter which religion or nation we belong to. I wish to all of you to spend the holiday surrounded by your loved ones and I hope Christmas will bring joy, happiness and prosperity to your homes With the sincere wishes that in the period after Christmas we will be better toward each other, and honest and real to ourselves, once again I salute you with the most joyful greeting – Peace of God, Christ is born”.

December 26^th

The President of the Commission for the City of Nis Annual Awards 11^th January announced the names of the winners of this year’s highest award of the City of Nis. The commission unanimously decided that the laureates for this year would be two individuals and two collectives. For individuals, these are: the oncologist Mrs. Sladjana Filipovic and the writer Mr. Zoran Pesic Sigma. The award for teams this year would go to the prestigious secondary schools: Grammar School Bora Stankovic and Medical School Milenko Hadzic. The ceremonial session of the City of Nis Assembly, when the awards will be presented, will be held on January 11^th, 2018 at the Officers Mess Building.

December 25^th

The United Nations Development Program finances training for 76 people employed by the City Administration, as well as with direct and indirect users of the city budget, in order to improve energy efficiency in the City. These are people who work in preschool institutions, schools, local community offices and other facilities, and 76 of them cover a total of 220 buildings in the city. The project is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Mining and Energy and, according to the Nis City Deputy Mayor Milos Bandjur, it will enable easier, faster and more efficient data entry, in real time, on the consumption of energy and water, but also contribute to spotting immediately the so-called black spots energy consumption. “The workers of the City Administration were overburdened with a bunch of papers that were coming from direct and indirect budget users; implementation of such information system would prevent these situations. This is a big step towards rapid and efficient data processing, and, at the same time, it will be an objective indicator where this local self-government should channel resources so that we can be more energy efficient, “Bandjur said. He emphasized that Nis was one of the first cities in Serbia to appoint the Energy Manager and seriously worked on promoting energy efficiency to which we were bound by the Law on Rational Use of Energy, as well as the Energy Law. According to Maja Matejić, UNDP Energy Portfolio Manager, this project is funded by the Global Fund for Environment with  2.5 million and it aimed to introduce energy management in the public sector and increase the energy and cost efficiency of public facilities and communal services.

December 25^th

The Public Enterprise City Directorate for Public Transport has prepared New Year’s gifts for children this year. This time, Santa Claus, together with the Director of this company, Sasa Petronijevic and Nis City Council Member for Social Care Tijana Djordjevic Ilic, presented the gifts to the children attending the school 14. oktobar while taking the regular drive by bus. According to Tijane Đordjević Ilic, the City of Nis supports such actions of the companies which show the social responsibility. “I am pleased that we are organizing such activities, which put smile on children’s faces I wish to all children a happy, carefree and healthy childhood, and a happy New Year to all fellow citizens. The Director of City Directorate for Public Transport Sasa Petronijevic pointed out that these actions have become tradition and that this year 30 New Year’s gifts were prepared. This company tries to help those who need help whenever possible. “We also donated an AC to the Clinical Center and we are always trying to help.”

December 24^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic extended his greeting on the occasion of the Christmas , the most joyous Christian holiday to all those celebrating Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar. “May this great holiday bring to you health, love and hope. Celebrate it in peace, rest and joy, in the circle of your loved ones, let the holiday strengthen the most human values, such as tolerance, respect, appreciation and understanding of diversity.”

December 22^nd

А large New Year’s event under the slogan We are All Santa Claus was held at Nis City Hall which gathered more than 200 children from low-income families from Nis and the region on the occasion of marking the coming New Year and receiving gifts. Nis City Deputy Mayor Milos Bandjur was presenting the gifts on the behalf of the City of Nis. The city of Nis through the Social Activities Council and the Humanitarian Action Council in cooperation with the Educational System Creative Pen from Belgrade has organized this great humanitarian action. In addition to the New Year’s gifts, the children also received food, clothing, hygiene and school supplies.

December 18^th

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic attended the opening of the Clinical Center Nis. “When I look at this building I know that Serbia will not give up. And this is the first clinical center in Serbia that has been completed. The famous Belgrade Clinical Center of Serbia has never been completed, and we are already preparing to make a new one. I promise you that we will finish the one in Belgrade, the one in Kragujevac, and in Novi Sad. And we will complete each new task – the hospital and the factory and the road – we will finish. And we will do it neither because we would like you to praise us nor because of the election, but because it is our duty and work, “said Vucic in Nis.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said in Nis, at the opening of the Clinical, that the order was slowly introduced into the country and announced that the Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade would also be completed. “I was thinking in the past two days about what can actually describe what was best done by the government with President Aleksandar Vucic and what we are continuing. It is most sincere to say and to define that we have and we are slowly introducing order into the country step by step, a bit by bit, every day. This is another great example of how we are doing it, because it is the huge thing that, after 47 years, Clinical Center is completed, “Brnabić pointed out

50 million euros has been invested in the reconstruction and construction of this medical institution, which covers 45,000 square meters, including the purchase of new equipment, and the first patients will be admitted by the end of the year.
The opening of this center is the result of the Government of Serbia’s measures to improve the health system. Investments in health infrastructure, equipping and modernizing all health facilities are among the priorities of the Government in order to improve patients’ care.