September 8^th

In the year 1905, enchanted by the beauty of the Sicevacka gorge, the great Serbian painter Nadezda Petrovic gathered her Slovenian and Croatian colleagues with whom she studied in Munich. The first Yugoslav Art Colony was formed that year. The first art colony besides Nadezda Petrovic gatherd  Rihard Jakopic, Ivan Grohar, Ferdo Vesel, Pasko Vucetic and Ivan Mestrovic. Each of them imparted their imprints and dedication to nature and transposed it into a pictorial language and sculpture. The Sicevo Art Colony with its entire fifty-year existence has followed and in some way encouraged the development of contemporary art in our country, continuing the tradition of Nadezda Petrovic, which has survived for more than half a century. Traditional participation in this event is taken by artists from the country and abroad who have the opportunity to create in a beautiful natural environment. Painters from Lithuania, France, Mexico, Japan and Romania, as well as seven artists from our country – from Belgrade, Aleksinac and Vranje – took part in this year’s Sicevo Art Colony.

September 8^th

The constitutive meeting of the Council for work with people with disabilities was held at Nis City Hall. People with disabilities in Serbia are daily discriminated against and do not have the opportunity to exercise all their rights. State and educational institutions, city transport, cultural institutions, as well as most of the other facilities are largely inaccessible to people with physical disabilities, which significantly reduces the process of inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.

On this occasion Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said it was a common task to carry out activities in cooperation with the City Council in order to improve the position of persons with disabilities in the city at all levels. Also, City Municipalities will be actively involved in all activities that can help in practical way the achievement of the goals of people with disabilities through the adoption of technical standards and the planned elimination of architectural barriers. Cooperation with other cities and the exchange of experience in the field of social care is also one of the ways to raise the level of protection of persons with disabilities.

The aim of this Council is primarily to initiate and solve the problems of persons with disabilities at all levels and that is why the formation and operation of this council is of special importance because it is a key initiative body that should connect the institutions of the Mayor, the Assembly of the City, the City Council and the competent administrations.

September 5^th

Ryanair, Europe’s favourite low fares airline, introduced route from Nis to Berlin commencing on 4 September, with a twice weekly service which will deliver 30,000 customers p.a. at Nis Airport. Awaited with water cannons, the first plane of Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair landed at Nis Airport Constantine the Great. The captain of the craft was pilot Vladimir Milicevic, a Serb, who has been piloting for nearly two decades the airplanes of this Irish airline.

“As the city administration we are giving maximum support to the development of the airport, and we will do so through plans, programs and budget for the next year,” said Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic. Ryanair chose Nis and Airport Constantine the Great for its partners in Serbia. For the time being, they are satisfied with the cooperation. Soon this company will fly from Nis to Milan, Dusseldorf and Bratislava, with a total of 18 weekly flights from Nis airport.

September 2^nd

At Nis City Hall the reception was organized for farmers who received incentive funds from the city budget this year. 155 farmers received a total of 25 million dinars for the improvement of agricultural production. A quarter of the budget went to beekeepers. Thus this year’s competition under the program for allocation of incentive funds of the Agriculture and Rural Development Administration of the City of Nis was successfully completed. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic personally handed over contracts to farmers. In the previous year, the City of Nis, through the Administration for Agriculture and Rural Development and within the framework of the implementation of the Fruit Development Program, placed the biggest emphasis on this branch of agriculture – fruit growing, while this year the Administration paid special attention to the development of beekeeping.

September 1^st

On the occasion of the beginning of new school year Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatović, together with Nis City Council Member for Education Mr. Bojan Krstic, visited the elementary schools in Nis – Ivo Andric, Njegos, Ucitelj Tasa as well as Primary School Lela Popovic in the village of Paligrace which is under construction. This year around 2,900 pupils was enrolled into first grade of the primary scool. The City of Nis provided presents for the new pupils. Mayor Bulatovic said that the beginning of new school year was an opportunity to discuss current problems with directors, teachers and parents in schools.

September 1^st

By the decision of Nis City Assembly dated 2011, September 1^st has been celebrated as the Youth Day of the City of Nis, and Nis became the first city to have its Youth Day. This year, the Youth Day was marked in Obrenovićeva Street, on the square in front of the TPC Kalca plateau, with the presentations through stands of various organizations, informal groups and institutions working with youth and youth as factors of youth policy in the city. The Youth and Sports Adminsitration Department of the City of Nis presented its summer workshops for high school students, while Informal Group NI PHOTO presented its exhibition.

The stands were visited by Deputy Mayor Prof. Dr. Miloš Bandjur, and all interested citizens could get useful information about different possibilities, published public calls and education. “The task of the City of Nis is to enable active participation of young people in the decision-making process on the local level, as well as to improve the quality of life of young people, respecting their interests”, said Deputy Mayor Bandjur and emphasized that “the City of Nis is very interested in the development of young people and their contribution to creating a life in the city, and that it is very important to recognize and preserve talented and prospective individuals.”

August 26^th

The presentation of the results so far and the conditions in which the Safe House in Nis has been functioning has marked the five-year existence of this institution for the protection of victims of domestic violence. The ceremony was also attended by the Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic who had the opportunity to see on the spot the engagement of employees in the Safe House, which, in five years, turned out to be a well-organized institution.

Since the beginning of this year, to date, 43 women have asked for assistance and accommodation in the Nis Safe House, which is more than during the entire previous year. 10% of the total number of women who went through this institution is older than 60 who are suffering violence from their children. Therefore, the Safe House in Nis, in cooperation with relevant institutions, will launch educational forums for the empowerment of women and the elderly to report perpetrators.

Alcoholism, pathological jealousy and poor communication are some of the causes that lead to violence in partner relationships, according to the latest research results conducted by the Safe House in Nis. Women who have survived family violence remain in the Safe House for a maximum of four months, and at that time, professional officials help them to become independent, so as not to return to the perpetrators. An important message for all who endure family violence is to recognize it first and not to be afraid of decisions to report it or resist it. It is still necessary to work on educating young people, because they are the ones who will marry tomorrow and educate their children who can influence changing the wrong attitudes about family violence.

August 22^nd

The Airline Wizz Air has launched a new flight from Nis to Dortmund. The passengers will be able to fly to this city in Germany and back to Nis on Tuesdays and Saturdays. By tradition, the plane was greeted with “watery greeting”. These flights will make it easier for many to get in touch with family and do business in major European cities.Two weeks ago, Wizz Air introduced flights to Memmingen and Eindhoven, and last year to Malmo and Basel. It is estimated that around 125,000 passengers will pass through the Nis Airport by the end of this year. “This is another destination, another opening of the city, another window to the world, one more step towards the goal of making our city the economic center” said Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic. In addition to this Hungarian airline, flights from Nis to Bratislava, Düsseldorf, Milan and Berlin will soon be launched by the low-cost airline Ryanair.

August 22^nd

51^st Festival of Acting Performances in the domestic feature film traditionally began with the reception at Nis City Hall. Apart from actors, directors and filmmakers, the reception was attended by people from the public life of the city, and the guests were greeted by the newly elected Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic.

Later, on the Nis Fortress Summer Stage, the president of the jury, Ms. Sloboda Micalovic, received the keys to the city, which has been tradutionally handed over to the president of the jury by Nis City Mayor for past 51 years. Mayor Bulatovic said: “What I can say tonight, as a host, on my own and on behalf of all of you, we will try to hold the most spectacular Film Festival since their establishment next year, because the actors Serbia deserve it, and the Citizens of Nis,who are the best film audience in the world, also deserve it”. The president of the jury, Ms. Sloboda Micalovic, thanked for the hospitality and stressed that she was glad to be in Nis this year: “I hope that we will enjoy good films together, thank you for nurturing the film and the actors and and we will always return to Nis. The Fortress is ours. “

August 19^th

Republic of Serbia Minister of Economy Goran Knezevic, Nis City Mayor, Darko Bulatovic, the director of the company “Cooperatif IMI Evropa” Erik de Candido, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the opening of a new production facility of the Dutch company, which would employ 1,250 people in Nis in the coming years.

On this occasion Ministar Knezevic said that he was glad that such a significant company was coming to Nis, and that this city would be one of the cities where the government would provide all assistance to bring them back to days of old glory. “I am convinced that new days are coming for Serbia. Next year we will break the ground for the new factory,” Knezevic said after the signing of the Memorandum at Nis City Hall. “All policies that we will implement through the Ministry of Economy are going to increase production and employment. This requires political stability, the continuation of financial reforms. City of Nis will be targeted to be one of the cities where the government will provide all assistance to restore the city on the paths of old glory. Nis deserves it, “added Minister Knezevic.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said that he was pleased with the Memorandum with clearly expressed willingness to implement an investment worth more than 30 million euros in Nis and employ 1,250 people, of which more than 30 percent will be highly educated experts and engineers. “As a local self-government, we give full contribution to the economic policy of the government, employment of citizens as a priority, and we are doing everything to fulfill our obligations on time, “said Mayor Bulatovic.

The General Director of IMI Europe Erik de Candido pointed out that they were welcomed by the local authorities in a great way, informed t adequately about laws, ways of doing business, introduced to the right people from all spheres of business, university life, presented to investors who were already doing business. “All of this, as well as the presence of qualified labor force, made us choose the Nis, to be the place of our new investment project. Our company has a great experience in the opening of its facilities abroad, our criteria have been met and this is very important to us, “said de Candido. He emphasized that his company’s project implies a “green” investment, the construction of a plant at 20,000 sqm, and that he expects to employ 1,250 workers over a period of 10 years.