July 18^th

The reception for participants of the 10^th International Student Folklore Festival was organized at Nis City Hall. The participants of the festival were greeted by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic. This traditional event in Nis brings together a large number of folklore ensembles from other countries who have the opportunity to show the most beautiful of their traditions and how customs are fostered in the countries from which they come. Gathering at the Festival every year, young people nurture old friendships, get new friends and at least once a year they hang out together in our city. This year there are ensembles from 10 countries: Argentina, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cyprus, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia. Performances will be held in Nis, as well as in Bela Palanka and Knjazevac. This is an opportunity for the people of Nis, as well as for the fans of ethno songs and dances in the surrounding cities, to enjoy a rich program. For many of the participants this is an opportunity to visit Serbia for the first time and get to know Nis and its surroundings, people, history of the famous culinary specialties.

July 14^th

The 10^th International Folklore Festival NIS 2017 will be held from July 16^th to 20^th. There will be ensembles from 10 countries: Argentina, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cyprus, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia. Concerts will be held in Nis, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac. At the press conference held at Nis City Hall the Festival was announced by the director of the Students’ Cultural Center, Dragana Petkovic and Nis City Council Member for Culture Jelena Mitrovski. The opening is scheduled for July 16^th in Nis, with the promotional walk of the ensembles through Main Street and the concert. The closing concert is on July 20^th on the plateau in front of the Church of Saint Emperor Constantine and Empress Teodora in the park of Saint Sava in Nis.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, and the Member of Nis City Council for Education, Bojan Krstic, welcomed at Nis City Hall the team from Nis who took part for the first time in the Festival Serbia in the Rhythm of Europe held in Sombor and they returned as the winning team.

The Member of the City Council Bojan Krstić, who was a member of the jury at this competition and traveled with competitors to Sombor, said that this was a special experience and that the young people from Nis, who performed singing in Turkish and representing Turkey, were the best according to the jury and the votes of the audience. Sanja Krstić, the participant in the competition, said that it was a great honor for them to participate in this event and represent their city. She pointed out that she was particularly happy that they returned from the first competition as first ranked.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic congratulated the children, but also their parents, and once again thanked the former Ambassador of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Bozaj, who suggested that children from Nis should represent Turkey at this competition. He thanked the media representatives for their support and all Nis citizens who voted for  the team from Nis.

June 19^th

Gallery Serbia will be temporarily moved to the Officers’ Mess Building until the City of Nis finds the best solutions for this institution of culture, said Mayor Darko Bulatovic during the visit to the renovation of one of the hall at Officers’ Mess Buildings. The Depot, for now, remains where it is, in the building at King Milan Square, the Mayor added. This was a necessary solution because the Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts remained without the exhibition space Gallery Serbia because the building on King Milan Square was returned to the heirs of the former owners. “This is an optimal solution, the building is air-conditioned, representative and can be adequate for the exhibitions planned by the Gallery. In the following period, we will make the final decision whether the City will buy a new, adequate space for the Gallery and the depot, or it will be a completely new building. We are considering and looking for the best solution, “said the Mayor. The first exhibition in the new space is expected on June 27^th. It is the exhibition of painter and professor from Belgrade, Sinisa Zikic.

The Officers’ Mess Building was renovated in April last year, and it was opened officially by an exhibition of prints by famous French artist Anthony Matisse. This building is famous for Nis Declaration of 2014. The building is under the protection of the state as a historical monument, the City of Nis and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia allocated just over 100 million dinars for its renovation.

Before a packed Saint Sava Hall the Fifth International Festival of Spiritual – Music Edict began. At the opening night two local host choirs performed together with the guest choirs from Slovenia and Russia. Slovenian mixed choir came from Jevnica, while Russian student choir of the Conservatory in Moscow received all the sympathy of the audience when they opened their performance with Serbian national anthem.

The festival was opened by the Mayor of Nis, Darko Bulatović, welcoming the guests to one of the oldest Serbian cities, the imperial city of Emperor Constantine to whom not only Christianity, but also the whole civilization owed a lot because of his work.

May 25^th

Marjan Cakarevic, the poet from Belgrade, is winner of the 46^th prestigious award that bears the name of the prince of poetry Branko Miljkovic. Cakarević was awarded for the book “Tissues” published by Povelja from Kraljevo. The award was presented by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic. This year’s laureate has so far published five books of poetry. At the awards ceremony at the City Hall the young actor from Nis Milos Unic read the verses by Branko Miljkovic and the winner Cakarevic accompanied by choir singer Evica Radevska and Marija Dinov Vasic at the piano.

May 22^th

The memorandum of cooperation between the City of Nis and the Balkan Institute and the Archaeological Institute functioning within the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences was signed at Nis City Hall.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, who signed the MoU on the behalf of the City of Nis, emphasized on this occasion the importance of cooperation with institutes of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences in order to preserve and investigate the cultural and historical heritage of Nis.

The signing of the MoU marks the beginning of the realization of the idea of ​​the establishment of the Foundation “Naisus” which would work to preserve and study the rich archaeological heritage of our city.

“All of us are obliged by the ancient heritage of Nis to treat it with special respect and professional care. We are obliged to revive it somehow, through scientific papers that are missing but also to include it in economic and tourism development of  Nis, ” as it was said during the signing of the Memorandum.

April 19^th

On the occasion of the premiere concert of NiS Symphony Orchestra, which will be held on Thursday, April 20^th, the reception for the artists were organized at the VIP lounge of Nis City Hall.

Nis City Council Member Mrs. Jelena Mitrovski met with the orchestra conductor from Netherlands Josef Suilen, who will be conducting Nis Symphony Orchestra at following night performance. Maestro Suilen has already appeared before Nis audience at NIMUS.
At the premiere concert, Ehlimana Tikvesa, the professor at the Faculty in Sarajevo will be at the piano, Marko Radonic Montenegrin Philharmonic concert master will be playing the violin and Marija Djurdjevic Ilic, the member of the Montenegrin Philharmonic will be playing the flute. The program will consist of the works by composers Martinu and List for the flute, the violin and the piano as well as Beethoven’s symphony.

This is an excellent opportunity for all young lovers of classical music to come to listen to Nis Symphony Orchestra and enjoy the music of eminent artists.

April13^th

The reception was organized at Nis City Hall for the great Serbian composer Vojkan Borisavljevic who, together with well-known musicians from Nis, would perform at the concert in Nis on the occasion of Easter Holidays. During his rich professional career Mr. Borisavljevic wrote the most beautiful love melodies and themes from the famous series and movies.
“This concert is the gift to the citizens of Nis on the occasion of the most joyous Christian Holiday and the opportunity to see in one place the giants of Serbian music scene and listen to popular tunes from domestic films that were composed by maestro Borisavljevic,” as Nis City Deputy Mayor said at the reception.

April 11^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic opened the exhibition entitled The Caravan of Kovacica Naïve Painting at Nis Officers’ Mess Building. The exhibition includes more than 50 works of painters of naive art and for the first time, in one place, it gathered all the members of the Gallery of Naive Art of Kovacica, which is, on the world cultural map, known as the center of naïve painting. The opening of the exhibition was attended by the Nis City Council Member Mrs. Jelena Mitrovski as well as the President of Kovacica Municipality Mr. Milan Garasevic, who was the creator of the whole idea of the caravan of naïve paintings. The characteristics of Naive Art from Kovacica are strong colors. Each of the painters from Kovacica brings something special to this style of painting; each of them has its own distinctive style. The motives of these artists are taken from living and working in rural areas.