Decision of the Government of Serbia: Kolar’s endowment received 1.35 million euros for reconstruction

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Maja Gojković, Minister of Public Investments Marko Blagojević, Mayor of the City of Požarevac Saša Pavlović, Manager of the “Ilija M. Kolarac” Foundation Aleksandar Peković, and Deputy Mayor of the City of Leskovac Lidija Dimitrijević signed contracts on rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of buildings cultures in three cities.

By signing the contract with the Ilija Kolarc Endowment, the town of Požarevac and the town of Leskovac, yesterday’s decision of the Government of Serbia to allocate 6,100,000 euros from the credit line of the Council of Europe bank for the reconstruction, adaptation and construction of new buildings dedicated to culture was made official.

Work is planned on three buildings

– Let me say how significant it is, just the fact that no investment has been made in the endowment of Kolarac for 63 years, and now for 1,350,000 euros we have a complete reconstruction, adaptation of the Great Concert Hall, as well as the accompanying rooms, and we are extremely excited that Kolarac will shine with the brilliance that it has long deserved – pointed out Minister Gojković.

For the City of Požarevac, 3.5 million euros were allocated, as the largest allocation for the reconstruction of the old Milena Pavlović Barili Gallery, as well as the construction of a completely new building.

– It is a magnificent building in which it will finally be possible to exhibit in one place all the paintings, drawings, but also objects, correspondence, photographs that belong to Milena Pavlović Barila, who we can characterize as the Serbian Frida Kahlo, with whom she was once in It was the women of that period who exhibited in New York at the joint world exhibition of creativity – said Gojković.

It is significant that next year will be the 80th anniversary of the death of our painter, and this act is Serbia’s debt to a great important artist, and the works will begin immediately after signing because all the technical conditions have been met, the minister pointed out.

Gojković also used the opportunity to announce a big exhibition of our artist in Belgrade, where, as she says, Barili deserves to have her works displayed, and her exhibition in Washington is also under negotiation. Leskovac also gets a significant cultural facility.

– For the City of Leskovac, 1,450,000 euros have been allocated for the adaptation and reconstruction of the former Army Home, a project similar to the one that is now in the final stages of construction in Pirot. The multi-functional building will be intended, first of all, for the construction of a large concert hall, which Leskovac does not have, but also for the Music School, because we also care about young musical talents, which obviously there are indeed in Leskovac and the district – stated Gojković and emphasized that this act verifies the policy in the best way. The Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Culture, which since 2016, and especially since 2020, has been dedicated to investing in infrastructure facilities in culture, as something we really need. This is a blow to the back of all people who are engaged in art in our country – concluded the Minister of Culture.

A historic day for Kolarč’s endowment

This is a big, historic day for the Kolarac Endowment, especially considering that the last major renovation of the Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment was exactly 62 years ago, pointed out Aleksandar Peković, manager of the Kolarac Endowment.

– In this regard, I would like to express my enormous and personal gratitude and thanks to the Kolarac endowment to the Ministry of Culture, first of all to Mrs. Maja Gojković, the minister and her team because they not only recognized, but also know and deeply believe in the importance of not only the Kolarac endowment as one of the pillars of the culture of the city of Belgrade and the Republic of Serbia, but also of the entire cultural sector – stated Peković and pointed out that this news first of all pleases the users and audience of the Endowment, as well as a large number of artists from all over the world who regularly come and perform at Kolarac.

Kolarac and its concert hall have been writing the pages of Serbian cultural history since 1932.

– This is an extremely important event for the Endowment, which is self-financed. This Endowment is currently 147 years old, and we are already approaching the century of existence of this building, which is currently 92 years old, and our main goal is to make it vital for the next century as well. Bearing in mind that this level of depreciation is very high and that Kolarac is filled with its users and audience 365 days a year, this is something that means a capital thing for this house and I hope for the culture of our country – Peković concluded.

“We revived investment in culture”

With these projects, for which contracts have been signed, the Government of the Republic of Serbia continues to invest in cultural infrastructure, said Marko Blagojević, Minister of Public Investments.

– In the past few years, in my opinion, we have revived the investment in culture, let’s look at what the National Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Yugoslavia looks like today. But there are also investments in other places in Serbia, such as Pirot, for example, where a building is being transformed into a modern, multifunctional facility that should serve the culture in the south of our country – pointed out Blagojević, and added:

– After several decades of talking about it and planning that project, the construction of the Small Stage of the Niš National Theater has been completed, and I believe that this is only the beginning.

He pointed out that the story about the building of the Belgrade Philharmonic is present and that project is coming to an end and pointed out that it is the largest project so far in terms of the amount of allocated funds that the Ministry of Public Investments has had the opportunity to lead.

He pointed out that he will not neglect other cities in Serbia, and points out the establishment of a museum in Požarevac, where a completely new building dedicated to Milena Pavlović Barila, who left a serious mark on the history of Serbia, among other things, will be built under a neglected, old, but still representative building. , when it comes to art.

– We will have investments in Leskovac as well, as is the case with other sectors, such as health, education, or social protection. Regardless of the fact that there are great needs and great investments in those sectors, it does not mean that we can allow ourselves, as was the case before, to ignore the needs when it comes to infrastructure investments. We are working on it, we started dealing with it a few years ago, the whole enterprise is only gaining momentum over time and we are continuing with large investments in Belgrade and other places throughout our country – he stated.

The society’s attitude towards investments in cultural infrastructure is indicated by the fact that we have works on the reconstruction of a part of the Yugoslav Drama Theater, and whoever he told that it was planned or that the works were in progress, they told him that it was almost done – “yes, it is in 2003, 20 years ago,” Blagojević pointed out.

– It was 20 years ago that what was done was done “yesterday” and 20 years is approximately the duration of some infrastructure, after such a long time it must be revisited. Seats are replaced there, stage techniques, interventions on the air conditioning system, elevators, these things you have to come back from time to time. You can imagine the condition of the other facilities when it is said that this one was built yesterday – the minister admitted and promised that he would not stop there, because the completely new facility of Scene Bojan Stupica in JDP is also being built and they have committed to that, and waiting for the moment when the implementation will begin.

Big day for Požarevac and Milena Pavlović Barila

A big day, also, for the city of Požarevac and for the culture of the city of Požarevac, because after 63 years, there will be a final investment in the Milena Pavlović Barili Gallery, pointed out the mayor of Požarevac Saša Pavlović.

– I will remind you, in 1961, Milena’s mother left that endowment, the endowment of the city, and then a small part of the house was demolished and a temporary gallery space was created. And we had that temporary gallery space for 63 years, until this moment when we signed the Agreement with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Public Investments, and finally our Milena Pavlović Barili and the city of Požarevac will get such a serious space, where we will be able to exhibit in the future fundus of images, which is really huge. Approximately 900 paintings exist in the fund of the Milena Pavlović Barili Gallery, which we could not exhibit until today – said the mayor and pointed out that there is no need to talk about the importance of Milena Pavlović Barili, a world-renowned and famous painter.

– And with this new space, I am sure that the city of Požarevac will have something to offer to our Požarevac residents, but also to the whole of Serbia. I am sure that the next day we will have a significant, new tourist location. It is about rehabilitation, adaptation of the existing part of the Gallery, with the addition of a new part of the Gallery. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, the coordination we have had so far, but also a big thank you to the Ministry of Public Investments – Saša Pavlović concluded.

Leskovac is getting a new concert hall

The deputy mayor of Leskovac, Lidija Dimitrijević, pointed out that today is a big step for improving the cultural life of this city.

– By signing this contract, we will reconstruct the Army House into a concert hall, and in this way we will create a more modern and different space in which we will cultivate art and create new artistic experiences. We signed a contract through which we will receive funds for the first phase of the reconstruction, more precisely 1.4 million euros, in which the city will participate with 10 million dinars for project investments, and next year we will invest another million dinars from the Ministry in equipping this area – Dimitrijević pointed out. expressed her gratitude to the Ministry for the support and financial assistance they provide because their help is crucial for the further cultural goals of the city of Leskovac.