WHEN THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ARE LIT

Transcription

ISSN 1854-0805
politicsenvironment
culturebusinesssports
02
December 2004
INTERVIEW: MOJCA DRČAR MURKO
SKIS FOR WINNERS
SLOVENIAINFIGURES
Vesna @arkovi~
CIRCULATION OF SOME OF THE MOST
POPULAR NEWSPAPERS IN SLOVENIA
A COUNTRY OF FLOURISHING MEDIA
With a population of less than 2 million, Slovenia has 1,180
different media, including 968 printed publications with a
total circulation of about 6 million. The Internet access in
households has shown dramatic growth in recent years,
tripling from 15% in 1999 to 45% in 2003. The figures for 2003
show that there were 836,600 regular users of the Internet
(that's half of the population in the age group of 15 - 75
years): 390,000 people used it daily, 176,000 weekly and
234,000 monthly (source: Telephone Omnibus GfK Gral-Iteo,
August 2003). While dial-up access still prevails, broadband
technologies are gaining ground, with cable having a 14%
share and ADSL closing in with an 8% share in households.
To promote the development and use of informationcommunication technology throughout Slovenian society,
various programmes have been set up by the Government
- among them e-government and the promotion of ecommerce. The realization of the e-government project will
remove administrative barriers by introducing electronic
business into the public administration. The e-commerce
project is aimed at promoting the distribution, marketing,
supply and sale of goods over the Internet.
The new law on the media, which came into force in the year
2001, deals mainly with the alignment of Slovenian
legislation with that of the EU regarding co-ownership of the
media, the origin of foreign programmes and advertising
standards. Considerable attention is given to the protection
of pluralism and the transparency of the public media,
which are protected by the imposed limit of shares owned
by one legal person in different media entities.
The Culture of Everyday Reading
In Slovenia, 7 daily newspapers are published, with a total
circulation of about 350,000; 45 weeklies and regional
newspapers with a circulation of 1.6 million; 33 fortnightly
publications with a circulation of 360,000; 41 occasional
publications on current affairs, the economy and politics,
with a total circulation of 612,000; 183 academic and
professional journals; 33 cultural magazines, mainly
monthlies, with a total circulation of around 80,000; 48
entertainment tabloids and magazines with a total
circulation of around 500,000, as well as 8 foreign language
magazines on Slovenia. The traditional dailies (Delo, Večer,
Dnevnik), which began to be published after the Second
World War, have the largest number of regular subscribers.
Regional weeklies with a similar tradition and a relatively
large circulation also have a high percentage of regular
readers. In addition to the national press agency STA
(Slovenska tiskovna agencija - The Slovenian Press Agency)
which started in 1991, there are also a number of smaller
press agencies.
sinfo december 04
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Dailies
Slovenske novice
Delo
Večer
Dnevnik
Primorske novice
Ekipa (sports)
Finance
96,000
75,000
60,000
56,000
27,000
21,500
11,000
Weeklies
Nedeljski dnevnik
Družina (religious)
Jana (women's)
Kmečki glas
Mladina
Mag
Novi tednik
165,000
53,000
40,500
32.000
19,500
17,000
14,000
TV Media Landscape in Slovenia
In Slovenia there are 4 national television channels and over
30 regional and local channels. The development of the
cable TV network around Slovenia, presently managed by
over 80 cable operators, stimulated the appearance of local
television channels.
According to the peoplemeter measurement (Media
Services AGB), in 2003 national public services had a 34%
share (SLO1 25% and SLO2 9%) and national commercial
services a 38% share (Pop TV 29% and Kanal A 9%) of the
Slovenian television audience.
Since 1997 both the national RTV SLO channels have been
available via the satellite Hot Bird 3, and in May 2003 they
were joined by the private TV, Pika. These programmes are
also available right across Europe and in parts of Africa and
Asia.
Photo: Luka Fab~i~
Editorial: Government PR and Media Office, Trà{ka 21, 1000 Ljubljana, tel. +386 (0) 1 478 2636, fax +386 (0) 1 251 2312, www.uvi.si
Editor-in-Chief: Sabina Popovi~, sabina.popovic@gov.si, Editor: Polona Pre{eren, polona.preseren@gov.si, Editorial board: Alenka êbular, Albert Kos, Nata{a
Marvin, Simona Pavli~ Moìna, Nata{a Pav{ek, Andreja [onc Sim~i~, Vesna @arkovi~, Production editing: Nuit d.o.o., Translation: EuroTranslate Rok Mejak s.p.,
Printed by: Tiskarna Ple{ko d.o.o., Number of copies printed: 3000 Available also at: http://www.uvi.si/eng/slovenia/publications/sinfo
Sabina Popovi~
IN THE CHRISTMAS
SPIRIT
8-17
Yet another year is slowly drawing to its close. This
is a time when we look back and try to see whether
we have achieved or perhaps even surpassed our
goals and expectations in the year almost over,
whether we were successful enough to peacefully
embrace and daringly enter the New Year. It is a
time for new decisions and plans, a time for hidden
wishes and new expectations.
As the creators of this magazine, we are also sure
that one of our goals has been achieved, since our
magazine has reached you just in time for some of
you to let us know that you liked it and that you
found it interesting. This gives us pleasure, and we
are already planning to make the magazine even
better and more varied in the upcoming year.
Here you have the second issue of our magazine,
which is - appropriately for the most beautiful winter
month of the year - more festive, more in the spirit of
the nicest family holidays, when all suddenly
becomes brighter, pleasanter and kinder.
Yet life goes on: so in spite of the holiday mood we
also offer you lots of current and other interesting
news. We now have a new Government: in the
upcoming year Slovenia will be presiding over
OSCE; we present Mojca Drčar-Murko, a Slovenian
member of the European Parliament; you can read
all about how the Greek Ambassador sees Slovenia,
why Elan skis are something special, what Bohinj as one of more attractive corners of Slovenia- has to
offer, and much, much more.
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
SLOVENIA HAS A NEW GOVERNMENT
AT THE MEETING POINT OF CREATIVITY: WHERE
KNOWLEDGE, CREATIVITY AND TRADITION MEET
18-21 INTERVIEW
MOJCA DRČAR MURKO
25-29 COVER STORY
We wish you a Merry Christmas
and a joyous and successful
New Year!
30-31 MADE IN SLOVENIA
Government PR and Media Office: www.uvi.si
Government Institutions: www.gov.si
Slovenian Tourist Board: www.slovenia.info
Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: www.gzs.si
Slovenian Chamber of Craft: www.ozs.si
Trade and Investment Promotion Office: www.investslovenia.org
Ljubljana Stock Exchange: www.ljse.si
Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia: www.stat.si
State Portal of the Republic of Slovenia: http://e-uprava.gov.si
SKIS FOR WINNERS
35-42 THIS IS SLOVENIA
POTICA - SLOVENIAN HOLIDAY DESSERT
BOHINJ BETWEEN ROMANCE AND REALITY
Cover: photographed by Lorenka Stropnik
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Monthly Report
Selected and written by: Polona Pre{eren
Slovenia Accepts Proposal for EU
Presidency
Netko Awards for Best Website
Ljubljana, 17 November 2004
The Netko Awards, the awards for Slovenia's best business
website, were presented at the Slovenian Chamber of
Commerce on 24 November 2004. The Chamber of
Commerce awarded the Netko prizes in cooperation with
the Ministry of Information Society and the magazine
Gospodarski Vestnik.
The winners of this year's Netko prizes were chosen out of
one hundred participants by a panel of seven judges, who
considered the contents, structure and navigation, design,
functionality, interactivity and overall impression of the
websites in selecting the winner. In the Web portal for the
small and medium enterprises and institutions category, the
Golden Award was presented to the Government Public
Relations and Media Office of the Republic of Slovenia for
its website.
Slovenia is accepting the proposal by the Dutch presidency,
according to which the country would preside over the EU
Council in the first group of States (together with Germany
and Portugal), which will lead the EU within the framework of
the so-called team presidency in the period from January
2007 to the middle of the year 2008.
If the European Constitution Agreement has not been
brought into force by the end of 2006, Slovenia would
assume presidency of the EU Council and the European
Council in the first half of 2008, the National Assembly
confirmed. For this undertaking, which will cost the State
between 60 and 100 million euros or between 14 and 24
billion tolars, Slovenia will have to train a sufficient number
of permanent officials, which is why a staff training
programme plan will have to be prepared in 2005.
According to the former Government's estimates, a
programme of contents and priority tasks will have to be
established in time for the presidency, as well as a
programme of relevant activities.
According to the Dutch presidency, the order in which the
Member States will preside over the EU Council after 2007
will be established by the Union at the summit meeting this
December, while the final deadline for an agreement is 1
May 2005.
The Latest Opinion Polls
The latest monthly opinion poll has shown high approval
ratings for the incoming Prime Minister Janez Janša (72%)
and the new government coalition (58%). The head of the
Public Opinion and Mass Communication Research Centre
at the Faculty of Social Sciences, who is conducting this
public opinion research, Niko Toš, said there was no split in
the public opinion in the wake of changes brought about by
the general election. Public opinion is generally positive
about the change, he commented.
While 72% of the 916 individuals surveyed said that they
supported Janez Janša as the new PM, 20% said they did
not. The new centre-right coalition government was backed
by 58% of the respondents, while 26% opposed it. The
survey also showed that the euro enjoys the greatest trust
among Slovenes (60%), followed by the State President
(58%) and the national currency, the tolar (54%).
Interest of Foreign Tourists in Slovenia
is Growing
In October, Slovenian tourist destinations and landmarks
were visited by 181,655 tourists, which is a 7% increase on
last year's October figure. According to preliminary reports
from the State Statistical Office on tourist turnover, Slovenia
recorded 2,089,579 tourists in the first 10 months of this year,
which is a 4% increase on the same period last year. In
comparison to last October, the number of domestic tourist
numbers has decreased considerably, falling by 4% to
59,213. The number of foreign visits increased by 14%, which
added up to 122,442 foreign tourist visitors in Slovenia in
October. In the first ten months of this year, 725,822
domestic and 1,363,657 foreign tourists spent their holidays
in Slovenia.
The number of domestic guests decreased by 5% in this
period, while the number of foreign guests increased by
10%. According to the statistical results, the majority of the
tourists in Slovenia during October were Italian, Austrian and
German, while in comparison to last October there was a
significant increase in tourist numbers from Scandinavia,
France, Greece and Great Britain.
There has been a visible trend of change in tourism flow
dynamics in general, as there has been a noticeable
relatively strong growth in the number of tourist visits from
western countries, and a decrease in eastern tourist
numbers. There has been a general increase in numbers of
tourists from Great Britain, France, Israel, USA, Australia,
Canada and Japan.
sinfo december 04
Ljubljana - Koper Motorway
Completed
Koper, 25 November 2004
Ljubljana-Koper Motorway. Photo: Slovenian Press Agency
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Monthly Report
The 100 km motorway connecting Ljubljana and the
Slovenian coast was officially completed on the 25
November, when a new 6.9km section from Črni Kal to Srmin
in the southwest of the country opened to traffic. The
construction lasted for three decades in total, while the
State thereby fulfilled one of its main transport policy goals,
which was to link Ljubljana and the Primorska region.
The first section between Vrhnika and Razdrto was
completed as far back as December 1972, representing the
first-ever motorway stretch in the former Yugoslavia. The
newly opened motorway stretch is 6.9 km long and links Črni
Kal to Srmin by Ankaran. It also includes the Škofije junction
and the 2.2 km-long Dekani tunnel. It is part of the 14.9kilometre stretch from Klanec to Srmin/Ankaran, the cost of
which amounted to EUR 236.5 m (based on June 1999
prices). There are 13 viaducts and three tunnels on the 14.9
km-stretch. While 42% of the investment was financed from
the national budget, the rest came from EIB loans.
the CEI. The newly appointed Prime Minister, Janez Janša,
was also present in Portorož, holding several bilateral talks.
Thereby, he also informally met with the Croatian Prime
Minister Ivo Sanader, with whom he discussed SlovenianCroatian relations. In its coalition agreement, the new
government coalition earmarked part of its attention,
promising a new beginning in international relations with
Croatia, under the condition that Croatia considers
historical facts and circumstances, such as the integrity of
the bay of Piran. Moreover, the Prime Ministers agreed to
settle eventual future disputes, within the "European
framework".
The CEI summit was followed by the economic forum and
the round table of economic ministers of the CEI, who
exchanged experiences in managing industrial policies to
achieve faster economic growth, and thereby expressed
their ambition for accelerated structural reform. Besides the
Slovenian contingent, the summit was attended by the
Prime Ministers of Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Poland and Slovakia, while other members were
represented by Deputy Prime Ministers, or Ministers for the
Interior or the Economy.
Annual Central European Initiative
(CEI) Meeting
Portorož, 24 - 26 November 2004
Slovenia Backs Turkish Efforts
Ljubljana, 1 December 2004
The Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Deputy
Prime Minister Abdullah Gül, who is on a tour of EU Member
States in preparation for the coming summit, has been on a
two-day visit to Slovenia. He met with Minister for Foreign
Affairs Ivo Vajgl, with whom he discussed at great length
European integration and the Slovenian OSCE presidency in
2005. Minister Vajgl said that Turkey is a very important
country for Slovenia and the wider European region. Turkey
supported Slovenia in the process of attaining
independence and international recognition, especially
during the period of NATO accession.
Minister Gül stated, that Turkey views Slovenia as a
successful country, with which it wishes to establish highlevel political relations. They wish for political consultation
both with regard to the EU, as well as cooperation with NATO
CEI Meeting. Photo: Leon Vidic
Slovenia, which currently holds its presidency, hosted the
summit of the 17-member Central European Initiative
(CEI/SEP) in Portorož. The presidency of the CEI issued a
special statement on the Ukraine, which is also a member of
the CEI, in which it expressed its concern over the postelection crisis in the country, its commitment to the
investigations into allegations of alleged electoral
irregularities, and called for moderation with regard to both
parties' actions. At the end of the meeting, the leaders of the
CEI confirmed a declaration entitled Challenges and
Expectations of an Expanded Europe, which strives for an
accelerated full accession of all members of the CEI into
European institutional structures.
The host, the former Slovenian Prime Minister Anton Rop,
stated at the end of the summit that with this year's
accession of five new members of the 17-member initiative
into the EU, the group of countries enabled to help others
has expanded once again, which is a major challenge for
Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah
Gül and President of the Republic of Slovenia dr. Janez Drnov{ek.
Photo: Slovenian Press Agency
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sinfo december 04
Monthly Report
and other international organisations, especially the OSCE.
He devoted a lot of attention to presenting Turkey's views on
the EU accession process.
Vajgl assured his colleague that Slovenia will act in support
of Turkey with regard to a positive outcome in its accession
negotiations in the run-up to the December European
Council. He emphasised that Slovenia is striving for a
continuation of open-door policies. The newly appointed
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dimitrij Rupel, who also met with
the Turkish guest, announced that Ljubljana would support
the start of accession negotiations with Turkey at the
summit.
Gül met with the Mayor of Ljubljana, Danica Simšič, while he
was also welcomed by Prime Minister Anton Rop and State
President Janez Drnovšek, who also assured Slovenian
support to Turkey on its path to accession and praised the
progress that it has made in the last few years. According to
Drnovšek, the decision on the beginning of accession
negotiations with Turkey will be of fundamental importance
for the whole of Europe, although Turkey will have to
continue to work very hard in the future to achieve the goals
it has set for itself.
Alojz Uran Fully Invested as Archbishop
MEP Peterle Wins European Award
Alojz Uran, Archbishop of Ljubljana. Photo: Slovenian Press Agency
Berlin, 1 December 2004
Alojz Uran has officially taken over as the new Archbishop of
Ljubljana and Slovenian Metropolitan. Uran was invested by
Apostolic Nuncio Santos Abril y Castello at a solemn mass
in Ljubljana Cathedral. Apart from church dignitaries from
Slovenia and abroad, the ceremony was attended by
representatives of other churches and political
representatives, among them Prime Minister Janez Janša.
The 59-year old Alojz Uran was appointed the sixth
Archbishop of Ljubljana and Slovenian Metropolitan by the
Pope on 25 October 2004. Uran was born on 22 January
1945 in a village on the outskirts of Ljubljana. After finishing
theology in Ljubljana, he was ordained priest in June 1970,
and conferred the title of Bishop in January 1993. Apart from
teaching at the Ljubljana Faculty of Theology, he was in
charge of church professions at the Slovenian Bishops'
Conference. The first Archbishop of Ljubljana was Count
Ziga of Lamberg (1463-1488), while the first Metropolitan in
the Ljubljana Archdiocese was Baron Mihael Brigido (17881806).
Slovenian MEP Alojz Peterle has been conferred a Gold
award by the Luxembourg-based foundation Mérite
Européen for his merits in the process of European
integration. Peterle is a member of the centre-right New
Slovenia (NSi), which forms part of the European People's
Party (EPP).
This prestigious international award had already been given
to numerous European politicians, including the former
Austrian Foreign Minister Benito Ferrero-Waldner, former
German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and
former President of the European Commission, Jacques
Santer.
The Slovene Enterprise Fund will
Award 4.2 Billion Tolars' Worth of
Funds in 2005
Maribor, 2 December 2004
In a Ranking of the 1000 Biggest
Companies in the new EU Member
States, one 10th are from Slovenia
The Slovene Enterprise Fund will award entrepreneurs a
little over 4.2 billion tolars (around 17.5 million euros) of funds
at attractive rates for development projects and 732 million
tolars (around 3 million euros) of direct funding next year on
the basis of public tenders, assuming the Government will
pass the changes and amendments of the business and
financial plans of the fund.
The Slovene Enterprise Fund remains a public enterprise
fund upon restructuring, while its main purpose is improving
the access of small and medium-sized enterprises to
means of development investment funding. The fund will
expand its services and adjust them to the needs of the
companies in 2005 in line with the provisions of the
Regulating Supportive Environment for Entrepreneurship
Act.
sinfo december 04
The Slovenian magazine Gospodarski Vestnik has
published a ranking of the 1000 biggest companies in the
new Member States of the EU, one tenth of which are
Slovenian companies. Last year the magical limit of one
billion euro was crossed by 54 enterprises from eight States
of Central and Eastern Europe, which are new EU members.
The biggest Slovenian company, Petrol, is in 40th place with
its € 1.2 billion income; the second biggest, Revoz with its
€767 million is only in 80th place. The Nova Ljubljanska
Banka bank is in 81st place, the Poslovni Sistem Mercator in
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Monthly Report
86th, Lek in 97th, Gorenje in 107th, Merkur in 126th, Prevent
in 160th, OMV Istrabenz in 182nd, Krka in 189th, Holding
Slovenske Elektrarne in 192nd and Telekom Slovenije in
210th place.
The Gospodarski Vestnik has, in cooperation with the
company Central European Capital, prepared a ranking of
the 1000 biggest companies according to income from
Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Baltic States and
Slovenia. 442 Polish, 207 Hungarian, 171 Czech, 59 Slovak, 22
Baltic and as many as 99 Slovenian companies qualified for
a place in the ranking. By number of companies included
per million inhabitants, we are in the lead compared to other
States, according to Gospodarski Vestnik.
In first position, with €7.67 billion, is the Polish oil company,
Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen; in second place with €5.9
billion of income is the Hungarian oil company MOL,
followed by the Czech Škoda company (€4.5 billion) and the
Slovak Volkswagen company (€4.4 billion).
Alojz Uran, Apostolic Nuncio Santos Abril y Castello,
Evangelical Bishop Geza Erniša, retired Archbishop of
Belgrade Dr. Franc Perko, Head of Parish of the Serbian
Orthodox Church and Deputy Archpriest Peran Boškov i ć,
Secretary of the Islamic Community Nevzet Po r i ć,
Superintendent of the Pentecostal Church Dr. Daniel Brkič,
President of the Jewish Community Andrej Kožar Beck,
Minister of Justice Dr. Lovro Šturm and this year for the first
time representatives of Slovenian priests from the national
minority communities in Italy and Austria.
In his welcoming speech, Director of the Office Dr. Drago
Čepar expressed his wish and conviction that in the year
following its entry into the EU, Slovenia will pass a modern
law on religious freedom and religious communities.
He thanked the two former Ministers of Justice and
Presidents of the Commission for Resolving Issues of the
Religious Communities, Ivan Bizjak and Zdenka Cerar, for
their tireless and professional leadership of the
Commission.
He also listed some of the most important events of 2004,
such as Slovenia's entry into the EU and NATO, the signing
of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, the
ratification of the agreement with the Holy See, the
appointing of Archbishop Msgr. Alojz Uran, the signing of
agreements with the Serbian Orthodox and Pentecostal
Churches and other achievements of the religious
communities.
He also thanked the representatives of the religious
communities and his colleagues at the Office and the
ministries for their cooperation and wished them a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year and Slovenian
Independence Day.
Slovenian scouts and scouts from the Slovenian national
minority communities presented the attendees with the
Light of Peace from Bethlehem, read this year's pastoral
letter Come to Yourself and wished them good holidays.
Representatives of the Macedonian Orthodox Church
brightened the festivities with Slovenian and Macedonian
songs.
ITF: South-Eastern Europe Mine-Free
by the End of Decade
The international institution - International Trust Fund for
Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) had by
November raised more than 26.5 million dollars for its
activities in the region of South-Eastern Europe, with which
it surpassed last year's funds by almost 4 million dollars.
This year, in the region of South-Eastern Europe, the
foundation cleared over 5 million square metres of minecontaminated areas and facilitated the rehabilitation of 37
mine victims at the Slovenian Institute of Rehabilitation. The
ITF helps numerous other victims through several
programmes that offer facilitated social and economic
reintegration in their home countries. At the Ottawa
Convention conference, organised under the slogan "A
Mine-Free World", our demining experts presented a
proposal under which South-Eastern Europe could become
mine-free zone by the end of the decade. Under this
proposal many States will work together, such as Albania,
Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia,
Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Montenegro and Slovenia.
As the ITF stresses, the trust of donors in the Foundation's
operations also led to the raising of another ten million
dollars from the USA, which was affirmed by the American
Congress in November 2004. This acknowledgement can
also be observed in the fact that the ITF was quoted as an
example of Best Practice in the recently adopted strategy of
anti-mine operations by the EU for the period 2005 - 2007.
Good Relations With Religious
Communities
The Government Office for Religious Communities held
its traditional Christmas-New Year's reception for
representatives of religious communities at the Hotel Slon.
The holiday gathering was attended by 96 leaders,
representatives and members of religious communities and
three ministers, including the Archbishop of Ljubljana Msgr.
Director of the Office for Religious Communities Dr. Drago êpar (right)
organized the reception for representatives of religious communities.
Photo: Emilija Snoj
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sinfo december 04
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Mateja Malnar [tembal
SLOVENIA HAS A NEW GOVERNMENT
The Slovenian National Assembly concluded its last act of
forming the new Government under the leadership of Prime
Minister Janez Janša on 3 December 2004, exactly two
months after the parliamentary elections, and confirmed,
with 51 votes for and 37 against, the full 15-member list of
ministers, proposed by Janša on the basis of the coalition
agreement signed on 23 November 2004 by the SDS
(Slovenian Democratic Party), NSi (New Slovenia - Christian
People's Party), SLS (Slovenian People's Party) and DeSUS
(Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia). Slovenia has
therefore admitted its eighth Government since the first
multi-party elections in 1990.
As PM, Janez Janša emphasised in his presentation speech
before the National Assembly that the new Government will
help to shape the conditions for the acceleration of
economic growth by improving the tax and administrative
environment, raising the levels of quality and education,
raising and ensuring more effective investment in science
and technological development, moving the State out of the
commercial economy and shaping a favourable
environment for foreign investment. In addition, the ministers
will strive to implement the Maastricht criteria for accession
into the European Monetary Union, to improve the conditions
for creating and maintaining a family and achieving a better
standard of living for the people of Slovenia in general.
secretaries will also be able to be named in the Cabinet of
the Prime Minister.
New Ministers
In the eighth Slovenian Government, the President of NSi, Dr
Andrej Bajuk, who experienced the post of Prime Minister for
a short while in 2000, leads the Ministry of Finance. The
President of SLS, Janez Podobnik, MD who was also
President of the National Assembly in the nineties, has taken
over the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning. Dr
Dimitrij Rupel has moved back to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, while Andrej Vizjak, MSc is in charge at the Ministry
of the Economy. The Health Minister is Andrej Bručan, MD
who has experience in this position while serving in Bajuk's
time of six months in office in 2000. Janez Drobnič, MA is
Minister for Labour, Family and Social Affairs, while the
Department of Education and Sport is entrusted to Dr Milan
Zver. The administration of the newly created Ministry of
Public Administration was assigned to Dr Gregor Virant,
while the second new Department, Higher Education,
Science and Technology is led by Dr Jure Zupan. Dr Vasko
Simoniti is the new Slovenian Minister for Culture, while
Judicial Administration is under the jurisdiction of Dr Lovro
Šturm. Minister for Transport is Janez Božič, MA, Minister for
Defence is Karl Erjavec. The Ministry of the Interior is
assigned to Dragutin Mate. Marija Lukačič, the only woman
in the Government, leads the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Food.
Dr Ivan Žagar, the former Mayor of Slovenska Bistrica, was
appointed Minister without Portfolio responsible for local
self-government and regional development. He will also be
in charge of the Government Office for Structural Policy and
Regional Development.
The Government Office for European Affairs is led by Marcel
Koprol, State Secretary in the Prime Minister's Cabinet and
the former Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia in
Cleveland, USA. The Office for Slovenes Abroad - until now
an organization body within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue its work as a new Government Office headed
by Franc Pukšič, State Secretary in the Prime Minister's
Cabinet. Jernej Pavlin has become the new Government
Spokesperson.
Changes in Public Administration
Following the recent adoption of amendments to the
Government and Public Administration Acts the new
Government includes 15 departmental ministers and 2
ministers without portfolio. The Ministry of Information
Society, whose main tasks in the field of telecommunications
are being transferred to the Ministry of Economy, has been
abolished, while there are 2 new ministries - Ministry of
Public Administration and Ministry of Higher Education,
Science and Technology which took over the Department of
Higher Education from the former Ministry of Education and
the Department of Technological Development from the
Ministry of Economic Affairs.
In line with the legislation on state administration adopted
by the previous Government, every departmental minister is
allowed only one state secretary, who will henceforth have
the political function of ministerial deputy, while state
Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Photo: Leon Vidic
sinfo december 04
8
Rok Srakar
SLOVENIA READY TO TAKE ON THE
OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP IN 2005
In less than two weeks Slovenia will take over the torch from
Bulgaria and begin one-year Chairmanship of the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE), which is with 55 participating states spanning from
Vancouver to Vladivostok the largest regional organization
and primary instrument for early warning, conflict
prevention, crisis management and post-conflict
rehabilitation in its area. In the course of next year Dr Dimitrij
Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Slovenia will be as Chairman-In-Office (CiO) responsible for
co-ordination and implementation of all Organization's
activities.
2004 Chairman-in-Office Solomon Passy and the incoming Chairman-in-Office
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
Press Conference at the OSCE Ministerial Council
Photo: Svetoslav Stanchev, OSCE
within the Ministry and began complementing Permanent
Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the OSCE. The
experienced diplomats in Ljubljana and Vienna, who will
next year carry the heaviest burden of the important task
ahead, were preparing for several years - especially
intensively in 2004. High point of the preparations was
participation of Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dr. Dimitrij Rupel
as an incoming Chairman-in-Office at the 12th Meeting of
the Ministerial Council in Sofia in the beginning of this
month. Today, less than two weeks from 1 January 2005
Slovenia is ready to accept its responsibility to the
international community.
Since the OSCE is an organization based on a consensus,
which is its greatest asset, Slovenia will make every effort in
promoting dialogue and co-operation between the 55
States thus finding positive solutions to all open issues on
the Organization's agenda.
The priorities for the 2005 will not be the priorities of
Slovenia but the priorities of all 55 Participating States.
Although Slovenia is realistic in this context - as there is only
so much that can be done in one year. Nevertheless it is
resolute that the OSCE should have a strong role in the
endeavors for security and co-operation throughout its area
and beyond.
As a member of OSCE Troika, Slovenia was already active
during 2004. As an incoming Chair, it presided the Contact
Group of Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation and from
the 1 October Slovenia chairs the OSCE's Advisory
Committee on Management and Finance, which has a task
of shaping Organization's budget. Slovenia also organized a
Preparatory seminar to the Economic forum, which is the
main event on the economic dimension of the OSCE and
will be held in Prague next May.
Slovenia is taking over the Chairmanship of the
Organization at a specific time in history. Europe and the
whole world have witnessed significant changes since 1
August 1975 when Helsinki Final Act that laid foundations for
the today's OSCE was signed. Over three decades
Organization has always responded well to challenge and
adversity. Its ability to adapt has over the years become one
of its greatest virtues and advantages. Concerns and
criticism that was voiced from the CIS countries this year,
indicates a need for debate on the future role of the
Organization in the international arena. Need of long-term
security and stability with a vision of economic progress in
some of the Participating States, together with call for
comprehensive, efficient and on-time response to constant
challenges to the global security environment speak in
favor of nurturing the OSCE's legacy.
In light of the preparations to take over the Chairmanship in
2005 Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up the OSCE Task Force
For more information: www.osce.org/cio/slovenia (English - from 1.1.2005) or
www.osce.si (Slovenian).
9
sinfo december 04
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Andreja [onc Sim~i~
Polona Pre{eren
SLOVENES FIRMLY ANCHORED IN EUROPE
Main
Slovenian
Organization
in Italy
Celebrates
First HalfCentury
The Public Opinion and Mass Communication Research Centre at the
Faculty of Social Sciences has issued the third volume of "Vrednote v
prehodu" (1999-2004) (Values in Transition), which together with the first
two, containing data from the 1968-1990 and 1990-1998 periods, describes
the results of the Slovenian Public Opinion (SPO) project.
All three volumes represent a documented overview of the findings of the
SPO project, within the framework of which 83 empirical researches were
carried out in 1968 dealing with specific topics, and which included 62
field researches carried out based on standardised questionnaires and
representative samples from the Slovenian population. The first volume is
a collection of material depicting the circumstances until the dissolution
of the former Yugoslavia, the second one portrays the period of
adjustment to new social conditions (transition), while the third volume
presents the period of democratic system consolidation and the
accession to the EU.
In the five-year period, outlined in the third volume, 16 topic projects and
17 field researches were carried out by means of standardised
questionnaires, which together comprehensively reflect Slovenian society
and population.
As the volume was published, the editor, Niko Toš, and his colleagues,
Zdravko Mlinar, Slavko Splichal, Ivan Bernik and Samo Uhan, stressed that
the development of the SPO project is also demonstrated by opening to
the world. According to the authors of the work, based on the collected
data Slovenes are firmly anchored in the European area and uphold
values that are completely comparable to those of most other European
nations.
On the basis of a multitude of information from the national public opinion
research, the researchers among other things noted that the younger
generation are focused on proprietorship and the class of poor people
dependent on the social state is more clearly delimited. In addition, the
contradiction related to the understanding of the state is more and more
noticeable in Slovenia - on the one hand, people do not want the state to
interfere in the economy, while on the other they ascribe great social
responsibility to it. The only issue that has gained significant national
consensus is the participation in Euro-Atlantic connections.
The Chairman of the Department of Communication at the Faculty of
Social Sciences and one of the authors, Slavko Splichal, pointed out that
the SPO project launched in 1962 is, in terms of the quantity and quality of
the data, exceptional at international level and also very important due to
long temporal comparability.
Upon the presentation of the work, Zdravko Mlinar, Professor at the Faculty
of Social Sciences, said that the SOP project was characterised by its
topical nature, while at the same time it has a more long-lasting relevance,
since with the passing of time some findings acquire more significance.
Ivan Bernik, also a Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, stressed
the dual intention of the SPO: on the one hand, it involves long-term
research and, on the other, international comparability. In fact, the SPO
has been incorporated into numerous international researches. Other
former socialist countries cannot boast a nearly forty-year tradition in such
research, which through time has brought into focus the structural
changes of Slovene society over the past decades.
All three volumes will also be available in electronic form in the Social
Science Data Archive at the Faculty of Social Sciences' web site.
sinfo december 04
10
"The Slovenian minority lives in a reality
which is generally more relaxed and
optimistic, but there is still a great deal of
uncertainty and stress. This is why the
Slovenian
Cultural
and
Economic
Association follows certain examples
among our predecessors and prefers
to emphasize reasons for healthy
cooperation, understanding, friendship
and joint responsibility for the future,
especially that of our sons, which will unite
the Slovenian and Italian nations, rather
than those things which cause rifts
between people in battles which are lost
before they are started," said President of
the Slovenian Cultural and Economic
Association Rudi Pavšič in his speech on
the fiftieth anniversary of the main
advocacy organization for Slovenes in
Italy.
On Sunday, 28 November 1954,
representatives of fifteen commercial,
educational, cultural and other institutions
met on Roma street in Trieste to found the
Slovenian
Economic
and
Cultural
Association. Less than a year later another
such organization was founded in Gorizia.
The two were united in 1958 under the
name Slovenian Cultural and Economic
Association (SECA), which became the
first Slovenian minority organization in the
territory of the present-day mixednationality Autonomous Region of Friuli
Giulia Venezia. Today the organization
works for the harmonious development of
the Slovenian minority in Italy, its internal
coherence and the assertion of its identity.
Or, as Rudi Pavšič said at the anniversary
celebration: "Building bridges, seeking
agreements among neighbours and
overcoming the tensions are still the main
activities, in both our area and in Europe."
The organization believes in Europe and
Polona Strnad Pe~ari~
The Week
of the
University
of
Ljubljana
The 50th anniversary was held at the end of november.
Photo: Davorin Kri`man~i~
its positive thrust, which forms a solid
basis for solving problems. "Here we
are thinking mainly about the Europe of
rights and about sensitivity towards the
smaller and the weaker, about
solidarity and respect for others,"
stated Pavšič. Today the Slovenian
Cultural and Economic Association is
not affiliated with any political party, but
is a part of the organized Slovenian civil
society in Italy and is endeavouring to
have a presence in Rome, and to have
its issues and proposals included in
the work of the Autonomous Region
of Friuli Giulia Venezia, regional
administrations, municipalities, and
other organizations and individuals.
About 70 thousand Slovenes, who are
linked by the SECA, live in present-day
Friuli-Giulia. The Association is a
minority, autonomous, unaffiliated
organization which attempts to take the
interests of the Slovenian national
minority and its members fully into
account in all areas of social life:
economic, political, cultural, social,
educational and others. It seeks for
democratic equal rights with the
majority nation. The SECA carries out
its mission successfully by linking
Slovenian economic, cultural, sports,
educational, support, publishing and
similar organizations and institutions.
The activities of the central minority
advocacy organization include all areas
which concern the interests of the
Slovenian community as a whole or
Slovenes as individuals. Through its
work it has shown that it is an essential
and vital part of the Slovenian
community in Italy.
The main advocacy organization for
Slovenes in Italy has through its
Photo: Davorin Kri`man~i~
collective associations been involved in
all activities of the minority throughout
its existence. It has adapted to the
constantly changing conditions in the
course of political developments and
changing political circumstances. It
was founded in times that were marked
by a highly charged atmosphere and
divergent ideologies. It can now
be justifiably considered the main
advocacy organization for Slovenes in
Italy, since in recent years there have
been no campaigns to which the
Association has not lent its support.
In its fifty years of activity, the SECA has
travelled a long and successful path. A
lot has changed, but the organization
has never wavered from its goals and
its basic tasks - to unite and provide
advocacy for the interests of the
Slovenian national minority in Italy. In
this respect the role of the SECA
has always been essential and
indispensable, and it remains so today.
11
The Week of the University of Ljubljana
commemorates the beginning of its
activities. 385 years have already
passed from the first high-school
classes held in Slovenia and 85 years
from the foundation of the University of
Ljubljana as the principal Slovenian
University. As the Rector, Dr Jože
Mencinger says, it has had its good
and bad times in this period, but today
her position in society is well
established. With great caution it is
adhering to the Bologna process, its
greatest advantage is surely the
modernisation of certain programmes
of study. In this week the Faculty of
Social Sciences, for example, signed a
letter of intent, in which it binds itself
with ten biggest Slovenian media
houses to a constructive co-operation
of theory and practice and therefore to
a more efficient study of journalism.
"These are certainly changes that
would not have happened without the
Bologna process," says the Rector of
the University of Ljubljana, Dr. Jože
Mencinger. "I am quite sceptical about
this reform. In fact, I have concerns that
all this will change the university into an
enterprise, where we get "repromaterial" in the form of freshmen and
"produce" human capital. Today
everything, including the University, is
supposed to be left to the market, and
this extreme market fundamentalism, if
I can use these words, is going to
cause a lot of damage in the long
term." Rector Mencinger is committed
to a traditional university, to a so-called
Magna Carta Universitatis; "… even
more so, as in the past I was a part of
numerous reforms. That is why I stress
the research, educational and cultural
role of a university. A university cannot
simply be an enterprise."
That is why the University of Ljubljana is
reacting cautiously and slowly to the
Bologna process and the changes in
society. In this way it can avoid matters
sinfo december 04
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
sinfo december 04
Of course, the most important thing for
any university is its students. In this
academic year of 2004/2005 the
University of Ljubljana has altogether
58,262 students, of which 12,213 are in
their diploma year. The best of those
and the graduates in the week of
celebration have been selected for the
Prešeren awards for their top-level
theses.
The
often-overlooked
individuals of the younger generation
are perhaps the best proof of a
successful reaction to the rapid
changes and demands of society
today, including the university. One of
the Prešeren awards for student
winners Saša Tabakovič from the
Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and
Television, also an actor in a popular
Slovenian film, Pod njenim oknom
(Under Her Window), said: "The
Prešeren award is still a Prešeren
award, meaning that it is an award not
only given by the University, but also
the State. I am glad and honoured that
it is also given to the artists that
contribute with their work in whatever
way to the spiritual freedom of the
nation."
Marko Thaler received the Prešeren
award for the innovation he made in the
last year of mechanical engineering,
which was accepted with great interest
at home and abroad. "I think that there
has to be an appropriate environment
for innovations that allows individuals to
develop them. In Slovenia this
environment is still relatively at its
beginning, but if self-motivation is high
enough, it can be achieved." The
student Prešeren awards were given
also to Anja German, Maša Mikolas,
Kristina Križman, Simon Koren, Marko
Novinec, Jure Kališnik, Jurij Leskovec,
Maja Fesel Martinčevič and Alenka
Bartulovič.
Knowledge is becoming one of the
most important bases of any kind for
post-information society development,
which can also be sensed in the work
of the University of Ljubljana. It is slow,
but determined. Its position in Slovenia
in general can also be proven by this
year's central event at the University
Week, the solemn meeting of the
Senate that was attended also by the
State President Dr Janez Drnovšek.
yet undiscussed and false steps. Only
three members out of twenty-six will
follow the reform completely in the
school year 2005/2006.
In all its activities till now the university
has encouraged openness and cooperation among home and foreign
professors and scientists. So at the
celebration it honoured some of the
most visible foreign professors that
build a bridge between Slovenian and
foreign science. The highest title Doctor of Honour - was this year
awarded to Prof. Dr Hans Jürgen
Grabke, a top scientist in the field of
physical chemistry and Professor at the
Max Planck Institute in Germany. Prof.
Grabke has since 1980 collaborated
with Slovenian researchers, for whom
he provided doctorial and postdoctorial training with grants from the
German Science Institutions. "I keep up
with Slovenian science especially in my
field, physical chemistry, but I must say
that in Slovenia a relatively wide
spectrum of problems is being
researched,
even
though
the
possibilities are really limited. Still, you
have really good researchers and great
scientists. In this view I see Slovenian
science as very positive," stated Prof.
Grabke on receiving the award. The
other Doctor of Honour of the University
of Ljubljana is Noam Chomsky from the
United States of America, one of the
greatest scientists of our era, a linguist
and philosopher, who will receive his
award when visiting Slovenia in March
next year. The titles Senator of Honour
were received by Günther Hoedl, a
historian and Rector of the University of
Klagenfurt, Prof. Dr Patrick Doreian, the
principal of the Department for
Sociology at the University of
Pittsburgh, and Luis M. Mir, researcher
at the Institute in Villejuif, France.
12
Albert Kos
Dr Vasko Simoniti. Photo: Igor Lapajne
Jubilee
of
Slovenian
Book
Fair
and less to bookstores. In general, the
reading culture of Slovenian people is
less widespread than we would like it to
be. The survey carried out during the
Book Fair shows that more than 60% of
respondents did not read any literary
work in the last year, whereas nearly
half of them did not buy any book in
this period - whether technical, manual
or literary works. Yet all these
symptoms are also present outside
Slovenia: many people do not have
enough time for reading books and
enjoying them, nor the tranquillity and
concentration, interest and curiosity.
The commemorative speech of the
Minister of Culture, Dr Vasko Simoniti,
and the presenting of the awards to
publishers, printers and authors
introduced the jubilee 20th Book Fair in
Cankarjev dom, which in the first five
days of December hosted more than
90 Slovenian publishing houses and
publishers, presenting in total 3800
literary novelties, and attracted nearly
25,000 book connoisseurs and lovers.
In spite of this, however, Dr Miha Kovač,
publishing expert from the Faculty of
Arts in Ljubljana is not pessimistic. He
stresses that reading needs and
interests are proportional to the
educational level of the population and
since the latter is rising fast in Slovenia,
the statistical indicators of the "use" of
books are improving, which is a good
and promising sign for the future of
books.
The first Slovenian Book Fair was
organised in 1972 and has since been
held regularly, first biennially and, since
the 1990s, every year. From the very
beginning, the aim of the event was to
present and offer an overview of
Slovenian book production of all types.
For this reason, the fairs always
reflected the circumstances and the
spirit of the Slovenian book market, but
at the same time also presented
achievements in all aspects of authors'
creativity - original and in translation,
literary, technical and scientific merit as
well as illustrations and design. The
common goal of the exhibitors was
mainly to promote and popularise
books among readers, which is
essential for the survival of authors and
publishers in a market of two million
people.
LIVELY SIDE EVENTS
This year's Book Fair presents a
number of new book editions from the
past year and as such displays the
creativity and entrepreneurship of all
those who are committed to literary
production in Slovenia. The fair raises
the question of whether such a rich and
diverse range of books is more likely an
illusion and whether publishing in
Slovenia will in the future manage to
preserve the vitality it boasts at
present.
Slovenian
books
are
relatively
expensive due to low print runs, which
is why readers prefer to go to libraries
Apparently, publishers and all those
participating in the book chain - from
author to publisher, book store keeper
and librarian to reader - are not short
on willpower: according to tradition, the
Book Fair was accompanied by
numerous events and activities
attracting the public. The fair was also
lively thanks to the many events and
workshops organised to promote
interest in reading and reading habits
13
Band Olivija in concert. Photo: Igor Lapajne
among the younger generation. They
included discussions about topical
book-related and literary issues in the
form of "literary coffeehouses", a
consultation
by
the
publishing
academy about new methods and
approaches in publishing, press
conferences upon the publication of
individual books and other initiatives
aimed at bringing books into the centre
of awareness of actual and potential
readers after the fair closes, too.
The Schwentner* Award is the highest
award conferred every year by the
Association
of
Publishers
and
Booksellers of the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry of Slovenia,
which is the co-organiser of the fair
together with Cankarjev Dom. This year
it went to Milan Matos, President of the
Management Board of the Mladinska
Knjiga Group, at present the leading
Slovenian publishing house. The award
for best first literary work in 2004 was
presented to Irena Svetek for her novel
"Od blizu" (Close Up), while the best
young translator's award was granted
to Borut Kraševec for his translation of
Viktor Pelevin's novel "Čapaev i
Pustota" (Chapayev and Emptiness).
In addition, five awards were granted to
book designers for the best-looking
books in the past year by category.
Furthermore, three small and one large
Winged Lion plaques were presented
for best graphic, printing and
bookbinding achievements. The Fair
was accompanied by two exhibitions:
selected Slovenian facsimiles 19092004
and
the
exhibition
of
correspondence between Edvard
Kocbek and Heinrich Böll.
* Lavoslav Schwentner (1865-1952),
initiator and founder of modern
Slovenian publishing, whose
contribution as a publisher and patron
of poets and writers of the Slovenian
"Moderna" (Modernist literary
movement), among whom also Ivan
Cankar, is especially valuable.
sinfo december 04
Andreja ôkl
Photo: Tina Ramujki~
At the Meeting Point of Creativity:
Where Knowledge, Creativity and Tradition Meet
What is Slovenia famous for? The Postojna Cave? Bled?
Potica? Maybe there is still time to get to know it for its
people. Not just any people, but the creative individuals,
artists, who in their works combine knowledge, modern
design and Slovenian tradition.
The combination of these things - tradition and innovation,
which according to the opinion of many do not go together
- has a special place in the exhibition At the Meeting Point of
Creativity. The organiser of the exhibition, prepared by
Alenka Ivančič, was the Government Public Relations and
Media Office of the Republic of Slovenia. At the beginning of
December the exhibition was opened in the Slovenian
Ethnographic Museum, which bases its work on combining
the incompatible, the old and the new. At the Meeting Point
of Creativity is in fact part of a larger exhibition entitled
Exchanging Glances: Between Design and Slovenian Folk
Culture, which the Ethnographic Museum has prepared
together with young Slovenian designers. On this happy day
of culture, when the Slovenian cultural institutions in memory
of the birth of the country's greatest poet, France Prešeren,
opened their doors and only a day after the opening of the
new home of the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum, the
rooms on Metelkova street were flooded by the Sounds of
Slovenian Creativity, since the musicians and dancers that
appeared at the opening of the exhibition (Urša&PR, Andrej
Trobentar, the Magic Theatre Serpentes), combine cultural
heritage (folk music, folk tradition) with contemporaneity.
by the ethnologist Janez Bogataj from the Ljubljana Faculty
of Arts. He chose china, glass, lace, hand-made paper and
dry flowers from six designers that fit into the category of the
above-mentioned creators. For a grand finale, he added the
Holy Spirit flying above the table in the form of a little carved
wooden dove. The table decorated in this manner the
modern view of socialising and communication in harmony
with national heritage, as all the creators of contemporarilydesigned elements derive their original creations from the
Slovenian cultural heritage.
Maybe the work of a young designer, Tina Koder of Studio
Koder in Idrija, is the most noticeable connection with the
heritage of the local environment. She covered the Slovenian
table with a cloth that relates to the tradition of making lace
in Idrija. The designers of the unique Catbriyur china, Katja
and Jure Bricman from Prevalje, who provided the china
dishes made especially for the Slovenian table (the
collection with guilded graphics named Dream Story), derive
their work from the most sophisticated "lacemaking"
tradition. The work of the glass blowers of Rogaška reflects
the rich tradition of the old forest glassworks. The marvellous
crystal Chalices of Slomšek (with a detail reminiscent of a
bishop's crook) were designed for the Slovenian table by
France Černelč. The menus were printed on hand-made
paper by master Jože Valant from Vevče near Ljubljana. The
colourfulness and delightful aroma of the table presenting
our State were added by dry flowers by Janez Seliškar from
Cvetje Eli. The traditional Slovenian decoration of tables with
pine shavings, cornflowers, box tree and snow balls was
transformed into a modern flower composition for solemn
occasions. The Holy Spirit, watching over the table, is the
work of Monika Klemenčič and Robert Perko from Breznica
at Žiri.
As all the aforementioned creators have many ideas, and the
Slovenian table can only present part of their really
magnificent work, the exhibition At the Meeting Point of
IT ALL STARTED ON A TABLE
The central part of the exhibition On the Crossroads of
Creativity presents the so-called Slovenian table. This spring,
in Budapest, the 25 States, which are now all members of the
EU, exhibited their "national tables" at an exhibition called
Tables of Europe. Visitors to the exhibition seemed to like the
Slovenian table the most, the idea for which was contributed
sinfo december 04
14
Creativity provides them with an opportunity to present
some of their other works of art. Thus, Tina Koder presents
her embroidered jewellery and wonderful collection of
coloured laces (tea, little wreaths, the cherry blossom, rustics
and water), into which she intertwines Slovenian folk symbols
and motifs. Katja and Jure Bricman, who last year designed
the dress for Miss Slovenia for the Miss World competition in
China (remember the wonderful white creation with a high
collar and corset of lace-designed china?), also called the
Miss World collection of hand-made cups and plates. At the
exhibition they also present their china jewellery that any
woman would be glad to wear. If she received it in a
beautifully designed little box made of hand-made paper,
presented at the exhibition by the aforementioned Jože
Valant and designer Marija Andoljšek, she would be even
more pleased. Every housewife would be thrilled with the
masterpieces from the Rogaška glass factory where the
daring ideas of the designer Mojca Šmit have been realised.
Her chalices, vases and plates with fish and human face
motifs would beautify any table and make a meal a feast to
the eye as well. Another thing that should be mentioned is
the floral room decoration of Janez Seliškar. Enough
convincing reasons to go and see it?
DOES THE CREATIVITY OPEN THE DOORS INTO
THE WORLD?
The creativity of the mentioned Slovenes that are traditionally
linked to their natural environment and at the same time
open to the world, seeking new cognitions, visions and
solutions and crossing the national border with its work, is a
chance for Slovenia to get known also abroad. As Miro Kline,
an expert in market communication and solemn speaker at
the opening of the exhibition stressed the power of Slovenia
lays in its culture, innovativeness and knowledge. Our task is
to build the identity of our young state on that. With his words
we can look back and to the question of tradition and
innovation: "If Slovenia wants to build its image in the world
and establish it as its trade mark, it must originate from what
there is at present combined with the tradition. On one side
the tradition should be respectfully kept alive, on the other
side be creatively changed with additions, made possible by
new technologies, knowledge and sources. "This is the
guidance that is completely respected also in the exhibition
At the Meeting Point of Creativity, since the exhibited works
are "the live tradition, remodelled by the stories of today".
15
sinfo december 04
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Marjan Marin{ek
Maksim Gaspari -
the Artist who
Identified Himself with the Slovenian Nation
were enthralled by his motifs, were brought up with his
illustrations in Zvonček, Vrtec, Naš rod, Ciciban and other
prints. Some copy his pictures to this day!
His postcards or greeting cards represent a special chapter
in his work, as they reached every Slovenian household like
tiny artistic swallows, while contributing to the artistic
transformation of people in the countryside and in the city.
And it is in this that we find the grandeur of Gaspari's
mission; everyone could afford a postcard for a small price
- this small work of art, which praised our home, depicted
rural chores, national costumes and national songs, day in,
day out, wished merry Christmas and Easter holidays and
spoke a comprehensive language to all.
He created postcards throughout his life, from the first one
in 1902, to the ones he single-handedly produced in his old
age and sent to his friends and colleagues during his brief
vacations in Kranjska Gora. We have a collection of 392
original prints. Even while studying in Vienna, he would send
home hand-made postcards, then came postcards,
produced during the First World War and the time of the
Carinthian plebiscite. In the newly-formed SHS state (the
kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, i.e., the pre-WWII
Yugoslavia), which was formed in 1918, he embarked on his
productive publishing period, publishing various nationalawakening, social, Sokol and Orli movements and CyrilMethodius themed postcards, especially ones with national
motifs, which were accompanied by verses from national
songs.
In this period he also produced the greatest number of
Christmas and Easter greeting cards, although he had been
making them since the First World War. They became very
popular everywhere, especially by our fellow countrymen
around the world. He managed to preserve these ancient
holidays in an antique spirit and represent them in their
folkloric uniqueness, with all the customs that the Slovenian
people established over the centuries: homesteads in the
snow, robust young men with dormouse skin hats in their
hands and Virginia cigars in their mouths, going to Midnight
Mass, mothers with children, scenes of birth, the Slovenian
Madonna, Gammer Winter, poor men and beggars, cribs in
God's corner, cradling the Child, families at Christmas
tables, the ritual of smoking, fiddlers and Koledniks, angels
from the sky, scuffling, New Year's Eve, the Three Kings,
snowballing and sledging… And to this day, just as swallows
herald the spring, these greeting cards herald the coming
holidays, as they pour into our homes in great numbers all
around the world.
Gaspari, who wasn't aware of how many postcards he had
painted himself, was very happy when I began collecting
them. Unfortunetly, he did not get to see his first
independent exhibition, which took place in 1986 in Velenje,
and never found out the actual total number of the
postcards he made. The postcards travelled all around the
world, wherever Slovenians lived: Austria, Germany, France,
Belgium, The Netherlands, the USA, (four times from
Cleveland to San Francisco), Brasil, Argentina, Uruguay,
Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Bright).
Maksim Gaspari (1883 -1980) is a unique phenomenon in
Slovenian art. In his artistic creations, he has preserved the
rural culture of past times. During his long life, he remained
faithful to his principle of "From Nation to Nation", which he
already established while studying at the Academy in
Vienna at the beginning of the twentieth century. In his
immense opus of paintings, postcards and literary
illustrations, he developed his own style and established his
favourite motifs.
Countless are the numbers of his paintings in mixed
techniques, oil and watercolour, in which he captured the
idealised rural world, which was even then disappearing in
front of his very eyes: the world of the cheerful Slovenian
man from winter to spring and from morning till night. It is
these motifs that he came back to again and again during
his long life.
His paintings were purchased mainly by intellectuals:
doctors, dentists and veterinarians, who were aware of the
value of Gaspari's folklore motifs. Farmers were not buyers.
What would they do with a painting, depicting a farmer,
ploughing his field, or a painting of the Tenth Brother or
some other poor soul? But why do we say then that Gaspari
became one with the Slovenian people? It is in most part
due to the literary illustrations and postcards, which
reached out to all people.
The number of illustrations that Maksim Gaspari produced
could be made possible only by a man of extraodinary
imagination and exceptional drawing talents, a man with a
special gift of God, with a lot of will and hard-working
discipline. Gaspari illustrated at least 57 books, especially
children's books, created 33 cover pages for books and
magazines, published his work in at least 41 newspapers
and magazines, produced numerous advertising posters,
caricatures, honorary documents and diplomas, signets,
pamphlets and the like. Whoever is not familiar with his
primary school textbooks, which were published from 1912
until the Second World War, Kette's poetry, Miličinski's Fairy
Tales, The Tenth Brother, Slovenian National Fairy Tales,
Slovenian ballads and romances, gentle, melancholy, rural
illustrated headings, song-books and almanacs? Whole
generations, who would copy Gaspari's illustrations and
sinfo december 04
16
Selected by Anja Otavnik
they said...
"The coalition has put forward all those
matters that unite and connect Slovenia
and has spoken in favour of working on the
basis of preparedness to act for common
benefits."
Currently, there is a major exhibition of Gaspari's paintings,
postcards, illustrations, prints and Gaspari's crib in the
Festival Hall in Bled, prepared by David Rjazancev from Bled
and myself as the author. The exhibition will be open from
10 January 2005, every day from 10.00 to 19.00. This is the
first time that such a diverse opus by Gaspari will be on
display. All admirers of Gaspari's work hope that we will live
to see the establishment of a gallery devoted to Gaspari,
where the entire collection of this national treasure would be
on permanent display.
Something particularly impressive is the Gaspari Crib, which
I only managed to obtain in the last few years. Gaspari
painted it on to sheets of paper soon after the formation of
the new SHS, and therein expressed all the enthusiasm for
this new State at the time. The crib has many features of
Slovenian nationality: Joseph and Mary are Slovenian
peasants, dressed in traditional Gorenjska costume; the
shepherds are our old men in sheepskin coats with tulips on
their backs, while the shepherd girls are graceful country
girls, holding carnations and home-made doughnuts on
plates. The Three Kings, approaching the manger, are a
Serb, a Croat and a Slovenian, while behind them is a
standard-bearer, holding an SHS flag. Betlehem in the
backgorund is reminiscent of a mixed panorama of Kranj
and Klagenfurt. The crib was not well received in those
days, supposedly lacking Betlehem spirit, while today it is a
testament to their era and is a great rarity.
Janez Janša, the Prime Minister of RS
(Delo, 29 November 2004)
"Today we can say that in Slovenia transition
is over; the government ending its mandate
is the last transitional government in
Slovenia; practically all the reforms have
been carried out and all the goals that
make Slovenia a democratic, European,
social and economic country have been
realised."
Anton Rop, the former Prime Minister of RS
(POP TV and TV Slovenija, 1 December 2004)
"Every morning, as soon as she/he gets up,
any serious manager has to ask him/herself
questions about competence, social
responsibility and economic growth and
make them happen day after day."
Bruno Korelič, the Director of
Luka Koper
(Delo, 29 November 2004)
"Public opinion surveys demonstrate that
Slovenian people in the majority of
questions dealing with values consider
themselves on a par with the majority of
Europeans."
Niko Toš, the editor of the book Values in Transition III and
manager of the Centre for Public Opinion Research and Mass
Communication
(Dnevnik, 25 November 2004)
"I completely understand what the
European Union wants to achieve with, for
example, the criminal courts, but here we
take different paths in our thoughts; we
agree that we do not agree."
Thomas B. Robertson, the American Ambassador
to Slovenia
(Večer, 25 November 2004)
17
sinfo december 04
INTERVIEW
Vesna @arkovi~, Photo: Igor Zaplatil
Mojca Drčar
Murko:
On 1 May 2004 we became
Europeans, but we remain Slovenes
sinfo december 04
18
WE TALKED WITH MOJCA DRČAR MURKO,
ONE OF THE SEVEN SLOVENIAN
DEPUTIES ELECTED TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT IN JUNE, ABOUT HOW SHE
SEES SLOVENIA FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF BRUSSELS, HOW THE
DEPUTIES VIEW THEIR WORK IN THE
PARLIAMENT AND MUCH MORE. MRS.
MURKO WILL BE A PART OF THE
ALLIANCE OF LIBERALS AND
DEMOCRATS FOR EUROPE (ALDE) FOR
THE COMING FIVE-YEAR TERM. IN HER
OPINION, THE 'INCIDENT' ON THE
APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW EUROPEAN
COMMISSION GREATLY INCREASED THE
PRESTIGE OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND PARLIAMENTARY
DEMOCRACY ON THE EUROPEAN LEVEL.
There are a lot of topics which are discussed on different
levels and in different phases of the processes. Some of
them are returned to the Parliament after the other
legislative body of the EU - the Council of Ministers - has
discussed them, and due to divergences a mediating
procedure has to be initiated in order to reach a
compromise. If we wanted to talk about the materials which
are currently receiving the greatest amount of attention, in
all probability this would be the debate about the beginning
of negotiations for the accession of Turkey, then the
preparation of the seven-year budget for the period 2007 to
2013 and issues related to the ratification of the
Constitutional Treaty. In terms of the weight of its contents,
especially with regard to the expected consequences for
the European economy, we could also mention the
beginning of the discussions on the registration and
evaluation of dangerous chemicals, one of the biggest
tasks both in the field of environmental protection and
public health and as regards the operation of the internal
market and the achieving of the goals of the Lisbon
Strategy. But I should add that due to the huge amount of
topics, any overview can only give a current account of the
situation, and the tempo of work is very fast.
How do you judge the crisis which occurred on the
appointing of the new European Commission?
Looking back, I would say that there was no crisis. There
would have been if the Parliament had arbitrarily broken the
rules, but that didn't happen. Parliament simply made use of
a legitimate political tool, which is a consequence of the
finding that strict moral, professional and political criteria
have been set for appointing members of the Commission.
The possibility was foreseen that in certain cases
Parliament would not give its consent to a proposed
candidate. At the time, not everyone was of that opinion President-elect Barroso even said that a vote against the
Commission was a vote against Europe - but in the end it
turned out that Europe did not collapse as a result of the
rejection of his initial proposal, the EU simply obtained a
better 'government' when two countries withdrew their
unsuitable candidates and appointed new ones. A
completely new depth has appeared in relations among EU
institutions, especially between Parliament and the Council
of Ministers. The states appoint candidates for the
Commission independently, and until now they believed that
their selections would be upheld without objection. That's
over now. They know that the candidacy and appointment
procedure is becoming increasingly strict and that the
governments of Member States will be obliged to send the
best people to Brussels. This is good for Europe, and the
'incident' greatly increased the prestige of the European
Parliament and parliamentary democracy on the European
level.
What does Slovenia look like from the perspective of
Brussels?
Like a country which is still closed in on itself.
You have changed fields, from a foreign policy journalist
to a Eurodeputy. It there a big difference? How do your
former occupations serve you in your new role, having
been both a lawyer and a journalist?
There is a big difference. Journalism involves monitoring
and commentating on events about which first-hand data is
not always available. Making a synthesis out of crumbs of
information is therefore one of the journalist's most basic
tasks. Legislative work on the other hand requires focusing
on numerous details and specialization, in order for the
deputies to make a neutral assessment of the work of the
experts and prepare legislation responsibly. When I speak
of responsibility, I am not exaggerating. As a deputy I am a
member of a political group which expects me to review
what is published before voting so that it is known how the
majority in that group are going to vote. However, I could
vote on my own if I wished to. How easy it would be to push
another button when I have the electronic ballot in my hand
- it makes me aware of the responsibility which we have
taken on, that is the responsibility to work as constructively
as possible in the European spirit, without forgetting the
special interests of our voters. My education comes in
handy, especially of course legal reasoning, since the
regulations and laws are constantly changing and we are all
constantly studying. My journalism experience is useful due
to the wide spectrum of topics which I have covered in my
life, and therefore it is easier for me to make associations
and connections with similar situations.
What is the relationship between the Parliament and the
European Commission?
The Commission is in a way the Government of the EU,
which deals with current affairs. Its most important function
is the preparation of draft laws which are discussed by the
European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The
initiatives for these drafts come mainly from the states, and
sometimes from the Parliament, but only rarely from the
Commission itself. It is clear that it requires a great deal of
What is the European Parliament currently discussing?
The European Parliament does not only work in plenary
sessions, but mainly in committees and political groups.
19
sinfo december 04
interview
professional support in order to face its huge tasks, and in
principle one could say that it is an ally of the European
Parliament in terms of facing the Council of Ministers on
matters of content. The members of the Commission
regularly attend sessions of the Parliament and its
committees, make reports and respond to questions. The
conduct is respectful and the behaviour constructive,
although of course there are noticeable differences in the
style of different teams.
much for the development of the less-developed region of
the new Member States as the less-developed countries
who joined before us received from the EU. Take Ireland for
instance, which went from being the poorhouse of Europe
to one of the top four countries in terms of GDP per
inhabitant, and Portugal and Greece as well. There is still a
great deal of money, but the needs are incomparably
greater than they were before. The amount of funding
Slovenia will be able to obtain from the Cohesion Fund
depends to a great extent on how Slovenia will be divided
regionally.
The fact is that Slovenia as a single region - that's how it is
organized in the budgetary period up to 2006 - will very
soon lose the status of a less-developed region, since it will
soon on average exceed the development limit of 75
percent of the average GDP per inhabitant in the expanded
Union.
How much actual power do European Parliament
deputies have?
The answer to that question can be deduced from what I
have just stated. There is a great deal of power if the
deputies use it properly. Parliament works according to the
principle of the interconnectedness of the groups, and in
principle there is never unanimity, but it sometimes happens
that ideological and political differences are not the
decisive factors. When this occurs, as it did in the voting on
the first Barroso Commission, the Parliament has a great
deal of power.
You are a member of the Committee on Environment,
Public Health and Food Safety. What is happening at the
moment and are you satisfied with the Slovenian staffing
of the committees?
I have already mentioned one important topic which will
keep us busy for several months, that is the registration and
evaluation of risk in the manufacturing and importing of
dangerous chemicals. The final purpose is to isolate those
chemicals for which it will have to be proved that they are
truly dangerous and to protect both the environment and
the health of the population from them.
There is an entire spectrum of other topics which are
currently being discussed - from the organizing of the field
of children's medicines, the management of groundwater,
and public health plans for the EU, to marks and statements
on food products, bans on cadmium batteries, food
additives, acceptable levels of pesticide residues in soil etc.
Our presence in the committees is appropriate to our
numbers, meaning that we are not present in all of the
committees. Given the importance that agriculture has in
Slovenian politics, it is perhaps a disadvantage that there is
no Slovenian deputy on the Agriculture Committee.
The fields which according to the Government will
require the greatest amount of attention and where we
can expect the most work to be done are agriculture,
fisheries, cohesion policy, employment and social policy,
telecommunications and information services, transport mainly in the framework of the TEN networks - energy,
nuclear safety, chemicals, services, the Customs Union
and justice and internal affairs. What is happening in the
European Parliament in connection with this?
In order to respond to that question I would have to write
dozens of pages. It would be good if reporting on individual
topics in our newspapers was performed continuously and
not in campaigns, and if the public could obtain gradual
insight into the extent of the projects which the EU, for our
common future, is involved in. Take cohesion policy for
instance - I take cohesion to mean the connectedness of
the European region - it is clear that a huge amount of funds
will be earmarked for this in the upcoming budgetary
period, but despite this it will not be possible to offer as
sinfo november 04
20
interview
with the new administration will be more complicated,
judging from the fact that my assistant, whom I sent in my
absence to attend the first emergency session of the new
Committee, was turned away at the door and told that the
session was closed, even though we had been invited and
sent a part of the materials. I should say that the assistants
are paid by the European Parliament to take the load off of
the deputies or replace them in their absence, and that
upon their appointment they have to sign a statement of
confidentiality and loyalty.
Parliament has its official seat in Strasbourg, France,
where it also meets once a month for four-day plenary
sessions, while the majority of its activities are carried
out in Brussels, where its second home houses its
working bodies and two-day so-called 'mini plenary
sessions' are usually held once a month. The General
Secretariat of the Parliament is in Luxembourg. How do
you deal with this kind of logistics?
It requires skilful planning and organization in order to have
an overview of the events. The extent of the topics which are
discussed only in the two committees which I am a member
of is so large that it is reasonable to focus on only a few
topics. I am forced to do so also because I am constantly
being given more tasks to deal with. The usual practice is
that discussions which are held in committee on the
legislative proposals of the Commission are attended by a
Reporter who has to lay out all of the facets of the problem,
collect the opinions and amendments, make a summary of
the conclusions from the discussion and make a
recommendation on how the deputies should vote at the
plenary session. The work has to be done so well that those
people who did not attend the discussion can rely on the
opinions of their colleagues. So far I have worked as a
'shadow' Reporter - that is, for my political group the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe - monitoring
changes to the directive on packaging and packaging
wastes, preparing a similar opinion on the founding of an
association for cross-border cooperation and for a proposal
on the method of financing the Natura 2000 project. My first
major reporting task for the Committee on Environment,
Public Health and Food Safety is coming up in the near
future in the analysis of changes to the directive on food
additives. I should add that in terms of membership the
Environment Committee is one of the largest in the
European Parliament, which shows the importance which
the Parliament places on environmental protection and
public health.
Does the new Slovenian Government have any affect on
your decisions?
No.
MOJCA DRČAR MURKO (LDS, ALDE) WAS
BORN ON 2 JULY, 1942 IN LJUBLJANA. IN
1965 SHE GRADUATED FROM THE
FACULTY OF LAW IN LJUBLJANA, AND IN
1973 SHE RECEIVED A MASTER'S
DEGREE FROM THE FACULTY OF LAW IN
ZAGREB. DURING HER STUDIES SHE
BEGAN WORKING AT RADIO LJUBLJANA,
WHERE SHE REMAINED, WITH A SHORT
BREAK, FOR TEN YEARS. IN 1977 SHE
BECAME A REPORTER FOR THE
NEWSPAPER DELO, FOR WHICH SHE
WAS A CORRESPONDENT FROM BONN
AND ROME AND UNTIL RECENTLY FROM
VIENNA. FROM 1984 TO 1986 SHE WAS
THE PRESIDENT OF THE HONORARY
COURT OF ARBITRATION OF THE
SLOVENIAN ASSOCIATION OF
JOURNALISTS. SHE HAS BEEN
PUBLISHING ANALYSES OF CURRENT
ISSUES IN THE MEDIA FOR OVER THREE
DECADES, AND AFTER SLOVENIA
GAINED INDEPENDENCE SHE FOCUSED
ON ISSUES CONCERNING THE
FOUNDATIONS OF THE NEW COUNTRY IN
INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE
SITUATION OF SLOVENIAN NATIONAL
MINORITIES LIVING ACROSS THE
BORDERS.
What is your approach to decision-making in Parliament?
I expect that you are constantly caught in the dilemma of
whether to vote in accordance with the beliefs of your
political group, the interests of the country or your own
personal convictions?
There is no dilemma. All three elements complement each
other and cannot exist without the others. European
deputies do not represent our countries - the Council of
Ministers is made up of country representatives - we on the
other hand are obliged to work in order to contribute to the
idea of European unification.
Do you make decisions as a Slovene or a European?
I once said that on 1 May 2004 we became Europeans, but
we still remain Slovenes.
Do Slovenian deputies work together in individual fields
which are important to Slovenia, whether or not you are
in different political groups?
If we worked in the same fields we probably would, on the
assumption that the interests of the country would already
be clearly defined at home.
How do you cooperate with the National Assembly?
I attended sessions of the Committee on European Affairs
in the former composition of the National Assembly and
participated in the discussions. It looks as if cooperation
21
sinfo december 04
BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS
New Government, New Rules
Petra Sovdat, Business daily Finance
The last few weeks of 2004 passed mostly in anticipation of the first moves of
the new Government, elected on 3 December. The posts of ministers in charge
of the economy went to Andrej Bajuk (finance), Andrej Vizjak (economy), Marija
Lukačič (agriculture), Janez Božič (transport), Janez Drobnič (labour) and
Janez Podobnik (environment and spatial planning). The development of the
business environment, the gradual and transparent withdrawal of Government
from the economy, improved regulations and reduction of red tape, removing
regulatory obstacles to efficient competition, tax and payment discipline,
promoting foreign direct investments and improving the environment for the
operation and development of tourism were identified as priorities by the new
Government.
Dun&Bradstreet: New
Government - Increased Risk?
The biggest global rating company
Dun&Bradstreet also responded to the
election of the new Government. In its
December report, Slovenia kept its
leading position in the region.
Estimates and projections remained
unchanged, but a warning was given
that the new political situation could be
a potential source of risks. They
pointed out that both the Slovenian
Democratic Party (SDS) and the Liberal
Democracy of Slovenia (LDS), which
switched places in the Government,
must familiarise themselves with their
new role, in the Government and the
opposition, for SDS and LDS
respectively.
unstimulating, for both entrepreneurs
and natural persons, but especially that
they are rather vague and incomplete.
All eyes are thus on the new Minister of
Finance, Andrej Bajuk, who has said
that he is against tax extremism
included in the present tax legislation.
European Political and
Economic Elite in Portorož
The summit of the Central European
Initiative (chaired by Slovenia in 2004)
Taxes, Taxes
The announced amendments to the tax
legislation, due to come into effect on 1
January 2005, have been the focus of
public attention in Slovenia for some
time now. The most important are the
Personal Income Tax Act and the
Corporate Income Tax Act. The new
Personal Income Tax Act on average
reduced the tax burden of taxable
persons by 9.5%. In addition to raising
the taxation threshold, the lowest
personal income tax rate is reduced to
16%, while the highest rate remains
50%. However, tax experts warn that the
bulk of the new regulations is highly
sinfo december 04
CEI Economic Forum; Photo: Ale{ Beno
22
and the sixth International Business
Conference organised by the business
daily, Finance, took place in Portorož in
November. Over 1,500 businessmen,
seven Prime Ministers as well as
Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers of the
Interior and Ministers of the Economy
attended both events. The business
conference primarily discussed the
importance of corporate investments in
R&D.
Merkur and Krka on Top in the
First Nine Months
The fastest income growth in the first
nine months among companies listed
on the stock exchange was achieved by
the Kranj-based company dealing in
technical goods, Merkur (Ljubljana
Stock Exchange code MER), led by Bine
Kordež. Closely following Merkur in
income growth was the pharmaceutical
company Krka, from Novo mesto
(KRKG), which will be led by Miloš
Kovačič until 1 January 2005 when Jože
Colarič takes his place as the CEO. Krka
also recorded the fastest growth in
profits. Listed companies increased
their revenues in the first nine months by
7.7%, compared with the same period in
2003. The worst performers were foodprocessing companies, namely, the
mineral water packaging company,
Radenska (RARG), the trading company
Emona Obala from Koper (EOKG), the
Ljubljana-based grain mill company, Žito
(ZTOG) and both breweries Pivovarna
Laško (PILR) and Pivovarna Union
(PULG), whose revenues actually
decreased.
Net profits for listed companies
increased on average by 2.6% compared
to 2003. The increase would be
significantly higher, namely 14.3%, if we
disregarded the results of holding
companies Istrabenz (ITBG) and Sava
(SAVA). Krka (a 29.6% increase) was
followed by the tourist company Terme
Čatež (TCRG) (28.7%) and Merkur (25.3%).
Turnover on the Ljubljana Stock
Exchange €140.8 Million in
November
The combined markets of the Ljubljana
Stock Exchange made a turnover of SIT
33.1 billion (roughly €140.8 million) in
November, which is a 26.1% increase
compared to the previous month and
5.6% higher than the monthly average in
2004. The stock market index SBI 20
gained 0.39% and rose for 14 of the 21
trading days. The investment funds
index (PIX) rose by 4.12%, which made it
the most profitable index. The OTC index
(IPT) and the bonds index (BIO) gained
0.56% and 0.65%, respectively. The most
traded shares were those of Krka, with
which
stockbrokers
concluded
transactions amounting to 3 billion tolars
(€13 million). The biggest number of
transactions with shares of investment
funds involved shares in Triglav Steber
(TG1R), amounting to SIT 2.3 billion (€9.8
million). Total market capitalisation of all
securities listed on the stock exchange
as at 30 November equalled SIT 2,983
billion (€127 billion), i.e. 0.8% more than in
October.
New Management of Ljubljana
Stock Exchange from 1 January
Slovenian mutual funds. At the
beginning of December, mutual funds
managed SIT 200.6 billion (€853.3
million) in assets, which is SIT 8.8 billion
(€37.4 million) more than in November
and SIT 76.3 billion (€324.7 million) more
than at the beginning of the year. The
respective amount at the end of the year
is expected to be more than SIT 210
billion (€893.3 million). Every Slovenian
citizen has on average €415 invested in
mutual funds. The biggest Slovenian
mutual fund is the combined fund
Galileo, managed by the company KD
Group with SIT 61 billion (€259.5 million)
of assets under management.
Slovenian Tolar; Photo: Bobo
Takeover Battle for
Kemofarmacija
Ljubljana Stock Exchange; Photo: Ljubljana Stock
Exchange Archive
From 1 January, Ljubljana Stock
Exchange will be again led by a twomember
management
board.
Economist Marko Simoneti will become
the top man. Long-serving boss of the
stock exchange, Draško Veselinovič,
resigned in the summer after the
Securities Market Agency reproached
him for insufficient control over the
capital market and even threatened him
with revocation of his licence for
managing the stock exchange. Mr.
Veselinovič persistently denied all
allegations. Andrej Šketa, appointed in
February 2004, will remain the second
member of the management board.
More Investment in Mutual
Funds
When speaking of subjects related to
the stock exchange, we should also
mention the increasing investment in
23
The German company Celesio, the
biggest pharmaceutical-wholesaler in
Europe, and Factor Banka from
Ljubljana are engaged in a takeover
battle
for
the
Ljubljana-based
pharmaceutical-wholesaler
Kemofarmacija. Celesio has already
acquired more than 31% of the company
and Factor Banka owns 20%. The
outcome of the battle will not be known
before mid-January, as both bidders
have raised the offered purchase price
for shares several times. The company's
management supports Celesio's bid.
Salonit Anhovo is Acquiring the
Company Kema Puconci
The
Salonit
Anhovo
company
announced its intention to acquire Kema
Puconci (Ljubljana Stock Exchange
code
KEPG),
which
produces
construction material. The management
of Kema Puconci is not opposed to a
takeover by the company from Anhovo.
Salonit Anhovo is the biggest producer
of materials used in construction and for
other purposes and the biggest
exporter in the industry in Slovenia.
sinfo december 04
Droga and Kolinska Continue
their Merger Project
The Supervisory Boards of Droga
(DRPG) and Kolinska (KOLR) gave the
green light to their respective
management boards for continuation
of the merger project. The merger
should be prepared in 2004.
Shareholders will decide on the merger
in the first quarter of 2005 and shares
in the merged company should be
listed on the stock exchange before
the summer. The holding company
Istrabenz from Koper is acquiring
Kolinska, which should speed up the
merger. Droga and Kolinska were the
food-processing companies least
adversely affected by Slovenia's
accession to the European Union.
Troubles in Fructal, …
Poor preparation for the consequences
of Slovenia's entry into the EU spelled
trouble for the company Fructal from
Ajdovščina, in which Pivovarna Union
(PULG) is the majority shareholder.
Fructal made a net loss equalling SIT
637.15 million (€2.7 million) in the first
nine months of 2004, while in the same
period in 2003, it made a net profit of
SIT 212.96 million, i.e. roughly €1 million.
Revenues in the period were down by
16% compared with last year, equalling
SIT 12.05 billion (€51.3 million). The
largest decrease in sales was recorded
in markets of the former Yugoslavia.
… and Radenska
The subsidiary of Pivovarna Laško,
Radenska (RARG), also performed
badly. The company in the first nine
months failed to achieve the goals set
in its business plan. It earned SIT 6.3
billion (€26.8 million) of net sales
income, which was 27.4% less than in
the same period last year and threefifths of the net income anticipated for
2004. Net profits made up to the end of
September came to only SIT 153.9
million (€655,000), while the respective
figure in 2003 was SIT 1.25 billion (€5.3
million). The Supervisory Board
responded to poor performance with a
new plan - sales are expected to
increase by almost 13% in 2005.
Textile Industry in Dire Straits
The Slovenian textile industry has been
sinfo december 04
in crisis for more than a decade. In the
last month, three companies went into
bankruptcy or voluntary liquidation. The
company
Jutranjka,
which
manufactures children's clothing and
employs roughly 200 people, is
undergoing voluntary liquidation.
Bankruptcy proceedings were initiated
against the company Planika, which
produces shoes, and 785 people were
laid off. The company Tekstilna Tovarna
Prebold also went into bankruptcy and
the company, which in the best of times
employed two thousand people, laid
off 213 workers. Roughly 200 people
lost their jobs in the company Alpina
Žiri, which closed two production plants
in Slovenia due to competition and
reallocated production to countries
with cheaper labour forces, namely
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania.
However, the company may yet see
better times, as the management
claims that the financial restructuring is
going well.
More bad news is expected in the
European textile industry from January
2005, when quotas for textile imports
from WTO members to the EU will be
abolished.
According
to
some
estimates, abolishment of quotas and
inflow of cheaper goods, notably from
China, will mean the loss of between
eight and twelve percent of jobs in the
European textile industry.
Adria Airways Joins Star
Alliance
Expensive Plastics - 180 Jobs
Lost in Ormož
Ljubljana International Airport; Photo: Bobo
Due to the high prices of plastics and
high labour costs, the Austrian owner
PEZ International will wind up the
company Plastdispenser from Ormož.
Production will be reallocated to China
and Hungary and 180 people were laid
off.
General Manager of Slovenian
Railways Dismissed
The Supervisory Board of State-owned
Slovenian Railways dismissed the
General Manager of the company, Blaž
Miklavčič. The Supervisory Board said
that he has breached the Public
Procurement Act, which Mr. Miklavčič
denies. Management of the company
was temporarily taken over by the
Chairman of the Supervisory Board,
Boris Živec.
24
Adria Airways Slovenian national airline; Photo: Bobo
The Slovenian flag carrier, Adria
Airways, led by Branko Lučovnik, in mid
November officially became a regional
member of the global air carrier
association Star Alliance, which offers
numerous benefits to passengers.
Other members of Star Alliance are Air
Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asian
Airlines, Austrian Airlines, BMI, Croatia
Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa,
Scandinavian
Airlines,
Singapore
Airlines,
Spanair,
Thai
Airways
International, United, US Airways and
VARIG Brazilian Airlines.
EasyJet Flies Between
Ljubljana and Berlin
A new development in Slovenian skies
is the new route of the no-frills carrier
easyJet, connecting Ljubljana and
Berlin. EasyJet has also been flying
between Ljubljana and London since
the spring.
GDP Growth Reaching Four
Percent this Year
The Head of the Institute for
Macroeconomic
Analysis
and
Development, Janez Šušteršič, said
that GDP growth this year would be
higher than expected. The Institute
forecast in the spring that GDP growth
in 2004 would reach 3.6% and now it
has changed its forecast to four
percent. The inflation rate at the end of
the year is expected to equal 3.5% and
should be lower by half a percentage
point in 2005.
COVERSTORY
THE YEAR'S END IS A TIME WHEN THE
HOUSEHOLD GLOWS WITH WARMTH AND
THE WHOLE FAMILY GATHERS
TOGETHER TO RELIVE OLD TRADITIONS.
IT IS A TIME OF NEW BEGINNINGS, JOY
AND GOOD WISHES. IT IS A TIME OF
PEACE AND HARMONY FOR NATIONS
FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD WHICH
HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN SPECIAL
WAYS OF CELEBRATING. THERE ARE
MANY CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS, EVENTS
AND SUPERSTITIONS CONNECTED WITH
CHRISTMAS IN SLOVENIA, WHICH ARE
STILL MAINTAINED TO THIS DAY.
Polona Pre{eren
Photo: Lorenka Stropnik
WHEN THE
CHRISTMAS
LIGHTS ARE LIT
When the Christmas lights are lit, lighting up cities and
villages, when old customs are revived, albeit in a modern
form, it is clear that the time for the December celebrations
has arrived. In Slovenia, these customs are especially
diverse, which is due to its position at the crossroads,
connecting the Alpine, Mediterranean and Pannonian
worlds. The diversity of its cultural heritage has influenced
its wide-ranging and colourful cultural forms and customs,
which have shaped the country's everyday life as well as the
holidays. And it is the Christmas holiday in particular that
has a special place among these. Many customs connected
to Christmas are part of the common European cultural
heritage. But despite the sometimes heavy burden of
history, the ancient pagan heritage has remained a
presence in Slovenia.
25
sinfo december 04
COVERSTORY
MERRY DECEMBER
happy holidays, for which they were presented gifts. Legend
has it that the Koledniki brought joy and a good harvest into
the households visited. Historical records of the start of this
custom are traced as early as the 13th century, maybe even
further back in history. The customs slowly disappeared in
the 19th century, although efforts are presently being made
to revive it. And while Koledovanje might have been more of
a male custom, the women prepared for Christmas in a
different way. Before the Second World War, young girls
would carry a sculpture of the Virgin Mary for nine nights in
a row, always to a different household. This custom slowly
disappeared after the Second World War.
But Christmas does not come out of the blue: the
preparations for this holiday are intense. December is a
merry month, which is marked by various festivities in
anticipation of Christmas and the New Year, many of which
are linked to the Catholic Church. So, the preparations for
the holiday begin at least four weeks before Christmas,
which is the period of Advent. The latter is represented by
the Advent wreath, which was once only made by
townspeople, while today it is an ever-increasing presence.
The wreaths are made of spruce, fir, pine, larch or other
plants, which hold four traditionally blue or white, but a
nowadays also red candle, of which one is lit every Sunday.
The Advent wreaths are decorated with fir-cones, nuts,
leaves and other forest fruits, as well as decorative ribbons.
CHRISTMAS TREES AND DECORATIONS
The original Slovenian Christmas decorations differed a lot
from the ones we know today. They were a lot less colourful
and by tradition, living quarters were decorated with
evergreens, such as the ivy, box-tree, or stone-pine. The
Christmas tree is therefore associated with a cult of
greenery. Christmas is also associated with shallow pots of
young green wheat, known as the Adonis pots.
The first gift-giving and joy in December takes place in the
beginning of the month with St. Nicholas, who comes
escorted by trotters, who, according to tradition, scare and
take away naughty children. The trotters are the
embodiment of evil, while St. Nicholas is the embodiment of
good. St. Nicholas is liked wherever he appears due to the
gifts that he bears. These are usually not expensive, but
small, yet pleasant trifles. In the past, St. Nicholas would
bring apples, pears, walnuts, hazelnuts, dried fruit, a packet
of sweets or gingerbread, while today he brings various
sweets. The shop windows were festively decorated and on
Sunday closest to St. Nicholas famous dances took place. In
some parts of Slovenia, where St. Nicholas is unknown, the
trotters rule for themselves. Today, St Nicholas day festivities
are very widespread and popular, while the first records of
St. Nicholas festivities in Slovenia date back to 1839. Just
how popular St. Nicholas is, show numerous fairs that took
place at this time of year. Today there is a revival of these
fairs.
In the past, almost all regions in Slovenia had the custom of
hanging an undecorated fir or spruce upside-down from the
ceiling in the main living quarters, on the fence in front of
the house or in its vicinity. It was very rare to place it
standing upright. The decorations, if there were any, were
modest - apples, nuts or biscuits. The Christmas tree that
we know today is a relatively new occurrence in Slovenia, as
it started to appear only after the First World War. Of course,
decorations were being made in the towns as well as in the
countryside even before then, using coloured paper, which
was used to create various decorations - decorative chains,
wreaths, paper flowers made from silk and crepe paper.
Apples, hazelnuts and walnuts complemented the
One custom that used to be very popular in the run-up to
Christmas, but is almost forgotten today, is Koledovanje. The
Koledniki used to be groups of men, going from household
to household, singing carols to families, wishing luck and
sinfo december 04
26
COVERSTORY
and it is the corner creche that is most characteristic of
Slovenian tradition. In the ensuing periods, the creche was
also popular on the chest of drawers in place of the statue
of the Virgin Mary. The most common was the paper creche,
bought or homemade, placed on a napkin. In Slovenia, quite
a number of extraordinary paper creches have been
preserved from the 19th century, representing expressive
examples of the people's culture. Sculptures - mostly
wooden or ceramic - began to establish themselves in rural
creches in the last 70 years.
For the present we can say, that there is a genuine revival of
the creche-making craft, as there are many craftsmen, there
is a society, a magazine, a museum, there are exhibitions (at
Christmas and also permanent ones), they are present in
every church and in many households, but not in every
household, such as perhaps half a century ago, adds Janko
Svetina. The Slovenian creche is also on display in the
church of St. Joseph in Ljubljana, where the exhibition "The
Birth of the Family - an exhibition of European creches" is on
display, presenting creches from 25 countries, members of
the EU, there are also some Croatian examples on display
as a symbolic welcoming gesture to our neighbour into the
EU. The display was designed in 2003, during the
preparations for the accession of ten new members, and will
travel around all the capital cities of the Member States,
thus spreading the message of peace and coexisting in
diversity.
decorations. Straw braids, which were interwoven with
various field products, such as beans and corn, were placed
in the corner of the main living quarter in the house - the so
called bogkovkot (the Lord's corner) or above the
decorated Christmas table. Christmas decorations were
very witty and rich, mostly called Betlehem, Jerusalem or
Paradiž.
Lately, there has been an increasing popularity for live
creches, which are set up in natural surroundings with real
actors, sheep and livestock. The most famous among them
are traditionally on display in the Postojna Cave.
In the period following the Second World War, it was the
political situation that marked the Christmas and New Year's
period, as the old socialist regime also dictated the
Christmas traditions. The Christmas tree was replaced by
the New Year's fir tree, which was moved from domestic
circles into public places, Santa Claus was replaced by
Father Frost, who shared out his gifts on New Year's Eve.
Near the end of the eighties, however, there was a revival of
the Christmas tree and of the distribution of Christmas
presents in the country.
THE CRECHE
The Advent period is also associated with the placing of
creches around houses, churches and sometimes even in
public places. The first documented creche in Slovenia was
created by the Jesuits in Ljubljana in 1644, although it was
not preserved to this day. The Jesuit creche was obviously
not the first artistic representation of a Christmas event in
our region. The oldest scene of the birth of the Lord in
Slovenia is recorded on a document dating back to 1242, in
fact bearing the seal of the Benedictine monastery at Gornji
Grad in Savinjska dolina.
According to Janko Svetina, an expert on creche tradition
and creche enthusiast, the creche was traditionally placed
in the nicest or best-lit space, regarded as the Lord's corner
27
sinfo december 04
COVERSTORY
CHRISTMAS EVE AND PRESENTS
Dr ALEŠ DEBELJAK, university lecturer, publicist, poet
The visit to Midnight Mass after dinner has remained a tradition,
however. The family used to gather around a pleasant, warm
wood-fired oven, which once stood in the corner of the living
quarters in the rural household. It marked the lives of our parents
and grandparents, not just at Christmas, but every day. The
wood-fired oven was much more than just a means of heating
the living quarters; it was the centrepiece of family life.
There is another custom traditional for Christmas Eve predicting the future, from the shape of the burning flame, to the
shapes formed by the melted wax in cold water. The fathers used
to ask what the harvest would be like the following year, and
whether the livestock would remain healthy. The young,
unmarried girls were interested mainly in whether they would
become brides or not. In Today, Christmas time is meant, above
all, for giving gifts, and it has become quite a commercial holiday
in this country too. In Christmas time the Slovenes practiced an
incredibly wide variety of customs, beliefs and superstitions.
AFTER CHRISTMAS
This is the way that Slovenes entered the New Year ready for new
challenges. Giving gifts, along with other habits, obviously goes
down the best with children, who get gifts from three generous
men: St. Nicholas, Santa Claus and Father Frost, although the
latter has been giving way more and more lately to the man from
the North.
sinfo december 04
28
In our family, which comprises five members, we celebrate
Christmas along with my birthday, which happens to be on
the same day: we set up the creche with nice clay figures,
bought at the craft stalls of the Ljubljana market, while we
also decorate the Christmas tree. We don't go to Midnight
Mass because of our small children, although this was a
custom, fostered by my parents. My wife Erica, who is
partly of Protestant faith, was not used to the celebrations
from America, where she comes from, but due to the
mystery and magic of the holiday, along with the inspiring
story of the birth of Jesus, she has adopted Christmas as
well. Traditionally, relatives from Germany, where all of
them live with their respective families, make the trip down
here as well, so the house is full of chattering, and Silent
Night is sung in Slovene and English, the native languages
of our household. The dilemma arises only due to the fact
that in America they traditionally open presents on
Christmas Day, while we do this on Christmas Eve. So, we
alternate Slovenian and American traditions every year, so
as to satisfy both sides of the family.
BORIS CAVAZZA, actor and Unicef Ambassador
Of course we celebrate Christmas, and we have done
since the time when celebrating Christmas was one of the
fundamental political heresies of the past confused
system. For me personally, Christmas is a much more
important family holiday than New Year's Day. For
Christmas Eve, or at least on Christmas Day, we gather at
my home, where we give each other modest, I would say
just symbolic gifts, and have a really nice time. I have to
admit, however, that I haven't been to Midnight Mass for a
few years now, due to the simple reason that I can't stand
that unbearable crowding in the church. Usually, I end up
watching midnight mass on TV. We put up a modest
plastic Christmas tree, because I am an advocate of
protecting our beautiful forests. The creche takes up very
little space, as it is actually a replica of a small plastic
sculpture by a well-known Slovenian sculptress, whose
name I'm afraid I've forgotten. Personally, I think that Santa
Claus is again leading the popular vote, and slowly, but
surely, edging out his colleague Father Frost.
Photo: Joè Suhadolnik, Jana Archives
The festivities usually went on even after Christmas. Important
holiday was Štefanovo, on the 26th December, when horses and
cattle were blessed with hopes for good health. The holiday is
revived due to horse breeding. At Janezovo, on the 27th of
December, the best wine that had been produced, called
Šentjanževec, was blessed and saved for special occasions. The
following day, called the Holly Innocents, is the only day of the
year when children are allowed to strike gently their parents.
This custom is still preserved today. It is connected with the old
pagan tradition, according to which the grown-ups can be
protected from the dark ghosts of their ancestors by vital forces
and health of their children who strike them with a small stick.
Photo: Joco @nidar{i~
It used to be a custom to light incense in the household and
sprinkle the home with holy water on the Christmas Eve. This was
followed by Christmas dinner, which today offers a wide variety
of delights. The festive menu included the most typical dishes
from pork, sausages and other national specialities, with the
indispensable and exclusively Slovenian potica (a sweet spongecake loaf with walnuts filling) with various fillings for dessert,
ritual breads and cakes.
COVERSTORYVIEWPOINT
MOJCA ZLOBKO VAJGL, harpist
Damjan J. Ovsec
Photo: katarina Krmelj, Jana Archives
Christmas and Slovenes
In Slovenia, December has for a long time been associated with
expecting Christmas and the holiday itself.
It is the most popular religious and family holiday in Slovenia. No
wonder that Slovene names for the month of December are related to
it: the Christmas Month, veliki božičnjek (the 'Great Christmas Month'),
kolednjak (Carol-Singing Month) - named after carol-singers.
Slovenes are traditionally full of the magical Christmas spirit and the
story this holiday tells, though in a unique and different way from our
neighbours. A small nation, constantly challenged by its history and
the crossroads on which it lives, in its collective soul deeply felt the
joyful hope that, in spite of severe trials and a cruel world, life is still
worth living. Christmas helped us to defy foreign masters, ideological
tortures and even the communists failed to abolish Christmas.
Christmas was for Slovenes in a very special way a holiday of hope
and consolation. It had such a strong archetype that even atheists
attended Midnight Mass. Since Slovenes love to live in a world of their
own, the special warmth of Christmas is preserved by the connection
of a rich tradition with the intimate, which is a healer in today's world.
Even the Slovene word for Christmas - božič- is something special. It
literally means "small god". The old pagan sun god Svarog (the name
means "shiny", radiant) "died" at the winter solstice so that he would
give life to his son, Svarožič, the young sun. Božič is the young sun,
which will again begin to grow and shine from the deep darkness as
a new light, revived hope. Christianity accepted the concept of a
good God and his Son, which is now the baby Jesus, a child. Baby
Jesus also used to bring presents for Christmas. The Christmas
celebration is a sort of marriage between Christianity and paganism.
The Church was unable to abolish old beliefs embedded in the magic
power of Christmas celebrations. Christmas is 25 December, the
former "Dies natalis Solis invicti", the day of the ancient unconquered
sun god. It is the mythical height of the winter solstice, the most
magical time of the year, when night is the longest, darkness the
thickest, mystery the greatest. It is a magical day for Slovenes and its
celebrations establish the transcendental, although unconsciously for
many.
It is a time of such sacredness, that we have had three "Christmases"
since ancient times: Christmas Day is the first one, New Year's Day the
second and the day of the Three Wise Men (Epiphany) the third. All
three Christmases are related to a vast number of customs, habits,
beliefs and superstitions and typical dishes. A distinctively Slovene
dish is the famous potica - once a ritual dish, eaten only at Christmas.
Slovenes also have three gift-bearers - three good men - St. Nicholas,
Santa Claus and Grandpa Frost (dedek Mraz) and so children have
one more to look forward to than their peers elsewhere in Europe.
In Slovenia, the so-called Joyful December starts on 3 December, the
birth date of Slovenia's greatest poet, France Prešeren.
I am looking forward to the Christmas and New Year's
holidays, relaxed and happy people around me, and the
positive atmosphere which brings us closer to people who
are closest to us, our family. This year, I intend to share my
joyfulness with the children at my son Jan's kindergarten,
whom I will play the harp for in the form of a dozen songs
adapted to suit the children. It seems to me that this is the
nicest thing I can give them. To me, the arrival of the
Christmas and New Year periods is generally linked to
festive sounds and memories, when I was either performing
or listening to music and laughter in large music halls or
intimate parts of some old church. I hope to stay grounded
and surrounded by people I love during this coming
massive consumer surge that is about to hit us. Of course
we will decorate the tree.
JERNEJ KUNTNER,
Photo: Personal Archives
actor
We also celebrate Christmas. As early as the start of
December, we start putting up and decorating the tree. We
put it in a corner of the room, where it becomes a large
repository for presents. The decorated tree is also a
meeting point for the family, where we sit down together in
the evenings, watching the flickering lights and talking. The
Advent wreath is a must. Sometimes we make it ourselves,
although most of the time we buy it. The children are
especially fond of Christmas, which we celebrate at our
weekend lodge. If time allows it, I try especially hard to grant
their wishes. The lodge is of course even more magical, and
reminds us of past times. Paraffin-fired lamps and candles
make Christmas an exceptional family holiday. Gifts are
shared out on Christmas Eve. Obviously, this is a moment of
joy for the children - and for me and my wife along with
them.
29
sinfo december 04
Polona Pre{eren
Photo: Elan Archives
SKIS FOR
WINNERS
SIX DECADES AGO RUDI FINŽGAR
PROBABLY DID NOT IMAGINE THAT THE SKIS
HE MADE IN THE BASEMENT WORKSHOP OF
HIS HOUSE IN BEGUNJE IN THE
GORENJSKA REGION WOULD SOME DAY BE
PART OF THE HISTORY OF ONE OF THE
LEADING MANUFACTURERS OF SKIING
EQUIPMENT IN THE WORLD. HIS SKIS,
IMPROVED BY AVANT-GARDE INNOVATIONS
BY HIS SUCCESSORS IN THE ELAN
FACTORY CAUSED A REVOLUTION IN THE
SKIING COMMUNITY.
The story about skis in Slovenia goes further back in history,
since already in 1689 Janez Vajkard Valvasor in his The
Glory of the Duchy of Carniola wrote about the skis used by
the inhabitants of the Bloke Plateau. Famous skis from this
region, which helped Slovenes to become the first skiers in
the Alps and Central Europe, are probably of autochthonous
Slovenian origin. They were used as a means of transport
and were made at home, mostly from beech wood, but
sometimes also birch, maple and ash wood and
occasionally cherry, elm and pear wood. They were
attached to shoes by straps and the skier changed
direction with the help of a stick.
The next chapter in this story begins with September 1945,
when Rudi Finžgar and his friends established a private cooperative called Elan, which in the first few months
produced 800 pairs of skis. A few years later Elan
conquered Europe, penetrated the US markets and the ski
slopes of North America. On its 30th anniversary, Elan was
already one of the leading manufacturers and innovators in
the ski industry, represented by a ski star, Ingemar
Stenmark. The legendary Swede competed on Elan skis for
nearly twenty years - throughout his career as a skier - and
won no less than 86 gold medals in the World Cup. The only
skier that came near his achievement was Alberto Tomba
with fifty victories. The legends of Slovenian skiing - Bojan
Križaj, Rok Petrovič, Boris Strel, who inspired thousands of
Slovenes to ski - also won numerous gold medals on Elan
skis. Bojan Križaj still works with Elan, managing the racing
department.
Davo Karni~ar
Today, skis are much shorter thanks to Elan's innovators,
who seem to be always a step ahead of the others. At the
end of the 1980s they created carving skis, which at first
seemed like a joke. The world ridiculed the new, much
shorter sidecut ski. At that time, nobody dared think that this
will be the largest revolution in the history of skiing and the
ski industry and that within a few years completely straight
and long skis would go out of use. Who would have thought
that shorter skis with rounded shapes would redefine skiing.
The latest ski, an exclusive innovation developed by Elan, is
the Fusion Technology ski. This is a special ski with fully
integrated bindings, as the base of the bindings is already
built into the ski. Thus the skier can devote all his energy to
REVOLUTIONARY SHAPES
In his time Ingemar Stenmark skied on 205 cm-long skis. If
you ask him today whether he still knows how to change
direction on them, he would answer that it would not be
easy. He says that three or four years ago he again tried
long skis, but found it quite difficult. Today, he skies on 170
cm long skis.
sinfo december 04
30
Bojan Kriàj and Ingemar Stenmark in the days of glory
In the past, the Elan company also encountered
difficulties. The first major shock was its bankruptcy in
1990, followed by its sale to the new owner, Croatian
Privredna banka Zagreb in 1992. In 2000 Elan was
rescued from going under, as it was purchased by
Slovenska Razvojna Družba. A new management was
appointed and the company is again one of the leading
ski and snowboard manufacturers in the world today.
Elan does not manufacture only Alpine skis and
equipment, but also Nordic jumping skis, snowboards,
sailboats and motorboats, gliders and bicycles, which
have won numerous quality awards. In addition, its range
also includes equipment for sports facilities, sports
clothes and vessel rental.
making a perfect curve. The integrated binding also
functions as an anti-slip system and allows natural skidding
and bending of the skis even during the curve. The wellinformed say that the ski practically curves by itself.
According to Elan, they wish to offer their customers top
quality, state-of-the-art products and pay much attention to
design details. It is therefore not surprising that Elan will in
the 2005/06 season launch the most extensive selection of
women's skis, while some models will already be available
in January 2005.
WINNING TEAM
Many famous people have skied on Elan skis, among them
also the Pope John Paul II, Russian President Putin, the
former Shah of Iran and even the Russians in one of the
James Bond movies. Currently competing in the world cup
with Elan skis are three Americans (Chip Knight, Wade
Bishop, Dane Spencer), the Finn Sami Uotila and some
Slovenian competitors (Andrej Šporn, Mitja Dragšič, Bernard
Vajdič). Elan is strengthening its competitiveness by
supplying skis to young and promising skiers yet to prove
themselves as winners.
A member of the Elan family is also the Alpine climber and
extreme skier Davo Karničar, whose goal within the
framework of the Seven Summits Project is to ski on the
seven highest peaks on all continents. He has skied on six,
leaving only the peak of Antarctica unconquered,
preventing him from becoming the first skier and Alpine
climber to have succeeded in anything of the like. The
project was initiated in 2000, when he skied down the
highest mountain in the world - Mount Everest. For this
purpose Elan manufactured the Everest skis. In fact, such a
task requires suitable materials adapted to the climate. The
skis have to be light and have to function equally well at 0
degrees Celsius and minus 40. For skiing on Mount Winson,
the highest peak in Antarctica, Elan manufactured a special
ski - the M999. His previous achievements featured the
Seven Summits ski-run. Davo says that a little time ago at a
skiers' and Alpine climbers' festival he was questioned
about the possibility of skiing K2, the second highest
mountain in the world, which is rather daunting. "I told them
that many good and capable men had tried skiing K2, but
nobody had the right skis," says Davo. His next project is
skiing K2.
Currently, Elan holds a 9% market share, producing
550,000 skis per year. Globally, it ranks among the top
six ski manufacturers. The skis are manufactured entirely
in Begunje, while the snowboard factory is located in
Austria, annually producing 200,000 snowboards, of
which only one tenth under the Elan trademark. The
majority of skis are exported to Germany, the USA,
Canada, Japan and the EU countries. Elan's products
are marketed in 46 countries all over the world. The
company is already developing skis for the 2006/07
season. Its mission is to provide top products, perfected
in terms of technology and design, tailored to all those
who enjoy individual sports and spend their leisure time
actively. Elan's vision is to pursue the avant-garde
development and in the future offer even more
specialised products, limited designer series, which will
probably also be reflected in the price. Nevertheless, all
Elan skis will be made in Slovenia, in the future too.
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given "inner values, inner strains, some experiments from
experience, what is not at all simple. To reach the
psychology of these characters, which is rather labyrinthine,
demanded a lot of physical and mostly mental effort." The
roles demand of the actor some kind of balance,
questioning themselves and the world at large.
STUDY OF THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV "A VERY SPECIAL JOURNEY "
THIS HAPPY DAY
OF CULTURE
December 3rd, the anniversary of the birth of Slovenian
poet France Prešeren (1800-1849), was once again
celebrated as This Happy Day of Culture. The doors to
Slovenian cultural institutions, libraries, theatres, galleries,
cinemas and museums, which were first opened to visitors
five years ago, were again thrown open on 3 December. This
Happy Day of Culture has become a special day, a holiday
and a celebration of Slovenian culture, which even more
than the traditional conferring of Prešeren Awards for
cultural achievement on 8 February, the anniversary of his
death, is defined by accessibility and openness - a bit less
formally, and therefore more joyously, according to the
Ministry of Culture, the sponsor of the occasion, which this
year included 250 events.
The occasion is proof that Slovenian culture is appreciated,
and its audience demanding but gratified. 'It proves that
Slovenes can no more live without culture than without love.
Nata{a Barbara Gra~ner and Polona Juh in a performance of The Brothers
Karamazov. Photo: Peter Uhan
Is there God or isn't there?", Karamazov asks his sons, Ivan
and Alexei, and so Korun's "stage reconstruction of the
novel" The Brothers Karamazov begins. If we mention some
of the last performances - "Now they are setting their table...
there will be a funeral wake... there'll be salmon as well..." we can sense the extreme extensions and complexity of the
story that Korun, in the manner of an old theatre master,
unfolds the branched narrative flow of the realistic novel of
the nineteenth century and translates it into a modern
drama structure.
The novel The Brothers Karamazov (1879-1880) (the first
night was on November 9 in SNG Drama, Ljubljana) is the
last work of Fyodor Mikhailovic Dostoevsky . Although in the
majority of his works he went beyond the bounds of realism
dealing with key philosophical and moral questions, The
Brothers Karamazov is the extreme point in this search. In
the novel, the writer discusses the key moral and
philosophical issues he tried to solve throughout his life, for
example, the question of God, of good and evil, the question
of human guilt and his freedom and many others. But
Dostoevsky as an exceptional narrator and philosopher of
existence interwove all these questions into a tense 'crime'
story about three brothers, the Karamazovs - Mitja, Ivan and
Alexei, and about the murder of their father, which is
accompanied by numerous other persons from the old man
Zosima and the lackey Smerdjakov to two fatal women...
"Many times we had to leave the bending road to continue
on the straight one, which is not that simple in theatre," said
the author of this construction and director Mile Korun after
a four-month study of the stage adaptation of The Brothers
Karamazov by Dostoevsky in Ljubljana's Drama theatre.
Each role, even the smallest, had to be built out of some
sinfo december 04
2004 PREŠEREN AWARDS GO TO PAINTER
BORČIČ & FLAUTIST GRAFENAUER
Bogdan Bor~i~. Photo: Igor Modic
The 2004 Prešeren Awards - the highest national awards
for artistic achievement - will go to the painter Bogdan
Borčič and the flautist Irena Grafenauer.
The nominees for the Prešeren Fund Awards, which are to
be bestowed in 2005, are architects Matija Bevk and Vasa
Perovič (joint nomination), sculptor Mirko Bratuša, dancer
and choreographer Edward Clug and poet Aleš Car.
Also nominated are painter Andrej Brumen Čop, mezzosoprano Mirjam Kalin, video artist Ema Kugler, composer
Milko Lazar, actor Nataša Matjašec, poet Iztok Osojnik,
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"SOMERSAULT" WINS 15TH LIFFE FILM
FESTIVAL
Irena Grafenauer. Photo: Tomi Lombar
composer Peter Šavli, and poet Milan Vincetič.
Up to six Prešeren Fund Awards are expected to be
presented at the award ceremony, which will be held in
Ljubljana's cultural centre Cankarjev dom on 7 February
2005, the eve of Slovenia's Culture Day.
The Prešeren Fund says that Grafenauer is an "artist of great
culture... distinguished by her infallible virtuosity, artistic
sensitivity, technical reliability and personal creative
passion. She is a regular guest of the most eminent festivals
on all continents, the records including her performances
are produced by major labels, and her music enriches radio
and TV stations all over the world".
The explanation for Borčič's award says that his "graphic
oeuvre is the core of a vital artistic body, which, however,
would not be what it is without the painting part ... The
formula: 'art = intuition' is irrelevant to Borčič, more important
for him is the mathematical sequence: 'using structural
features of the visual, all the way to the rationality of the real'.
We can follow the abstraction, the process of reshaping
objects in terms of reconstructing their essence as the
notion of an object. Objects such as chairs, doors or the
space of an atelier as spiritual space are markers of the
spirit, but at the same time of the real space."
Anthony Anderson, the winner of the Kingfisher Award.
Photo: LIFFE Archives
A coming-of-age drama, "Somersault", the debut feature by
Australian Cate Shortland, has won the Kingfisher Award, the
top prize of the 15th Ljubljana two-week International Film
Festival (LIFFe).
The jury selected a story about a teenage girl learning some
tough lessons about love and life from among 17 films
featured in the festival's competition section, Perspectives.
The critics' award, bestowed by the International Federation
of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), went to "Czech Dream", a film
reality show on consumerism, directed by Czech students
Vit Klusa and Filip Remunda.
A story about a music teacher bringing life to a strictly-run
boys' boarding school, "Choristes" by French Christophe
Barratiere, was meanwhile voted the audience's favourite,
picking up the festival's Golden Reel.
Becoming increasingly popular with the audience, the
festival has broken a new record this year by attracting over
49,000 filmgoers.
SLOVENIAN ARCHITECTURE ON DISPLAY IN
BERLIN
PREPARATIONS LAUNCHED FOR 26TH
BIENNIAL OF GRAPHIC ART
The German capital hosted an exhibition entitled "The
Slovenia Building Site" on Slovenia's contemporary
architecture.
The idea for the show was given by the Academy of Art after
it put on a number of similar shows on architecture in
Eastern Europe.
The Berlin show, organised by the Slovenian gallery DESSA,
features Slovenian architecture since independence (1991),
focusing on the last five years. 23 buildings were selected
by Vladimir Slapeta, Miha Dešman and Andrej Hrausky.
Part of the show was an historical overview of contemporary
Slovenian architecture with the main emphasis placed on
one of the most distinguished Slovenian architects, Jože
Plečnik (1872-1957).
The 26th International Biennial of Graphic Art, one of the
biggest cultural events in the country, will be held from 23
June to 2 October next year. It will be running under the title
"Thrust".
The exhibition is organised by the Ljubljana-based
International Centre for Graphic Art (MGLC), with Jure Mikuž,
one of Slovenia's most distinguished art historians and
gallery managers, being appointed to select the
programme for the 2005 show.
Invitations for participation have been sent to a total of 18
major international museums, local museums and graphic
art galleries from all over the world.
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entries ranging from national concert halls to independent
artist groups, from puppetry festivals to intermedia research
centres. Alongside the directory listings is an overview of
Slovenian society and history, a short review of cultural
policy and infrastructure, followed by in-depth studies of the
arts and cultural sectors themselves, their development,
current practice and significant features. The Profile is
intended to give the general enquirer, the professional arts
manager or the academic a comprehensive picture of the
Slovenian cultural sector. Finally, the international exchange
section provides information on developing international
collaborations with Slovenian artists, in Slovenia and
worldwide.
"The Cultural Profile brings together in one place, for the
first time, all the relevant information about the people and
organisations working in the cultural sector in Slovenia,
stressed Robert Monro, Director of the British Council
Slovenia and added that it will not only be a mine of
information for the people of this country, but it will enable
people from other countries to discover how much Slovenia
has to offer. My hope is that this will lead to ever more
productive international partnerships, especially between
Slovenia and the UK."
The Slovenia Cultural Profile was created by the British
organisation Visiting Arts, funded by the Ministry of Culture
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with support from British
Council Slovenia. It forms part of a series of 9 profiles to be
launched online during the next six months, including
Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Norway. A printed book version of
the Cultural Profile will be available early in 2005.
For more information about Visiting Arts and the Cultural
Profiles Project please see: http://www.visitingarts.org.uk or
email the Cultural Profiles Project Manager on:
anna.schmitz@visitingarts.org.uk.
SLOVENIAN ART PROMOTED IN SEATTLE
The Week of Slovenian Avant-garde Art was launched in
Seattle, US, with the opening of the exhibition called "State
of Time" by the Irwin art collective and a film "Sweet Dreams"
by director Sašo Podgoršek.
The festival showcased 18 feature films, documentaries and
short films.
Special attention was paid to the American editions of
novels by contemporary writer Miha Mazzini and the English
translation of Vladimir Bartol's "Alamut".
"Alamut" is a novel based on historical events in 11th-century
Persia and illustrates some aspects of Islamic blind faith. It
was published in 1938.
The organisers have invited the filmmakers Miha Mazzini,
Sašo Podgoršek, Maja Weiss and Peter Braatz.
According to the Slovenian Film Fund, the other films that
were screened during the festival were "Spare Parts",
"Guardian of the Frontier", "Dark Angels", "Tanz mit Laibach",
"Predictions of Fire", "The Road of Fraternity And Unity",
"House of Freedom", "Vertigo Bird", "Orphan with the Magic
Voice", "Glazier Blues", "Adrian", "Torsion", "The Poem to My
Homeland", "Hop, Skip & Jump" and "You're Free. Decide.".
This will be the fifth time for Damjan Kozole's "Spare Parts"
to travel to the US. The film is a tragic story about an
embittered widower who spends his nights transporting
illegal refugees in his van from Croatia across Slovenia into
Italy.
SHOW OF EUROPEAN NATIVITY SCENES TO
PROMOTE FAMILY VALUES
An exhibition of European Christmas Nativity scenes
opened in the church of St. Joseph in Ljubljana. It features
180 exhibits of Nativity art from the 25 EU Member States
and Croatia. Slovenia has contributed 15 different Nativity
scenes that illustrate local creche-making.
The author of the exhibition, director of the Verona Arena
and the Bethlehem-based International creche museum,
Alfredo Troisi said that the title of the exhibition, "The Birth
of the Family", encompasses the symbols of the new
European family and of the coming Christmas.
According to Troisi, the exhibition was prepared last year at
the initiative of the EU due to its enlargement, and will tour
European capitals to promote cohabitation, peace and
tolerance.
SLOVENIA CULTURAL PROFILE LAUNCH
On the 2nd of December 2004 the Ministry of Culture
hosted the launch of the Visiting Arts Slovenia Cultural
Profile. The Cultural Profile is a searchable website
database designed to encourage international cultural
exchange and collaboration between the Slovene cultural
sector,
the
United
Kingdom
and
the
world.
(www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/slovenia)
This is the most comprehensive online directory of
Slovenia's cultural sector ever produced - there are detailed
sinfo december 04
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34
THISISSLOVENIA
Written and photographed by: Ur{ka Kri{elj Grubar
SKRINA ETHNO-GALLERY TRADITION WITH FEELING
HOW CAN WE PRESERVE SLOVENIAN CULTURAL
HERITAGE FROM OBLIVION? HOW CAN WE MAKE
PRODUCTS FROM SLOVENIAN COTTAGE INDUSTRIES
AND MODERN CRAFTS INTERESTING AND USEFUL FOR
THE MODERN CONSUMER? TO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO
PAY ATTENTION WHEN SHOPPING FOR A PRESENT FOR
A JAPANESE, AN ENGLISHMAN, AN ITALIAN, A CROAT
OR AN AUSTRIAN? BLAŽ TELBAN, THE CO-OWNER OF
SKRINA ETHNO-GALLERY, A GRADUATE ETHNOLOGIST
WITH A DOCTORATE IN ANTHROPOLOGY ACQUIRED AT
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, KNOWS
THAT IT IS NOT ALL THE SAME IF PAINTED BEEHIVE
FRONTS END UP IN THE HANDS OF AN ARGENTINEAN
OR A RUSSIAN.
Who is Blaž Telban?
"An individualist who wrestles with ideas and lives with
muses" somebody wrote somewhere. Aged twenty-one,
after two years of law school, he set out for the first time on
a journey to Latin America, where he planned to live his life
to the fullest instead of having a boring law career. He
travelled practically all over the world where he got to know
and became accustomed to exotic cultures. In Mexico City
he decided to become an anthropologist. He later enrolled
in ethnology studies, which he completed successfully.
He never considered entering the business world. After
completing postgraduate studies at Columbia University he
lectured on interethnic studies at Belgrade University until
the department of anthropology was closed down by none
other than Slobodan Milošević himself. He lost his job, as
conditions at the time in Slovenia were not favourable to his
anthropological profile. After fifteen years in scientific limbo
he no longer seeks for a place in Academe, so he devotes
his work all the more to the promotion of Slovenian cultural
values.
Canadian company on the selection of cottage industry
products, the Small Business Promotion Centre, "…but not
always, I am just a piece of the puzzle." He says it is vital to
know the person you are buying the gift for, their origin, the
environment they come from, whether it is a business or a
personal gift. "To people who are not familiar with bees the
painted beehive fronts or honey do not represent very
much. They do not know how to evaluate it properly
because it is foreign to them, so we do not present them
with it."
He runs the gallery together with Ms Milena Ivanovič, a
graduate journalist. "The gallery is not just a reflection of me
as an ethnologist or as a man, but also of my cooperation
with Ms Milena Ivanovič. Our opinions are frequently quite
opposite, but we have been succeeding for the last fifteen
years…."
The Passing of Cultural Values
In the Skrina Ethno-Gallery Blaž Telban does not just sell
products which speak of the past in one way or another and
which yet have modern look. He is also engaged in the
promotion of Slovenian cultural values at home and abroad.
"A cultural value is not only a painting or an ethnologic
object; it can also be a contemporarily-designed object
such as the Rex chair." Experience gained worldwide
through the years helps him with seemingly simple
questions such as how to present somebody with a gift who
comes from abroad. He cooperates with Public Relations
and Media Offices, the Foreign Ministry, the Government, a
Give-and-Get System
Telban is not living in an illusion. His anthropological
knowledge as well as his worldwide field experience attest
to the fact that people give what they wish to receive. There
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THISISSLOVENIA
are of course those among us who will not admit to it,
because we all like to picture ourselves in the most
favourable light and we will spend loads of money on gifts
for our loved ones during the Christmas fever. Are we really
going to expect nothing in return? And when our chosen
politicians as well as successful businessmen decide about
how to present their colleagues abroad with gifts, Blaž
Telban eagerly helps. He says the Japanese are very much
like the Scandinavians, in love with simple lines and natural
materials. They support innovativeness and admire modern
design.
For presenting gifts to the British, he suggests modern
products by Slovenian sculptors and potters. "This does not
mean the pots, but the more appropriate decorative art."
While in the case of an African from some poor African
country it makes no sense to present him with a gift which
he will not be able to use. One must make an effort and look
for something more useful. "In the past it made no sense to
carry painted beehive fronts to Russia. They were much
more pleased with Unior tools."
Painted wooden objects are typical for Alpine regions and
they please the Austrians, Germans as well as Croats.
Austrians are enthusiastic about Šešir hats and Gorjuše
pipes, although those have more value for collectors than
for users. Italians love colours. Anything vividly coloured is
suitable for them. They are especially delighted by Idrija
lace.
What do Foreigners Prefer to Choose?
Foreign customers coming to Slovenia do not usually look
for something new and unknown, but are more comfortable
with something native, something that can satisfy their
familiar habits and already-developed taste. In the Skrina
Ethno-Gallery they take that into consideration when
choosing business gifts for foreign business partners. "Let
us choose something familiar for them, otherwise - as
shown by many years of experience - they will not receive
gifts with much pleasure. Those already partial to ceramics,
such as the English, search for ceramic products - various
sculptures - while in the gallery. When the Chinese come,
they like to buy textiles, coloured red mostly, because it is
very popular in China."
Telban himself does not want to appraise Slovenes since he
is convinced that certain general personal characteristics
cannot be attributed to a whole nation, yet he likes to tell
what foreigners think of Slovenes. The reasons for Slovenian
reticence, suppression and lack of self-confidence he
seeks in the past. He ascertains that foreigners see us very
differently from how we see ourselves. "As soon as we hear
the English talk we become insanely friendly... We want to
present ourselves in the best possible light. We actually
think a great deal more of foreigners than we think of
ourselves. We will automatically pay more attention to
somebody from London than to the visitor from Maribor.
Maybe because we were told for so long we are less worthy,
which probably originates from the time of AustroHungarian Empire. It takes generations upon generations to
unburden ourselves from our mental blocks, our
resentment, anger and suppressed feelings."
sinfo december 04
CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE IN THE SKRINA
ETHNO-GALLERY
The Nativity scene was in greatest demand during the
Christmas period after the War for Slovenia's independence.
Today it is no longer so. Candles embellishing many of the
ethno-gallery's shelves since November are much more
popular. Next to them you can find many beautifully handand laser-made New Year's ornaments, gingerbread hearts,
hand-carved Holy Spirits, decorated wooden footstools,
corn-husking slippers, nutcrackers... "Unfortunately people
today prefer to buy ready-shelled nuts instead of cracking
them themselves."
Pre-holiday fever, which mostly fills the cash registers in
shopping malls and forces us into frenetic shopping that
always leaves us unfulfilled, is hardly noticeable in the
Skrina Ethno-Gallery. This is a shame, because these
products - which exude the spirit of times past - may stop
us for a moment and at least for an instant clear our
befuddled brains. And for those who are not sufficiently
satisfied with the spirit of the old in Skrina, there are also
products with a pleasing modern look. And that is exactly
the thing, which might preserve Slovenian cultural heritage
from oblivion.
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THISISSLOVENIA
POTICA SLOVENIAN
HOLIDAY
DESSERT
"POTICA" (A CAKE CONSISTING OF A SHEET OF PASTRY SPREAD WITH FILLING AND
ROLLED UP) IS A TYPICAL SLOVENIAN HOLIDAY DESSERT KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THIS DESSERT WAS BAKED IN MOULDS, WHICH AT THAT TIME REFLECTED FOLK
CREATIVITY. THE MOULDS FOR "POTICA" WERE USUALLY ROUND WITH A CYLINDRICAL
HOLE IN THE MIDDLE. BAKED DESSERTS HAVE THE FORM OF A RING. THERE ARE AT LEAST
FIFTY TYPES OF THIS DESSERT WITH DIFFERENT FILLINGS: AT FIRST THE FILLING WAS
MADE ONLY OF WALNUTS, HAZELNUTS, HONEY, MINT, COTTAGE CHEESE, CREAM, PORK
CRACKLINGS, BACON OR DRIED FRUIT. LATER, COCOA, CHOCOLATE AND CAROB PODS
WERE ALSO USED. USUALLY NO SUGAR WAS ADDED. TYPICALLY, THE YEAST DOUGH IS
MADE OF WHEAT FLOUR, WHICH IS ROLLED OUT. THE FILLING IS SPREAD OVER IT. THEN
THE DOUGH IS ROLLED UP AND PLACED INTO THE MOULD. BOTH ENDS ARE CUT OFF AND
SHAPED INTO SMALL DUMPLINGS.
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THE DOUGH:
Ingredients:
30 g yeast
300 ml milk
750 g flour
120 g sugar
120 g butter
3 egg yolks
lemon zest
1 tablespoon salt
POTICA WITH TARRAGON
FILLING:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of fresh butter
5 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
3 l cream
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon (or peppermint) leaves
Mix the yeast with lukewarm milk and flour
and leave to prove, then knead the dough.
Prepare the filling. Roll out the dough, cover
with the filling and roll up. Place in a baking
tin, add egg wash and bake at 225°C for an
hour and a half.
Fry breadcrumbs in butter, add other
ingredients.
POTICA WITH WALNUT
FILLING:
POTICA WITH COTTAGECHEESE FILLING:
Ingredients:
70 g butter
3 egg yolks
200-250 g sugar
some cloves, cinnamon and lemon peel
1 litre of walnuts
2 beaten egg whites
Ingredients:
1 kg cottage cheese ('skuta')
1/8 l cream
100 g butter
2 egg yolks
100 g sugar
lemon peel
2 beaten egg whites
Carefully mix the ingredients and cover the
rolled dough.
Mix the ingredients and spread over the
dough.
POTICA WITH POPPY SEED
FILLING:
Ingredients:
300 g poppy seed
1 L cream or milk
3 egg yolks
200-250 g vanilla-flavoured sugar
1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons of fresh cream
70 g fresh butter
3 beaten egg whites
POTICA WITH HONEY
FILLING:
Ingredients:
1 Kg honey
300-400 g walnuts
2 tablespoons of rum
250 g raisins
3 tablespoons of cream
Cook poppy seed in milk or cream, simmer
for an hour. When mixture is cold, add the
other ingredients, egg whites at the end.
sinfo december 04
Mix the ingredients, if the stuffing is too
thick, add some milk.
38
THISISSLOVENIA
THE TOURIST WORKERS OF BOHINJ ARE PREPARING FOR THE
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ORGANISED TOURISM
BOHINJ
BETWEEN ROMANCE
AND REALITY
Joè Pre{eren
Photo: Darinka Mladenovi~
IN MURKY AUTUMN DAYS, JUST AS IT WAS ON THE DAY OF OUR VISIT, IN BOHINJ IT IS SILENT
AND DULL. MOST OF THE INNS ARE CLOSED, THE TRAFFIC IS SPARSE AND IT SEEMS THAT
ONLY A FEW LOCAL PEOPLE AND SOME SHOPKEEPERS TURN UP ON THE STREET. UNTIL
YOU TALK TO ONE OF THE LOCALS YOU DON'T DISCOVER THAT THE APPARENT DULLNESS
IS ONLY AN ILLUSION: ALL THE INHABITANTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE ANYTHING TO
DO WITH TOURISM, AND THEY ARE MANY, CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR THE UPCOMING
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS AND ABUNDANT SNOWFALLS THAT ANNOUNCE THE
BEGINNING OF THE WINTER TOURIST SEASON, BOTH IN THE VALLEY AND ON THE NEARBY
MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT. BOHINJ PRIDES ITSELF UPON HAVING THREE WINTER SPORT
CENTRES: VOGEL, KOBLA AND SENOŽETA, CLOSE BY THERE IS ALSO THE SKI CENTRE OF
SORIŠKA PLANINA. AND WHEN IN THIS AUTUMNAL INTERIM PERIOD IT SEEMS SILENT
ALMOST EVERYWHERE, THE LAST RECONSTRUCTION AND PREPARATION WORK IS BEING
DONE. IT IS NEEDED FOR THE SMOOTH OPERATION OF SKI CABLE RAILWAYS AND SKI LIFTS
IN WINTER AND, OF COURSE, OTHER TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AS WELL.
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"Bohinj is still an oasis of peace, even though it has changed
quite a bit recently. We take care to ensure that the
countryside, our natural beauty; remains unspoiled, and we
try to find some kind of balance between the zealous nature
conservationists and the interests of our visitors, the old and
the young," says Marko Lenarčič, the director of the Local
Tourist Organisation in Bohinj, with its headquarters in the
centre of the municipality in Bohinjska Bistrica. Their task is
to handle the development and marketing of tourism in
Bohinj. So they closely cooperate with the local tourist
association that has its central tourist-information office in
the centre of Bohinj and with numerous hotels, apartments,
B&B accommodations and guesthouse owners over the
whole region of Bohinj. The majority of planned tourist
activities come under the supervision of the Triglav National
Park, since two-thirds of Bohinj municipality land is within
the national park.
ATTRACTIONS FOR THE YOUNG AND THE
YOUNG BY HEART
Bohinj is considered to be one of the most popular and
visited tourist places in Slovenia for guests from home and
abroad. In the Eastern European countries it is known as a
popular Alpine resort in winter as well as in summer time.
Bohinj is, in short, one of the Alpine pearls - together with
Bled, Kranjska Gora with Planica and Bovec. With the name
Bohinj we normally mean the valley and/or gorge of the river
Sava Bohinjka from the town Soteska to Bohinjska Bistrica,
Lower Bohinjska valley and from Bistrica to the lake, the
sunny Upper Bohinjska valley between the villages Stara
Fužina and Jereka, Lake Bled with Ukanc, Lower Bohinjska
mountain, the edges of Jelovica, the large part of the
mountain plain Pokljuka, Uskovnica, Fužinarska plain, the
Triglav Valley lakes and the plain of Komna. Of course, the
highest mountain in Slovenia and national symbol, Triglav, is
also considered a part of Bohinj. We have to admit: there are
not many places in this world with so many beauties and
sights in a region as small as this one.
One of the characteristics of Bohinj is that there are no
extremely large hotels, like the ones we are used to in many
world-famous tourist locations. Here it all seems very
carefully planned with the intention of revealing the region's
unspoiled natural beauty. Bohinj offers around 2000 tourist
beds, of which only 480 are in hotels; all the other facilities
are in the private accommodations and apartments, which
can be found in almost all the villages in the valley. In Bohinj
there are also two camping sites that hold up to 1000
visitors. In the year 2004 about 5% of tourists more than the
year before visited the camps, more than 3 of whom were
from abroad. Among the foreign visitors the most numerous
are Germans, followed by British and Italian citizens. It is
interesting to see that in wintertime the most frequent
visitors come from Hungary.
What can the Bohinj tourist workers pride themselves on
recently? A new gondola lift to Vogel already started
operating two years ago and gave a new élan to the highest
Slovenian ski centre. The recent novelties can be seen in
the valley: there are two new tourist boats on the lake, also
called ships, which have enlivened the range of tourist
services with their panoramic voyages. In Bohinjska Bistrica
an Aqua Park with pools, saunas, etc has been built. It is
open throughout the year. The Jezero Hotel has also been
modernised and enlarged, as well as the central information
office, where it is possible to get information on the many
other new tourist services on offer in Bohinj. There we will
find that in the vicinity of The Pod Voglom hotel there is the
"Adrenalin Park", which is especially attractive to young
people. But that is not all to attract the adventure-seeking
tourists: for these, a special rafting trip on the Sava Bohinjka
River can be organised as well as canyoning and
hydrospeed. Numerous cycling tracks have been created in
Bohinj itself, but longer bike excursions are also available,
such as "Around the Julian Alps by Bike", which means a
five-day-long bike tour with 5 stages - Kranjska Gora - Bled,
Bled - Bohinj, Bohinj - Tolmin, Tolmin - Bovec and Bovec Kranjska Gora.
THISISSLOVENIA
A LOOK INTO THE HISTORY
An accidental visitor to Bohinj, especially a foreigner, knows
very little about the history of these areas. Not many know
what the names of places in Slovene mean, as for example
Stara Fužina, and there are not many traces revealing
information about the past. Only the museums and a few
books can teach us about the iron-making tradition in
Bohinj. Thus, we find out that iron ore was already being
smelted in Bohinj in the Halstat period; remains of the
settlement containing the iron-smelting works were found
under the Ajdovski Gradec, close to Bohinjska Bistrica.
Evidence of the existence of a major ironworks in the
Roman period can also be found. The iron production also
continued after the settlement of the Slavs - archaeologists
have in fact discovered traces of the ironworks from the 11th
century and later. Many ironworks were established in Bohinj
in the 16th century, which also brought in workers from other
regions, who decided to settle there permanently. An
important person in the history of Slovenia was Baron Žiga
Zois (1747-1819), the owner of ironworks in Bohinj in the 18th
century, also regarded as a universally wise man, the
initiator of discoveries of the mountain world and a great
patron of Slovenian culture. He was undoubtedly the richest
Slovene at that time. The heirs of Zois later on sold their
ironworks to the Industrial Company of Kranj and the iron
production moved to Jesenice, where it still continues to
this day. Historians and archaeologists are still discovering
things that are new, yet undiscovered. Thus, in 2003 they
succeeded in uncovering valuable items during the
excavation at Ajdovski Gradec, among them a prehistoric
iron knife.
A ride on the museum train, which is offered by Slovenian
Railways, is also an unforgettable trip for many visitors. It
also includes a special attraction - the famous tunnel of
Bohinj, built in the years 1901 to 1906, which is considered to
be the longest Slovenian railway tunnel. The ride on this
train is organised in such a way that visitors have the
chance to see many other interesting sites on the way,
amongst which are the valley of Trenta, the Kobarid Museum
of the First World War, the gorge of Tolminska Korita, the
Franja Partisan Hospital close to Cerkno and many other
sites if wished by the visitor.
THE JUBILEE OF BOHINJSKA RAILWAY AND
TOURISM
And what is the history of the tourism in Bohinj? With the
decline of the iron production that employed the majority of
the population of Bohinj many people moved, but the
majority of the locals who stayed dedicated themselves to
farming, especially cattle-breeding, for which the conditions
were extremely favourable. In this time cheese making
developed and the famous Bohinj cheese became famous
throughout the country.
Many visitors come to Bohinj simply because it is a starting
point for numerous hikes and attractive trips to the
mountains, in larger or smaller groups, with a guide or
without one. It is also possible to choose a more or less
physically demanding hike to nearby mountain peaks with
Triglav or along easier paths in the hills; one of such paths
offered by Bohinj tourist organizers is "The Tourist Cheese
Maker's Route".
As if by God's blessing at the turn of the century, came the
decision of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to construct the
so-called Bohinjska railway from Jesenice to Gorizia and
Trieste. The construction started in 1901 and was completed
in 1906. The line was built by 13,000 workers, and its
construction was very demanding since numerous tunnels
and bridges had to be built. The longest tunnel was in
Bohinj itself: it is 6,335 metres long.
While on the subject of the range of tourist services, we
must mention that guests in summertime can also enjoy the
abundance of events of quality during the Bohinj Summer
Musical Festival; at the end of the summer season when the
cattle return to the valley from the higher pastures, the
locals prepare the traditional entertainment of "Kravji Bal"
(Cow Ball). Any guest who stays for at least one night is
entitled to a Bohinj Guest Card, which provides many
discounts for renting boats, sightseeing and many other
things, including using the Internet. The Local Tourist
Organisation of Bohinj also provides information for the
tourist and mountain guides on exploration routes and local
beauty spots. These guides continue the long tradition of
guides.
The railway also encouraged the development of tourism in
Bohinj. It started during the construction itself, which
attracted thousands of foreign visitors to Bohinj, but the real
explosion started upon the opening of the new railway. We
can already announce a very important event for Bohinj the tourist workers in Bohinj are already thinking about how
to celebrate the 100th anniversary of organised tourism in
2007. It is an enviable tradition, of which the local people of
Bohinj are justifiably proud.
41
sinfo december 04
LETTERFROMABROAD
THISISSLOVENIA
Robi Poredo{,
GEORGE
NICOLAIDIS
Ambassador of Greece
After three years of serving as Ambassador of Greece in
Slovenia, I am being transferred back to Athens. Three
years! When I come to think of that, I realize that this time
has passed as a flash. Psychologists say that if someone
has a ''flash-like,'' subjective concept of time that means
that time has proved not to be enough for the things he or
she wanted to do during a certain period and in a certain
place. And this, furthermore, means that time has passed
pleasantly and happily.
My wife and I are leaving Slovenia with very good
impressions. I am sure that we shall always keep a nostalgic
memory of this beautiful country. But what are the elements
making a success of a country like Slovenia?
I think the recipe is the following:
- A unique landscape combining Alpine beauty, fabulous
lakes, the breath-taking underground passages in
Postojna Caves and the coast-line with its lovely
Mediterranean feel.
- Open, friendly, widely-travelled people, with a sense of
genuine politeness and nature-awareness.
- Good organization, ranging from efficient welfare
system, impressive infrastructural achievements, strong
educational system, all giving the impression of
operating under a neat, well-planned mechanism.
- Flourishing economy, very promising economic growth,
with statistical data that do great credit to the country.
Slovenia is definitely on a good track and is proving to
be a very capable EU state, with a small but rapidly
evolving market, involving enterprises, which
successfully expand to the neighbouring Balkans.
Photo: Personal Archive
During my stay, I was happy to witness all the above, as well
as two specific developments; the accession to the EU and
to NATO, that are opening the way for a bright future for
Slovenia in the Euro-Atlantic structures.
When I first arrived in Slovenia, a foreign ambassador told
me that this country is "the hidden paradise" in Europe. At
the time, I found that statement overrated. But now that I am
leaving, I rather tend to agree with him.
sinfo december 04
STA correspondent in New York
COLOURFUL SLOVENIAN FINALE
FOR THE YEAR 2004
IN NEW YORK
Meanwhile this year's American Presidential Elections did not
bring any bigger changes to the political life of the only world
superpower left, on the day when it became clear that the
Oval Office of the White house would be occupied till 2009 by
George Bush; it showed that Slovenia was still aware of the
importance of the world's undoubtedly most famous
metropolis, if not from the political, certainly from the consular,
economic and cultural perspective. After a year's break when
General Consul Andrej Podvršič left the waters of Slovenian
diplomacy, his position was taken by Alenka Suhadolnik who
has already started working feverishly in this pre-holiday time.
An overview of December's events in the city on the Hudson
River demonstrates that New York - dressed in its festive
finery - will not suffer from a lack of Slovenian culture. On
Saturday, December 4 the jazz band "Statements" appeared in
the Lotus club, where Slovenian musicians and other
members also appeared under the leadership of the
legendary bassist Reggie Workman: the guitar-player Igor
Bezget and the rising star of the jazz saxophone, Lenart
Krečič. Krečič during his studies at the New School University
in New York is staying with the famous Franciscan monk,
Martin Krizolog, who on Sunday in his church of St. Cyril
played host to a world champion in diatonic accordion - the
Slovenian from Trieste, Denis Novat. He stopped in New York
on his way from Cleveland where he made an appearance at
the 17th traditional prize-giving, the National Cleveland Style
Polka Hall of Fame, where every year they honour successful
performers of polka music, which has very strong background
in the USA, since the whole style is named after the city where
the most of the Slovenian emigrants in the USA live. These
played a central role in its preservation and development.
Together with some delights in music - until the end of year
there will be more jazz and other concerts in NYC - Slovenian
society in New York and its surroundings is well-provided with
Slovenian wines of quality thanks to importer Emil Gaspari,
who succeeded in getting through to numerous famous
(expensive) restaurants in Manhattan. A drop of good wine will
add variety to the celebration of Independence Day on
December 16 in the Helmsley Hotel on 42nd street.
Independence Day was celebrated in Washington on
December 8 in the residence of the new ambassador Samuel
Žbogar in Bethesda. Among similar events in New York on
December 9 there was also the opening of a group exhibition
with the title Photographs from the roof of the world, in which
a Slovenian photographer and world traveller, Matjaž Krivic,
also took part. He was awarded the Photographer of the Year
2002 prize by the Royal Geographical Society of London. The
American tour of one of the most famous Slovenian music
bands, Laibach, passed by New York in November, but it
stopped at most of the other bigger American and Canadian
cities. In New York at Krizolog, in the midst of the colourful
East Village in Manhattan, Slovenians will have be having fun
with the group Trio Adio from their homeland: the group will
appear on the only 2nd New Year's day party, which has the
ambition to become traditional one day.
42
S P O R T
Polona Pre{eren
GOAL: GOOD JUMP
Ski jumps are also among the most popular winter sports. While
competing under the former Yugoslavia, Slovene jumpers were
already achieving good results, Primož Ulaga, today's director
of Nordic teams, being one of them, since he won a team silver
medal at the Olympic Games in Calgary in 1988. We interviewed
him shortly, just before the start of the traditional New Year's ski
jumping championship.
How would you assess the form of our competitors this
season?
Our competitors have worked hard and were provided with the
appropriate conditions for training. All of them have performed
well so far; they are able and skilled enough to achieve toplevel results. Expectations are at the same level this year, as
they were in the past. It is hard to talk about the actual
numbers, as a lot of things depend on good luck, the day itself
and the weather conditions in ski jumping. Sometimes you are
lucky, and sometimes not. All results will be welcomed in our
team, even if they do not quite reach the winner's podium.
Primo` Ulaga, Photo: Slovenian Nordic Team Archive
last few years. Good results, maybe one among the first three,
and I need not say that victory would be downright
phenomenal. But, as I said, all good results will be welcomed.
The peak of the ski jumping season is the traditional New
Year's championship, no doubt. What are your wishes and
expectations?
The New Year's competitions attract the most visitors and ski
jumping fans and every competitor strives to give his best and
achieve a good result. Nevertheless, this is quite stressful and
exhausting for the competitors, as the pace of individual events
is really intensive. Since it starts immediately after the
December competitions, there is not much time for special
preparations. Our expectations are about the same as in the
Who are the aces of the Slovenian Nordic team?
The new member on our team, Jernej Damjan, was extremely
good in December. Of course, we also count on our
experienced men - Primož Peterka, Peter Žonta, Robert Kranjec
and Rok Benkovič - all of whom have achieved excellent results
in the past and are capable of producing superb jumps.
43
sinfo december 04
S P O R T
Alenka êbular
The joy of the players and coach Tiselj upon winning the silver medal at the EC 2004
(Photo: Archive SHA)
Handball:
the National Team is Based on
RK KRIM MERCATOR
A similar kind of domination on the Slovenian handball
scene has been enjoyed among women clubs by RK Krim
Mercator. Ever since 1994, the club has won every single
national title, and with the arrival of coach Tone Tiselj started
to ascend to the top of the European game. The Krim
players thus secured the European Club Champions title in
2002/2003, came second in last year's Champions' League,
while also securing first place at the European Club
Championship. They are again aiming high in the season
2004/2005, where the atmosphere is at boiling point just
coming into the Champions' League competition.
Strong Clubs
The past year in Slovenia might also be The Year of
Handball. The first high came right at the start of the year,
when the men's national team won the silver medal at the
European Championships on home ground, which was
followed by a number of great results by the clubs.
There are currently 55 male and 26 female registered clubs
in Slovenia, which mostly compete in their domestic
divisions, while some are considered as top European
clubs. In the men's game, RK Celje Pivovarna Laško stands
out from among the rest, while the same goes to RK Krim
Mercator in the women's game.
MEN'S TEAM GAINS SILVER, WOMEN'S ON
THE RISE
RK CELJE PIVOVARNA LAŠKO
Having such strong and successful clubs obviously doesn't
make the national team's success coincidental, besides, we
should not forget that years of systematic and persistent
effort has been put into the success at the national team
level as well. All this originates from the time of the former
Yugoslavia, which was known as a handball superpower:
Slovenian handball was an important element in its success,
as it contributed 15 men and 9 women players to various
national team selections.
The high point of Slovenia's national handball team came at
this year's European Championships, which was hosted in
Slovenia. The joy was therefore all the more pronounced
when our team won the silver medal. Incidentally, that was
also the first Slovenian medal in team ball sports at this
level. The Slovenian public therefore awaits with excited
anticipation the men's World Handball Championships,
which will begin on 23 January 2005 in Tunisia. We are
expecting an interesting qualifying round, as the Slovenian
squad will take on Kuwait, Iceland, Angola, the Czech
Republic and Russia. The Russian national team was also
the opponent of the women's side in the European
Championship, which took place from 9 to 19 December
2004 in Hungary.
The Slovenian team took the nineth place.
Even though handball has an almost sixty-year tradition in
Celje, the rise to which we are still witness began in 1990
with the arrival of a new sponsor. Ever since then, Slovenian
club competitions have been dominated by Celje, as the
club won nine out of nine national league and cup doubles,
i.e. from 1991 to 2000. At the same time, their rise to
recognition also began in European competition. The first
seasons in the European Winner's Cup and the European
Champions League were over soon due to elimination in the
opening stages, but they provided valuable experience for
the seasons that were to come. Thus, Celje progressed to
the semi-finals among four of Europe's best five times in a
row from 1996 onwards.
The pinnacle of the success was of course last year's
2003/2004 season, when the rejuvenated side, which was
not really expected to achieve great results, and in the face
of fierce competition on the European level, managed to
secure the Champions' league trophy by beating the
German champions Flensburg in the final. They concluded
the season a short time ago in the best possible manner:
with a win in the European Super Cup, where they defeated
the favourite Ciudad Real in their home arena, while taming
the German club Kiel in the eventual final of the tournament.
sinfo december 04
44
Polona Pre{eren
Biathlon Skiers with
Ambitious Plans
NEXT MONTH
The Slovenian biathlon team has been intensively preparing for this year's
season, which started on 2 December, ever since the beginning of summer. The
management of the biathlon team has not changed. Their director, Jure Velepec,
has worked with the same team for the last five years - namely, the head coach
Tomaš Kos from the Czech Republic and his assistant, our former and very
successful cross-country and biathlon skier, Sašo Grajf. The core of the women's
team consists of Andreja Koblar, Andreja Mali, Tadeja Brankovič, Dijana Grudiček
and Teja Gregorin, and the men's team of Marko Dolenc, Janez Marič, Janez
Ožbolt, Matjaž Poklukar and Martin Ponikvar.
One of the greatest hopes of our team, Marko Dolenc, says that his form is
expected to be the best at the peak of this year's season - the World
Championship. Janez Marič, who also had a successful last year's season with
a second and a third place, is not hiding his ambitions either. Coach Kos was
also very satisfied with the preparations for this year's season. According to him,
everything is going as planned. "We have proved that we can reach the winner's
podium at individual world cup competitions."
Selected by Anja Otavnik
Anja Otavnik
Ljubljana Hosted European
Under-23 Judo Championship
Hala Tivoli in Ljubljana was the site of the 3rd European Under-23 Judo
Championships on 26 and 27 November. The very strong field (more than
250 competitors from 37 countries participated) was joined by a Slovenian
team, which was reduced to just eleven members due to injuries.
The most successful of the Slovenes were 21-year-old Sašo Jereb (Olimpija
Ljubljana), who took the silver medal in the 73 kg category and the barely
17-year-old Rok Drakšič (Sankaku Celje), who took the bronze in the 60 kg
category.
Before the Championships, Sašo Jereb said that he had not done any
special preparations for the competition in Ljubljana, but his talent once
again came to the fore.
Nobody was expecting a miracle from 17-year-old Rok Drakšič in Ljubljana.
But that's what happened. He exceeded all expectations and came away
with the bronze medal. 'I'm extremely satisfied with this achievement, since
I wasn't expecting third place,' said a modest Drakšič.
Urška Žolnir, who took a bronze medal at this summer's Athens Olympics,
was not among the competitors as she turned 23 in October.
With two medals our team more than fulfilled the expectations for this
championship. Slovenian judo has thus achieved yet another success
among the many over the last few years. This was the third major event
organized by the Slovenian Judo Association in a relatively short period of
time, after the European Youth Championships in Ljubljana in 1997 and the
European Team Championships in 2002.
The organization of the championships in Ljubljana was a success, though
there were some minor problems. There were also some very successful
competitors in Ljubljana, including medal-winners at top competitions such
as Greek Ilias Iliadija, who took the gold medal at the Athens Olympics in
the 81 kg category.
On Sunday, after the championships were over, the 41st Nagaoko
competition was held, where the best judo competitors compete in memory
of the late judo great Nagaoko.
45
Political Events:
The third plenary assembly of the
South Caucasus Parliamentary
Initiative is to be held in Ljubljana
between 18 and 20 January.
A diplomatic reception, hosted by
President Janez Drnovšek and
Prime Minister Janez Janša, is to be
held in Brdo pri Kranju on 18
January.
Cultural Events:
The traditional New Year's Concert
of the Slovenian Philharmonic
Orchestra is to be staged in the
Cankarjev Dom Arts and Congress
Centre on 1 January.
The world premiere of Jacques
Offenbach's opera in four acts The
Rhine Nymphs (Die Rheinnixen), an
international co-production of the
Slovenian National Opera and Ballet
Theatre Ljubljana, is to be held in
Cankarjev Dom on 13 January.
Sport Events:
The international water polo
tournament XXI Tristar is to be held
in Kranj between 27 and 29
December.
The international table tennis
tournament Pro Tour Slovenia Open
is to be held in Velenje from 12 to 15
January.
An international shooting
tournament is to be held in Ruše
between 14 and 16 January.
The European table tennis
championship European Premier
Division is to be held in Kranj on 25
January.
sinfo december 04
Nata{a Marvin
The doyen of Slovenian polkas and
waltzes Slavko Avsenik, also known
as the King of Polka and the Johann
Strauss of the 20th century,
celebrated his 75th birthday on the
26th of November. This worldrenowned musician has recorded
more than 600 songs with his band.
With his accordion and his evergreen
melodies he has achieved the
distinction of becoming part of
European national popular music
forever.
The beginnings of Avsenik's music go
back to the year 1953, when Slavko
Avsenik established his trio in
Ljubljana; this grew to become the
Gorenjski Quartet in 1955 and then into
the Avsenik Brothers' Quartet. So,
together with his brother Vilko, he laid
the foundations for a completely new
and original form of national music.
The Avseniki have for four decades
been the ambassadors of Slovenia all
over the world.
The Band of the Avseniki Brothers has
in its long years of existence recorded
more than 50 albums and received
one Diamond, one Platinum and 31
Silver and 31 Golden Discs. They have
recorded more than 600 hundred
compositions, mostly polkas and
waltzes, among which many are
already considered as folk songs. Up
till 1991, Avsenik's compositions were
played on more than 120 media, and
altogether there were more than 31
million versions of cassettes and LP's
sold. Avsenik's "Na Golici" is
considered to be the most played
composition in the whole world.
The dream story of the Avseniki's
success is mostly a story of the hard
work and talent of the Avsenik
brothers. The ascent of the Avseniki
band coincided with the popularity of
radio as a medium. Many other factors
influenced their success: Slavko's
creativity, contact with musical
traditions, Vilko's music talent, the
specific combination of instruments,
the dancing quality and joyfulness of
the compositions, their simple lyrics,
the author's immediate response to
the reaction of audiences, market
adjustments without lowering the
quality
level,
refined,
quality
production and high level of execution
on stage - and, last but not least, their
humour as a fundamental component
of their lyrics and stage performance.
sinfo november 04
PEOPLE
Photo: Avsenik Archives
75TH BIRTHDAY OF
SLAVKO AVSENIK
46
CULTURALTRAILS
The Castle of Snežnik
Nata{a Pav{ek
Photo: Darinka Mladenovi~
Ljubljana
The castle of Snežnik
To the south of Slovenia, close to the intermittent
Cerknica Lake on a rocky elevation under the slopes
of the extensive forest of Snežnik, there stands the
mighty and excellently preserved Castle of Snežnik.
Its high walls reflect on the surface of the little lake,
which used to be the water source and fish farm of
the castle's inhabitants.
The name Snežnik (Schneeberg) is mentioned as far
back as 1461, but the first written sources go back to
the year 1269, when the Patriarchs of Aquileia were
its masters. They tried to secure the important
commercial roads that passed through there by
building a fortress. The first fortress consisted of two
parallel towers that enclosed an inner courtyard and
were interconnected by a corridor. The castle had
high walls surrounded by a deep defensive moat.
Today's mighty central castle building was built in
the Renaissance when the Lambergs raised another
wall and defensive towers in the central courtyard.
The Castle of Snežnik is today one of the official
residences of the Republic of Slovenia. Since 1983 it
has been open to the public as a museum of the
furniture of the last feudal owners - the Dukes of
Schönburg-Waldenburg. A vast collection of period
furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries is famous
for its wealth of pieces of high quality (antique
furniture, paintings, books, hand-woven carpets,
china, hunters' trophies, etc.). At the same time, the
castle is the regional centre of cultural events with
occasional art exhibitions, literary meetings, poetry
evenings, music and chamber music concerts and
wedding ceremonies as well.
A walk through the vicinity reveals the remains of the
English landscape garden and more renovated
premises, among which the ice store is the most
interesting. In one of the buildings there are the
hunters collection and the museum of dormouse
hunters. At the edge of the forest there stands a
building where, in 1869, the first Slovenian Forestry
School was founded.
47
sinfo december 04
CULTURALTRAILS
The Castle of Snežnik

WHEN THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ARE LIT

Transcription

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