The HKD Jadran president Vinko Stanišić, secretary Dean Bazina, treasurer Željko Resovac and member Ivo Biloglav were received by CHF director Marin Knezović and his staff. The visit to Zagreb included thirty members of HKD Jadran and the Croatian Women’s Society of Malmö.
The Croatian Heritage Foundation was visited this March 27th by a delegation of the Jadran Croatian Culture Society of Malmö HKD Jadran consisting of the association’s president Vinko Stanišić, secretary Dean Bazina, treasurer Željko Resovac and member Ivo Biloglav. They were received by CHF director Marin Knezović and his staff—the head of the culture department Srebrenka Šeravić, the head of the education, science and sports department Lada Kanajet Šimić, the head of the publishing department Vesna Kukavica and Matica magazine reporter Željka Lešić. As a memento of the meeting our guests presented the CHF director with a monograph by Josip Zorica dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the NK Croatia Malmö football (soccer) club.
In a cordial discussion the guests and hosts discussed the continuation of our long time cooperation and the study trip that has brought thirty members of HKD Jadran and the Croatian Women’s Society of Malmö to the homeland.
During their study trip to Zagreb from March 22nd through 29th the folklore and tamburitza ensemble of HKD Jadran rehearsed new choreographies and toured the cultural and natural points of interest in Zagreb and its environs. Besides daily music rehearsals with choreographer Goran Knežević, singing instructor Tomislav Habulin and music teacher Dražen Varga, the programme also included visits to cultural, religious and sports institutions.
“We made lengthy and detailed plans for this trip and we are happy to have seen it through,” noted HKD Jadran president Vinko Stanišić, emphasising that the association is open to all Croatians in Sweden and that it works to nurture the Croatian language and traditions. Our guests from Sweden expressed their satisfaction that their wish to visit the CHF, with which they have excellent and long-term cooperation, has been achieved.
“It is Croatia’s interest to preserve the identity of Croatians living abroad and to create links with Croatia. We want to find out what level of identity can be preserved in these communities. We are aware that younger generations will continue to have a twofold sense of identity, and we would like to encourage an interest among youth for the preservation of their identity,” noted CHF director Knezović.
The heads of departments detailed their areas of activity and called upon our compatriots in Sweden to further bolster cooperation with the CHF, which has always been and will continue to be a great supporter of their activities.
The first day of the visit to Zagreb was also an opportunity to visit Maksimir Stadium and watch the qualification football match between the Croatian and Serbian national sides. Besides the CHF headquarters, the Croatian Swedes also visited the shrine at Marija Bistrica, an ethno village near Karlovac, the Rečica Culture & Arts Society, the Lado folklore ensemble and the GNK Dinamo football club.
But the highlight of the HKD Jadran visit to Zagreb was, they say, their live appearance on March 26th on the Croatian Television (HRT) show Good Morning Croatia (Dobro jutro, Hrvatska).
Text by: Željka Lešić; Photos by: Snježana Radoš