SERBIA: Minister of Culture oversees the return of 31 religious icons to Croatia

Record ID: 741832

  • Title: SERBIA: Minister of Culture oversees the return of 31 religious icons to Croatia
  • Date: 27th October 2010
  • Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (OCTOBER 27, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM SIGN IN SERBIAN READING: "Ethnographic museum" SERBIAN CULTURE MINISTER, NEBOJSA BRADIC BEING SHOWN ICONS PACKED IN BOXES MAN UNPACKING ICON DETAIL OF ICON BRADIC AND ASSISTANT MINISTER OF CROATIAN CULTURE MINISTRY, BRANKA SULC (RIGHT), LISTENING TO ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM CURATOR VARIOUS OF ICONS ON DISPLAY BRADIC LOOKING AT PACKED ICONS (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SERBIAN MINISTER OF CULTURE, NEBOJSA BRADIC, SAYING: "During this year, culminating in this event, we have completed an important long-term process. Cultural relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia are improving, and the work of this special committee with experts from various fields successfully contributes to this." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) ASSISTANT TO CROATIAN MINISTER OF CULTURE, BRANKA SULC, SAYING: ''A large number of the works of art we are trying to find are on the black market. We have known this for years and we have spoken publicly many times. This is the part of the job that is done by the Interpol departments of both states, within the Interior Ministries. So I believe that we will have some more concrete information in order to be able to answer your question more fully in the first half of next year. It is a smaller number of works which need to be returned to their original locations." PACKED ICONS ON THE FLOOR WRAPPED ICON MAN LOOKING AT ICON HANDS HOLDING ICON SULC AND BRADIC STANDING IN FRONT OF ICON SULC IN FRONT OF ICON BRADIC AND SULC POSING FOR MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 11th November 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: International Relations,Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA5U0YGHH986QMVUZ92Z15RMGMP
  • Story Text: Serbia handed over 30 religious icons that were taken from the Croatian monasteries of Krka and Krupa and an icon of the Virgin Mary from the church of St. Demetrius in Dalj at a small ceremony at the Belgrade Ethnographic museum on Wednesday (October 27).
    The ceremony was an important event for the Intergovernmental Committee for the Return of Cultural Goods of Croatia and Serbia. These icons were taken by the Serb dominated Yugoslav army during the war following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia that ended in 1995.
    "During this year, culminating in this event, we have completed an important long-term process,'' the Serbian Culture Minister Nebojsa Bradic told a news conference.
    ''Cultural relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia are improving, and the work of this special committee with experts from various fields successfully contributes to this," Bradic added.
    Interpol is now involved in the search for some of the remaining lost artworks.
    ''A large number of the works of art we are trying to find are on the black market,'' said Branka Sulc, Assistant to the culture minister of Croatia.
    ''This is the part of the job that is done by the Interpol departments of both states, within the Interior Ministries," she added.
    The return of cultural goods was agreed during the first visit to Serbia by Croatian President Ivo Josipovic in July 2010. During that visit Serbian President Boris Tadic displayed the icon of the Virgin Mary from the church of St. Demetrius which was officially handed over on Wednesday.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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