IVO ANDRIĆ AND ITALY - DOCUMENTS EXHIBITION OPENED IN BANJA LUKA

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 14 /SRNA/ – The exhibition “Ivo Andrić and Italy – Documents” was opened this evening in Banja Luka, marking the 50th anniversary of the death of the Serb Nobel laureate, which was prepared by the State Archives of Serbia in cooperation with the Archives of Republika Srpska.

The Minister of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, Borivoje Golubović, said that the exhibition is the result of many years of successful cooperation between the two archives and represents an important contribution to the preservation of cultural and historical heritage. He noted that the preparation of the exhibition required extensive research in numerous archival and library institutions, from the State Archives of Serbia, the Archives of Yugoslavia, and the Archives of Republika Srpska, via the Library of Matica Srpska, the National Library of Serbia, to the Museum of History and Art of the City of Trieste, as well as the Archives and Library of the Serbian Orthodox Church Municipality in that Italian city. Golubović stated that the research and documents presented in this exhibition point to the important role of writer-diplomats in Yugoslav diplomacy between the two world wars. “Among the most significant are, without doubt, Milan Rakić, Jovan Dučić, and Ivo Andrić. Milan Rakić withdrew from diplomacy by his own choice, Jovan Dučić left after the collapse of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and Andrić’s career was cut short the day before the bombing of Belgrade in April 1941,” Golubović said at the opening held in the Banski Dvor Cultural Centre. He emphasized that Ivo Andrić, a brilliant writer who also served as Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, is remembered, among other things, as an author whose creativity was enriched by numerous stays in Italy. “His encounters with Italian cities, culture, and historical figures have been especially remembered,” Golubović added. He noted that Andrić dedicated a significant part of his prose to studying the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Petrarca, which left a deep mark on his literary creation. Golubović stressed that this exhibition shows how his stays in Italy and his diplomatic experience shaped part of Andrić’s literary legacy. “I am pleased that today we have the opportunity to highlight this important chapter in Andrić’s life and work, and that through this exhibition we can be inspired by his personal and professional dedication,” he said. Golubović expressed hope that this project will be only one of many that will further strengthen cooperation between the State Archives of Serbia and the Archives of Republika Srpska, from which new exhibitions, books, and content are expected. The Serbia’s Minister of Culture, Nikola Selaković, emphasized that Andrić erected a monument to the Serbian people and their culture through his literature and work, especially to the history of the Serbian people west of the Drina River. “The greatness of that monument is proven by the fact that, on the eve of the civil war in BiH, one of the first monuments destroyed was the one dedicated to Ivo Andrić in Višegrad, a town he made famous across the world,” Selaković said. Selaković pointed out that the exhibition speaks not only about Andrić’s literary achievements but also about his very rich diplomatic career. “Andrić lived in a time when fine writing and eloquence were considered essential qualities of a diplomat, so it is no wonder that many renowned Serb writers came from the ranks of Serb, then Yugoslav, diplomats - Milan Rakić, Jovan Dučić, Miloš Crnjanski, Rastko Petrović, and among the first, Branislav Nušić,” Selaković noted. He also remarked that Andrić belonged to the group of immortal young men who, through the organisation Young Bosnia, set out to change the course of history west of the Drina. “A month after the exhibition was opened in the Serbian Orthodox Church Municipality in Trieste, with the generous support of the archives of Serbia and Srpska, it is now in Banja Luka, before Belgrade or any other city in Serbia,” Selaković added. The Director of the Archives of Republika Srpska, Bojan Stojnić, said that the exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Ivo Andrić’s death is being held as part of the traditional event Days of Serbia in Republika Srpska. The Director of the State Archives of Serbia, Miroslav Perišić, stated that the exhibition is one of the joint projects of the two archives. He added that, prior to this, a second edition of the Catalog of Serb Culture in Sarajevo 1468–1941 had been published. He also announced new joint projects between the two archives in the coming months.