Jelsa Becomes the First International Dark Sky Community in Southern Europe
February 28th, 2022 - With its dark night sky now officially certified, the town on Hvar island is set to become a notable astrotourism destination
We recently reported that considerable efforts were being made on Hvar island to decrease light pollution, as part of Jelsa Municipality’s bid to become an International Dark Sky Community.
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has now granted the coveted title to Jelsa, making it the first International Dark Sky Community in Croatia and southern Europe. Jelsa is also the 37th local self-government unit in the world to bear the prestigious title, reports Morski.hr.
The International Dark Sky Community is a title given to local communities that have shown outstanding commitment to dark sky conservation through the implementation of lighting policies, education on dark sky conservation, and citizen support for the initiative.
‘Jelsa Municipality has set a high standard that should be followed by other local governments in your country and this region of the world. We’re honoured to bring attention to Jelsa as a prominent leader in setting an example of how the proper use of lighting benefits people's well-being, as well as the night environment in our communities and beyond’, said the International Night Sky Protection Programme Director Ashley Wilson.
The process of declaring Jelsa an International Dark Sky Community was set in motion by the Jelsa Tourist Board Director Marija Marjan, and the procedure and activities related to the bid were managed by the Croatian Astronomical Union. In the past two years, the municipality has swapped 82% of its unprotected public lighting for fully protected 3000K lighting in accordance with IDA requirements.
The project was implemented over the course of a year, and it involved numerous activities ranging from public telescope observations, lectures, exhibitions, events and astronomy schools for elementary school students to the development of a five-year work plan and environmental lighting guidelines.
Jelsa’s bid was submitted in December last year, and once the additional conditions required by the IDA were fulfilled, the municipality was granted the title of an International Dark Sky Community.
The International Dark Sky Places is an initiative launched in 2001 as a non-regulatory and voluntary programme meant to encourage communities, parks and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect the natural night sky through the adoption of effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and education.
‘Careless use of artificial lighting can disrupt entire ecosystems, have an adverse effect on human health, unnecessarily waste money and energy, considerably contribute to climate change, and obstruct our view and connection to the universe we live in. Jelsa joins the international community of more than 195 protected areas that have made exceptional contributions to the protection of the dark sky from light pollution, and is well on its way to becoming the first serious destination for astrotourism in Croatia’, stated Jelsa Tourist Board.
Places that are known for dark night skies, especially those destinations that have received official certification in this regard, are extremely rare and attract amateur astronomers from all over the world. Citizens of countries that are struggling with light pollution, such as Germany, France, Spain and Italy, constantly seek out locations that will allow them to enjoy the dark night skies.
A Croatian island now joins the list of such locations, with Jelsa officially certified as an ideal location for night sky watching. As such, it will surely attract a new group of tourists, who will no longer have to travel to the Canary Islands to gaze at the night sky.
Ukrainian Folk Artist Maria Prymachenko Featured by Croatian Museum of Naïve Art
February 28th, 2022 - The Croatian Museum of Naïve Art in Zagreb honours the late Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko with a virtual exhibition
Maria Prymachenko (1908-1997) was a self-taught village folk artist from Ukraine, known for incredibly imaginative and colourful work featuring fantastic beings, lush flora and traditional motifs from everyday life in rural Ukraine.
In 2007, the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art put on an exhibition of the renowed artist's work, under the high patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Ukraine in Croatia. The exhibition featured 24 artworks on loan from the Maria Prymachenko Foundation in Ukraine and the Oleg Pinchuk and Lilia Dobzhanska Collection.
The Zagreb museum is now revisiting the exhibition with a virtual edition. The curated selection of Prymachenko's work includes numerous paintings featuring imaginary beings - animals dreamed up in the artist’s imagination and inspired by folk tales and legends. Their titles, both descriptive and ambiguous, indicate possible interpretations of the works: the titular painting, for example, is titled ‘A Dragon Descends on Ukraine and Gets Entangled in the Greenery’.
M. Prymachenko, A Dragon Descends on Ukraine... (1987) / Croatian Museum of Naive Art
As stated by the academic Mykola Zhulinsky: ‘It appears that her memory treasures and wants to show us the pagan, pre-Christian fantasies about the world around us, to present us with these fantastic characters, patterns, magical signs and symbols, borne of our ancestors’ imagination hundreds and hundreds of years ago’ (quoted from the 2007 exhibition catalogue).
In a chilling turn of events, a few days after the museum in Zagreb put up the virtual exhibition commemorating the renowned Ukrainian artist, news broke out that a museum in the Ukrainian city of Ivankiv, where 25 of Prymachenko’s artworks were kept, was destroyed by the invading Russian forces. The Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum was burned to the ground.
The selection of works featured by the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art, speaking of the eternal battle of good and evil, seems more relevant than ever before.
Browse the curated selection of Prymachenko’s sublime work on the pages of the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art.
Beroš Says Croatia Will Provide Health Care for Wounded and Refugees from Ukraine
28 February 2022 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Monday that Croatia would provide health care for refugees from Ukraine, as well as all necessary medical assistance for the wounded if the need should arise.
Croatia already helped treat the wounded from Ukraine in 2014 during the annexation of Crimea. At that time, we offered help with taking care of a total of 10 wounded persons, and eight of them were treated at Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital, mostly persons with gunshot wounds to arms and legs, who arrived in Croatia in the final phase when treatment had to be completed and rehabilitation carried out, the minister recalled.
The manner of caring for the wounded will be agreed at the European level, and Croatia is willing to participate because Croatian doctors have extensive surgical experience in treating such patients, Beroš told Hina, adding that he also talked about it with the Ukrainian ambassador to Croatia.
Beroš considers that it would be more functional to establish a health centre for the wounded near the Ukrainian border, for example in Poland, and have medical staff, including Croatian doctors, participate in the treatment at that centre.
As for health care for Ukrainian refugees coming to Croatia, it will be provided to everyone from the place of entry in Croatia to the place where they will stay for a longer period of time.
Medical triage at points of entry into Croatia
Therefore, in addition to the government's interdepartmental working group for the reception of refugees, an expert working group was established at the level of the Health Ministry to provide specific health care to those people.
Beroš said that medical emergency teams would provide medical triage at points of entry into Croatia. These will include county institutes of emergency medicine and public health institutes since the COVID crisis has not ended yet, refugees have to be tested and their vaccination status has to be recorded, he said.
Ukrainian refugees fill out a questionnaire from the Croatian Red Cross upon entry, answering also questions about recovering from COVID, vaccination and chronic diseases, so that they can receive all the necessary care.
Božinović: Restrictions on Public Gatherings to Be Relaxed
28 February 2022 - Deputy Prime Minister Davor Božinović said on Monday that the national COVID-19 response team had adopted six new decisions relaxing restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings and abolishing mandatory testing and presentation of COVID certificates when entering public administration offices.
The measures relating to public transport, stores, wearing masks and crossing the border will remain in force until 31 March, Božinović told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
The measure restricting gatherings has been relaxed and as of 1 March, up to 100 people will be able to gather outdoors instead of the current 50, while the number of people allowed to gather indoors will be limited to 50 instead of 25 as is now the case.
Restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings have also been amended regarding the requirement to present a COVID certificate. As of Tuesday, it will no longer be necessary to obtain permission from the local COVID response team to organise such gatherings, said Božinović.
There will also no longer be any restrictions on the number of spectators at outdoor sports events and indoor events can have up to 50% occupancy instead of the current 20%.
As of Tuesday it will no longer be necessary to present COVID certificates or proof of testing or recovery from COVID to enter public administration buildings given the level of immunity in the population and the relatively brief period clients spent in those premises, Božinović said.
He added that COVID certificates were still required in welfare and health institutions, whereas they will no longer be required to enter post offices.
Croatian Heartbeat in Brussels: TCN Meets FC Croatia BXL
February 28, 2022 - FC Croatia BXL is the only Croatian football team in the European capital that has already participated in the BXL Euroleague tournament in Brussels for eight years.
Croatian amateur sports clubs are one of the most recognizable symbols of Croatian identity. Today, there are about 200 Croatian football clubs globally, most of which are in countries with sizeable Croatian emigrant communities such as Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Australia. There is not a big Croatian community in Belgium, but it is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic.
Brussels is a lively city that attracts many young talents, being the centre of European institutions. There are also national delegations and the leading European headquarters of the most important international NGOs. With the entry into the European Union, Croatia has also been able to spread its talents and allow many qualified Croatians to start their professional growth here in Brussels. Being surrounded by a favourable environment makes, of course, the difference; that’s why new job opportunities are not enough to be happy.
To settle in, someone must also feel welcomed, find a place where to pursue one’s own interests and passions. And it is precisely from this idea that in 2014 Leon Leskovec (EU Parliament employee) decided to organise a football team that could bring together and welcome Croatian sportspeople. A place where to breathe some homeland spirit. As a result of this call, a weekly meeting point was gradually established, which helped develop friendships and relationships between the participants.
Photo: Archive FC Croatia BXL
We met Diego Antoncic (who works for an Austrian consulting firm) and Oskar Whyte (EU Commission employee), who play a big part in the club.
Tell us a bit more about how you have organised yourselves?
Since 2014 we have regularly participated in the BXL Euroleague with 17 other international teams. FC Croatia BXL is the first Croatian football team in Brussels to participate in this competition. The team consists of about 32 players, of which 70% are Croats (at least of origin), and the remaining are "foreigners" from Bulgaria, Greece and Arab countries, etc. Therefore, we also have our "foreigners”! The age group is between 25 and 35 years old. We train on a weekly basis, and the official matches are held during the weekend at the Stade Chazal, owned by Schaerbeek, one of the Brussels communes. The Schaerbeek commune and all of their employees have been supporting the club for years and providing the necessary football pitch to compete in the league. We are currently in the middle of the rankings, but we hold on and plan to do great things this year: the spirit keeps us motivated!
You don’t have an official coach, but you have created a technical board and consult before each game. Do you get along?
Besides being a team, we are also friends who meet outside the matches, even after work. Those who move here soon start looking for an activity that makes them feel "at home”. Usually, football among us guys is a significant motivational boost. Mladen Mlinaric has been our coach for a long time, but two years ago he went back to Croatia. Since then, we have gotten along well as a team of coaches. A proof of this is that we also organised our first Team Building last year in Bosnia and this year we will do it in Bulgaria to pay homage to one of the "foreigners" in our team. We believe it is a positive gesture and a sign of good integration.
Photo: Archive FC Croatia BXL - First Team Building
And how do you organise when our national team plays?
Since we enjoy and play football ourselves and have a good audience that follows us, we regularly organise watching the matches of our national team at the Stade Chazal. During the Euros and World Cup, the city of Brussels also sets up mega screens in strategic points, such as the Cinquantenaire Park. We usually book a whole side of the lawn under the big screens to enthusiastically support our “Vatreni”, contacting all our followers and spreading the word to be as numerous as possible.
FC Croatia BXL self-finances all expenses (from stadium rental to membership fees). They have only two sponsors: the Mexican restaurant “El Sombrero” in Leuven (the owner is Croatian and their long-time player Adrian) and Access Advisors, a consultancy owned by one of our strikers. The Croatian National Football Federation has twice given them the uniforms to play and as of a few weeks ago, they are expecting a new self-funded delivery. They would also like to play with other "Croatian" teams in Europe or even host teams directly from Croatia. In June, they usually organise a tournament between Croatian teams from neighbouring countries (Holland, Luxembourg, Germany) to celebrate the Croatian national day together. In 2016 they were also candidates for the Večernjakova Domovnica for the sports category.
Photo: Archive FC Croatia BXL
We look forward to seeing how they will organise for next autumn with the World Cup in Qatar. Still, given their overwhelming enthusiasm and excellent organisation, I would advise Croats in Brussels to follow their Facebook page not to miss any opportunity to support and cheer on Croatian sport, starting from the local one.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Croatia Sending Infantry Weapons for Four Brigades in Ukraine
28 February, 2022 - Croatia has decided to grant Ukraine's request for weaponry and will send infantry weapons and protective equipment in the amount sufficient for four brigades, Defence Minister Mario Banožić told the press on Monday.
"We are talking about rifles and machine guns with the calibres requested by the Ukrainian side," said the minister after the government held a meeting at which military aid to Ukraine was discussed.
The value of the weapons is HRK 124 million (€16.5 million).
Croatia also plans to declare up to 10 soldiers for NATO's rapid response force.
Banožić declined to reveal more information about the soldiers for that mission.
He said that the authorities were monitoring the situation in the region, and that following intelligence collected, the protection of military facilities had been raised to a higher level.
HDZ Whip Says 193 Ukrainian Refugees Registered in Croatia
28 February, 2022 - Ruling HDZ party whip Branko Bačić said on Monday that there were currently 193 Ukrainian refugees in Croatia and that 3.5 million refugees from that country were expected in the EU if the Russian aggression against Ukraine continued.
The Croatian government will send humanitarian and technical aid to Ukraine, and its health system is preparing for the reception of the wounded, he said.
A special task force will be formed at today's government session to be in charge of the reception of refugees, Bačić told reporters in the parliament after a meeting of the inner cabinet with representatives of the parliamentary majority and opposition parties on the topic of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
The meeting, held on Monday morning, was attended by representatives of all opposition parties and there was no dissonance regarding the sending of aid to Ukraine, he said.
The broadest possible consensus was reached by all parliamentary parties on the government's position regarding the Russian military aggression and full support was expressed for Ukraine's struggle for territorial sovereignty and integrity, Bačić said.
Further joint meetings at the level of the ruling coalition for the duration of the aggression were agreed, as were meetings at the level of representatives of opposition parties and the ruling coalition.
It was agreed that PM Andrej Plenković would address MPs in the coming days on the steps taken by the government.
According to information available to Croatia's Ambassador to Ukraine, Ankica Djamić, there are still 35 Croatian nationals in Ukraine and they have been in touch with the embassy the whole time, said Bačić.
Vote on new construction minister possible on Friday
Bačić also said that a special task force would be monitoring Croatia's supply with energy products.
Around 43% of gas for consumption in EU member states comes from Russia and in Croatia the share of Russian gas is 22%.
"The HDZ has welcomed the fact that given the LNG terminal on Krk island, Croatia will not have supply problems either until the end of or after the heating season," said Bačić.
Finance Minister Zdravko Marić informed participants in today's meetings that Fortenova Grupa was not suffering any consequences of the current situation, and that more than 90% of depositors at Sberbank d.d. were protected by the deposit insurance system.
Marić added that the government was closely monitoring the possibility of the crisis spilling over to the southeast, noting that since 1939 there had been no event in Europe that could be compared with the Russian aggression on Ukraine.
As for the appointment of the new construction minister, Marić said that the decision was being prepared and that the parliament might vote on the new minister already on Friday.
Marić declined to comment on potential candidates, saying only that the prime minister had interviewed them.
Adris Group Posts Net Profit of HRK 403M
28 February, 2022 - Adris Group generated a net profit of HRK 403 million in 2021, up from 44.6 million in 2020, with revenues growing by 20% to HRK 5.73 billion, the tourism and insurance group reported on Monday.
Sales revenue increased by 23% from 2020 to HRK 5.3 billion, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) reached HRK 1.02 billion, down 5% from the pre-pandemic 2019.
Adris said that all companies operating within the group had undertaken business transformation programmes, including digitalisation, to increase their operational excellence and gain a competitive edge.
Strategically, the present crisis has confirmed that Adris has a well-balanced portfolio. The HRK 400 million of its investment in 2021 and preparations for a number of new projects show that the continuity of development has been maintained even in times of high business uncertainty, the group said.
The group's tourism segment posted a sales revenue of HRK 1.36 billion, accounting for 78% of the revenue generated in the record-breaking 2019.
Croatia's leading insurer Croatia Osiguranje earned a consolidated net profit of HRK 363 million, an increase of 11%. Its total gross written premium increased by 5% to HRK 2.8 billion, while consolidated gross written premium, including regional branch offices, amounted to HRK 3.4 billion, increasing by 6% from 2020.
Cromaris, specialised in production and processing of high quality Mediterranean fish, saw a 14% rise in EBIDTA which reached HRK 67 million, and its net profit skyrocketed 40% to HRK 13 million.
Business: For more, check out our business section.
Grlić Radman: Between 30 and 50 Croatian Citizens Still in Ukraine
28 February, 2022 - By keeping its ambassador in Ukraine Croatia has shown its solidarity, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman said on Monday, adding that about 30 to 50 Croatian citizens may still be in Ukraine whereas prior to the aggression there were 114.
"By keeping the ambassador, Croatia has shown solidarity and it recalls that it, too, was grateful to every country that recognised it and had empathy, with Ukraine being the first UN country to recognise Croatia's independence," Grlić Radman said during a cabinet meeting.
The ministry is continually monitoring developments, the ministry and the ambassador are in constant contact with Croatian citizens who are accessible, the minister underscored.
According to the latest information, most of the Croatian citizens in Ukraine are located in Kyiv while some are in Poltava and Lviv.
"We have their phone numbers, addresses, and they have been accessible, however, their number is constantly changing considering that some of them manage to cross the border to the EU. We are in contact 24 hours a day if any problem occurs," the minister said.
Helping other nationals along with Croatians
A task force set up by the ministry will contact everyone on the list and determine their exact location. Croatian embassies in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have been contacted to help our citizens and their Ukrainian relatives cross the border, he said.
Grlić Radman said that the ministry has contacted crisis centres in the foreign ministries of countries like Germany, France, Italy, Romania and Greece to obtain information about any possible evacuation plans they are carrying out or plan to carry out in Ukraine.
He commended Croatia's embassies, saying that when they manage to arrange for Croatians to leave Ukraine, often citizens of other countries are included, and "we are being commended for that."
Opening the cabinet meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that Croatia's Ambassador to Ukraine, Anica Djamić, would remain in Ukraine as long as necessary to be at the service of Croatian citizens but also to send a strong political message to Ukraine that Croatia is among the seven remaining EU member states that still have their ambassadors in Kyiv.
Croatia Logs 198 New COVID Cases, 39 Deaths
28 February, 2022 - In the past 24 hours, 198 new coronavirus cases and 39 COVID-related deaths have been recorded in Croatia, the national coronavirus response team reported on Monday.
The number of active cases currently stands at 11,904. Among them are 1,363 infected people being treated in hospitals, including 98 placed on ventilators, while 8,577 people are self-isolating.
Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 1,054,794 cases of the infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 virus have been registered, while 15,069 people have died as a consequence and 1,027,821 have recovered, including 2,770 in the past 24 hours.
A total of 4,513,946 tests for the virus have been conducted to date, including 1,489 in the past 24 hours.
By Saturday, 5,194,258 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered, with 56.84 per cent of the total population, or 67.61 per cent of adults, having been vaccinated.
A total of 2,306,572 people have received at least one dose and 2,229,537 of them have been fully inoculated which is 65.48 per cent of the adult population.
