January 30, 2023 - Two years ago - 19 babies, last year 39. The location of the baby boom - Stari Jankovci, not far from Vinkovci. A small municipality all the way in the east of Croatia. Full of life. How come young families are building their future there?

"I grew up here and will continue my life here with my two children. So I think we actually have all that we need, even though we are a small community," Tena Draženović from Stari Jankovci told RTL / SiB.

A director of a kindergarten from Zadar also decided to move to this intimate environment.

"We are happy with our decision and have no regrets, on the contrary. It is a lot more peaceful here since it is a smaller place, there is less hustle and bustle, and that suits us best," said Ivana Jurčević, director of the Krijesnica Jankovci Kindergarten.

The fact that young people have started arriving to live in Jankovci also helps the locals.

"It's good because young people get married, buy their houses or build them and stay in the village, and that's good for us," said Marijan Boroz.

There are no overnight results in demography, but there is progress. For them, the most important thing is not incentive allowances for children but an encouraging climate for a quality life for young families.
"In the past ten years, the many measures we have implemented have resulted in 39 babies," said Dragan Sudarević, head of the Stari Jankovci Municipality.

Incentives in agriculture and economy, investments in infrastructure, social life, and young families. 5,000 kuna for the first child, 6,000 for the second, 7,000 for the third, and 10,000 for the fourth child.

"We co-finance nurseries; we gift 1,000 kunas for all primary school children; we co-finance high school transport, give out scholarships. There are also many free schools in our municipality, such as a dance school, a football school, a music school, a painting school," he added.

In the municipality of Stari Jankovci, they even financially encourage the adoption of dogs. Their budget is around one million euros, but with careful management and successful acquisition of European funds, they say, all that is necessary for a quality life and future can be provided.

"I have five children with six grandchildren so far; the seventh is on the way. So now I hope my daughter will also return to Jankovci; if she does, even better, and she is likely to do so," Marijan added.

To both new and old residents of Stari Jankovci, congratulations and wishes that their dreams come true. As SiB quotes a popular children's song - children full of imagination, children decorate the world! And Slavonia is full of life indeed.

For more, make sure to check out our Lifestyle section.

September 24, 2022 - Autumn is on the doorstep; the leaves are crunchy, and the air is crisp. Vukovar is still full of life. Not that it matters which season it is. The new generation that breathes life into the city is agile, resilient, and adaptable. They create digitally and remotely; they take inspiration from the world around them but do not fear stepping out of it and finding creativity or letting creativity find them at every step. The digital era has made it significantly easier to make progress and expand. Today, meet Karla. She draws.

Tell us about Karlas Arts, what do you do?

I'm Karla Fehir, on Instagram as @karlas.arts; I'm 21 years old, a computer science student, and I do digital drawing. I've loved drawing since kindergarten, but it wasn't until 2018 that I became more serious about digital illustrations.

How and when did you start, and where did the inspiration come from?

When I was little, I watched my mom draw, and that inspired me to start mainly drawing cartoon characters. At school, I always drew in my notebooks; it was just a hobby and something I enjoyed. But after a while, I stopped until 2016, when I came across several profiles of artists engaged in digital art on Instagram. I fell in love with the digital style and started drawing using Photoshop on my laptop. On paper, my favorite was the realistic black-and-white style, while on digital media, I prefer the "cartoon" style. The combination of these two styles led to a semi-realistic style that is now my favourite. Two years ago, I started using the iPad as my primary medium for drawing, which drastically affected the progress, drawing speed, and appearance of the illustrations.

What was it like to start such a business in Vukovar? What were the main challenges?

It took a long time to find my style and clients who were interested. I didn't have a client for the first 2-3 years until I began to take the potential of digital illustrations more seriously. The key was daily practice and finding my style. I tend to be a perfectionist and found myself in many blocks where I could not progress, but I continued until I was satisfied with the final look of my illustrations. Eventually, I found my voice in the Beauty Logo area. My clients are mostly young female entrepreneurs from the USA and Canada. After the first client advertised my work on her profile, other clients from the same area started coming. And that's how things developed. One of the biggest challenges of drawing was the cost of materials; that's why I switched to a digital medium where all the colours, brushes, and backgrounds for drawing are readily available. These days I enjoy drawing with pencil and watercolours, which is something I would like to devote more time to and improve.

Does the fact that you are in the east of Croatia affect your work and art?

Initially, I thought it would have an impact, but since we live in the era of social media and online payments, we can reach clients from any part of the world. I have had a lot of clients from Croatia, but it still took place online. The final product is an illustration that can be printed on any medium, and I give my clients the freedom to use that drawing.

Are you satisfied with how your business is developing? What is the outlook for the future?

At the moment, I am satisfied with the progress, although, at some points, I have not been as active as I planned, which has a lot to do with finding clients. But I believe that in the future, it will be even better; I am planning different projects and to one day combine my professional work with digital illustrations.

What opportunities are there in our city and region?

I believe that it is much easier to "breakthrough" in our city than in bigger places due to the smaller population and fewer people who are engaged in art on a serious level. But on Instagram, it is much more difficult to gather an audience on a global level, as in every field of illustration and art, thousands of artists see each other as competition.

Are you connected with other artists in town? What's the scene like?

I am connected with several artists from our area who are also engaged in digital drawing. We share illustration tips and techniques. Each person I meet has their unique style, illustration look, and specific client group. The relationship is friendly, and we do not see each other as "competition" as one might expect.

Finally, tell us about life in Vukovar. What do you like most? What would you say to potential visitors?

Vukovar is the city where I grew up, and it will remain in my heart forever, even though my career and education temporarily moved to Osijek. When I have time, I like to walk along the promenade along the Danube or cycle to Adica, and during the summer, I also go to Vukovar Ada. Vukovar is a small town, but it has many attractions and ways to spend quality time.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

September 13, 2022 – There are doctors, and lawyers, and business executives… and then there are florists, and artists, and Mess. Vukovar’s underground scene might be a bit like a certain city that suffered a nuclear catastrophe in 1986, but something is cooking. If you try hard enough, you can learn about it today from the creative minds behind Mess. Mess is what they are, Mess is what our interview was. Mess is all you need to know, it’s all we can say, it’s nothing, but it’s enough. This colourful group of young individuals somehow got together and decided to start producing hip hop. In Vukovar. 365.

What is Mess all about?

Mess is a music collective and Telegram group with a focus on rap, but we dabble in various genres.

Our members are Kien, Kari Gasparov, Sky Kole, Sveti Melodije, Ivica Šetač, Glone, and 2 much-respected telegram bots (all our birth names).

How did that happen, what inspired the movement?

We met on a night out by chance, talked, and found out that we share a love for hip hop and music in general.

Not long after that, we agreed to meet in the spaces of Youth Peace Group Danube where they had a music studio, and those gatherings became Mess.

Not, that’s what it looked like on the surface, but the reality is that Trun was behind it all. It connected us metaphysically to channel his agenda and enter the collective consciousness of this city, possibly even beyond.

We only found out after 3 years when he appeared at an after-party to tell his truth.

Can you tell us more about Trun?

Dall-e2 and Pegla (Mess)

Trun? Trun is a powerful entity that lives mainly in the 6^th dimension but possesses the ability to appear in the third dimension as well, though exclusively in after-parties. We were able to learn about his form with the help of another one of our friends, Dall-e. Dall-e is an AI image generator that creates art based on briefs where you can indicate the subject, the style, and more. We had a chance to Beta test the program and are thankful for the gift of Trun.

What message are you sending through this project?

We don't send messages, we send messages through things.

The overarching message would be that we live in a society.

What is your main product?

Our main product is music, we are not really planning anything else, except Mess merch.

What is the underground scene like in Vukovar?

The scene in Vukovar is something like Chernobyl, with only mutants and strong genes remaining, we might be something in between.

On a serious note, though there has been some interest, we believe that it is not strong enough to call it a scene.

Attempts to create a vibrant alternative scene in the city have so far been unsuccessful and miserable.

Are you connected with anyone else, how does that work?

We are not really connected with anyone, nor do we have any plans to do so, that can only happen if we vibe.

How is your music perceived in Vukovar?

From time to time people say “good stuff”, that’s all we know.

Some of you have left Vukovar, how is it living abroad?

“I know that over there is better, but over there is not mine”. - Coby.

What about home then, what would you change?

The city is as it is, we can't change anything there, but if we could, we would like to see a livelier alt scene, we’d like it if everyone had more money and there were more people.

Who was your inspiration?

The late Ringo.

Tell us about your latest drop.

It’s called Inžinjer, give it a listen. The cover art was directly inspired by the line

Kontam da sam nekad mogo bit inžinjer

Al’ povuko me mulj iz Panonske nizine.

(I wish I could have been an engineer

But I was pulled by the sludge from the Pannonian plain).

Tools used: Dall-e2 for the background representing the sludge and Photoshop for blending and text.

For more, make sure to check out our Lifestyle section.

If you are in or from Vukovar, do something interesting, and would like to be featured, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Subject 365.

August 26, 2022 – Meet Antonio Horvat, aka Jones Wire. Having developed an interest in Photoshop, and then digital art, this young graphic designer now regularly creates and sells works of art and has developed an interesting visual identity to go with his alter ego. His Instagram looks professional and artistic, his art has a retro-futuristic vibe inspiring a pleasant, cosy feeling. At least that is the beauty that the eye of this beholder sees. Read all about him, learn about the process, and appreciate his art with us.

Tell us about Jones Wire, what you do, and what inspired the name.

I create digital collages, which basically means combining different images to achieve one that can convey multiple messages or a story. The name Jones Wire comes from a play on words that have a special meaning for me. The name Jones can also mean an appetite or lust for something, in this case, art, and personal expression, while the word Wire in American colloquial speech denotes a lack of self-control in terms of inspiration and work. Sometimes I can work on collages for days, and sometimes I don't have any ideas for days.

How and when did you start, and where did the inspiration come from?

The world of collage attracted me recently after graphic design became monotonous. Projects I did for other people, unfortunately, lacked personal expression. Some works are based on my dreams, thoughts, and films, and some are inspired by the music I listen to.

What was it like to start such a business in Vukovar? What were the main challenges?

Currently, I still do digital collages as a hobby, and my main source of income is my full-time job from home.

Are you satisfied with how your business is developing? What is your outlook for the future?

I'm happy with my personal progress as far as collage design goes, but I also have a couple of digital collage artists who helped guide me on how to do the skin and avoid some rookie mistakes. In the future, I would like to do this full time and I would like it to become my job. I would like to expand my scope of work into albums, book covers, and commissioned paintings.

What opportunities exist in our city and region?

As for work, I wouldn't know because I have been working from home, for foreign companies, or I have been doing work with foreign clients. As far as art is concerned, I think that in larger cities there is an advantage due to the ease of connecting with various mentors and meeting new people at art events, even though these days everyone is relatively connected via the Internet, so living in a smaller city does not pose a challenge for learning about my current work.

Are you connected with other artists in town, what's the scene like?

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who does this kind of art here. Due to a lack of connections which are important in this business, I try to use all resources, in my case the Internet, for promotion.

Finally, tell us something about life in Vukovar. What do you like most, what would you say to potential visitors?

Everything is close at hand and life is slower than in other parts of Croatia, which suits me. I would recommend everyone take their time, walk along the Danube and go on a walk through the times visiting the Water Tower, Eltz Castle, the City Museum, and the Vukovar Baroque Centre. Discover that this city is so much more than meets the eye. Of course, everyone should also try the top Slavonian food and Vukovar beer.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

July 28, 2022 – Meet Luka Maksimović, also known as Mone, also known in Vukovar as your go-to wall decorator, logo designer, the guy who can make your ideas come alive in visual form.

Long before there were murals and 3D street art, there was graffiti. This art of old is as present in Vukovar as anywhere else and was even integrated into festivals and events. From simple writings notifying us that they were, in fact, there, to some really elaborate and genuinely awe-inspiring designs, we have it and we love it all.

As for graffiti artists, it sure can be tricky as they always must defend the artist title, trying not to fall on the rebel and destroyer-of-walls side of things. This means that they constantly need to keep improving to impress. Mone has done just that. From the name that you would see a little too often in your neighbourhood, to being commissioned to paint walls and design logos, he has gone from naughty to nice, from kid to artist. We couldn’t be happier to follow along on his journey.

All photo credit: Mone

Tell us about yourself and your alter ego.

I am Luka Maksimović Mone and I'm 24 years old. The nickname was created to hide my identity and it was created through the evolution of nicknames that came from my last name: Maksimović - Maxo - Maxone – Mone.

What is your relationship with art?

My story on drawing starts back in kindergarten, where I had a friend who was great at it. I remember one day when we had a workshop and he drew the Hulk too well. That stuck in my memory and inspired me a lot. At home, I spent time drawing whenever I could. I practiced with my brother, drawing various objects that we could see on the table. Later on, I started drawing portraits, but realism as a direction did not satisfy me. The way I see it, you can just snap a photo.

Drawing quickly became a bit hard and boring, and since I'm a bit of a perfectionist I was by no means satisfied. One day we tried drawing graffiti and that was my first encounter with this kind of art. I remember that I chose the English word "book" and made eyes out of the two letters O and added a mouth below. This was completely new and exciting for me. I started using letters to create all kinds of shapes that came to mind.

Was that when you discovered your hidden talent?

That was when I discovered there were no rules, I could do whatever I wanted, in any style I liked, any size, form, or shape. It all came straight from my head, and luckily I was never short of ideas. As for talent, I wouldn't say that I discovered my talent there or that I am talented at all. I just spent a lot of time at my desk drawing, simply because it was too much fun.

At which point did you go from paper to walls?

Soon after, my brother and I decided to try our first real graffiti. We found a wall and prepared everything, but we weren’t quite ready for the little obstacle that was me. I was too small and couldn't do it! My hands were too small, I couldn't hold the spray and squeeze the cap with one hand, I could barely do it with two hands. That was frustrating and caused my desire to slowly fade away and over time I completely neglected drawing. All until one time, in 3rd grade, during math class, I was so bored I wanted to jump out of the window. Instead, I remembered that I had used to draw graffiti all the time and decided to try it again. As soon as I drew my first lines it took me back. I felt like that child, like I was drawing for the first time. I was really happy with the sketches I made. A few days later, I bought a spray can and finished my first graffiti on the wall. I was intrigued and wanted more. It felt like I went back in time and simply continued where I had left off.

Eventually, you decided to do it in digital form.

While traditional graffiti wasn't bad, it wasn't anything special, and I knew I could do better. I started taking it more seriously and wanted to improve. After trying a few different techniques, I realised I needed a lot of money for the material and ran into a problem. So instead of buying markers and other things, I saved up to buy a tablet for graphic drawing which allowed me to switch to the digital canvas, where I had the best palette in the world, an inexhaustible source with every color imaginable. My mind was made up about what I wanted to do in the future.

What is the plan from here?

I am developing my project and plan to open a graphic design company and some other interesting things along with that. As the idea to open my own company developed, I also fell in love with tattooing. I recently bought a tattoo machine as well, so that will surely become a part ofg my workshop.

Tell us about your clients and projects so far and where we can find you.

I collaborated with various people as a freelancer, creating their visual identities. In Vukovar, for example, I collaborated with the fire department and one of the kindergartens. I also did a few projects with famous people such as Krešo Bengalka, Kukus clan, etc.

To check out my work, follow me on Instagram (@mone1zm).

Finally, how is the graffiti scene in Vukovar?

A graffiti scene barely exists here at all, as I'm the only one who does that. However, the city of Vukovar does push for street art a lot through the VukovArt organisation, who have brought many famous street artists from around the world to paint murals on buildings and create 3D street art.

All photos by Mone

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

Croatia Airlines has announced that it will join the Croatia National Tourist Board in a new campaign next April named “Full of Taste”.

“The Croatia Airlines Full of Taste project will be a gastronomic and enological presentation of Croatia on our aircraft. We will work together with renowned Croatian chefs, restaurants, wineries, wholesalers, and other local producers of autochthonous Croatian products,” said Jasmin Bajić, CEO of Croatia Airlines, for Ex Yu Aviation on June 20, 2019.

"Every six months, in summer and winter, we will completely change our onboard menus and their visual presentation in accordance with the various concepts of the Croatian gastronomic map, in order to further elevate the passenger experience,” Bajić concluded.

Recall, this news comes after the airline introduced a new menu for business class travelers, which will further promote Croatia's tourist and gastronomic offer. The new gastronomic offer on flights was created by the celebrated Croatian chef Dino Galvagno and Leopold Botteria of Uje Oil Bar, partners with whom Croatia Airlines launched the project ‘Inspired Croatia’ at the end of 2016, in which business class passengers are offered meals prepared using native recipes and ingredients of the coastal and continental Croatia.

The new business class menu, which was introduced on board on June 19, is primarily motivated by the dishes of Zagreb cuisine such as ham, turkey with mlinci, kale with minced meat, štrukli, and other dishes made from local ingredients which have been used in these areas for centuries and are found in all Croatian kitchens. 

As a national carrier and a company that continuously improves service, Croatia Airlines wants to offer added value to passengers within these projects and bring them closer to the gastronomic wealth of Croatia through taste, smell and color,  concluded the airline in their announcement.

Croatia Airlines was also named among Eastern Europe's best airlines at the World Airline Awards as part of the Paris Air Show on Tuesday. Namely, Croatia Airlines came in 8th place in the top 10 carriers of Eastern Europe. Air Serbia cam in 4th, while Adria Airways came in 9th. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.