November 30, 2018 - The Maritime Museum of Montenegro in Kotor and the Boka Navy Kotor promulgated the capital work-History of Montenegrin Maritime in the Context of Adriatic, Mediterranean and World Maritime Affairs by Dr. Antun Sbutega.

The promotion of the book, which was organized at the Palace Grgurina Maritime Museum of Montenegro in Kotor, was addressed by the director of this institution, Andro Radolović, one of the most important scientists of today dealing with the history of Boka Bay – archaeologist M.Sc. Jovan J. Martinović, and the author, Doctor of Economics and Admiral of the Boka Navy Antun Sbutega. The lecture, by Ms. Jovica Martinović, was submitted by Slavko Dabinovic, a retired librarian.

"Composed chapters in the manuscript are assembled in a very well-organized chronological order, from the earliest to the recent phases of maritime development. Within each chapter, the author paid his attention to focusing on a wide area in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea, and across the Montenegrin coast to Boka Bay as one of the priorities in studying the total matter," emphasized Mr. Martinović.

"The show of 2.5 million years of maritime development, with the abundance of data and well-used literature, was a demanding task whose successful solution was only capable of being personally connected to the sea through a long family and local tradition, but at the same time a person armed with erudite and encyclopedic knowledge in more scientific areas... This book represents the most significant scientific contribution to the study and popularization of our rich maritime past," wrote Mr. Jovan Martinović on the promotion of the book, which was held on Thursday in the Maritime Museum of Montenegro in Kotor.

Numerous visitors and acquaintances were welcomed on behalf of host Andro Radulović, director of the Montenegrin Maritime Museum of Montenegro, who pointed out that the publication of the book History of Montenegrin Maritime once again confirmed the fact that Boka Bay and Montenegro are an inexhaustible source for history and culture of the people who created it.

"I hope the book will serve as a great motive and a sign for more intensive and more dedicated engagement with the aim of studying our past," Radulovic said.

"I do not know how much I wrote; it was not short, I will tell you that the bibliography has 750 units and about 1140 footnotes... This book has been the fruit of my entire life since I entered the world of seafaring in the earliest childhood, surrounded by seafarers, historians, technical works and objects that testify to maritime history," said Admiral Sbutega visibly satisfied. "This book is not an encyclopedia, nor I have the pretense to elaborate all the aspects through the time fully, it is only the first comprehensive review that should inspire other authors to write on this subject," the author said.

"The history of our navy is very long and rich in events and interesting personalities, which was very difficult and demanding to critical in a book, so I had to miss much. The main, intimate motive to write this book is the sense of debt towards my family members who have been involved in maritime affairs for more than 400 years. I dedicated this book to them. But not only to them but also to all seafarers in the history of this area and to numerous naval historians of the previous generations, which I owe my life orientation, the culture of knowledge and identity. It is written from the feeling of debt to the present and future generations, as an attempt to bring them at least part of that knowledge and values. It was a complicated and long job, but also an exciting intellectual adventure," said Sbutega.

Sbutega emphasized that the coast is still today the most developed part of Montenegro, where the most important foreign investments are being developed. "And now Montenegro is breathing through its shore, although it is not always aware of it. There are at least 6,000 active seamen in Montenegro, but is an impressive number compared to the number of inhabitants. More than 95 percent of our seamen are sailing with foreign companies, and their revenue is estimated at over 200 million euros. It is the highest income Montenegro achieves. In Montenegro, tourism revenues of about one billion euros are expected, but this is total revenue, of which pure profit is between 100 and 150 million. The 200 million of the seafarers' income has no expense. In spite of schools and more seafaring training centers, Montenegro has no clear and long-term maritime policy."

"The most important goal of this book is not to increase awareness of the significance of maritime history, but to encourage state and social institutions and seafarers to create a development policy without which country cannot effectively develop maritime affairs and valorize the coastal state's position. Marine affairs are, once again, Montenegrin most important business branches," said Boka Navy Admiral Antun Sbutega.

The release of this capital work was realized thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro, and the publishers are the Maritime Museum of Montenegro Kotor and the Boka Navy Kotor.

29 November 2018 - The 14th Annual Awards Ceremony "Wild Beauty Award 2018", organized by the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, was recently held at the "Government House" in Cetinje. This Ceremony’s primary purpose is to grant awards for individuals and organizations for their excellent work and outstanding contribution to improving the quality of the tourist offer of Montenegro.

Bearing in mind the proposals of the Awards Commission whose members include representatives of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, the National Tourism Organization of Montenegro, the media and the tourism industry, as well as the suggestions of local tourist organizations and the interested public gathered through the online questionnaire, the decision on the categories and the winners was brought by the Official Jury for Wild Beauty Award 2018.

On this occasion, a total of 5 awards and four official acknowledgment letters were granted to individuals and organizations for their outstanding contribution to the improvement of the quality of tourist offer in 2018.

At the 2018 Awards, the “Hotel of the Year Award” went to Chedi Hotel Luštica Bay, while the “Destination of the Year Award” was given to Porto Montenegro. The “Restaurant of the Year Award” was given to the representatives of "Murano Restaurant" Hotel Regent Porto Montenegro, while "KotorArt festival" claimed the “Event of the Year Award.” The WBA 2018 also awarded the “Tiny Sand Budva” with the “Best Beach of the 2018 Season”.

The WBA organizers also gave official acknowledgment letters to Porto Montenegro as an Event Destination, "Household Kljajić" Berane for their contribution to the development of agriculture, “HG Budva Riviera” for implementation of standards in hotel industry and "HG Casa del Mare" Herceg Novi as a positive example of domestic hotel management brand.

As announced by the National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro, the Award Ceremony was attended by Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović, Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović, Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović, Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro Radoje Žugić, Mayor of the Old Royal Capital Aleksandar Kašćelan and numerous officials from the tourism sector, cultural and public life.

The National Award "Wild Beauty Award" was established in 2005 to show recognition to tourism organizations and individuals for their work and contribution to the development of tourism in Montenegro, as well as to improve the quality, promotion and the creation of new values for tourists.

November 28, 2018 - International Multidisciplinary Scientific Symposium "Ancient Budva" and the accompanying documentary exhibition "The First Discovery of Antique Necropolises in Budva" organized by the Public Institution "Budva Museums and Galleries" started today in the Modern Gallery in the Old Town. The events took place on the occasion of two significant jubilees - 80 years after the discovery of the ancient necropolis and 15 years since the foundation of the Budva Museum.

What About Ancient Budva?

When digging the foundation for building the hotel "Avala" from 1936-1938, several graves from the Hellenistic and Roman period were discovered. Graves carried valuable goods - especially gold and silver jewelry, various vessels, glass, ceramics, and weapons. The research continued twenty years later, and most intensively after the earthquake in 1979. The necropolis has two parts, the older belonging to the Hellenistic period from the 4th to the 1st century BC, and the newer belonging to the Roman period, the 1st and 2nd century AD. With a total of 450 graves discovered, all the traces lead to the conclusion that the necropolis has been in use for more than a millennium.

Apart from the Museum of Budva, objects from the Budva necropolis, especially those found from 1936-1938 belong today to many other museums (Cetinje, Belgrade, Zagreb, Split) but also to private collections.

Ancient Budva brings together scientists from 8 countries

The organization of the international scientific symposium on the occasion of the anniversary of the great discovery was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro and the Municipality of Budva, and the partner of "Budva Museums and Galleries" in this project is the Budva Tourist Organization.

Aleksandar Bogdanović, Minister of Culture of Montenegro, opened the Symposium "Ancient Budva" and the exhibition "The First Discovery of the Necropolis in Budva." Academi Aleksandar Čilikov, in front of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, addressed the participants at the beginning of the gathering. Mayor of Budva Dragan Krapović and Lucija Đurašković, director of "Museums and galleries of Budva" welcomed the guests thanking them for being a part of this important scientific meeting with the aim to support further activities to preserve and present the oldest parts of the town's cultural heritage. 

"Ancient Budva" is the first scientific meeting organized by the "Budva Museums and Galleries" in the European Year of Cultural Heritage. In Budva, reference lecturers coming from Australia, Italy, Austria, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro will offer answers to numerous and diverse issues from the ancient past of Budva and the East Adriatic coast.

Ancient Budva Heritage to Read the Context of Hellenic and Roman Times on the Eastern Adriatic

The first day of the conference lasted for three sessions, where participants were able to learn about the antique Budva from the most renowned art historians, architects, and archeologists. Prof. Dr. Adnan Kaljanac spoke on the theme of "The legendary founding of Butua (Budva) and its influence on the appearance of Illyrian ethnos in the Mediterranean." Pprof. Dr. Lucijana Šešelj from the University of Zagreb spoke about Budva and Hellenism on the Adriatic. There were also opportunities for insights into Budva's material culture from the ancient period thanks to lectures by Dr. Milijana Dimitrijević on "Material Culture and Group Identities of Hellenistic Buddhist People" and Stefan Novakovic, who talked about the fortifying construction of Hellenistic Budva and other guild-like settlements on the Montenegrin coast.

The second session of the symposium was devoted to the methodology of research and presentation of the ancient Budva heritage as a cultural heritage. Katarina Jović spoke on the subject of "Ancient Budva Heritage as a Cultural Heritage: the Memory and the Forgiveness of the Ancient Budva Past." The period of antiquity in Budva also left traces of the nautical heritage, spoken by Mr. Gordana Karović, while Mr. Maja Franskovic, Dušan Maksimović, and Dunja Davidović spoke on the topic "Mosaic in a museum setting - the methodology of conservation on the example of an ancient mosaic from Budva." Dobrila Vlahović gave a lecture "Approach to the protection and preservation of cultural and historical values of antique Budva."

(Photo: Foto Bjelica)

The third session of the international symposium was reserved exclusively for the theme of ancient necropolises, discovered 80 years ago. The presentation by Dr. Miroslav Luketic was devoted to memories and records of the first discovery of 1938. Dušan Medin discussed the necropolis interpretations in the period after the invention, from 1938 to 1940, while Doc. Dr. Zorica Kuzmanović, Dr. Jelena Lj. Cvijetić and Mr. Lucija Đurašković talked about the social aspects of the rituals of the dead, the magic power of the graves with bronze bells, and the ways of burial of the deceased in the antique on the example of the Budva necropolis.

Three scientific sessions are planned for tomorrow, as well as a visit to the remains of ancient Budva and the Museum of Budva. The first session will focus on topics of importance for the interpretation of the findings of Hellenistic ceramics in Budva, and the second session deals with the artifacts of glassware and warfare equipment.

The last part of the scientific symposium stands for topics of importance for the evaluation and treatment of the archeological heritage of the broader area of the Montenegrin coast, as well as models of action aimed at better treatment of the oldest layers of cultural heritage.

The conference will end on Friday, 30 November, when participants will be able to meet the cultural heritage of the Old Town of Budva in the company of local guides.

This important project, which promotes the rich cultural and historical past of Budva as an ancient city, has been supported by numerous socially responsible companies and public companies from Budva (Dukley, Adriatic Fair, Zeta Film, Budva Water Supply and Sewerage, Mediterranean Advertising, Lovcen Film, Splendid Hotel, Budva Hotel , the hotel Grbalj, the Adriatic restaurant Kod Krsta and the Porto restaurant). On the occasion of the organization of the exhibition "The first discovery of the ancient necropolises in Budva", Budva's Museum established cooperation with the museums where archaeological artifacts discovered in Budva necropolises are preserved, including the National Museum (Serbia), Archaeological Museum in Zagreb (Croatia), Archaeological Museum in Split (Croatia) and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

25 November 2018 - The recently opened Herceg Novi Comics shop, which Total Montenegro News reported on earlier this month here, has made it to the Bleeding Cool website's headlines this month!

Bleeding Cool is an Internet news site, focusing on news, rumours and gossip, reviews, previews, features, interviews, videos, and columns about comics, TV, film, and games. The website enjoys a high reputation in the comic book industry, as it was nominated for the "Favourite Comics Related Website" Eagle Award in 2010 and 2011 and won the Award in 2012. It was named as one of PC Magazine's top blogs of 2010 and Technorati gave it a perfect 1000 score for influence in the comics category in 2011. Rich Johnston, the founder of the website, was awarded the Shel Dorf Award for Best Comics Blogger for his work on Bleeding Cool in 2012.

The Bleeding Cool Website has reported on the new comics store opening, explaining what the store will focus on and what the shop will contain. The website also mentioned the Herceg Novi Comics Festival, Pasara Gallery as well as an already famous comic store in Podgorica, “Mr. No.”

As the article explains, “Following the recent Herceg Novi Comics Festival, the twelfth in Montenegro, the country is getting another comic store. With the festival, the Pasar Gallery, and the comics shop Mr. No from Podgorica, the first comics shop in the Bay of Kotor has just opened.

The Herceg Novi comics store will promote the likes of Veseli Četvrtak, Ludens, Darkwood and Fiber, as well local comic book publishers and a large manga selection. The shop will also contain Herceg Novi Comics Festival souvenirs and memorabilia. The Paser Gallery was founded by comics artists Boris Šuberić and Vanja Berberović Šuberić, and now will include a comic shop under its roof.”

Read more information about Herceg Novi Comics Shop here. 

25 November 2018 - To mark ten years of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Montenegro, the embassy of the United Arab Emirates is organizing the UAE-MNE Cultural Evening on Tuesday, November 27 at the Great Hall of the Cultural and Informational Centre "Budo Tomović" from 7 PM.

As it was announced in the official report by the CIC “Budo Tomović,” the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy traditional Montenegrin games performed by Cultural and Artistic Association "Njegoš" from Cetinje and the traditional Emirate performance of the ensemble from Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

As explained within the announcement, diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Montenegro were established in 2008. “This year, the two countries celebrate ten years of diplomatic relations that have always been in the spirit of friendship, trust, solidarity, and understanding. For these 10 years the United Arab Emirates and Montenegro have learned a lot about each other, have found ways to work in many areas, and have come close to the two peoples seemingly entirely different and far, turning them into friends and partners," the report says.

The UAE Embassy started working in Montenegro in 2010 and has since made a significant contribution to the promotion of Emirates culture, bringing prominent artists in the field of calligraphy, painting, and drawing, traditional music from the region and traditional costumes typical of UAE.

"Now, for the first time in Montenegro, the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy the folklore performances of the cultural, artistic associations from the UAE, in a friendly exchange with the cultural, artistic association from Montenegro," the CIC reports.

Free tickets for UAE-MNE Cultural Evening can be redeemed at the CIC Ticket Office every workday from 9 AM to 8 PM.

24 November 2018 - The art exhibition of drawings by Nera Pletikosić was opened in the gallery "Josip Bepo Benković" on November 21st. In the introductory text of the catalog of works by Nera Pletikosić, art historian Jasmina Žitnik spoke.

"Nera is a poet that sings about the sadness and loneliness of humankind, but also of faith, hope, love. Her works include drawings of children, women, men, old and youth, who all seem to make one big family, or perhaps even an entire album of family photos. One picture, a man's coming, a change of generation, a life that wins and age and death," said Žitnik when asked about Nera's work.

Nera Pletikosić was born in 1990 in Subotica, Serbia. She finished elementary and mastered academic studies at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. She won the "Hand Palm Print" Award for the results achieved in the field of art in 2015, as well as the annual awards of the Department of Fine Arts for the most successful artistic work in the artistic discipline of drawing, and the University of Novi Sad Prize for achieving success during the studies.

She had several solo exhibitions and participated in collective exhibitions in the country and abroad, as well as in numerous art colonies.

The exhibition by Nera Pletikosić was opened by Jasmina Žitnik, the curator of the gallery "Josip Bepo Benković", and the exhibition will be opened for the visitors until December 4th.

24 November 2018 - The cruise ship "Artania" owned by the German company Phoenix Reisen sailed into Bar on November 23 for the first time and brought 1,054 tourists and 527 crew members to the country. This event has officially closed the “cruising season” in Montenegro, during which 16 cruisers arrived in the port with a total of 22,500 tourists.

According to Emil Kukalj, director of Tourist Organization of Bar, this cruising season was successful. He explained that cruising began to develop in Bar with the arrival of the Global Ports Holding and with the efforts of the Allegra agency, through which the first cruise ship sailed into the port. Cruising merely has continued to lean on the existing resources of Bar Municipality ever since. Cruising tourism, as a part of nautical tourism, has grown to become a financially powerful tourist industry in recent years. The world maritime cruise market is seeing growth in all its submarkets and, according to the estimates; it will become an increasing part of world tourism. The representatives of Bar Municipality are especially pleased that the city has become a destination of interest within cruising voyages, and they are particularly looking forward to positive projections for the future.

Compared to the previous year, the cruising season in Bar is significantly better. According to Tanja Novović, activities coordinator at the joint stock company “Port of Adria," it is announced that 2019 will bring 25 cruisers to the port with about 26,000 tourists. The companies that send their cruisers to Bar are satisfied primarily with safety and security in the port, port facilities, infrastructure and service, but also with the content of this tourist destination which offers the possibility of various excursion tours.

Captain of "Artania" cruise ship, Morten Hansen, has been visiting Montenegro for years. This occasion marks the second time he visited Bar Port. "It's a great opportunity to visit two ports in one day, Kotor and Bar. However, in Kotor space is limited, there is room for one cruiser, and the other is on the anchor. It is a small town, and coming with this many people, we have to pay attention to that. Therefore, it is good that we have another port in Montenegro. If there is a crowd in Kotor, we can choose Bar, and as far as I know from Bar, it is not far to get tourists through the excursion programs to Kotor, it's only an hour away. It is also an opportunity for tourists to see your beautiful country, Montenegro, "said Artania's captain Morten Hansen, who has been working for this company for 13 years.

In 2017, JSC Port of Adria accepted nine cruisers, with about 11,550 passengers arriving in Bar and Montenegro, while in 2016, it took seven cruise ships and 8,660 passengers.

Compared to the 2017 season, the growth of passengers in 2018 is 96%! The projected passenger growth for 2019 compared to the 2018 season is 16 percent. With the arrival of the German cruiser, the tourist season in Bar was extended, which is undoubtedly one of the priority goals of the Municipality.