Her long-term dream has become a reality - Jelena Simic, the actress from Podgorica City Theater, is officially part of the Canadian circus sensation Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun), also referred to as the Circus of the 21st Century. At the audition in Paris in July last year, Simic found herself in the shortlist of the candidates, out of whom, in the end, were elected four for the Circus from Montreal. Jelena is the only one from Montenegro, and there is one candidate from Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Jelena did not want to talk about anything publicly until she got the official confirmation of the membership. And while her emotions settled, she could say for herself today that she is a "clown at the beginning of her career" and a "Cirque dreamer".

"Some ten years ago, I started to follow Cirque du Soleil, through Facebook and YouTube. In addition to their performances, I watched documentary material and I felt that I would love to be part of such a team. I've practiced gymnastics and dancing from when I was a child, which meant a lot to me when I was studying at the Academy and now in doing my job. Not just physical readiness, but also the discipline and self-control that sport teaches us. I had the impression that these skills were needed to work in a team like Cirque du Soleil," she said.

Jelena regularly followed the auditions of the world’s circus sensation, but until last year she did not dare to apply, due to the suspicion that the level of the entire set of skills she possesses is not high enough to consider her at all.

"Today I'm sorry that I did not try it before, but I'm really happy to hear that I passed the audition on my first try. This is for me the most precious and most desirable professional experience," she says.

Several fantastic circus companies in the world are engaged in a contemporary circus in the same way as the circus from Montreal. Still, says Jelena, Cirque du Soleil is the largest of them.

"Cirque du Soleil gathers artists of different profiles from all over the world, respects and inspires the art of all nations and cultures. I believe that this company has succeeded in gathering and raising the art of the whole world to the highest level," adds the young actress from Podgorica.

Cirque du Soleil was founded in 1984 when the hull was made of 20 street entertainers. Today, it employs more than 4,000 people, including 1,300 artists from nearly 50 countries worldwide.

“I feel great respect for the people who have founded and built this company for years, intelligently, creatively, humanly and socially responsible so that we can now watch the culmination of acting, sports, dance, music, costume, scenography, makeup, wigs, organizational and technical achievements in one place - in each of their performances," says Jelena. 

Artists who are part of the Cirque du Soleil program leave the biggest impression on the actress from Podgorica when it comes to this circus sensation. 

"Their actors/clowns carry all the sadness and joy of this world at the same time," she says, adding that there are also incredible musicians and singers, dancers, and acrobats. 

"Many Olympic and world champions in gymnastics are now their artists." 

Because of the high degree of professionalism of each member of this circus troupe, she was not sure what to expect and what to hope for when it came to castings. 

"But from the start, all the candidates got rid of their stage fright because the casting was led by humble, friendly and open people, who treated the candidates with respect and esteem. Their only request was to take the day to show them all we know and to have fun. This is the atmosphere to be desired when it comes to working on the scene, so my admiration and affection for Cirque du Soleil has reached a whole new level."

Now that she is part of the artist’s base in the Cirque du Soleil, Jelena regularly sends them video material and photos of everything new she is doing, and she can still expect an audition for a concrete project in the future - in case her profile is suitable for them.

Jelena says she is also available to all the artists from Montenegro who are interested in the future auditions of the Cirque du Soleil.

She showed all her skills in Paris

The audition of the Cirque du Soleil included application via e-mail, sending a video material showing the candidate’s skills, short video material on "why you want to be part of the Cirque," photos, and a biography. 

"Everything I have stated as my skills at the casting I had the opportunity to show through the various tasks we had been given, independently, and in pairs and groups. We mostly did improvisations, which is inspirational and entertaining, but at the same time requires great concentration and relaxation," said Simic, adding that everything is quite complex when it is performed in a language that is not your mother tongue.

"The audition in Paris was announced to actors of the physical theatre, puppeteers and clowns, and I think my advantage was that I have experience in all three areas." She emphasizes that the years of running to various additional activities and training had paid off.

Text by Damira Kalac, on May 5th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

A boy from Pljevlja, Slobodan Markovic, is one of the best students in the final year of the private high school "Oswestry" in the town of the same name in England.

The school which borders with Wales, with a 612-year-old tradition, is one of the oldest educational establishments in England.

In addition to the British, there are also students from 27 other countries.

Eighteen-year-old Slobodan received the opportunity to be a member of this school two years ago when he, as a second-grade student of the Gymnasium in Pljevlja, applied for a scholarship through the NGO "London Bridge" at the HMC organization. Although the interest of Montenegrin high school scholars was great, he was elected for one of the scholarships. In addition, three more students from Montenegro attend this school and one student from Serbia. "The first few weeks were not easy for someone who went to school in Pljevlja. It was necessary for me to adapt to the lifestyle and the schedules in the education system. What I liked instantly was the friendly society," said Slobodan, who was seventeen when he came to England.

Slobodan is preparing for the final exam that is taken at the end of high school, and the grades he gets will be crucial for enrolling in some of the world's prestigious universities.

He has chosen to study economics, which he showed interest in during his stay in England.

After graduating from high school in England, he says that he will likely continue his schooling at one of the universities in Germany for which he has already applied.

He emphasizes that the British education system is significantly different from ours, which is not suitable for achieving the full potential of some students.

"Our educational system is well organized because it allows students a high level of general education partly due to a large number of subjects and the inclusion of social and natural sciences as well as arts and sports. However, the problem is that a large number of subjects, as well as the inability to have a choice, do not allow students to focus on a more detailed study of the areas in which they are successful and for which they are interested."

In High School in England, Slobodan studies four subjects that he has chosen - mathematics, chemistry, history and economics.

He says that there is about a dozen students in some of the classes.

"The school year begins in September, and this year will end on July 7th. We have three larger vacations - summer, winter and Easter, and a seven-day break at the half of each of the three semesters. We have six lessons from each of the subjects in one week. School begins at 8.20 pm and the class lasts for 60 minutes. After the first two classes we have a break of 20 minutes, then two more classes. From 1-2.30 p.m. it's time for lunch, then we have two more classes, and on Wednesdays two hours of sport. Schools are better equipped. Technology is used, the school has an online platform, and the online system has replaced diaries. We also use the Google classroom and all the students receive a notification when one of the professors uploads something to it," said Markovic, who was the student of the primary school "Ristan Pavlovic" in Pljevlja.

He is a member of the school's blues orchestra, composed of three professors and three students. Slobodan plays the guitar and sings.

When asked whether he thinks he will come back to Montenegro one day, he says he always likes to return to Pljevlja, but that currently there are better conditions for success abroad.

"Knowledge is much more appreciated here, and qualifications are much more valuable than in our country," Slobodan said, who was elected as one of the four student leaders of the school last year.

Slobodan followed the footsteps of his sister Milica who, after completing United World Colleges in Mostar, continued to study in America. She is currently working on her Ph.D. at the famous Harvard in Chemical Biology. Slobodan's older brother Dusan is studying pharmacy in Novi Sad.

Slobodan says that he is particularly grateful to his parents, mother Mira and father Zoran, a renowned doctor from Pljevlja, for the efforts they make to educate them.

Church on Sunday regardless of the religion

Every Sunday, students living in the boarding school go together to the church within the school area, regardless of their nationality and religion.

"Every Sunday at about 6 pm, students from the boarding school, one hundred of us, need to go to the church, regardless of the religion. We listen to the lectures from the Bible which I think is useful. The church is part of the school's tradition because it was founded when the church was the dominant sphere of life," Markovic points out, who lives in the boarding school with one hundred students.

Students are allowed to leave the boarding school to go to the town, except on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the condition that they are obliged to return by 10 p.m. Those who don't abide can be in custody, which means they are not allowed to leave the boarding school except for lunch and when going to school, says Slobodan. A punished student is also obligated to spend the whole day in the school uniform.

Text by Goran Malidzan, on May 5th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

The old fortress in Niksic, a centuries-old place of struggles, continues to keep the secret of its creation unknown.

While world-renowned archaeologists and historians claimed that the Romans or Goths built the ancient city of Onogost, science did not go along with them and offered concrete proof - during the last survey, a Byzantine coin from the end of the ninth century was found, which may or may not be a confirmation about the age of Bedem, as citizens of Niksic call the fortress.

A coin found earlier which originates from the late ancient times on the west side of Onogost was just a random finding and as such it could not be brought into the context of the age of the walls, experts say.

The town from the Turkish period consisted of the Upper Town (fort) with six towers and the Lower Town which had one tower less. While explorations of the Montenegrin archeologists from 1988 and 2015 have been largely concentrated on the Lower Town, a team of ten experts from the Center for Archeology and Conservation of Montenegro, led by archeologist Mile Bakic, started investigating the Upper Town in March this year, in order to find out whether there are any older remnants beneath the walls that exist today.

But, in researching the fourth century and ancient times, they have encountered a Byzantine coin from the end of the ninth and the beginning of the tenth century. "Unfortunately, we have only deepened the doubts that exist. For now, we have not succeeded in proving or rejecting the claim that Bedem was built in Roman times. We were looking into the fourth century with the old thesis that Anagastum was here. In two places we have found some sort of older wall that, due to the lack of solid evidence, could not be accurately dated. The Byzantine coin we found was from the late ninth to the early tenth century. It is a bronze folis of the Byzantine Emperor Lav VI (ruled from 886 to 912). The coin was not found in the right context, but in the layer of waste from the last phase of the Turks, so it did not clearly show us if there is something from that period, but it pointed out to us that there is a great probability that there is," explains archaeologist Milos Zivanovic.

The coin, as he said, was found on the path to the citadel, so further research will be continued in that area.

"There is a great deal of probability that this coin found itself there because the layers that were underneath were dug up and so it emerged at the top, and not under the Turkish grounds. We are looking for it and we hope to be able to determine its date. The Citadel is the only place where one can expect something older because there are other places on the rock where older material could not be saved. I am completely convinced that these walls are older and we are focusing all our attention to investigating it," said Zivanovic, who found the coin last week.

In addition to the coin, several exhibits from the Turkish period were found interesting from the museum but not the archeological site, which would enrich the setting of the Niksic Museum. These are pipes, coffee cups, a knife handles.

"We saw coffee and tobacco only with the arrival of the Turks. The first finds of these Turkish pipes are from the 17th century, and these pipes found here are from the 19th century and are interesting from the museum side. We also found a small knife-handle, on which there is written the exact date - 8 May 1789," Zivanovic said.

Most of the time during the research, which is funded by the Ministry of Culture, has been taken away by removing the accumulated material.

"After the first removal of waste, we came to original levels from the Turkish period, which are perfectly preserved, which is very important for further ideas on revalorising this site. All the walking paths, a small square, even the original floor in the Dizdar's house, are in very good condition. In these layers, a lot of recent material has been found that speaks enough about the times the Turks were here. At that time, they were very innovative for this whole area, which we can see at the Niksic fortress where we have furnaces with all heating systems, tanks. This fortification was very well designed and served well in the time it was built."

The famous English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who liberated Niksic in 1877, considered that the Romans built the old town of Onogost in the 3rd or 4th centuries.

Historians Konstantin Jiricek and Milan Suflaj considered that the Goths raised Onogost at the end of the 5th or early 6th centuries and that the city was named after the Gothic Army Commander Anagast.

When it was really built, may be known after the research, or Bedem, which was neither saved by the people nor time, will still keep the secret of its foundation.

Sobajic described the Upper Town in detail

How the Upper Town (Fortress) looked was described in detail by Petar Sobajic in the book "Onogost" from 1938. "The Upper Town was a fortress that still lies on a cliff and stretches about 250 meters in length. The walls of the city are one meter thick, somewhere even two meters and four or more meters high. Everywhere on the walls are loopholes. In the south, there was a pentagonal and three-floored Nebojsa tower, which defended the access to the south side of the city. In the northern part, there is an octagonal tower and behind it, there is a wide platform from which several cannons could operate on all the sides. In the middle of the Upper Town, there are two square-shaped squares, five meters long and wide. In the fort are two buildings, now the walls, and they served as residential apartments of the city’s dizdar and guard. Next to the canons, there is a deep basement buried in the rock and on the vault. Closer to the tower Nebojsa, above Pop, is the second basement where the Turks closed serious prisoners. It was named Petkovaca after the protagonist Petko Kovacevic, who served his sentence there and who the Turks had taken to Mostar and hanged in 1864."

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on May 5th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

May 6, 2019 - The US organization Freedom House classified Montenegro as a partially free state and assessed that President Milo Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) used an extensive network of corruption, including allegedly linked organized crime, to remain in power for nearly three decades.

May 6, 2019 - Citizens who oppose the militarization of the Sinjajevina Mountain have announced a protest on 19 May at noon. They will gather at the Katun Okrugljak, in front of the Ružica church to require the Ministry of Defense not to build a military training area on the Sava Waters.

05 May 2019 - If you wanted to construct a building, construction object or similar construction project, here are the important steps one should take to build a building in Montenegro, according to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro.

1. Application for issuing urban technical specifications - application form 

• Article 74 paragraph 1 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18);
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications, and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18). 

2. Issuance of urban technical specifications - form

• Article 74 paragraph 13 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18); 
• Decree on entrusting the affairs falling under the competence of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism to local self-government units; 
• Decree on amount of the fee for issuing urban technical specifications.

Issuance of urban technical specifications has been entrusted by the Government of Montenegro to the local self-government units. Urban technical specifications shall be issued within 20 days of the submission of the application, and the amount of the fee to be paid for their issuance is determined by a Decree adopted by the Government. In addition to information prescribed by the law governing administrative procedure, the application must also include data regarding cadastral parcel's identification. 

3. Development of the Conceptual Design of the building - Engagement of a licensed business organisation for the development of the engineering documents and construction of the structure, based on the issued urban technical specifications. 

• Article 76 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18). 

4. Application for obtaining approval of the chief state architect or the chief city architect given to the conceptual design - form of application

• Article 87 paragraph 7 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications, and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18).

5. Issuance of the approval of the chief state architect or the chief city architect - within 15 days

• Article 87 paragraph 6 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18).

6. Development of the Final Design of the building - the business organisation that has developed the conceptual design or another business organisation (but it must be licensed for development of engineering documents and construction of structures)

• Article 78 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on the manner of preparation and content of Engineering Documents for construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 44/18).

7. Review of the Final Design - reviewer (a business organisation licensed for reviewing engineering documents and performing engineering supervision), who is obliged to verify whether the Final Design compliance with the issued urban technical specifications and the Conceptual Design for which has been obtained approval by the Chief City Architect. 

The reviewer is obliged to obtain the necessary approvals issued for the engineering documents in accordance with special regulations for the account of the investor, as well as a copy of the plan and property deed for the parcel in question. The authorities that issue mentioned approvals, as well as a copy of the plan and the property deed, are obliged to deliver them in an electronically signed to the responsible reviewer free of charge within 15 days from the date of submission of the application. 

The reviewer is obliged to make a written statement that a structure may be built on the basis of the final design – statement form

• Article 81, 82 and 85 paragraph 2 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18); 
• Rulebook on the manner of performing the review of the Final Design (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 18/18).

8. Contracting agreements with the contractor (business organisation licensed for developing engineering documents and construction) and the engineering supervisor (business organisation licensed for performing the review of engineering documents and performing engineering supervision).

• Article 91 paragraph 3 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18).

9. Notification of building work - form 

• Article 91 paragraph 1 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on the manner of performing engineering supervision over the building of structure (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 48/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications, and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18).

Notification of building works is submitted to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism - Directorate for Inspection Supervision and Licenses, within 15 days prior to the commencement of construction of the building. In the aforementioned period, the inspection authority checks the floor area ratio, lot coverage ratio, number of floors or height of the structure and its relation to the building line, and whether the following is delivered: 

• final design stamped pursuant to the Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Structures;
• positive review report of the final design; 
• evidence of liability insurance of the design engineer that has developed the final design or of the responsible reviewer that has reviewed the final design, in accordance with the present Law; 
• contractor agreement; 
• engineering supervision agreement; 
• evidence of ownership right over land or another right to build on the land or evidence of ownership right over the structure and approval of the chief state architect or the chief city architect given to the conceptual design;
• evidence of resolved relations with regard to the payment of a fee for building land connection to utilities;
• if the building is constructed at the Montenegrin coastal zone, evidence of resolved relations with regard to the payment of a specific fee for construction of the regional water supply system for municipalities at the Montenegrin Coast. 

10. Placement of an information board at the place of structure construction as of the date of notification of building work to the competent inspection authority - informing the local public of the intended building activity

• Article 89 paragraph 5 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on the form and appearance of the board for construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17).

11. Application for registration of a structure in the Real Estate Cadastre - application form

• Article 104 paragraph 2 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18); 
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18).

The application is submitted to the Cadastre within 15 days from the date of receipt of the Final report of the engineering supervisor with the following documentation:

• evidence prescribed by the law that governs the registration of rights to real estate;
• final engineering supervision report, which contains a written statement that the structure was built in compliance with the reviewed final design, that it is suitable for use and can be used for its purpose - statement form;
• Article 103 paragraph 1 of the Law on spatial planning and construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 64/17, 44/18 and 63/18);
• Rulebook on forms of applications, notifications and statements in the process of construction of structures (Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro 70/17 and 60/18);
• a study of original as-built field data, stamped by a licenced surveying organisation. 

In the case that urban technical specifications have already been issued, the procedure starts from point 3 of this roadmap.

This roadmap for construction of a building in Montenegro was published by Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro on March 29, 2019.

05 May 2019 - On the second day of the Sedona Forum, President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović spoke at the panel on "Why is US Leadership Still Important?", whose introductory was made by former Arizona State Senator Jeff Flake. In addition to President Đukanović, panelists were John Rood Under Secretary of Defence for Policy, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island. The discussion was moderated by former Senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire.

Opinions on the importance of the American leading role in defending democracy and achieving prosperity and security in the world were shared, as well as ways to preserve the Euro-Atlantic advantage in global and regional geopolitical matches.

On that theme, President Đukanović referred to the historically important role that the United States played in the Western Balkans in the nineties and apostrophized the importance of maintaining US attention to the region, together with the EU, with a view to successfully resolving open issues that burden its European and Euro-Atlantic path. He drew attention to the growing challenges facing the North Atlantic Partnership in the modern era, to the significance of Euro-Atlanticism for America, Europe, and the whole world, and called for determination in defense of the Euro-Atlantic system of values.

Immediately after the panel discussion, President Đukanović handed over posthumously the Order of Montenegrin flag first degree to Senator McCain's wife Cindy McCain, who was awarded for a remarkable contribution to Montenegrin independence and the achievement of key foreign policy priorities of Montenegro, primarily NATO membership. President Đukanović recalled, among other things, the words of Senator McCain that the Montenegrin independence referendum was perhaps the most important democratic project in Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also pointed to the senator's implicit understanding of the security and political challenges facing Montenegro and the Western Balkans.

"He encouraged us to be a bright example for the region and to continue to promote the ideals of Western civilization and transatlantic values," said Đukanović.

Receiving the Order, Mrs. McCain thanked the President for the fact that Montenegro cherished the memory of Senator McCain and pointed out that he was always a great friend and supporter of the Montenegrin people and Montenegro.

"Thank you for honoring his life, and for continuing the ideal he advocated for," said McCain.

At the margins of the Sedona Forum, President Đukanović had a series of informal meetings with senators, congressmen and other participants of the Forum.

04 May 2019 - President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović attended the opening of the "Sedona Forum" in the town of Sedona, at the invitation of Kurt Volker, executive director of the "McCain Institute for International Leadership" on his first day in Arizona.

The Forum was opened by the Executive Director, Volker, who recalled that this significant security-political event, organized for the seventh time, traditionally brings together political leaders, thinkers and business and academia representatives, with the aim of seeking answers to all the more serious modern challenges in the world.

He stressed that this year the responsibility of the participants is greater, as the forum for the first time will not hear thoughts from the man who inspired it, as Senator McCain passed away last year. At an official dinner for leaders, where President Đukanovic was among the most distinguished guests, participants paid respect to the deceased senator, while guests were welcomed by the governor of Arizona Doug Doucey and the rector of the State University of Arizona Dr. Michael Crow.

President Đukanović had an open and very contentful bilateral meeting with the executive director Kurt Volker, who conveyed the greetings of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, as well as the support for Montenegro in addressing the challenges facing Montenegro on the road to achieving strategic goals.

The President informed Volker about current processes in Montenegro, the massive results achieved following the renewal of independence on the internal and international plan as well as projections for further economic and democratic development and progress in the negotiation process with the European Union.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on the current situation in the region and agreed on ways to tackle the remaining open issues, with the assessment that the presence and joint action of the European Union and the United States of America are crucial for this as well as for the European perspective of the region.

Otherwise, calls to the "Sedona Forum" are addressed to a limited and selected number of participants, and discussions on all issues are of a closed type and can not be cited and published.

04 May 2019 - This year’s season has started better than expected and Montenegro can already expect that revenues from tourism would reach 1,1 million EUR, as estimated by co-owner of the Montenegro Stars Hotel Group and president of the Montenegrin Tourism Association, Žarko Radulović.

According to him, this will be a record-breaking year for tourism in Montenegro. He also pointed out that tourism could manage to generate even more revenues, but some things must be arranged prior to that.

“I mean primarily on fiscal discipline and then on the unfair competition. In addition, coastal towns must be fashioned after the high-end tourism destinations,” said Radulović.

As for the expectations from the summer tourist season, he says that everything will go better than they have been expecting.

Tourists are coming even earlier than last year. According to him, that is a sign that Montenegro has entered the Western Europe market.

“This means that companies and other associations which were traditionally going to other destinations now spotted Montenegro and arrivals are going to increase in the forthcoming period,” Radulović noted, emphasizing that this means that the next winter season will be even better.

The number of new flights is continuously increasing and that is what brings tourists.

“The number of announced flights is almost the same as last year. There is a somewhat lower number of those from Russia which we certainly expected but still, we are still satisfied,” concluded Radulović.

Due to increased interest and holidays, the organizing committee of the Seventh Regional Festival of Fantastic Literature "REFESTICON" has decided to extend the deadline for submission of the stories by May 10^th. As announced, the deadline will be extended according to the same terms and conditions of the competition, so that interested writers from all over the region will have the opportunity to participate in the competition for the collection titled “Dragon of Vrazji firovi”.

The stories will be anonymously evaluated by an international jury composed of prominent writers and organizers of partner festivals. The organizers added that up to now about one hundred stories were received in the region and for the collection of elementary and high school students.

Terms for the competition:

1. It is necessary that the themes relate to the dragon motif, preferably connected to Cave of Vrazji firovi (Djalović's Cave).
2. Only unpublished stories (epic or science fiction, fantasy, horror) can be submitted to the competition;
3. The action can take place in the past, the present or the future;
4. Stories can be written in Montenegrin, Serbian, Croatian or Bosnian language, ranging from 3 to 8 pages;
5. Text should be sent only by e-mail only to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in Word (font Arial, size 12) with title, author's name and surname, short biography (up to 300 words) and contact information;
6. One author may submit only one unpublished story in any form and is liable for its authorship;
7. The deadline for sending a story is May 10^th, 2019;
8. Selected stories are not paid and there are no prizes given to the best one;
9. The selection of stories will be conducted by an international jury, while the results will be published before the festival;
10. Selected stories will be published in a collection that will premiere at the 7th Regional Festival of Fantastic Literature REFESTICON 2019 held in Bijelo Polje, Montenegro.

Text by radiobijepopolje.me, on May 3rd, 2019, read more at CdM