By Nevena Šarenac
Capital city of BiH, will mark the 6th April – Day of City of Sarajevo, and on that occasion in the City Assembly, the program of marking this significant date was presented.
On 6 April, Saturday, Sarajevo will celebrate its birthday, and thus mark 68 years since the liberation of fascism.
On the occasion of marking the Day of Sarajevo, on 6 April, starting at 8 p.m. there will be a solemn session of City Council in Sarajevo National Theatre where Sixth April awards will be given. Winners of these awards are BIH football player Edin Džeko and SOS Children villages of BiH.
Deputy Chairman of City Council Gradimir Gojer talked about this year’s Sixth April award ceremony and said that it is double festivity.
‘Above all, it is festivity through which we’ll thank to people, who carried the glory of Sarajevo, like great football player Edin Džeko. In the same time, we will give our respect to those who deal with young, feeble but with those who are the future of this country’, said Gojer adding that the Džeko has announced his coming to Sarajevo to personally accept the award.
Apart from the Sixth April award ceremony, an award ‘Graham Bamford’ award will also be given.
‘This award will be given to people who helped our fellow citizens in the time when they were endangered’ said Gojer.
Newly appointed mayor of Sarajevo Ivo Komšić noted that on 6th April, the 21st anniversary of the start of the siege of Sarajevo will also be marked, as well as the Day of the Victory over Fascism of the WW II.
‘We’ve been celebrating the 6th April, because it is the day when Sarajevo was freed from fascism of the WW II. But the date is also significant because on that day 1992 the siege of Sarajevo started, which lasted 1440 days and on that occasion we don’t celebrate that date, but we do remember it and mark it. In the modern history of Europe, it was the longest siege of any city’ said mayor Komšić.
The marking of this date will be followed by numerous cultural and sports events, and on 6th April, delegation of the City of Sarajevo will lay the flowers and pay respect to all killed defenders of the city and to victims of fascism in Sarajevo.
Flowers will be laid at Vječna Vatra, at statue of Vladimir Perić Valter and Josip Broz Tito, at ‘Kovači’ cemetery, and at Monument to killed children of besieged Sarajevo 1992-1995, at the bridge of Suada Dilberović and Olga Sučić, near the Faculty of Philosophy at the monument of 1945 Marijin Dvor hanged anti-fascists, Memorial park Vraca, at the old Jewish cemetery, and at the Monument on the ZAVNOBIH Square.
Association of artists of BiH will organise the exhibition on the occasion of Day of Sarajevo on 5 April in Collegium Artisticum, and Centre for Photography Sarajevo and City of Zagreb will set the exhibition called ‘Streets of Zagreb’ on 4 April and Art Gallery of BiH.
Also, the exhibition Konya-Sarajevo will be set on 5 April, and the organiser is Konya-Sarajevo Cultural-Educational Centre.
On the occasion of Day of Sarajevo from 4 to 8 April, the third ‘Sarajevo International Guitar Festival’ will be organised, and the Cultural-Art Association ‘Proleter’ will organise in the Bosnian Cultural Centre on 5 April concert ‘To Sarajevo with Love’.
The Day of Sarajevo will be marked by numerous sports events among them the International Basketball Tournament, Team Chess Championship of Primary Schools, Swimming Meeting ‘Sarajevo, My Love’ and Sixth April Memorial Tournament ‘Vinko Šamarlić’ and ‘Josip Katalinski’.