President of the Parliament of Montenegro Mr Ivan Brajović presented today in Podgorica the 13th July awards for 2019. The winners are: Mr Dragan B. Perović, for original TV series “Montenegrins travelling the world”, TV show “Myth busters” and his book “Stefan Perović Cuca – orepak bića”, Mr Božidar Šekularac for the book “Montenegro in the time of Crnojevići” and Mr Pavle Goranović for the book under the title “Poetry”.
In his address, the President of the Parliament said that the 13th July Uprising was one of the noblest historical books of Montenegro and enslaved Europe, whose old pages had been printed in the oldest state printing house in the world - in the medieval Montenegro:
- This is the book whose lead letters were transformed into bullets won the freedom of our homeland. It is the book that is being written even nowadays and it must not ever be finished as it would be the end of Montenegro. Histories are written, and states live along with their people.
President Brajović stressed that If there had not been 13 July, contemporary Montenegro would not exist:
- That day in 1878, when our independence was confirmed at the Congress in Berlin; or that day in 1941 when a new, liberated Montenegro was born, deceived in 1918. That is what we are celebrating. We are celebrating the Statehood Day in an independent Montenegro and we are presenting 13 July awards.
He said that tradition and history remember that in our country the word has been nourished, fostered and treated as a sacred thing. But also - President Brajović noted that we lived in the time when a word, uttered or written, given or taken, started to devalue, changing its costume from the persecuted into the persecutor. Instead of uniting, a word divides and sabotages, instead of establishing - it targets, istead of fortifying - it disharmonises and relativizes.
- In such times, and we have the and we have the privilege or the challenge to live in a such time, only wisdom can outlive the interest and the spite, just like rationality can outlive anaemia and lethargy. Therefore, we must be wise and patient, because the truth will always find its way. We are here to keep our word and do what we had decided. To stand behind out actions and decisions as it was the case in much worse circumstances than today. For all these reasons, it is even a greater pleasure to present this awards for words transferred into acts, not only for creators, for those who defend our creations and awards from us ourselves, regardless of their names. The words are bound to, and long before that rooted and entangled into the Montenegrin being.
Congratulating the winners, Mr Brajović said that today “we are reaping what our ancestors had sowed”. Everything that survived many decade-long droughts and floods, snows and winds; everything that outlived ideological, religious and other differences and conflicts; everything that reinforced the sparkle of Montenegrin statehood and weaved Montenegrin sky into the civilisation constellation Today, we are worshipping Montenegrin victims who fought against the greatest evil of humanity – fascism. And you, dear award winners, thank you for your work and dedication. Your success and your achievements are the success and achievements of Montenegro”.
On behalf of the winners, Mr Dragan B. Perović thanked the Jury on their selection, saying that the award was the crown of many-decade long work, effort and desire to make a contribution to the Montenegrin cultural milieu.
Montenegro is above us, with boundaries such as liberty, humanity and insubordination. It’s been immersed into the misfortunes and troubles of others for so long, letting them make up for their lack of history using its own values. It’s high time for Montenegrins not to be used as “bullets of somebody else”. We must come back to our own selves and render of decisions on your own, relying on our own striving and bright traditions”, Mr Perović stressed.
The decision on granting 13 July awards was reasoned by President of the Jury Rajko Todorović Todor, who said that the works of the laureates represented the durable value of the Montenegrin culture and science.
- Mr Perović "tirelessly and devotedly, raises our social awareness in special artistic ways and forms, bringing her colossal gifts of invaluable significance and value to the humanistic, scientific, cultural, artistic and historical essence of the spirit and agony of the Montenegrin multicultural heritage” - he said, among other things, for Mr Dragan B. Perović.
Speaking about the works of Mr Božidar Šekularac, President of the Jury said that 28 publications testified to his continuous commitment to scientific and pedagogical works and represented a significant contribution to Montenegrin historiography. His book “Montenegro in the time of Crnojevići” commpletes the research pf medieval Montenmegrin history-.
He said that Pavle Goranović is one of the most prominent Montenegrin poets, whose poetry is filled with numerous philosophical associations and implications, which, together with thoughtfulness, belong to his primary poetic preoccupation. His book, “Poetry”, is characterised by the maturity of the expression and language, a connection of space and worlds, making this author one of the most important figures at the Montenegrin literary scene.
The decision on awarding the 13th July Award for 2019 was made by the jury in the following composition: Mr Rajko Todorović- Todor, President, and members Mr Miomir Vojinović, Mr Igor Lakić, Mr Ranko Milović and Ms Jadranka Selhanović.
SPEECH BY PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF MONTENEGRO MR IVAN BRAJOVIĆ
Footage:
Address by the President of the Parliament of Montenegro
Address by President of the Jury Rajko Todorović Todor.
Address by Dragan Perović, winner of the 13 July Award
