ЈП Пошта Србије

125 Years since the Birth of Sava Šumanović

Sava Šumanović (Vinkovci, 22 January 1896 – Sremska Mitrovica, 30 August 1942) is one of the greatest Serbian painters of all time. He completed Grammar school in Zemun, and College for Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, where he staged his first solo exhibition in 1918.

In the autumn of 1920 he went to Paris, where he studied at the Academy with the prominent artist André Lhote. That was the time when the most significant cubist paintings in the history of our painting were created: Sculptor at the Studio, Still Life with a Clock, Sailor on the Dock, Port Agent. After Paris he returned to Zagreb where he wrote essays Painter on Painting and Why I Love Poussin's Painting, very significant for understanding his ideas and art.

He went to Paris again in 1925, where he exhibited at the Autumn Salon in 1926. At the time Breakfast on the Grass was created, a self-portrait with four nudes in the landscape. He also participated in the painting of the cult café “La Coupole“ in 1927, and in the same year he painted Drunk Ship, which he exhibited at the Salon of the Independents.

He returned to Šid in 1928, painted the first landscapes from “Sremska krajina“, near Šid, on which he depicted a unique light of his homeland. In the autumn of 1928 in Belgrade, he exhibited paintings created in Paris, and the exhibition was well received by both the critics and the public. He went to Paris again, where he created masterpieces: Red Carpet, Lying Female Nude, Luxembourg Park in Paris.

In March 1930 he returned to Šid. He painted nudes based on sketches he brought from Paris and landscapes from his surroundings. These themes remained dominant in his work to the very end. In September 1939 in Belgrade, he organized great solo exhibition where he exhibited 410 paintings. Satisfied with the success of the exhibition, he continued to work with great enthusiasm, despite the war.

In 1941, Šid became part of the NDH. In one senseless Ustasha action on the day of Dormition of the Mother of God in 1942, Sava Šumanović was arrested and shot with a group of citizens of Šid in Sremska Mitrovica, where he was buried in a common grave.

Motif on the stamp: Pickers-Evenke, 1939, oil on canvas; motif on the vignette: Linden alley, 1941, oil on canvas; motif on the cover: The Church of Šid, 1940, oil on canvas.

Expert collaboration: Jovana Lakić, director, Gallery of paintings “Sava Šumanović“ in Šid

100 Years since the Birth of Zoran Petrović

Zoran Petrović (Sakule, 7 April 1921 – 23 June 1996) completed Grammar school in Pančevo, and the Academy of Arts in Belgrade in 1948 with professors V. PomoriŠac, М. Milunović and I. Tabaković. He attended a special course in 1949 in the class of professor Đ. Andrejević Kun. From 1951 to 1953 he was a member of the the Independent group, and from 1955 to 1960 of the December group. He participated in the founding of art colonies in Bačka Topola and Ečka. He exhibited in numerous group exhibitions since 1948, аnd in solo exhibitions since 1953 throughout Yugoslavia and abroad. He was a full-time professor at the Department of Drawing and Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts (former ALU) in Belgrade (1949 – 1986). He was engaged in painting, sculpture, drawing and collage, and at the same time in literature (Village of Sakule, and in Banat, Windows of the Plains), he wrote radio plays and monodramas, and the script for the film Hitler from our alley. He was a member of the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia since 1949 and the Association of Playwrights of Serbia. He won several awards: ”The Memorial of Nadežda Petrović” in Čačak in 1961, the Drawing Award of the Lernier Foundation in Sao Paolo in 1961, the Seventh of July Award of the Republic of Serbia in 1962, the ULUS Award in 1966 and others. His works are part of many public and private collections. In 1979, he set up a permanent gallery of his paintings, drawings and sculptures in his family house in Sakule in Banat, and in 1989 he donated a legacy of 100 works to the city of Pančevo.

Since 1955 when exhibited with the December group, he opted for abstract, monochrome forms with an informal structure. Since 1957, he intensively devoted himself to experiments in sculpture, creating installations of boiled and cast iron and steel. In a unique way, with fiction and association on the topic of imaginery machines-beings, warriors of the modern Apocalypse with a man-victim of civilization who warns and sends anti-war messages in a witty and ironic way, he marked one of the most significant periods of late Yugoslav and Serbian modernism.

Motif on the stamp: A guest hates another guest, and the host hates both, from the cycle Folk proverbs, 1955, ink and tempera on paper; motif on the vignette: Warrior form, 1982, sheet metal, cast and weld iron; motifs on the cover: This knight was afraid of war, too, 1968, cast and weld iron and steel; Little grumpy marksman, 1992, sheet metal, plastic, cast and weld iron.

Expert collaboration: Gordana StaniŠić, museum adviser, The National Museum in Belgrade

Graphic realization of the issue: MA JakŠa Vlahović, academic graphic artist

150 years since sending the first Serbian postcard

First Serbian postcard, popularly called ”Zmaj” (Dragon), was sent by Jovan Manojlović on 19th of May 1871 from Vienna, from the editorial board of the newspaper ”Zmaj” to Sombor, to the address of a lawyer Dimitrije Manojlović. It was written in Serbian language, in Cyrillic. The postcard was printed on a cardboard of 155 mm x 105 mm format, in the coloured copper engraving technique, done by the Vienna typographer and carver Rudolf Schürer von Waldheim at the beginning of 1871. The postcard was ordered by the editorial board of the satirical newspaper ”Zmaj”, which was one of the first and the best edited humorous newspapers in Serbian language. It was the reason why its founder and editor-in-chief, poet Jovan Jovanović was nicknamed Zmaj. This satirical newspaper was founded by Jovan Jovanović in 1864, and the name ”Zmaj” is a play on words, since May 3 was the date of the May Assembly in 1848 (in Cyrillic 3. мај – Змај).

Visual design of the postcard, a drawing depicting the mythical creature – dragon with outstretched wings, under which there are Constantinople and Moscow, and between them the steamer with the Serbian flag, was done by geodetic lieutenant Petar Manojlović. Moreover, the newspaper ”Zmaj” was published from 1864 to 1871 in Budim, Novi Sad and last year in Vienna, where six issues plus a special issue, for reputation, were printed, after which the magazine ”Zmaj” stopped publishing. The paper maintained a fighting stance towards the Serbian regime and conservatives in Hungary, gained a good reputation with sharp satire, but had problems with a small number of subscribers and with difficult entry into Serbia, where it was not otherwise banned. The postcard ”Zmaj” was one of the first in the world and it represents a rarity at the global level. Of the entire printed circulation, only one copy has survived to this day, and it is known that it was owned by the Manojlović family until the 1930s, which was published in Belgrade’s newspapers ”Pravda” in 1929. It is such a rarity that it even entered the encyclopaedia in our country (YLI). The postcard was exhibited at a philatelic auction in Paris in 1964, and to this day only a dozen people around the world have owned this postcard, which has been in collections in Belgium, France and Germany... Last time it was sold to the current owner at the 2009 auction in Salzburg.

© Institut for valorisation and presentation of postcards (IZVOR), Zagreb

Expert collaboration: Union of Philatelists of Serbia

Graphic realization of the issue: MA Jakša Vlahović, academic graphic artist

Saker Falcon – Falco cherrug

The breeding area of the saker falcon stretches from the Central Europe in the west eastwards to Manchuria in the east, across the temperate zone of Eurasia. The males and females are similar in colouration, but the females are larger and heavier. It mainly feds on rodents and birds, most often on the European ground squirrel and pigeons. The saker falcon breeds in Serbia in nests made by other birds, mainly ravens, snatched from the host during March. This species lays three to six eggs. The female lies on the eggs, but both parents look after the chicks.

The saker falcon is threatened worldwide and the fast population decline is observed everywhere, particularly in Asia where most of the population lives. The main causes of the population decline are destroying of habitats, persecution and killing. In Serbia, the saker falcon is the most significant species of globally threatened birds, with some 40 breeding pairs at the moment. It has а status of strictly protected species. The protection measures applied in Serbia include artificial nests that the saker falcon accepts readily.

Shore Lark – Eremophila alpestris

The shore lark is the only species of lark that is found in the Americas, apart from Eurasia and North Africa. The shore lark is a widespread species, but is linked to specific habitats and never frequently seen and numerous. In Serbia, this species breeds in high mountains.

The shore lark lives in grassy and rocky habitats with low vegetation cover and barren parts in the mountains. It feeds on insects and grass seeds. The sexes differ in colouration and the feather on the head, resembling “horns” that gave the bird its American name: the horned lark. The males perform their wedding flight during which they sing and attract the females. In general, the shore lark lays two to five eggs with only the female lying on them, but both parents feed the chicks.

The species is not threatened globally, but in Serbia is classified as locally threatened species. The overgrown habitats and global warming are considered the main reasons of decline in number of this species in Serbia.

Expert collaboration: Marko Raković, Ph.D., Natural History Museum in Belgrade.

Artistic realization of the issue: MA Marija Vlahović, academic graphic artist.

175 Years of the Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Belgrade

The Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Belgrade is the oldest and leading educational and scientific institution of civil engineering and geodesy in Serbia. The beginning of higher education began on 19 June 1846, when on the initiative of Atanasije Nikolić, by profession a geodetic engineer, the "Engineering School" at the Lyceum in Belgrade was formed. Atanasije Nikolić was also the first rector of the Lyceum, the first president of the Society of Serbian Letters (the predecessor of SANU), but also the founder of the first theatre in Belgrade – the Theatre on Đumruk, in 1841.

When the Ministry of Construction of Serbia was established in 1862, the foundation of construction legislation in Serbia was laid. The following year, the Lyceum evolved into the Higher School with three faculties: Philosophical, Technical and Legal, which in 1905 grew into a University. On the site of the former "Race track", the Technical Faculty received a new, in many ways the most beautiful building in Belgrade in 1931. It was built according to the project of university professors Vojislav Zadjina, a civil engineer and at that time dean of the Technical Faculty, and architects Nikola Nestorović and Branko Tanazević, in the spirit of academism with dominant classicist elements. Today, this building houses three faculties of technical sciences: Civil Engineering, Architecture and Electrical Engineering.

Over the past 175 years, the forms of higher education, political circumstances, laws and curricula have changed. However, civil engineering and geodesy have remained engineering disciplines highly significant for the development of the state and society. In that period, almost 13,500 students graduated, about 550 received their master's degrees, and more than 370 engineers received their doctorates. Under the auspices of the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Belgrade, other faculties were established in Serbia and the surrounding area: in Novi Sad, Banja Luka, Podgorica. The impressive contribution of civil and geodetic engineers is built into the foundations of modern Serbia. A large number of scientists and public figures are among them, of whom Milutin Milanković and Nikola Pašić, both civil engineers, are probably the most famous.

Modern, recognizable and efficient, the Faculty of Civil Engineering today proudly celebrates its great jubilee. On the foundations of the glorious past, we create a better future, guided by the postulates written on the coat of arms of the Faculty: studere, docere, aedificare – research, educate, build. And this has been the case for 175 years.

Expert collaboration: Prof. Vladan Kuzmanović, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering.

Artistic realization of the issue: MA Anamari Banjac, academic painter.

75 Years Since the Reconstruction of the Road-Railway Bridge Over the Danube

75 years since the reconstruction of the road and railway bridge over the Danube will be marked in November 2021.

On 10^th November 1935 Prince regent Pavle Karađorđević opened for public traffic the Pančevo railway and the new "Bridge of the King Petar Karađorđević".

The construction of the bridge attracted the attention of the public since it was one of the biggest in Europe. The total length was 1,526 m, out of which 1,134 m was above the water while the viaduct above the right riverside of the Danube was 134.9 m and the extension of the bridge above the left riverside was 256.8m.

The Pančevo Bridge was constructed by the German companies: "Deutsch Luxemburgisch Bergwerks und Hütten, A. G." (upper part) and "Siemens-Bauunion G.M.B.H. – Siemenstand" (concrete pillars, etc). Roadway was constructed by the French company "Batinol".

During the destruction in the Second World War, the Bridge was damaged. In April 1941 it was torn down by the Yugoslav Army in order to slow down the progress of Nazis, but the Germans repaired it for their needs. The Bridge suffered severe damage during the bombing of the Allies, and it was blown up after the withdrawal of occupiers from Belgrade in October 1944.

The post-war reconstruction works on the Bridge started on 1^st November 1945 executed by the Red Army that had a vast number of experts with the necessary mechanization, with the aid of a part of our First Railway Brigade. The Bridge was repaired by the end of 1946.

The first train over the reconstructed Red Army Bridge passed on 7^th November 1946, and Josip Broz Tito put into operation the road part of the Bridge on 29^th November with the simbolic ribbon cutting.

Expert collaboration: Railway Museum within JSC "Serbian Railways".

Artistic realization of the issue: MA Anamari Banjac, academic painter.

Earth Day – 22 April is a date which represents the occasion to reassess our relationship towards the planet we live on. At the same time, it is a public campaign to stop or alleviate the consequences of destructive civilizational development.

The initiative to mark Earth Day, which was established in 1970 in the United States of America and has been celebrated worldwide since 1992, has become a global incentive for actions which address today’s major environmental issues.

In recent years, there have been more discussions about climate change and it’s consequences on the planet, and those topics have been the focus of this international date. The care for the preservation of nature and the survival of the planet are of special importance, since the state of the environment, the economy, way of life, and even the reduction of poverty in the world depend on people’s treatment of nature and natural resources. Disturbance of ecological balance and excessive exploitation of the planet’s resources are global problems that endanger all countries to a certain extent.

Serbia is a country that can still boast areas with preserved nature, unaltered landscapes and a significant degree of biodiversity conservation. However, that obliges us not to repeat other people’s mistakes, and to properly evaluate and preserve what we have as a unique part of the planet Earth.

Expert collaboration: Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia.

Artistic realization of the issue: Nadežda Skočajić, academic graphic artist.

The ruins of the Đurđevi stupovi Monastery, the endowment of the Great Prince Stefan Nemanja, stand on top of the wooded hill that dominates the landscape of Novi Pazar. Complex – which consists of the church of St. George, refectory, dwelling, cistern and walls with an entrance tower – was built in eighth decade of the 12^th century. The single–nave temple with a tripartite altar space, a nave with side vestibules and a narthex flanked by two towers, in its external appearance reveals the spirit of Western, Romanesque architecture. The frescoes, today mostly damaged and partly transferred of the Komnenos style and skilfully adapted to the architecture of the temple, which was especially evident in the unique dome with an eliptical plan. The entrance tower was turned into a chapel and the tomb of King Dragutin when the apse was added to the east side in 1282/83. Apart from the fact that the interior of the chapel is painted with frescoes of historical content, the works carried out in the monastery at the end of the 13^th century included the construction of a new refectory, dwellings and painting of the catholicon’s nartex. The deterioration of the complex began in Otoman times, and culminated in the wars of the first half of twentieth century. Archaelogical and restoration works were carried out from 1960 to 1982, and the monastery life was renewed at the end of the last century. As part of the architectural complex of Stari Ras with Sopoćani, the monastery has been on the World Heritage List since 1979.

Expert collaboration: Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia – Belgrade

Artistic realization of the issue: Miroslav Nikolić

Studenica, as the most important monastery complex of medieval Serbia, still represents a great artistic and spiritual centre of the Serbian people. Since the 12^th century, when it was founded, this monastic community has not at any time interrupted its centuries-long life, whose cultural layers are recognized in a number of architectural and painting achievements. The endowment and tomb of the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty served as a model for many rulers of this line, not only as an incentive to build mausoleums that would resemble the Church of the Mother of God, but also as a place where they could give their personal contribution. Thus, after the construction of the monastery walls and catholicon, several buildings were built over time that were supposed to satisfy the religious and economic needs of the Studenica fraternity: the dining room, Radosav’s narthex, the church of St. Nicholas and St. John, King’s Church, lodgings, etc. Along with the builders, numerous painters worked in Studenica, from those who marked the path of Serbian medieval painting with masterpieces of Byzantine frescoes of the 13^th century, through the court workshop of King Milutin and leading artists of the renewed Patriarchate of Peć, to the 19^th century painters. Some of the capital examples of Serbian applied art are kept in the Treasury. Inscribed in the World Heritage List in 1986, the Studenica Monastery is a cultural monument where protective works are performed continuously.

Expert collaboration: Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia – Belgrade

Artistic realization of the issue: Miroslav Nikolić

Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God in the Gračanica Monastery, the endowment of the king Milutin, was built in the second decade of the 14^th century. Constructed in the form of a five-domed building with an inscribed cross plan, the church of Gračanica is one of the top architectural achievements of the era. In the middle of the 14^th century, an outer narthex was added. Michael and Eutychius, famous painters from Thessaloniki, finished the frescoes by 1321. In the central dome, below the image of Christ Pantocrator, the Heavenly Liturgy, prophets and evangelists are presented. There are the Great Feasts Cycle, the Passion of Christ, Miracles and Parables, Christ’s appearances after the Resurrection, scenes from the life of the Mother of God, St. Nicholas and the Calendar of Saints in the nave. There are Eucharistic and Old Testament themes in the altar. Milutin and his wife Simonis, a Byzantine princess, are depicted as rulers by the will of God, because their crowns are brought to them by angels from heaven. The geneaology of the Nemanjić dinasty and the Last Judgment are painted in the narthex, while fragments of frescoes painted in the 14^th century and around 1570 are preserved in the outer narthex. In addition to the compositions from the cycle of the Ecumenical Councils, the Akathist of the Mother of God and the Baptism, there are portraits of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs and scene of the funeral of Metropolitan Dionysius of Gračanica. The Gračanica treasury was destroyed in fires between 1379 and 1383. Today, the monastery houses a significant collection of icons, among which the oldest one is Christ the Merciful from the 14^th century, unique in its dimensions (269 x 139 cm). Works on the conservation of architecture and paintings take place permanently. It was inscribed in the World Heritage List in 2006, as a part of architectural complex of Medieval monuments in Kosovo, with two more monastery complexes.

Expert collaboration: Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia – Belgrade

Artistic realization of the issue: Miroslav Nikolić

Yuri Gagarin was the first man to fly into space on April 12, 1961. This historic event was carried out after many years of thorough preparations within the Soviet programme for space exploration. Gagarin soared into space in the Soviet spacecraft Vosto–1, in which he flew around the globe in 108 minutes. The first manned flight into space by Yuri Gagarin meant a high risk for the life of the cosmonaut, so Gagarin was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union after a successful flight.

German Titov was the second man who soared into Earth’s orbit on August 6, 1961. To this day Titov is the youngest astronaut to fly into space at the age of only 26, and his one-day and one-hour-long flight, during which he made 17 orbits around the Earth, was the longest at the time. Titov flew into space from the cosmodrome in Baikonur as part of the space mission Vosto–2 and was the first man to photograph and film the Earth from orbit. For the second successfully completed orbital flight in the history of mankind he was awarded the prestigious title of Hero of the Soviet Union. German Titov visited Belgrade in the autumn of 1961.

Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to fly into space on June 16, 1963. To this day Tereshkova remains the youngest female astronaut and the only woman who flew into space on her own. The Vosto–6 space mission lasted for almost 3 days, during which Tereshkova made 48 orbits around the Earth. Valentina Tereshkova is one of the most important pioneers of space conquest. Her heroic deed made her into a national hero in Russia and a role model for many women worldwide.

University library ”Svetozar Markovic” Belgrade

Motif on FDC 5a/2021: Ground trace of ”Vosto–1” complete orbit.

Motif on FDC 5b/2021: Model of the Vostok capsule with its upper stage.

Motif on FDC 5v/2021: the ”Vosto–6” capsule.

Motif on the booklet cover: Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935). Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was the founder of modern cosmonautics who laid the foundations of the Soviet space exploration programme with his scientific work;

Back cover: Dreamer Spacesuit. Dreamer Spacesuit is made of pediatric oncology patients paintings from 20 cities and 10 countries, including Serbia. Dreamer Spacesuit was sent to the International Space Station in April, 2021. The project of UNITY charity foundation (Russia) supported by Roscosmos is intended to inspire and give hope to patients and their families.

Issue was realized in collaboration with the State Space Corporation ”Roscosmos”.

Artistic realization of the issue: Nadežda Skočajić, academic graphic artist.

The Student Cultural Centre (SKC), a cultural meeting place intended for students and young non-established authors, as well as already established artists and public and scientific workers, in 2021 marks its jubilee – the fiftieth anniversary of its work.

The SKC building, which is a cultural monument, and which was designed by the famous Serbian court architects Jovan Ilkić and Milorad Ruvidić, is located on the corner of King Milan and Resavska Streets. It was built back in 1895 for the needs of the then Officers’ House, which was the meeting place of the military establishment. Politicians, representatives of the nobility and bourgeoisie gathered under its roof. In post-war Yugoslavia, it was the headquarters of the State Security Service (Udba) for a while, and in 1968 the building was handed over to the University of Belgrade and that year the Student Cultural Centre was founded. On 3 April, 1971, it officially began operating.

In the years that followed, SKC became a prominent place, one of the main gathering locations for advanced scholars and urban youth. Young artists, as well as all those who offered something different and alternative, were given a space where they could express their creative spirit in all art movements and bring new views and fresh ideas to the public stage.

SKC managed to keep one of the leading positions on the cultural map of Belgrade. Even today, by strengthening alternative views and gathering new young people and those young in spirit eager to represent an alternative to the dominant art movements, there are exhibitions, concerts, theatre programmes, performances, audio-visual installations, lectures, creative workshops that are held at the Gallery, Happy Gallery, Small Hall, Circus Gallery, Great Hall, SKC Club, New Space and the popular Garden...

Following young people and their interests, paying attention to everything new and valuable in art, SKC continues to nurture the free spirit and alternative ways of artistic expression, trying to remain one of the most visited places in Belgrade where culture has the main say.

Expert collaboration: Student Cultural Centre Belgrade

Artistic realization of the issue: MA Jakša Vlahović, academic graphic artist

Ljiljana Krstić (31 October 1919, Kragujevac – 12 April 2001, Belgrade). As a law student, she realized that acting was her destiny, so she enrolled and graduated at the Musical Academy in Belgrade, Theatre Department. She has spent her acting life at National Theatre, Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Belgrade Drama Theatre and Atelje 212 Theatre, as well as on Radio Belgrade and Television where her roles are inscribed in gold: Ulita in the Forest, Olga in Three Sisters, Mother in Glass Menagerie, Brecht’s Mother Courage, Beatrice in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Pamela Pusey-Picq in Chin-Chin, Marta in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Vassa Zheleznova, Nehama in Twilight, Mrs. Nola, Woman aviator in the Wings, General’s wife in Platonov... Privately, she was not an actress. In the forms, in the column "occupation", she always wrote "clerk", not because acting is an unworthy profession, but because, as she said, she was unnecessarily too exposed. She was also involved in pedagogy. A strong and simple being, wise and stable, she was and remained the moral pillar of the Serbian theatre stage. She received all the most important awards and recognitions and the Dobrica Ring for Lifetime Achievement.

Tatjana Lukjanova (6 November 1923 – 18 August 2003, Belgrade). Daughter of a Russian emigrant, an extra at the Bolshoi Theater, she dreamed of ballet and medicine, and attended the Drama Studio at the National Theater, where she made her first acting steps. She studied acting with Vera Grech, an actress of the Moscow Art Theater, and then went to the newly founded Belgrade Drama Theater, to which she remained loyal all her life. Cheerful, always thirsty for acting, a reliable collaborator of colleagues and directors of all generations, she played a wide range of dramatic, lyrical and comic roles: Laura in Glass Menagerie, Perella in Man, Beast and Virtue, Ranyevskaya in Cherry Orchard, Bela Rada in The Ruddy Shelduck (Bird with golden wings), Abby Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace ... The children recognized her for her special voice she borrowed to dolls in children's shows, and she liked that very much. Her magnificent Maud in the play Harold and Maud was named the best annual acting achievement. She received the October Award of the City of Belgrade for Berta in Berta's Treasure by A. Hieng and the award Zoranov brk (Zoran's mustache) for the role of Maka Lela in the House with the Window by Lj. Lašić. After the death of Tatjana Lukjanova, the Belgrade Drama Theater established the "Grand Prix" award that bears her name.

Radmila Andrić (17 July 1934 - 20 November 2018, Belgrade). When preparing her admission exam for the Academy of Dramatic Arts, she was tutored by her grammar-school teacher Bora Stojković, the writer of the first history of the Serbian theatre. During her career, she played on the stages of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre as her home theatre and on the stages of the National Theatre, Belgrade Drama Theatre, Atelier 212. Her roles of Jessica in Dirty Hands, Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, in Mrs Dally has a Lover, Lady Margaret, Zoya in Zoyka’s Flat, Lavinia in Mourning Becomes Electra, Doris in the Same Time Next Year... Selective as she was when choosing the roles, she was gifted with a special sensitivity, the smile which was tender and melancholic, melodious voice, whereas her hands were telling their story in all the roles she played. Her role of Mrs Campbell in My Dear Liar was registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest continual performing of a single theatre play (for 39 years) with the same casting, until the death of her co-actor Mihajlo Viktorović. She was the laureate of the Belgrade City October Prize, Golden Arena in Pula, 7th July Award... the laureate of the Award of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for Highest Contribution to National Culture.

Milena Dravić (5 October 1940 - 14 October 2018, Belgrade). One of the most distinguished and most loved actresses of Yugoslav and Serbian cinematography. Milena Nazionale. The Door Remains Open was the film that made the door to motion pictures wide open, and the rest is history. A top-class artist, a star with a special glitter, a kind and respectable person, and, above all, ours. Her irresistible smile, charm, playful acting and highest professional ethic were the trademark in many roles she played, while her prolific opus and sparkling personality were reflected in a plethora of performances, series and shows: Overnumbered, Battle of Neretva, Morning, The Girl, Cross Country, W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism, Boka D Minor, Larry Thompson: Tragedy of a Youth, The Powder Keg, Cheek-to-Cheek, It’s Not Easy with the Men… Her role in the film The Special Treatment brought her the prize for supporting performance at the Cannes 1980 Festival. She was the laureate of nearly all the most prestigious awards, the Dobrica’s Ring for life achievement and the Award of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for Highest Contribution to National Culture. Someone said that the door remains open to our collective remembrance of triumphal roles and exquisite personality of Milena Dravić.

Miodrag Radovanović Mrgud (20 August 1929, Čačak-14 January 2019, Belgrade). An untried Slavic studies scholar and agronomist, he chose acting for his life's vocation and graduated from the Theatre Academy, in the class of Mata Milošević. Since 1952, on the stage of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre and other theatres, on film, radio and television, he has played numerous roles: Tram called Desire, Merry Days or Tarelkin's Death, Battle of Kolubara, Nijinsky, Merchant of Venice, Great Drama, Balkan Express, Bitter Fruit .. He said that life at the theatre is much better, more beautiful, more accurate and fairer than the real one, and that everything in it is for the glory of man, both the worst and the best. He had an impeccable diction and acting lordship. With a wide smile that he shared with his colleagues and the audience, he erased the nickname Mrgud (Frowned man), acquired in childhood. He will be remembered for his masterful interpretation of the role of the Gestapo member šicer in the television series The Farm in the Small Marsh. He was the president of the Association of Drama Artists of Serbia from 1976 to 1980. He is the winner of the Vuk Award, Raša Plaović, Silver Arena, Ardalion, Golden Laurel Wreath, the Order of Merit for the Nation and the Recognition of the RS Government for outstanding contribution to national culture.

Mihailo Miša Janketić (24 May 1938, Novi Sad - 15.5.2019, Belgrade). A Montenegrin born in Vojvodina, he studied literature, and was won over by the magic of acting. With Hamlet's monologue, he enrolled in the Theatre Academy in the class of Josip Kulundžić, after which he became a member of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. In his career, everything happened in due time. When he was young he played young men, then lovers, young heroes, when the time came for character roles, he looked exactly like them at his age. Whatever costume he wore - he actually could wear it, everything was natural to him. After his role in the play When Pumpkins Bloomed, he was invited to box for the Yugoslav national box team. He was the unforgettable Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment, Hugo in Dirty Hands, Horvat in Vučjak (German Sheperd), Stanley Kowalski in The Tram Called Desire, Živojin Mišić in the Battle of Kolubara, Gazda Jevrem in the People's Deputy, Marko Miljanov ... He taught acting at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He is the winner of all the most important awards, both the Dobrica Ring for Lifetime Achievement and the Recognition of the Government of the RS for top contribution to national culture.

Marko Nikolić (20 October 1946, Kraljevo – 2 January 2019, Belgrade). He inherited the acting gene from his mother Leposava, an actress from the Kraljevo Theatre; his first toys were theatrical props. After graduating from the Theatre Academy, he connected his acting career with the National Theatre in Belgrade, where he interpreted roles in the plays War and Peace, Mountain Wreath, Suspicious Face, Apis ... For the role of Abel Znork in Mysterious Variations, the author of the play E. Emanuel Schmidt said that he liked Mark's performance more than the interpretation of world-famous actors Alain Delon and Donald Sutherland. He was also convincing on the movie screen, in the films Boško Buha, Devojački most, Užice Republic ... The television part of his career was marked by the roles of leader Karadjordje Petrović, as well as Giga Moravac in the cult series Better Life (Bolji život). He possessed great vitality and energy, he loved basketball, the river, fishing, he had a boat, he loved and could sing ... In real life, he showed that an actor must not only be an actor, but also be a man who understands life and give it a chance. He is the winner of the Raša Plaović, Pavle Vuisić awards and Gold Medal for merits in cultural activities.

Predrag Ejdus (24 July 1947 - 28 September 2018, Belgrade). He became “infected” with acting as an amateur in Dadov theatre, and when he entered that world, there was no going back. He said that the actors act because of the curse and the magic and wander the corridors of hell, deeply believing that there is a way to heaven somewhere. His anthological roles are Osip in Fear and Hope of Nadežda Mandelstam, Miškin in Nastasja Filipovna, Kir Janja, Faust, Oblomov, Joakim Vujić in How to Make Your Lord Laugh, Laza Dunđerski in Was there a Prince's Dinner, Bernard Drah in Chauvinist Farce, Ignjat Glembay in Messrs. Glembay, Napoleon in Madame Saint-Jean, Zlatikum in Skup, Shylock in the Merchant of Venice... He was the president of the Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia from 1986 to 1990 and a professor at the Academy of Arts in Belgrade. He is the winner of the most important theatre awards: Sterija, Golden Laurel Wreath, Golden Medal for monodrama, Milivoje Živanović, Raša Plaović, statuette of Joakim Vujić, October Award, Dobrica Ring for Lifetime Achievement and Recognition of the RS Government for top contribution to national culture. He played to the last atom of physical and mental strength.

Expert collaboration: Association of Drama Artists of Serbia.

Artistic realization of the issue: MA Marina Kalezić, academic painter.

The foundation and beginning of the work of the Serbian Orthodox seminary in Prizren (1871) is the most significant event in spiritual, educational, cultural and national history of enslaved Old Serbia, until the liberation in 1912. The first Serbian institution in the Ottoman Empire, founded after the abolition of the Patriarchate of Peć (1766), soon became the centre of educational and ecclesiastical life, and its students, who later became teachers and priests, started a great mission of restoration of education and the church. The new blood cherished the noble character of the Serbian people, guarding the ancient ecclesiastical and cultural heritage. The owner and founder of the school, Simeon Sima Andrejević Igumanov, Metropolitan Mihailo, the prince's deputy Jovan Ristić and the Russian consul Ivan Stepanovič Jastrebov were of great importance in the founding and the work of the Prizren seminary.

Numerous honorary rectors and professors have made an invaluable contribution to the 150 years of work of this school. The Prizren seminary presented the Serbian nation with three patriarchs (Varnava, Gavrilo and Irinej), a large number of bishops and clergy, educational and national activists, writers and scientists, both in the homeland and all over the world. The Bishop of Raška and Prizren and later Patriarch Pavle, took care of the work of the Prizren seminary for several decades. Diplomatic activities and the school's mission at the crossroads of conflicting worlds are especially significant, as are the sufferings of the Seminary inflicted by Albanian extremists in 1999 and 2004, the resumption of work in Niš and Prizren, at a time and circumstances when such efforts are a great feat.

Sima Igumanov, a native of Prizren (1804–1882) having been engaged in trade gained great wealth. Having had a love for his nation and a desire to contribute to its education, he bequeathed all his property to the Prizren seminary and students from the area of Old Serbia. He founded the Endowment, which is still fulfilling its mission today. The example of Sima Igumanov, a patriot and benefactor of Prizren shines as a guiding star for us and all subsequent generations.

Motif on the stamp: portrait of Sima Andrejević Igumanov (Uroš Knežević, National Museum in Belgrade), in the background the building of the Prizren seminary.

Expert colaboration: Dr. Aleksandra Novakov, expert associate of the Lexicography Department and Secretary of the Kosovo-Metohija Board of Matica Srpska, with the blessing of Bishop of Raška and Prizren Eparchy Mr. Teodosije, Rector of the Seminary.

Artistic realization of the issue: MA Anamari Banjac, academic painter

Easter is a movable holiday which is celebrated on a different date every year. It can fall between April 4 and May 8 according to the new, Gregorian calendar, i.e. between March 22 and April 25, according to the old, Julian calendar, but it is tied exclusively to Sunday. The celebration of Easter was established by a Decree at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.

Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays, “the holiday above all other holidays”. It is celebrated in memory of the victory of Lord Jesus Christ over death by resurrection, which was announced by angels and myrrh-bearing women, finding the tomb empty three days after Jesus was crucified and died on the cross on the hill Golgotha above Jerusalem. It is also called Christian Pascha, after the Old Testament holiday of the Jews, in memory of the liberation from Egyptian slavery. For Orthodox, Easter is preceded by a seven-week fast, stricter than other fasts during the year. The last week of the fast is called Holy Week, i.e. Passion Week, marking the days of the passion of Christ. Many folk customs are associated with this week, including the painting of eggs, which are a symbol of resurrection. The first painted red egg is stored until next year and is called “the guard of the house”. At the dawn of Easter, the faithful gather in the church, greeting each other with: “Christ is Risen – Indeed He is Risen!” and participate in the festive Liturgy with the priests. Easter is a holiday of joy and faith in eternal life. The whole week after Easter is called Bright Week, and Monday and Tuesday are marked as Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday.Troparion of the Resurrection: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life”

Kontakion of the Resurrection: “Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of Hades, and didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice! and giving peace unto Thine apostles, Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen”

Expert collaboration: Miljana Matić, PhD in Art History, Curator of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Artistic realisation of the issue: MA Marija Vlahović, academic graphic artist.

The lunar calendar is based on cycles of lunar phases, although most of the lunar calendars are actually lunisolar calendars. This means that the calendar months correspond to lunar cycles; however, intercalary months are occasionally added to harmonize these cycles with the solar year. Among these calendars are Chinese, Hebrew and Hindu calendars, as well as most calendar systems used in ancient times. Lunar calendars differ according to which day the month begins. In the Chinese calendar, the first day is astronomically determined by the conjunction of the Sun and the Moon in the Chinese time zone.

Chinese Zodiac belongs to the oldest known astrological systems. It consists of 12 signs, each of which rules over one lunar year. These zodiac signs bear the names of animals (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig). In addition to the basic signs, elements are also quite important in Chinese horoscope: wood, metal, water, fire and earth. Chinese astrology is based on the knowledge of ancient astronomers and the traditional Chinese calendar. It is also associated with ancient teachings about three harmonies – heaven, earth and water, Wu Xing teachings, Yin and Yang, five planets, 10 celestial streams and 12 earth branches, etc.

In Chinese culture, the Ox is a valued animal. Because of its role in agriculture, positive characteristics, such as diligence and honesty, are attributed to it. Oxen are hardworking, but low key people, intelligent and reliable. They never look for praise or to be the center of attention, which can often hide their talents. People of the Ox sign rarely lose their temper, think logically and make great leaders. Ox gains all recognitions and prizes only through their hard work.

According to the lunar horoscope, 2021 is a year of the Metal Ox. This year will require a lot of discipline and extra effort in organizing time to solve the accumulated problems. In return, 2021 will bring good luck and no explosive or catastrophic events will occur, so this will be a favorable year for economic recovery or consolidation, a year of long-term investments (especially for creating reserves and stocks for the next unproductive years).

Artistic realization of the issue: MA Boban Savić, academic painter.