By presenting the "Zolaga" award for life's work Dušan Govedarica, the 55th anniversary of the Literary Community (KZ) "Vladimir Mijušković" from Nikšić was marked.
The jubilee was also an occasion to pay tribute to the prose creators of the Community, which for more than half a century tirelessly weaves literary threads in the city under Trebjes, but also throughout the country and region. At the same time, a tribute to the deceased was also held on that occasion Miroslav Jovanović Timotijev, writer and one of the founders of KZ.
President of the CC, writer Spasoje Bajović, he recalled the history of the Community and the "Promethean results" they achieved in 55 years of work.
"These are the creative years of building a spiritual edifice with 55 wonderful mirrors facing the heights, with 55 flags speckled with the energy of the spirit that flow under the great flag of the 'Pledge' of Vladimir Mijušković. Never before in Montenegrin areas have so many talented creators gathered in one place as here in Nikšić in 1968," said Bajović.
In 1969, the members of the Community published the joint collection "Cactus", and since then, Bajović reminds, more than 650 titles of various genres have been published.
"Even today in the spiritual temple of Vladimir Mijušković, around thirty important creators create. They have an active attitude towards creativity through the expression of artistic freedom as a resistance to various ideological influences," said Bajović.
Why the award to Govedarica, explained the poet Sofija Simović, a member of the Community presidency, who pointed out that Govedarica is "a master of the written word, a creator of special lyrics".
A poet of an unusual aura, an interlocutor of both childhood and youth, and a sage, and an individual, and an irresistible bohemian, without whom Nikšić's pubs would remain soulless, and the artistic sky over Nikšić would not have such big and deep eyes," said Simović about Govedarica.
"A poet of an unusual aura, an interlocutor of both childhood and youth, and a sage, and an individual, and an irresistible bohemian, without whom Nikšić's taverns would remain soulless, and the artistic sky over Nikšić would not have such big and deep eyes," said Simović.
Govedarica is one of the founders of the Literary Association, its president for many years, and now honorary, says Simović and points out that he is synonymous with the Association. We are talking about a poet, prose and drama writer who lived and lives for poetry and prose.
"The award belongs to a writer of a special quality, a poet of metaphysical depth, which brings our laureate to the stars, very close to Risto Ratković, Dis, Laza Kostić and other greats of the written word," said Simović and wished that Govedarica would continue to "make magic out of words and to write the most expensive song of the century".
The laureate, who could rightly be called a poet and writer of his homeland, admitted that he "doesn't let a fly fall on his Golia".
After presenting the award, he said that Nikšić has more talented writers than any other city in Montenegro. Although, he says, the time has come when it is neither popular to give awards nor to receive them, "Zaloga" obliges him to keep them.
"We in the Literary Community have always worked systematically - if two creators 'failed', we necessarily found a replacement, four of them," said Govedarica, whose creativity is a "pledge" to generations of writers who are just emerging.
Govedarica is the organizer of numerous cultural events, a writer whose works have been translated into 15 languages, a writer whose books contain no lies.
"I didn't invent anything. In Pometenik, I didn't manage to bring the heroes of my books to the forum. And it was difficult. Today there are no more interlocutors in the village - the young have left, and there are fewer and fewer of the old. And we have corrupted the language in the village more we don't have people who preserve that language", the words of the laureate.
He regrets that today's young generations rely on things they heard from someone, while they relied on literacy. His wish is that the Community, which he breathed his soul into, will finally have its home.
"All organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, have space, only we don't".
The moderator of the evening was an art historian Kristina Radovic, which recalled the biographies of the older and younger generation of prose writers, members of the Literary Community, as well as the biographies of retired prose writers of the Community. She reminded that in December they received the "Pledge" for the artistic vision of the homeland Milica Kralj, for poetry, i Milovan Miki Radulović, for fine arts.
Members of the CC also paid tribute to Timotijev, and took the floor Jovan Draskovic, Spasoje Bajović, Prof. Dr Svetlana Kalezić Radonjić, M.Sc Marijana Blečić, Milica Vukmanović Jovanović and drama artists Miro Nikolic i Dragisa Simović.
Long deserved to be in school textbooks
The professor spoke about the character and works of the writer and distinguished professor of Nikšić High School Vladimir Mijušković Mihailo Perosevic who pointed out that the Literary Community deserves the fact that Mijušković's name and work have not been forgotten.
He reminded that Mijušković, who was born in Kunk near Nikšić in 1909, published the first collection of short stories "Highlanders" in 1937, and two years later, as a co-author, the first comedy. His comedy "My Children", adds Perošević, after "Mountain Wreath" and "Balkan Empress" was the most performed play in Montenegro until the Second World War, which played in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on all small and large stages.
Although he wrote a large number of dramas and comedies, Mijušković is better known as a storyteller, and his book "The Pledge", after which the Literary Association award is named, is a work that long ago deserved to be included in high school textbooks, Perošević pointed out.
"A work that has sublimated the complete literary talent of Mijušković. A novel that is a treasure of archaism, a treasure of Vuk's language. 'Zolaga' is a true continuation of the work Stefan Mitrova Ljubiša", said Perošević.
He reminded that the mentioned book has seen three reprint editions in twenty years (two by the "Njegoš" National Library, and one by KZ), but that it is still in demand. He suggested that Mijušković's legacy be systematized and published and added that who knows what direction his bibliography would have taken if he had not died at the age of 54.
And a writer Vojislav B. Mijušković, to whom his surname was briefly a teacher in the Gymnasium, reminded him of Vladimir Mijušković and told anecdotes related to him. Although Kunak is "small as change" thanks to figures from history, especially Mijušković, adds Vojislav, it is as big as the sun's horizon.
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