TOURIST POTENTIALS AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
27.04.2013
With the support of Palilula Municipality, Horse Club Ninius in village Gornje Medjurovo for the fifth year traditionally organized tourist cultural manifestation Lazarica. Family home of Toni and Jasne Ilieski hosted last weekend over hundred children and their parents who came to celebrate Lazarus Saturday – Cveti - celebration that comes one week before Easter. The custom is that day young people give each other flowers so the participants of Lazarica, from very early morning starting visiting the households in Medjurovo and one children group collected flowers and made floral wreaths. During the same time, the participants of the competition in preparing fish soup gathered, participants in Japanese game GO including nature and horse ridding lovers.

Lazarus Saturday is connected to Serbian prince Lazar who was killed in Kosovo in 1389. Vrbica is on Lazarus Saturday, sixth in Great Easter fasting period. That is celebration day when big labor works are avoided. On this day children went with priest and teacher to gather willow twigs that were brought to church and on the next day on Cveti, they were blessed and given to the present who bring them home and keep it as something sacred together with religious icons. Vrbica – Day of willow, is the day of children happiness. Children sing songs and have good time with the sounds of bells that they get in churches. In some areas of willow twigs the wreaths are also made and icons are decorated with them.

Cultural artistic programme this year in Gornje Medjurovo was very rich says Jasna ilieski. Folk ensemble of children from Batusince was first to perform, then KUD Aleksa in Brzi Brod, folk ensemble from Knezica, members of section for folklore of Cultural center in Svrljig, ensemble with Puppet theatre play of Elementary school `Cele Kula`, Nis. Children from Gornje Medjurovo prepared interesting game and Dragana Crnatovic presented new theatre music project of Children eco- theatre. The performance of Toni Ilieski, who showed the skills of horse riding and horse training of Nonius horse club, was also presented. The official jury announced the most beautiful Lazar and Lazarica of manifestation.

In the name of the sponsors of the event, the present and organizers were greeted by Boban Dzunic, president of Palilula Municipality. He emphasized the importance of this manifestation for the promotion and development of tourism and cherishing our cultural and traditional values. One of the strategic features of Palilula Municipality is tourism development including hotelier area, emphasized Dzunic. The advantages for tourism development, beside traffic position, represent also many natural and cultural goods as manifestations in culture like this one in Gornje Medjurovo that thanks to Ilieski family and horse club Nonius have become recognizable in whole region. We are working very hard in given economic conditions to provide to Palilula Municipality developmental way and the place within the Strategy of City of Nis and region development to offer strategic priorities that really can be realized in the coming period of our development. Palilula delegation consisted during this event of the members of Municipal council Zlako Semic, Ivica Stojanovic, Milos Stoljkovic.

Palilula Municipality for this occasion provided trophies and medals for the competition participants in preparing fish soup. The cook jury had a tough task. After the degustation, they estimated that the most successful in preparing dish was the team from Gornje Medjurovo village. They won trophies for the first and third place. The second went to the team of Administration of Palilula Municipality. The trophies gave the president of Palilula Municipality. Fish soup was then served to guests and Lazarica manifestation participants.