Successfully Held Third Event of the JURKA 24–25 Project

JURKA 24–25 Project, Vinica, April 27, 2025

On Sunday, April 27, 2025, the third event of the JURKA 24–25 project, co-financed by the European Union under the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), was successfully held in Vinica. The project is the result of cooperation between partners from Slovenia and Croatia: RIC Bela krajina, the Municipality of Črnomelj, the City of Karlovac, and the Tourist Board of Karlovac County.

The program began with a symbolic meeting of representatives from both countries on the Vinica Bridge. As a symbol of cooperation, a green birch twig—symbolizing the Green George (Zeleni Jurij) and the arrival of spring—was exchanged on the bridge.

The gathering continued at the Oton Župančič Memorial House with a lecture on The Mythological Heritage of Green George. The event opened in a warm atmosphere created by the female vocal group Viniške cure, who enriched the beginning of the professional part of the program.

The event was officially opened by Barbara Papež Lavrič, Director of RIC Bela krajina, who emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation in preserving intangible cultural heritage. On this occasion, she invited participants to the next JURKA event, which will take place on May 10 in Karlovac, as well as to the traditional Jurjevanje in Bela krajina festival, taking place in June. Andrej Kavšek, Mayor of the Municipality of Črnomelj, highlighted the importance of joint collaboration and preserving cultural identity and expressed his satisfaction with the successful cooperation between project partners. Martina Furdek Hajdin, Prefect of Karlovac County, expressed her delight in supporting a project that strengthens ties between communities and promotes cultural exchange and traditional customs.

The lecture on The Mythological Heritage of Green George was delivered by Gregor Jevšček, a graduate ethnologist and cultural anthropologist. After the lecture, a workshop followed where participants shared ideas for the development of tourism products based on the Green George theme and rich spring traditions. In the Vinica town square, the local cultural association KUD Oton Župančič Vinica performed the traditional Green George ritual, which attracted much attention from visitors. As part of the Mala južina event, Croatian cultural heritage was promoted through folk performances by KUD Frankopan from Bosiljevo and KUD Netretić from Netretić. Visitors could observe traditional basket weaving, learn about rich local traditions, and explore the content and goals of the JURKA 24–25 project. Visitors also enjoyed free admission to the exhibition Župančič – Master of the Word, which showcases the rich literary legacy of one of Slovenia’s greatest poets.

With its mission, the JURKA project continues to successfully connect, preserve, and promote the cultural heritage of Bela krajina and Karlovac County.

The activities of the JURKA 24–25 project are co-financed by the European Union.

Project Partners: RIC Bela krajina, Municipality of Črnomelj, City of Karlovac, Tourist Board of Karlovac County