In 1968, it has been 100 years since the birth of the poet Alekse Šantić.
Mostar has marked that jubilee with dignity. The celebration program has included:
establishment of the Fund for erecting the Aleksa Šantić monument, naming the Gymnasium “Aleksa Šantić”, establishment of the “Aleksa Šantić” Literary Award, establishment of the “Aleksa Šantić” Scholarship for postgraduate studies in the history of literature, cultural history and the history of Mostar and Herzegovina, unveiling of a memorial plaque at the birthplaces of Aleksa Šantić and Svetozar Ćorović, publication of an honorary issue of the Mostar magazine “Zora”, issuing a postage stamp with a portrait of Aleksa Šantić, a formal academy with an exhibition about Aleksa Šantić, a recital of Šantić’s poetry and the premiere of Šantić’s play “Hasanaginica”, a meeting of the Coordination Committee of the Union of Writers of Yugoslavia and the Inter-Republic Literary Evening dedicated to Aleksa Šantić, the creation of an “Aleksa Šantić” badge based on Ante Matković’s plaque, the printing of posters based on Mirza Hamzić’s creative solution, and the publication of 1,000 signed copies of the poetry collection, Aleksa Šantić: “Pre-holiday Eve”. The poetry selection was prepared by Stevan Raičković, published by the Belgrade Publishing Company “Prosveta” and the Mostar Municipality Assembly.
One of the proposals for this jubilee was the initiative of Ravijala Rava Kolak, curator of the Literature Department of the Herzegovina Museum to organize Šantić poetry evenings in Mostar. That year, due to the volume of the program and the funds that were available, that proposal did not pass. But in the Mostar weekly “Sloboda” (April 21, 1969, p.6) in the text “Šantić’s evening in Šantić’s garden”, we learn the following from an anonymous author:
“An earlier idea of Rava Kolak, an expert in the Literature Department of the Museum of Herzegovina, has taken on more definite contours these days. It will take place in the second half of May this year in the garden of the Ćorović house, which was recently decorated
poetic performance “Šantić’s evening”. In addition to the Museum, the evening will be organized by the editorial office of the newspaper “Sloboda” and the Writers’ Club “Abrašević”. At this performance, the verses of Šantić and other Mostar poets will be recited.
