Serb exhibition in Vukovar postponed

An exhibition titled “Serbian Woman, Heroine of the Great War”, which was scheduled to open today in Vukovar, has been postponed until next month.

The Serbian Joint Council of Municipalities made the decision following growing tensions over the timing - just a week before Vukovar’s Column of Remembrance and the national commemorations honoring victims of the Homeland War and the Vukovar and Škabrnja massacres.

The postponement came after a formal request from Vukovar Mayor Marijan Pavliček, who said the move would help preserve calm ahead of the remembrance events.

“It was a reasonable move. This goes a long way to easing tensions. We should enter the days of remembrance of the victims of Vukovar with reverence and respect for the victims,” said Mayor Pavliček.

The exhibition was organized by the Serbian Consulate in Croatia, the Serb Democratic Independent Party (SDSS), and the Serb Cultural Center, but critics argued that its timing was insensitive given the proximity to the annual memorial ceremonies.

Labour Minister Marin Piletić commented that there are “365 days in a year,” suggesting cultural events should avoid coinciding with such significant national days of remembrance.

Similar controversies have arisen elsewhere: in Split, a related Serbian cultural event sparked protests, while in Zagreb, around fifty people gathered to oppose an exhibition honoring Dejan Medaković, a highly controversial figure associated with the wars of the 1990's.

Leaders of Croatia’s Serb community maintain that the events were not intended to offend or undermine the upcoming November 18th commemorations, when Croatians across the country honor victims of the 1991 attacks on Vukovar and Škabrnja.