A Successful Mediterranean Coast Day Comes to an End in Split

Mediterranean Coast Day was celebrated on September 25th.

The concert of KUDs and the saxophone quartet Papandopulo on Tuesday night at Peristyle completed ongoing celebrations marking the Mediterranean Coast Day and the fortieth anniversary of the Coast Management Center. Split’s famous Pjaca square was dressed in images of the sea which pleased enthusiastic passers-by, and there was even children’s play in Đardin, where Split’s elementary school children articulated numerous new knowledge about the sea, the preservation of the shore and the protected species. Best yet, dolphin Duje and his friends were adopted by the good people of Split who will care for them in the coming months, thanks to the cooperation with the Blue World Institute.

The divers of UPA Rostrum held an underwater cleanup in Vranjica to clear the mass of waste on the seabed, while the students of the School of Fine Arts will soon complete a composition on the new customs gates. The work will present one of the mythical characters of the sea, made of waste from the beaches of Split, and will remain visible to all the tourists coming to the city as a reminder of the importance of respecting our coast.

At the international meeting on the new challenges in the Mediterranean, the need for joint action for sustainable development was highlighted. All participants agreed that the Mediterranean area is the most vulnerable to climate change, and has changed significantly in recent decades. Because of all these challenges, the need to find new, innovative solutions for sustainable development across the Mediterranean has been underlined. The honorary ambassador of the coast of 2018 was declared at the Gallery of Fine Arts, which will be held for the following year by actress Zrinka Cvitešić, a proud winner of two medals for excellent quality olive oil, which she has won over the past two years for her olive groves on Brač.

Among the numerous events marking Mediterranean Coast Day was the special emotion of all Split people – the “departure” of the “Walkers” sculpture by artist Vasko Lipovac, which was displayed on the Riva in front of the bank. Just the name of this sculpture is a testimony to the beauty of living on the Mediterranean coast. Namely, the local population was originally named “Sunday 1938”, which was replaced by the name “Walkers”, as it more precisely reflects everyday life in this area on the Mediterranean coast. That is why this in love couple reminded us of the joy of living. In order for this joy to survive, other species and nature, and the traces of our ancestors, must survive, too.