Women were clearly the main protagonists at the central Slovenian Culture Day ceremony, which Slovenians in Italy celebrated at the Lojze Bratuž Culture Centre. Tamara Blažina, the Slovenian member of the Italian parliament, was the honorary speaker at the event, at which the umbrella organisations of the minority, the Slovenian Cultural and Economic Association (SKGZ) and the Council of Slovenian Organisations (SSO), conferred honours on deserving contributors to our cultural life, all three of whom were women this year. The recipients were Bruna Dorbolò, culture organiser and administrator; Dorica Makuc, journalist and persistent researcher of stories from Goriška in particular; and Marija Pirjevec, the Trieste-based literary critic, teacher and tireless mediator between Italian and Slovenian culture. Marija Pirjevec was the only one to receive the award in person, as Dorbolò and Makuc could not be present due to health reasons.

Slovenian cultural institutions in Italy take turns in organising the 8 February ceremony. This year, it was put on by the Association of Slovenian Catholic Education from Gorizia, which dedicated the event to Gorizia composer and conductor Lojze Bratuž (1902-1937), whose life was ended prematurely by Fascist violence 80 years ago.

Tamara Blažina (BUMBACA)