The jubilee 25th St Sava Ball, organized by the Serbian Center, was held in Vienna. The event took place in the Hofburg Palace and gathered more than two thousand participants from the Republic of Srpska, Serbia and Austria. The event is of humanitarian character. The funds raised are intended for the Down Syndrome Center Banja Luka.

Numerous invitees and guests attended the traditional St Sava Ball. The event was also attended by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

St Sava Ball was held in 12 halls and on four stages. Pieces of classical, old town, rock and electronic music were performed during a six-hour stage program.

– The goal is for people to have a good time, to dance, to get to know Serbian culture better, I mean the guests, of course, and the goal is also for this ball to be of humanitarian character – said the president of the Serbian Center in Vienna, Milan Vidović.

The musical number 1,300 kaplara by SNT Orchestra opened St Sava Ball, and Hymn to St Sava was performed.

This was followed by the participation of SNT Orchestra and Choir, as well as soloists, Beobalet Belgrade and Faculty of Music Arts, Wheel Chair Dance club Salzburg, soprano Tamara Rađenović, and the final act of the first part of the program were old town dances performed by cultural and artistic societies.

The famous Blue Danube waltz by Johann Strauss II was then played in the Ceremonial Hall, and soloists Jelena Gavrilović, Zoran Šandorov and Nevena Reljin performed along Rađenović. The audience in the Ceremonial Hall were entertained by vocal soloists Gianna Charles, Ana Pecnik and Miloš Kračunović, in the Knights’ Hall there was the jazz trio Dusha Connection.

Children from the Banja Luka Down Syndrome Center took part in this year’s ball for the first time. The Serbian community in the Austrian capital made an effort to redirect all the money raised during the evening to the ‘children of the Sun’ this year.

– Starting today, the focus will be only on the similarities and not differences in relation to people with Down syndrome. And starting today, the talk will focus on what they can do, and not what they cannot do, as before – said the director of the Banja Luka Down Syndrome Center, Zoran Jelić.

– A wonderful evening and time spent with more than 2,000 Serbs from Vienna, Austria, Serbia and Republic of Srpska, and I am especially overjoyed that part of the funds will go to my friends from the Down Syndrome Center – said the director of the Republic of Srpska UCC and ambassador of the Banja Luka Down Syndrome Center, Vlado Đajić.

The tradition of holding this ceremony dates back to 1846. Although there was a two-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is celebrating a jubilee this year. It brings together the most influential members of the Serbian diaspora, Austrian businessmen and representatives of public life, but also representatives of Serbia and Srpska.

Source: RTRS – Politika

Photo: Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region