Culture

Cultural heritage

The Municipality of Šid has a cultural heritage that represents our history and our identity. The inhabitants of the Municipality are very proud of the art funds of Art Gallery“Sava Šumanović“ and Museum of Naive Art "Ilijanum", Memorial House of Sava Šumanović, The house and the Ethno exhibition of Filip Višnjić in the village of Visnjićevo, archaeological finds from the site "Gradina on Bosut", a Roman sarcophagus and church heritage with the significant iconostasis at the ortodox church „Saint Archangel Gabriel“ (Sveti Arhanđel Gavrilo) in Molovin from the 18th century. There are also numerous manifestations in the honour to the artists who lived in this area and Memorials to the important events in the art galleries and Memorial complex „ Srem's Front“(„Sremski front“).

Famous people

These are some of the outstanding people from this area who was born or just settled here and made important contribution to local and national culture, science and education like Sava Šumanović, one of the most important Serbian painters, Đorđe Magarašević, one of the founders of "The Chronicle of Matica Serbian"( „Letopis Matice srpske“), Ilija Bašičević Bosilj,one of the founder of marginal art in former Yugoslavija, Simeon Piščević whose „Memories“ inspired Miloš Crnjanski to write his novel "The Migrations "(„Seobe“), Mita Orešković, a composer and a writer of old folk songs, Milivoj Mauković,the first Serbian illustrator of the comics and a fashion designer and Filip Višnjić, a blind performer of old epic poems on gusle (a traditional wire instrument). like Sava Šumanović, one of the most important Serbian painters, Đorđe Magarašević, one of the founders of "The Chronicle of Matica Serbian"( „Letopis Matice srpske“), Ilija Bašičević Bosilj,one of the founder of marginal art in former Yugoslavija, Simeon Piščević whose „Memories“ inspired Miloš Crnjanski to write his novel "The Migrations "(„Seobe“), Mita Orešković, a composer and a writer of old folk songs, Milivoj Mauković,the first Serbian illustrator of the comics and a fashion designer and Filip Višnjić, a blind performer of old epic poems on gusle (a traditional wire instrument).

Art Gallery„Sava Šumanović“ in Šid

Art Gallery „ Sava Šumanović“ was founded in 1952 on the basis of the gift-contract with which Mrs Persida Šumanović, the painter's mother, gave a legacy of 417 paintings to the town of Šid. According to the precise regulations of the contract , the legacy was placed in their family house that was used for a District Court. The art fund of the Gallery contains 350 paintings done in oil and 67 sketches in different techniques such as: drawing, pastel, gouaches, watercolor and diluted tempera.The majority of the paintings were done during the last decade of the painter's life and work but the smaller part of the art fund (only by number, not by significance) are the paintings that the artist brought from Paris. Besides the permanent exhibition, the Gallery organizes temporary exhibitions based on its own fund, the popular interpretations of the exhibitions, lectures and publishing activities. The educational program for children and youth is also organized with the aim of bringing art heritage and the Gallery itself closer to the youngest audience.

Memorial House of Sava Šumanović

This is the house where the artist spent his childhood and the last ten years of his life, a family house that is under the protection of the Department for Preserving Cultural Monuments. After Persida Šumanović passed away the Municipality bought the house with the original family furniture and the artist’s atelier from the heirs. The Memorial House of Sava Šumanović has been opened for the visitors since 1982

Museum of Naive Art „Ilijanum“

Ilija Bosilj is ranked among the 50 most significant naive artists in the world. At „The Third Trienal of Naive Art“ in Bratislava in 1972. Bosilj was awarded posthumously for his achievements in the field of naive art. On November 3, 1970, Ilija initiated the foundation of the Museum of Naive Art in Šid:„I hope that in this way our Šid will be given the opportunity to participate in the cultural life of society, and its inhabitants will feel more beauty among my paintings, as well as I felt among the paintings of my school friend Sava Šumanović that influenced on me a lot.“ ( Ilija Bosilj) The gift contract was signed in 1971.The legacy contains 338 paintings and two sculptures. There are 287 Ilija's paintings divided into several cycles with different themes and motifs which are inspired by epics, legends, myths, metmorphosis of zoomorphic figures to anthropomorphic and scenes with astrological characters. The other 49 paintings and two culptures , Ilija got from other naive artists like Milan Rašić, Josip and Ivan Generalić, Emerik Feješ and so on. „I added several works by foreign artists to this collection to mark the direction of its development. I believe that this modest contribution of mine will help young people, and maybe future ones as well, to have something more than what I personally missed a lot, and that is culture.“(Ilija Bosilj)

Filip Višnjić

The grave and a tombstone of Filip Višnjić,one of the most famous Serbian performer of old epic poems on gusle (a traditional wire instrument) are in Višnjićevo near the town of Šid. After the First Serbian Uprising, Filip Višnjić, a blind performer on gusle, moved to Višnjićevo (former name of the village was Grk) and he lived there until his death in 1834. Between the two world wars, the village changed its name to Višnjićevo. The monument of Filip Višnjić , work of the academic sculptor Sava Halugin, is located in the centre of the village. The monument was done in 2010 with the donation of Mrs Radmila Milentijević. There is the Memorial marble plate on the house where Filip Višnjić lived. There is also the Ethno exhibition dedicated to Filip Višnjić to keep the memory of him.

Cultural and Educational Centre

Through the work of its sections, Cultural and Educational Centre gathers a large number of children and teenagers. The Serbian Cultural and Amateur Association "Saint Sava", the Amateur Theater "Branislav Nušić", the City Choir "Horshideje"( Horšideje“), the Grand National Orchestra, the Tamburitza Orchestra, the Tamburitza School and the Ballet School are just some of the sections that work at this institution. Furthermore there is the cinema in the Centre, the only one cinema in this area. Cultural and Educational Centre also organizes most of the traditional cultural and entertainment events, the most famous of which are: "Visnjic's Days", Art Colony "Na putevima Save Šumanovića", "Jastrebić's Meetings", "Cultural Summer in Šid", "Children's Cultural Summer", "Vidovdan’s Meetings"and so on. Besides the manifestations, the institution is also engaged in publishing and organizing a large number of literary forums and meetings, various workshops and concerts of folk, classical and pop-rock music.

National Library„Simeon Piščević“

The library was founded as the First Serbian Library on December 17, 1849. This event is supported by the document in old Slavs language “ Bukvice” published in Vienna in 1830. Since then The Library has often changed its name and location. Since February 26, 2002 the Library’ s official name is National Library „Simeon Piščević“ by a famous Simeon Piščević who used to live for a while in Šid and later wrote his „ Memories“ that inspired Miloš Crnjanski to write his novel „The Migrations“. During all these years the Library has been inheriting its main activity, lending books as well as publishing, but it has been organizing workshops for children, literary forums and music concerts.